James (Jim) Fallows has been a contributing writer at The Atlantic since 1979. He has extensive write-ups on topics pertaining to US politics, including international relations and war. He has earned many accolades, including a designation as Chief Speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter. Jim is the author of More Like Us: Making America Great Again, where he provides an argument against the past trend of copying Japanese post-war economic solutions.

In this episode, you’ll hear about Jim’s vast experience as a writer and political activist. He talks about his childhood, his interest in writing, and his passion for flying planes. He describes the significant events he witnessed in the 70s and 80s and his experience as the President\'s speechwriter. He cites some of the failures of modern journalism. Jim also discusses some of his best works, including his HBO Max documentary, Our Towns.

\"If you ask anybody about national politics, almost everybody sounds dumb.\"

 - James Fallows

This week on Kathy Sullivan Explores:

●     Why Jim’s family moved from Philadelphia to Redlands

●     Why Jim chose Harvard over other prestigious universities in the US

●     Remembering riots, assassinations, and other historical events

●     Jim’s draft experience and the events he witnessed

●     What it was like being the speechwriter for President Carter

●     The amount of statements writers prepare for presidents on a daily basis

●     Why speeches are easier to write than other forms of text

●     How fact-checking and research were conducted before the internet

●     Jim’s contributions to modern writing software

●     Jim’s passion for flying and traveling and his favorite plane

●     China\'s economy and visions for the future and what Jim thinks of current US-Chinese relations

●     The experience of being a white man in Japan

●     The moral lesson of flying a small airplane in China

●     Jim’s opinions on modern journalism and its failures

●     Jim’s predictions for America\'s future

Connect with James Fallows:

●     The Atlantic

●     Our Towns Foundation

●     Book: More Like Us: Making America Great Again

●     Book: Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America

●     Essay: “What Did You Do in the Class War, Daddy?”

●     Documentary: Our Towns

●     James Fallows on Twitter

●     James Fallows on LinkedIn

Spaceship Not Required

I’m Kathy Sullivan, the only person to have walked in space and gone to the deepest point in the ocean.

I’m an explorer, and that doesn’t always have to involve going to some remote or exotic place. It simply requires a commitment to put curiosity into action.

In this podcast, you can explore, reflecting on lessons learned from life so far and from my brilliant and ever-inquisitive guests. We explore together in this very moment from right where you are--spaceship not required.

Welcome to Kathy Sullivan Explores.

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