Dr. Jack Goldstone

A slightly different story is the Hunger Games, which is, again, a metaphor for society.

The rich live well, the poor suffer, and there's a hero that kind of stands up for the people and threatens the privileged elite.

As I say, it's a heroic theme, but unfortunately, it misrepresents how revolutions actually occur, because the government has to be not just mean and corrupt, but also weakened and losing legitimacy.

And you can't just have a single hero firing a bow and arrow.

They need to build kind of grassroots coalition and support and mount a campaign before that kind of boom instant moment where the opportunity suddenly arises and then the depth of anger against the government is revealed.

So I like the art.

I like the movies, but that's not reality.

Netflix is great.

Look, if you want to distract yourself from all the unpleasant things going on in the world, yeah.

But if you actually want to change it, look to history.

Okay, so I have a new label.

I've never used that for myself.

Go for it.

So I'll take it.

I'll take it, sure.

I mean, maybe I'd rather be a gemologist, but I'll do what I can.

So kind of the most vexing thing about my work is...

dealing with the abolition of fact versus opinion.

I've been a scholar for decades.

I've invested enormous energy trying to discern things that are true from things that are false.