Possibilities in the New Year

2007. A brand new year. And maybe time — high time — for some brand new thinking. It's easy to get stuck in a rut, in ways of thinking that lag the world and its changes. A new year is a good time to look at new possibilities, maybe a whole new mindset.

Americans have spent much of this decade in a post-9/11 box of fear and apprehension. Maybe it's time to move on — alert, but re-imagining what's possible, rethinking our reflexes.

In this hour we talk with historian Eric Foner and political scientist David Laitin about possibilities, opportunities — looking afresh at the world and America's place in it.

Guests:

Eric Foner, professor of history, Columbia University. The Washington Post described him as "one of the most prolific, creative and influential historians of the past 20 years.";
David Laitin, professor of political science, Stanford University. He has written extensively on terrorism and civil war.