Common Sense Radio: Lessons of History and Foreign Policy with Former Governor Jim Douglas
Wednesday, October 7, 2026, on Common Sense Radio with Bill Sayre, weekdays, 11 o’clock till Noon.
Former Governor Jim Douglas joins Bill to discuss how we can apply the lessons of history, economics, and political science to help us understand and address current issues in public policy — Vermont, National, and International — with special emphasis on foreign policy.
Potential Questions and Issues
On the day of the 3rd anniversary of the Hamas brutal attack on Israel, how will the upcoming elections in Israel be affected? What were the circumstances in the Middle East before the Attack? The nature of coalitions in Israel. What happens if Benjamin Netanyahu can not build a majority coalition?
As hundreds of thousands join the school protests in France, what should we know about the causes and consequences? Teacher salaries below average in the European Union, and about $2,200 per month. Inequality of education services. Poorly maintained buildings. Record national debt, and interest costs. A tradition of social protests — involving allied unions.u
What we learning about potential attack on US Air base in Great Britain? Technological advance in drone technology. The Ukrainian attack on Russian Air Force bases, with remotely controlled drones. Was this a credible threat for the British Air Base? What are the implications for future national defense? Profound change, potentially, in response to maeor disruption. What are the implications for the location of foreign bases? Particularly land bases in foreign nations, including, of course, friendly allied nations The implications for oceans and for space. What can we learn from the downfall of empires — far flung military bases, and steadily accumulating national debt.
Do we possibly have a lab leak in a gain of function virus in Russia, not unlike what probably happened with the Hunan lab in China?
How has news coverage of the President changed since the President proposed to limit access to his Press Availabilities?
What should we consider in evaluating the recent failed attempts at capital punishment?
What are the major factors that will affect the midterm elections? What is the general history of how the electorate votes in a midterm? A referendum on the Party in power? When the President says, “vote as if I am on the ballot,” does that motivate his detractors, as it does his supporters?
Is there a risk that some of the strongest supporters in 2024, are demotivated in 2026, for various reasons — the effect of what seems like beginning of another “forever war.”, tariff wars hurting agriculture and heavy manufacturing — and not so much voting for the opposition party, but simply, not voting for either candidate. How does the immigration issue affect Independent voters who vote for the President in 2024 — going beyond deporting the most violent undocumented immigrants? How does this illustrate the mistaken assumption, about moderate supporters, that both parties make when they win a Presidential election?
What does it seem likely that we will learn about Texas redistricting, which we discussed a couple of months ago, and which defeat the purpose of the redistricting?
What are some of the US Senate races that are closer than might have been suspected earlier this year? Maine, Michigan, Texas, Iowa, Ohio, Minnesota, New Hampshire. But also now Kansas and Nebraska.
What are the longer term implications of government advertisements for Presidential actions and policies, paid for by the Government?
How have the wars between Russia and Ukraine affected the oil market in unexpected ways? For example, diesel and agriculture, forestry, trucking, and construction? Also, home heating oil, the composition of which is quite similar to diesel.
Does it appear that an agreement with Denmark, Greenland, and the United States, seems to have de-escalated earlier tensions and affronts, and provides the United States with greater latitude in defending Greenland, and reduced latitude for foreign adversaries?
What factors should we consider in whether, how, and to what extent, limitations should be imposed on the future of Artificial Intelligence?
And likewise factors to consider in evaluating the benefits and burdens of Data Centers?
Will the reductions in staffing at the UVM Medical Center, and at Dartmouth Hitchcock, affect quality as well as cost of Vermont’s health care, and health insurance?
What is Proposition 3? Do you think Proposition 3 may have consequences of which voters are largely unaware? Was it given proper evaluation in the Senate? What was the effect of a supermajority in the Senate? Likely could prohibits right-to-work legislation, and other legislation that would limit practices that unfairly promote unionization? As well as forcing an employee to join a union, and/or pay union dues, as a condition of employment. What has been the experience of Illinois, the only other State to adopt a Constitutional Amendment of this kind? What will be the effect of Vermont’s attractiveness to manufacturers considering whether or not to expand in Vermont, or to locate in Vermont?
What have we learned about the causes of the high cost in Vermont of health care and Vermont health insurance. And the implications for policy? What reforms proposed in the Governor’s Executive Order may be helpful? Higher deductibles. Health Savings Accounts. Association Plans.
How about expanding the opportunity for small employers, and even individuals, to participate in Flexible Spending Account, in which a large range of employee benefits would qualify for the same tax treatment as is the case for benefits provided at larger companies?
What should we consider about the apparent appeal Socialism to our young people, in particular? Idealism vs. Reality. Seeing the world as you might hope it would be, rather than as it is. Paying taxes. Questions for young people — do you want, eventually, to own your own home? Should someone who doesn’t work as hard as you in school, get the same grade as you? What happens to incentives to work hard, to save, and to invest. A government big enough to give you everything you want, also will big enough to take everything you have. What can we learn from history? And what can we learn from the experience of other nations?
Why is it important to have balance in the composition of our Legislature and of our State government? How has it affected legislation on taxes, land use regulation, energy, education, health care, and housing?
Why it is importanct for government, like families and businesses to live within its means, and to keep tax rates competitive. And to growing government revenue not by raising tax rates, but by growing the economy.
With our polity deeply divided, and firmly entrenched, what might be some ideas about how to reach a reasonable compromise on controversial issues? For example, on immigration, on use of Executive Orders. And on the exercise of prosecutors powers in a way that seems and feels like persecution and revenge to those, formerly in power, but now not so? Why is it so difficult to distinguish Revenge from Accountability?
What are the greatest risks, and likelihood, that the American experiment in self-government will long endure? What can we learn from the experience of the Roman Empire, and of other empires through history? Over-extended military. Over-extended spending — excessive debt. Concentrations of power — Lord Acton. What did our founders strive to learn to address and to avoid tyranny. James Madison — faction against faction. Did the Founders anticipate concentrations of power in the private sector — perhaps an imbalance resulting of successful exercise of economic liberty. And the result, some would say, was the undue concentration of political power. Intended to offset the undue concentration of economic power, but nonetheless, a concentrated political power, which carries its own downside. Government ownership of stock in private companies — chip company, rare earth company, steel company, in addition to tariffs, and various other exercises of political power that many consider excessive. Why is it inevitable, as our Founders understood, that power in the hands of one person, results in corruption? How what are we to make of the income earned by the President from cryptocurrency?
What should know about the birthright citizenship controversy? Tourist births — what proportion of total births? Are there ways to create a more tolerant work permits, that, after a period of time, could be converted into citizenship? How have native Americans been affected by the birthright citizenship issue?
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