Best Barbarians At The Gate Podcasts (2025)

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Andrew and Jerry Warn: The Barbarians Are At The Gates! 48:16

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3d ago48:16

48:16

In Episode 98, Andrew Langer and Jerry Rogers are joined by Dr. Peter Pitts—former FDA Associate Commissioner and President of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest—for a sobering discussion on how America's hospital system has been hijacked by greed, mismanagement, and a lack of accountability. Dr. Pitts explains how hospital consolidatio…

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AI-Laoshi Will See You Now: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Chinese Language Learning 26:54

9d ago26:54

26:54

In our careers as teachers, we have cycled between embracing change while loudly proclaiming that [Insert New Technology Here] will ruin the classroom experience, doom a generation to intellectual oblivion, and possibly lead to the collapse of civilization. What can I say? Teachers can be an excitable lot, prone to excessive consumption of caffeine…

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BGI 385 The One About a LOT of Red Ink for Companies”

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#305- Qing 40: Heshen Must Die! 34:55

6d ago34:55

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For nearly a quarter century, Heshen served the Qing Empire - and in the process managed to amass a fortune that nearly rivaled the throne itself. Yet with the death of his patron Qianlong, the once-favored Grand Councilor would find his remaining state tenure as short as the length of silk ultimately left in his cell. Time Period Covered: 1799-180…

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BGI 384 The One About De Minimus Becoming De Maximus

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#304 - Qing 39: Twilight of the Dragon 41:15

13d ago41:15

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As both the Qianlong Emperor's extensive reign and the Eighteenth Century itself comes to a close, the Qing Empire faces - in spite of its outward posturing of timeless grandeur and invulnerability - an ever more uncertain future. By this time his successor, the Jiaqing Emperor, assumes power in fact, the winds of historic change have already begun…

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BGI 383 The One About a Shockingly High Valuation for a Publisher

17d ago

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#303 - Qing 38: The Macartney Expedition 45:10

21d ago45:10

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From London’s harbors to Canton’s bustling hongs and the Qianlong Emperor’s Dragon Throne, Lord George Macartney’s 1792-94 mission to Great Qing unveils profound cultural divides, shaping centuries of Sino-Western relations. This series explores a pivotal diplomatic clash that redefined global history. Time Period Covered: 1792-1794 CE Major Histor…

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BGI 382 The One About The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

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#302 - Qing 37: Palace of Mirrors 41:43

29d ago41:43

41:43

Qianlong's empire shines as a beacon of both martial might and cultural splendor, yet its mirrored glory hides truths too fragile for celestial ambitions. Time Period Covered: ~1770-1799CE Major Historical Figures: Qing Empire: The Qianlong Emperor (Aisin-Gioro Hongli) [r. 1735–1796, d. 1799] Grand Councillor Heshen [1750-1799] Great Britain: Lord …

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Calling all China Nerds 32:33

27d ago32:33

32:33

Where are our nerds at? David Moser is on summer holiday, and stepping into David's seat for this episode is literary translator Brendan O'Kane (BlueSky: @bokane.com) It takes about two minutes for Jeremiah and Brendan to go off the rails, over the edge, and back to the Amilal Courtyard in Beijing ca. 2010 (if you know, you know). In this wide-rang…

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BGI 381 The One About Fun at Gen Con 2025

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Special 2: To George, From Qianlong... 19:30

1M ago19:30

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"O King of Wherever, New Throne Who Dis?" 0:00:00 - Edict of Emperor Qianlong to King George III, 1793 0:06:34 - The Second Edict to George III (in reply to Macartney's note) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Chris Stewart

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Special 1: To Qianlong, From George... 13:54

1M ago13:54

13:54

"Dear Emperor of China, will you be my friend? Check Yes or No..." 0:00:00 - Letter of Credence from King George III to Emperor Qianlong, 1793 CE 0:10:20 - Author's note 0:11:44 - Lord Macartney's Sixfold Proposals for the Improvement of Trade Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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Viking Madness 1:06:47

1M ago1:06:47

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What is madness? What was madness back in the Viking age, and what is madness today? The concept of madness may seem clear to us, but at the end of the day, it is certainly always dependent on cultural context. In this episode, I discuss western madness and where it comes from. I depart from Carl Jung's attempt to blame the atrocities of Nazi Germa…

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BGI 380 The one about GenCon a bit

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#301 - Qing 36: And I Think It's Gonna Be a Qianlong Time 33:43

1M ago33:43

33:43

In the wake of military victory, Qianlong turns inward—launching literary purges, rewriting history, and curating an image of himself as the enlightened ruler of a Confucian empire. Through censorship, spectacle, and the manipulation of memory, the Qing court fights a new kind of war: one for cultural supremacy and imperial legitimacy. Time Period …

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BGI 379 The One With Outtakes Inside The Episode

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Barbarians Remix: The Year of the Boxers with historian Jeffrey Wasserstrom 22:30

2M ago22:30

22:30

This episode was originally released on May 18, 2020. Jeremiah and David are joined by Jeffrey Wasserstrom, historian of modern China and a longtime interpreter of the country’s shifting place in the world. Originally recorded in 2020, this conversation revisits the Boxer War of 1900—not through the usual lens of siege and rescue, but by examining …

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#300 - Qing 35: Empire of Images 38:49

2M ago38:49

38:49

What does it take to hold an empire together when conquest alone isn’t enough? In this sweeping episode, we explore how the Qianlong Emperor fused culture, coercion, and Confucian performance to stabilize a multiethnic empire—crafting an imperial image as powerful as his armies. Time Period Covered: ~ 1735–1760 CE Major Historical Figures: The Qian…

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BGI 378 The One About Barbarians At The Gates

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#299 - Qing 34: Remember to Remember to Forget You Forgot Me 41:30

2M ago41:30

41:30

This was no peace borne of reconciliation; this was silence, enforced by amnesia. Time Period Covered: ~ 1739-1759 CE Major Historical Figures: Qing Empire: The Qianlong Emperor (Aisin Gioro Hongli) [r. 1735–1796] Minister Fuheng General Bandi [d. 1755] General Yongchang Khalka Mongols: Prince Erinchindorj [d. 1756] Prince Chingünjav [d. 1757] Dzun…

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BGI 377 The One About Not Everyone Being a Good Actor in the IndustryBGI 377

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BGI 377 The One About Not Everyone Being a Good Actor in the Industry Board Games Insider – Join our Guild on Board Game Geek Guild | Like us on FB Social media: Ignacy Trzewiczek / Portal Games: website | FB | Twitter | Youtube Corey Thompson / Above Board TV: website | Youtube Stephen Buonocore / “The Podfather Of Gaming”: website | FB | Twitter …

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Is America Beginning to Look More Like China? 41:36

2M ago41:36

41:36

In this episode we chat with Shanghai-based author and editor Jacob Dreyer, a China watcher who writes with great insight and nuance about the shifting landscape of China-US relations. We touch on questions such as: Is the China model of governance outperforming Western liberal democracy? Is China winning the AI and technology wars? (Spoiler alert:…

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#298 - Qing 33: Echoes of the Erased 43:08

2M ago43:08

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The story of the last great nomadic empire’s fall - and the Qing’s ruthless imperial vision for a New Frontier. Time Period Covered: 1739-1759 CE Major Historical Figures: The Great Qing Empire: The Qianlong Emperor (Aisin-Gioro Hongli) [r. 1735–1796] General Bandi [d. 1755] Hojs, Hakim Beg of Ush Dzungar Khanate: Galdan Tseren [r. 1727–1745] Tsewa…

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BGI 376 The One About Diamond Doo-Doo

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Supplemental: Qianlong's 1758 Dzungar Victory Stele 9:41

2M ago9:41

9:41

The "Old Man of 10 Victories" crows to the Heavens in words of stone of his crushing of the once-mighty Khanate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Chris Stewart

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BGI 375 The One About “A Panda Goes To Brazil”

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Raiders, Rulers, and Traders: The Horse and the Rise of Empires 31:37

2M ago31:37

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This week on the podcast, we explore the role of the horse in Chinese culture with author David Chaffetz, whose new book Raiders, Rulers, and Traders: The Horse and the Rise of Empires traces the sweeping impact of horse domestication across world civilizations. Chaffetz explains how equestrian cultures not only transformed warfare and mobility in …

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#297 - Qing 32: Tea, Trade, & Thunder 40:00

2M ago40:00

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The Qing conquest of Dzungaria did not begin with any kind ofcannon-fire or musketry. Instead, it began like many wars end: with afuneral. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Chris Stewart

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#296 - Qing 31: The Architect of Capacity 43:41

3M ago43:41

43:41

As his era of rule over Great Qing drows to a close, the Yongzheng Emperor spares neither expense nor detail to reform the empire he inherited and modernize it for the one who will inherit it from him. But this is no idle fancy - he has a definite purpose. Though no great warrior himself, he is nevertheless fully in-line with the century-long grand…

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Andrew and Jerry Say Thank You For Your Attention To This Matter! 44:23

3M ago44:23

44:23

In Episode 97 of Andrew and Jerry Save The World, Andrew Langer and Jerry Rogers take on the spiraling irrationality of our political and media culture with their trademark clarity and wit. The episode kicks off with a light-hearted take on Trump's now-iconic sign-off, “Thank you for your attention to this matter,” before diving deep into serious i…

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BGI 374 The One About Asmodee Starting to Crowdfund

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BGI 373 The One About Zombicide

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The Eternal Return: we live, we die, we live again 1:20:23

3M ago1:20:23

1:20:23

The Eternal Return ensures that we always come back to this particular moment in history. The notion that time recurs and we return to the same moments in time has been present in European philosophy since Pythagoras and was an important aspect of Stoic philosophy. We live, we die, we live again. The Eternal Return is certainly also a cultural phen…

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Barbarians Remix: Mandarin Mayhem I 28:45

3M ago28:45

28:45

In this classic episode of Barbarians at the Gate from 2020, David Moser and I examine Putonghua (普通话), the spoken language most people refer to as Mandarin, and ask the question: What is the point of Putonghua? We look at the question of what constitutes a dialect, and what defines a language, especially in a country as diverse as China? We look a…

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Bonus Episode 12: Andrew at FreedomFest and Jerry Joins The Steve Gruber Show 19:38

3M ago19:38

19:38

In this special bonus edition of Andrew and Jerry Save the World, the hosts share two thought-provoking segments from their recent solo appearances on major platforms. First, Andrew Langer brings you his full presentation from FreedomFest 2025, where he explores the dangers of regulatory overreach in health care, the need for innovation-driven poli…

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#295 - Qing 30: Building Better Worlds 36:58

3M ago36:58

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The Yongzheng Emperor seeks to capitalize on his father's greatness abroad - but cautiously. He wants to exterminate the barbarians... but delicately. He wants to build better worlds... no matter how many he has to destroy in the process. He's riding for a fall. Time Period Covered: ~1725-1731 CE Major Historical Figures: Qing Empire: Kangxi Empero…

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BGI 372 The One About Asmodee 3.0… or is it 4.0… maybe even 5.0?

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Rebroadcast 2025: Special - Tiananmen Square: The Declassified History - 06/01/1999 w/ postscript 2024 23:13

3M ago23:13

23:13

Doc 1: Cable, From: U.S. Embassy Beijing, To: Department of State, Wash DC, A Student Demonstration of Sorts in Tiananmen Square (11/21/85) Doc 2: Cable, From: U.S. Embassy Beijing, To: Department of State, Wash DC, Government Arrests Student Demonstrators (11/25/85) Doc 3: Cable, From: U.S. Embassy Beijing, To: Department of State, Wash DC, More S…

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BGI 371 The One About What To Do With a Completed LEGACY Game

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Emergency Pod: The Trump Administration restricts Harvard International Enrollment as State Department Reviews Chinese Student Visas 24:49

3M ago24:49

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In this special episode, we examine the Trump administration's ongoing attacks on higher education in America and their implications for the future of US-China academic exchanges. On May 29, the Department of Homeland Security banned Harvard from enrolling international students—a decision that is now being challenged in the courts even as the educ…

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#294 - Qing 29: The Conquest of Qinghai 43:00

4M ago43:00

43:00

While the Yongzheng Emperor attempts to get his domestic policy ducks in a row from the Forbidden City, out on the Western Frontiers, change is the only constant. Between squabbling Tibetan lamas, restless Kokonor Khans, and the ever-dangerous Dzungar Empire still on the loose out there, the new successor of the late, great Kangxi Emperor has some …