In this episode of George Washington Slept Here, host Jason L. S. Raia welcomes Victoria Coates, a former member of the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Security Council, who now serves as the V.P. of the Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at the Heritage Foundation. The conversation explores Coates' professional journey, her works on art and art history, and America today.

Topics include:

• The political landscape in academia.
• American democracy as it relates to the Roman Republic.
• The relationships between history, freedom, and art.
• A discussion on Victoria’s book, David’s Sling, which “places into context ten canonical works of art executed to commemorate the successes of free societies that exerted political and economic influence far beyond what might have been expected of them.”

Tune in for thought-provoking conversations on American history, civics, and liberty now!

Quotes

"We are losing sight of everybody's common humanity and that's where the study of history, I think, is instructive."- Victoria Coates

"Leverage historic security relationships with countries like Saudi Arabia. They can buy all the market-valued oil they want, but remember, we control the Fifth Fleet in the Gulf."- Victoria Coates

"We must cherish and appreciate liberty, not take it for granted, as it is not our natural state; it is a precious gift."- Victoria Coates

Featured Guest
Victoria Coates
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-coates-68919231/

Chapters:
00:02 - Introduction
05:02 - Trinity College: Embracing Liberal Arts Education
07:44 - Pursuing Art History: The Path to Success
11:39 - The Fascinating Journey of a Visionary with Archives
17:20 - Navigating Blame, Academia, and National Security
21:54 - Middle East: Historic Significance and Strategy
25:19 - Fostering Flexible Thinking in Israeli-Palestinian Deals
30:41 - From Brutus to Founding Myth: Inspiring Sacrifice
35:00 - Liberty Inspires Ingenuity: Core of Freedoms Foundation
36:06 - Michelangelo's David: Symbol of Freedom and Liberty
40:41 - The Vital Role of Education, Government, and Opportunity
43:21 - Troubling Moral Judgment and Productive Disagreements
47:23 - The Evolution of Polarization: Bush to Trump
52:41 - Conclusion