Mark Haidar is “a tech whiz and entrepreneur,” as Jay says. Mr. Haidar has founded or co-founded several companies and has several patents. He lives in Dallas, but started out in Lebanon. His family was very poor, and his country was beset by war. His rise has been spectacular. Mr. Haidar is featured in George W. Bush’s latest book, “Out of Many, One:  Portraits of America’s Immigrants.” He and Jay sat down together at the Bush Center in Dallas. Listen to the stories this man has to relate—amazing. 

Q & A, Hosted by Jay Nordlinger

A Great American Success Story

You will want to meet Masih Alinejad, an extraordinary woman from Iran. She is a journalist, who defied the rulers of her home country. She is now in exile, in the United States. Recently, she was the target of a kidnap plot by the Iranian regime. She soldiers on, undaunted. She is full of courage, full of love. Jay sat down with her at the Oslo Freedom Forum in Miami. 

A Blithe, Brave Spirit

That is the slogan of Leopoldo López: “El que se cansa, pierde.” “He who tires, loses.” López is a face and voice of the Venezuelan opposition. He was imprisoned in February 2014. He made a daring escape from the country in October 2020. This week, at the Oslo Freedom Forum, Jay talked with López about his life in and out of prison. And about his hopes and dreams for his country.    

‘He Who Tires, Loses’

Robert Costa, the Washington Post reporter, is a frequent guest on “Q&A,” and an old friend and colleague of Jay’s. With Bob Woodward, Costa has written “Peril,” which is the best-selling book in the country at the moment. It is about the last days of the Trump presidency, essentially, and the first days of the Biden presidency. With Jay, Costa discusses a number of issues and personalities. The personalities include Trump, of course – and Pence, Rudy, Lindsey, Barr, and Quayle. Dan Quayle is an interesting blast from the past: a Republican vice-president from Indiana, like Pence. Costa has reported deeply, and has important things to say. 

Costa on ‘Peril’

John U. Bacon was Jay’s guest on “Q&A” last summer—talking about some terribly serious issues in college sports. In this new episode, JUB talks about his new book: “Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America’s Worst High-School Hockey Team.” That team was the Huron High School River Rats, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Before coaching at Huron, John went there. So did Jay. They are old friends and classmates. John turned the hockey team around in an extraordinary way. In this achievement are lessons for all of us. 

Listen to Coach Bacon

The heading of this episode tells you the necessary: John Bolton discusses Afghanistan with Jay. Bolton has served in the national-security field for many years, including as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and national-security adviser to the president. His memoirs are “Surrender Is Not An Option” and “The Room Where It Happened.” With Jay, Bolton talks about why we went into Afghanistan; what we did there; how we left; and what it all means. This talk is a half-hour of knowledge, experience, and blunt reality.

John Bolton on Afghanistan

Christopher Meyer has had an action-packed life. For 33 months, he was deployed across three combat zones, in support of special operations. He received a Bronze Star in Afghanistan. He is the artistic director of a new theater: Veterans Repertory Theater. And, like many other vets, he has been involved in the effort to rescue Afghan allies, on the run and facing death. Some people speak of a “Digital Dunkirk.” You will want to hear what Chris Meyer has to say: he is eloquent, blunt, informed, and determined. 

For Afghanistan, a ‘Digital Dunkirk’

Regula Mühlemann is a “bright and rising and wonderful young soprano,” as Jay says in his introduction. She is from Switzerland. And she performed at the Salzburg Festival this summer. Jay interviewed her, in the series of public conversations hosted by the Salzburg Festival Society. Get to know this appealing young artist (Regula, that is—no offense to Jay). 

A Singer to Know

Maria DeCotis is a comedienne, an actress, a writer, a singer, a dancer—a Renaissance woman in entertainment. She came to broad public attention when she impersonated Andrew Cuomo, during the pandemic. It was hilarious, and creative. She has lost Cuomo as a public figure, but she has many more characters in her repertoire. With Jay, she talks about her life and career. She is a breath of fresh air. “A break away from the everyday,” as a fast-food slogan once had it. Enjoy. 

The Multi-Talented Maria

Radek Sikorski is a veteran journalist, writer, politician, and statesman. He has been foreign minister and defense minister of his country, Poland. He is now a member of the European Parliament. He first went to Afghanistan, as a war correspondent, in 1986. With Jay, Sikorski discusses Afghanistan and U.S. foreign policy. They move on to Belarus, Poland itself, Hungary – and last, the very question of democracy and freedom. Democratic values are under siege and need help. 

Afghanistan, Belarus, and Other Countries of Concern

 Jay has a leisurely, wide-ranging, enriching hour with Daniel Hannan, the writer, columnist, and member of the House of Lords. What’s that all about, by the way? Is the House of Lords a senate? Do they wear wigs? And how about “House of Cards”? Is Westminster anything like that? Hannan and Jay further talk about Peru, where Hannan was born and grew up. A new president has been elected—a real bolshie. How does democracy fare across the world, in this age of pandemic and strongmen? At the end of their conversation, the two talk about Shakespeare, about which Daniel Hannan is authoritative and, as ever, eloquent. You will enjoy this hour—the cast of characters is large (FDR, Churchill, JFK, Macmillan, Reagan, Thatcher, Falstaff, Cleopatra, Bill Clinton, Blair, Boris) and the subjects burning or engrossing, or both. 

House of Lords, ‘House of Cards,’ and the Great, Broad, Daunting World

Jay convenes a sportscast, with two of his regular gurus: David French and Vivek Dave. They talk some Olympics—Simone and the twisties, plus other issues. Including transgenderism. And: Should PGA stars be in the Olympics? The guys also talk the NFL, the NBA, and the SEC. Initials abound, as do personalities. A lively conversation.   

Simone, Giannis, Djokovic, and Other Athletes We Have Known

There are always many things on George F. Will’s mind, and on Jay’s, too. In this episode, they discuss the January 6 committee. Big Tech. Critical race theory. Confederates in the U.S. Capitol (their statues, that is). Taiwan. Hong Kong. The media. And other things—including baseball, which is in serious need of reform, according to GFW. Jay can only assent. If Will says that baseball must change—and he is a traditionalist who would not advocate change lightly—it must. 

George F. Will: A Spin through National and World Concerns

José de Córdoba is a Latin America correspondent for the Wall Street Journal. Jay has known him for several years. De Córdoba has reported from all over the region, but he has been reporting a lot lately on Cuba—understandably. The island has seen the biggest protests since the formation of the Communist regime. De Córdoba himself started out in Cuba. He left with his family in 1960, when he was seven. He talks with Jay about being an exile, and a “hyphenated American”—and also about various issues surrounding Cuba. An informative and at times moving conversation. 

An American Reporter from Cuba, Talking about Cuba

 Jay’s guest is Kevin D. Williamson, his friend and National Review colleague. They talk about things on their mind – including crime, inflation, Cuba, Reaganism, “post-liberalism,” abortion, the National Security Agency, Richard Branson, and Johann Sebastian Bach. A rich and stimulating conversation. See what you think.   

Two Amigos, Jawing

Jay Nordlinger is a senior editor of National Review and the music critic of The New Criterion. His guests are from the worlds of politics and culture, talking about the most important issues of the day, and some pleasant trivialities as well.

hubhopper

Q & A, Hosted by Jay Nordlinger

hubhopper