Hoover Daily Report | July 29, 2025

Today, Amit Seru reviews the benefits of recent cryptocurrency regulation legislation while cautioning against complacency in the adoption of stablecoins in the financial system; Andrew Roberts interviews Conrad Black about the latter’s new book on the strategic history of the world; and Thomas Weber speaks with the Wall Street Journal about what a recently opened Library & Archives collection reveals about the nature of the Nazi regime.

Hoover Daily Report | July 29, 2025

Episode Transcript

>> Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Hoover Daily Report.
Ideas Advancing Freedom It's Tuesday,July 29, 2025.

>> Speaker 2 (00:06):
Today, Amit Saroo reviews the benefits of recent cryptocurrency
regulation legislation while cautioningagainst complacency in the adoption of
stablecoins in the financial system.
Andrew Roberts interviews Conrad Blackabout the latter's new book on
the strategic history of the world.
And Thomas Weber speaks with the WallStreet Journal about what a recently

(00:27):
opened Library and
Archives collection reveals aboutthe nature of the Nazi regime.

>> Speaker 1 (00:32):
Can markets trust stablecoins?
Analyzing the complex implications ofthe recent passage of the Genius Act,
a measure to regulate the useof cryptocurrency in US Finance,
senior fellow Amit Sehroo argues thatdespite all the hype, stablecoins haven't
transcended banking they havereplicated its tensions in new form.

(00:53):
An early and genuine promise of blockchainwas to end trust dependencies, says Saroo.
But now we are doubling down on them.
Now under federal supervision.
Sarou notes several consumerprotections built into the Genius act,
such as monthly reservedisclosure requirements and
the prioritization of redemptionsduring bankruptcy proceedings.

(01:13):
But he stresses that cryptocurrencies,like all forms of money, remain based on
quote, unquote, a promise thatsomeone somewhere will make you whole.
Warning that stablecoins merelyrepackage old risks as innovation,
Saroo suggests that only by rememberingcrypto's vulnerabilities and
risks can the technology be deployedsafely across the US Economy.

>> Speaker 2 (01:34):
Lord Conrad Black's Remarkable Historical Erudition for
the latest episode of Secretsof Statecraft, distinguished
Visiting Fellow Andrew Roberts speakswith Canadian media entrepreneur and
historian Lord Conrad Black.
Black is the author, most recently,of a second volume to his political and
strategic history of the world,which spans 14 AD to the year 1648.

(01:57):
Roberts and Black discuss the role ofhuman nature in the study of history,
Black's thoughts on the historiographyof Rome and Britain, and
the legacy of Marxist approachesto historical inquiry.
The episode concludes with Blacksharing a favorite historical what if?
Focusing on how the Mongol Conquest,which peaked in the early 14th century,

(02:18):
could have extended farther into Europehad not internal political difficulties
limited its advance?

>> Speaker 1 (02:24):
Can the Nazis Teach Us Anything?
Wall Street Journal editorial pagewriter Barton Swaim recently visited
the Hoover Institution to explorethe library and archives.
Newly acquired Gerd Heidemann recordsa large collection of interviews with
former Nazi officers recordedin the 1970s and 80s.
Swaim discussed the historicalsignificance of the materials contained in

(02:47):
the Heidemann collection withvisiting fellow Thomas Weber,
a historian specializing inauthoritarianism international security
and the Nazi regime.
The piece focuses on how andwhy modern historians and
readers often fail to grasp the complexityof 20th century Nazi ideology.
We make a mistake, I think, when we don'ttake these perpetrators seriously or

(03:09):
when we assume they're all stupid anddriven by revenge and pure emotion,
says Weber in the article.

>> Speaker 2 (03:15):
Like Father, like son?
Joseph Turigian on Chinese Governance andXi Jinping's paternal influence.
One way to examine the thinking and rulingstyle of Chinese President Xi Jinping is
to explore his father's role in the riseand evolution of Chinese brand communism.
For the latest episode of Matters ofPolicy and Politics, research fellow
Joseph Turigian, author of the recentlyreleased the Party's Interests Come first

(03:40):
the Life of Xi Zongshun, father of XiJinping, tells distinguished policy fellow
Bill Whalen what the study of the elderXi can reveal about his powerful son.
Chirijin offers insights from hisextensive archival research on
how Si Zhongshun's experiences,his involvement in the Red army,
his economic political reform, his workingalongside Zhou Enlai in dealing with

(04:03):
ethnic minorities and organized religion,
plus his years of political exile afterrunning afoul of Maoist sensibilities,
all play into how his son runsthe modern day Chinese Communist Party.

>> Speaker 1 (04:14):
It's a win win for Trump and Colombia.
Writing at his substack, the ModernFederalist Senior Fellow Paul E Peterson
argues that a recent settlementbetween the Trump administration and
Columbia University will benefitboth parties in the long run.
Even though Columbia is making someadministrative adjustments and
will pay millions of dollars in fines,Peterson writes, quote,

(04:37):
Columbia's leaders are breathingwith satisfaction and relief,
knowing that fundamentals have beenleft securely under their control.
Meanwhile, the president gets,
quote, the razzle dazzle he needs toimpress a public that pays more attention
to cash on the barrelhead thanarcane administrative detail.
Digging into those details,Peterson shows that,

(04:58):
critically, Columbia makes no promiseto change instructional practice.
All told, none of the government'sfinal terms will place free inquiry or
university independence at risk.
Peterson concludes by suggesting thatthe Columbia settlement likely foreshadows
similar agreements with other eliteinstitutions which, despite their flaws,

(05:19):
quote, also save lives, generate wealth,and make America great already.

>> Speaker 2 (05:23):
Featured Hoover Podcast Secrets of Statecraft Secrets of
Statecraft is a bi monthly podcasthosted by distinguished visiting
fellow Andrew Roberts that that exploresthe effect that the study of history has
had on the careers anddecision making of public figures.
The podcast also features leadinghistorians discussing the influence that
the study of history had ontheir biographical subjects.

(05:45):
The title is taken from WinstonChurchill's reply on Coronation Day 1953
to a young American who had asked him forlife advice, to whom he said,
study history, study history, fortherein lie all the secrets of statecraft.

>> Speaker 1 (05:59):
That's your Hoover Daily report for Tuesday, July 29, 2025.
Each weekday we bring you research,analysis and commentary focused on public
policy, national security, and the ideasshaping American society and government.
The Hoover Institution at StanfordUniversity is grounded in constitutional
principles with a commitmentto sustaining the safeguards

(06:20):
of the American way of life.
Thank you for listening.
For links to all the articles andinterviews mentioned today,
visit Hoover.org HDR.