#1936 - Krystal Ball & Saagar Enjeti

Episode Timestamps

• 00:01:29

  The dangers of political media and the need for respectful discussions

  • Guests discuss the dangers of political media
  • They highlight the dangers of media that only talks to one ideology
  • They explain their goal is to have respectful discussions about different topics
  • They hope to make a small difference in the political atmosphere
• 00:04:35

  The dangers of reading and engaging with comments

  • Guests talk about the dangers of engaging with negative comments
  • They explain that negative comments can get in one's head
  • They acknowledge that some comments may be valid, but ultimately don't engage with them
  • They also discuss the positive impact of building a community through ideas discussed on the show
• 00:09:31

  Russia invasion of Ukraine

  • The biggest podcast download and YouTube numbers were during the time Russia invaded Ukraine
  • It was hard to sort through propaganda to figure out what was going on
  • People relied on them to understand the conflict
  • They shifted focus to do more hard news
  • Their responsibility to provide real news is important because people want to feel like they can trust it
• 00:16:05

  War and its effects

  • War is an ethereal narrative for most people
  • People who ideologically support or disavow it do not understand the magnitude of war
  • We are 75 years removed from the actual effects of war on the European continent
  • War has affected hundreds of thousands of Russians and Ukrainians
  • Millions are displaced and there is no end game plan
  • Conveying the gravity of war is important for people who are not aware of its effects
• 00:18:46

  Russia's nuclear doctrine and the danger of a nuclear conflict

  • Russia has updated its nuclear doctrine, allowing for the use of nuclear weapons in any capacity that Vladimir Putin wants.
  • The US is downplaying the danger of a nuclear conflict with Russia, which is incredibly dangerous and foolish.
  • It's crucial to avoid World War III and internalize the importance of peace on the European continent.
• 00:21:53

  The role of the US in the conflict in Ukraine

  • Ukraine does not exist without the US, as they provide the majority of the military and diplomatic support.
  • Cutting off military weapons to Ukraine would force them to negotiate, but what is the endgame?
  • The Ukrainian cause is important, but it's crucial to understand all the factors and backstory behind the conflict before blindly supporting it.
• 00:31:22

  CJR report on Russiagate exposes media bias

  • CJR report explores the start, selling and lies behind the Russiagate narrative
  • New York Times emerges as the main player in the story, allegedly reporting biases
  • CJR report argues that media prioritized feeding its audience instead of a factual approach to the story
• 00:33:27

  Media's lack of transparency and accountability for misinformation

  • US media exhibits the lowest media trust in 42 developed nations
  • Mainstream media outlets blamed for failing to cover critical news stories effectively
  • Calls made for greater transparency and accountability in combating misinformation
• 00:43:57

  Con Artists and Charlatans in Politics and Crypto

  • Discussion about George Santos, a congressman who made up his entire life and rose to power
  • The cracks and vulnerabilities in society that allow such people to thrive
  • FTX execs raise a billion dollars despite their superficiality and lack of knowledge
  • The connection between scams in the crypto world and toxic masculinity
• 00:46:24

  The Seductive Story of Crypto and NFTs

  • How those hurt by the financial crash or who feel the American dream is out of reach are vulnerable to crypto
  • These scams are connected to the manscape and toxic masculinity
  • A look at the crisis among young men, including drug overdose numbers and early death rates
  • The need to address the cultural problem of toxic masculinity
• 00:51:02

  The impact of cultural masculinity on men

  • The cultural narrative of being a man used to be one of provider
  • The assault on the middle and working class has made it harder for men to live up to this expectation
  • This has been devastating for men as they face a challenge to their vision of masculinity
  • MLM schemes like Lula Roe prey on men and women alike, convincing them of a false sense of empowerment
• 00:53:58

  Grifting in mainstream masculinity

  • Mainstream masculinity lacks representation and is a space for grifters
  • Liver King is a prime example of a scam artist capitalizing on toxic masculinity
  • People are drawn to the aesthetic of a Viking-esque figure, but being dishonest is a disservice
• 01:01:21

  Managing expectations in fitness,

  • Understanding that achieving a certain body type takes time and dedication, being cautious of false claims and unrealistic expectations, seeking good information and real expectations around fitness."
• 01:05:40

  Advertisers shaping content,

  • The incentives that advertisers create for companies to moderate content, the difficulty of monitoring content at scale, the impact of advertisers on the coverage of controversial topics, the need to create alternative business models for content creation."
• 01:10:09

  Navigating covering news and truth.

  • Discussing the difficulty of covering news when played clips don't necessarily endorse what they depict.
  • Questioning the idea of having to live fact check speeches like State of the Union.
  • The challenge of setting a standard for truth when politics involves making claims that cannot always be proven.
• 01:14:27

  The greatest fraud in American election history.

  • Discussing the 2000 presidential elections where officials allegedly stopped the counts to elect Bush.
  • Highlighting the accusations of fraud in the 2004 John Kerry election against George W. Bush.
  • Mentioning a few more examples of election fraud.
• 01:20:39

  TV and music censorship in the 80s/90s

  • Discussion of how censorship was a big issue in the late 80s/early 90s
  • The V-chip was introduced to rate TV shows
  • Moral panic around the content of music and video games
  • Personal experience of listening to controversial music while kickboxing
• 01:27:56

  Political correctness and censorship in society

  • Discussion on the extremes of political correctness and censorship
  • Personal experience of being surrounded by left-wing ideals but disagreeing with certain policies
  • Criticism of Nancy Pelosi endorsing Adam Schiff despite lying to the American public
  • Debate on Ilhan Omar's controversial statement about the influence of money in D.C. politics and censorship around it.
• 01:31:03

  Eric Swalwell and Political Hypocrisy

  • Discusses Eric Swalwell's role in the Russian-gate conspiracy
  • Indicates how it was a disservice to distract Americans from other important things
  • Criticizes Nancy Pelosi's endorsement and the likelihood of Swalwell becoming a senator
  • Focuses on the hypocrisy of censorship and controversy over talking about government influence
  • Jokes about Swalwell's relationship with a Chinese spy
• 01:35:18

  Chinese Spy Balloon

  • Discusses a recent discovery of a Chinese spy balloon
  • Examines concerns about the potential capabilities of the balloon
  • Criticizes the hypocrisy of allowing TikTok in the country
  • Jokes about a commercial airline pilot spotting the balloon
• 01:39:53

  Gigantopithecus and other creatures that existed alongside humans

  • Bones of bipedal, eight-foot-tall ape-like creature found
  • Other interesting creatures found that lived alongside humans, including homo florescis
  • Native Americans and Hawaiians have legends about similar creatures
  • Homo florescis used tools, hunted, and might have communicated
• 01:41:25

  Possible UFO and ancient life connection

  • Speculation about ancient life and past contact with aliens
  • Graham Hancock's Ancient Apocalypse series discussed
  • Seductive idea that all our understanding of the world is wrong
  • Sasquatch and homo florescis discussion
• 01:52:47

  Adapting to Survival

  • Discusses how humans adapt to their environment and circumstances
  • Talks about how early skills are crucial for certain activities like hunting
  • Mentions the theory of the restarting of human civilization after a natural disaster
  • Discusses the viability of the theory according to recent discoveries
• 01:56:59

  Artificial Intelligence

  • Discusses the potential for artificial intelligence to revolutionize everything
  • Shares how OpenAI's Chat GPT has evolved rapidly
  • Talks about concerns regarding the intelligence's capabilities and how it can be used for cheating
  • Mentions the need for a rethink of the university experience and what skills are difficult to replicate by machines
• 02:02:55

  The importance of developing your own voice.

  • Developing your own voice requires practice and experience which is not possible with just using a chat GPT framework.
  • Writing, be it for journalism or comedy, requires creativity and style.
  • Using chat GPT can be a useful tool but it doesn't replace the satisfaction of creating something unique in your own voice.
• 02:06:34

  The economy and financial manipulation.

  • Despite low unemployment rates, wage stagnation and rising inflation make the economy difficult for many.
  • Many corporations engage in financial engineering and stock buybacks to reward themselves and their stockholders rather than invest in their workforce or innovate.
  • There is a lack of transparency in the Federal Reserve and their policies, which affects people's lives, and this is intentional to make people feel dumb and consolidate power in the hands of a few credentialed bureaucrats.
• 02:10:17

  The Changes in Apple after Steve Jobs' Death

  • Steve Jobs was a product guy who invested heavily in R&D to create game-changing products.
  • Tim Cook, the current CEO of Apple, focuses more on squeezing money out of the stock price.
  • The company invests in recurring subscription revenue to lock people into services with Apple.
  • While the stock is at the highest level ever, there haven't been any major game-changing products recently.
  • Tesla's innovation level is compared to the excitement of the iPhone 4's launch.
• 02:12:43

  The Human Instinct for Materialism and Technological Innovation

  • Human beings make stuff, and they keep making better stuff.
  • The materialism instinct causes people to continue to innovate and buy new stuff.
  • The incentives for public companies to spend on research and development are low.
  • Hindenburg Research revealed fraud allegations against an Indian industrialist who lost half his fortune in a week. Note: The text is not clearly divided into chapters, so the above division is subjective.
• 02:17:00

  Collapse of S.B.F Company and the Crypto Industry

  • S.B.F., the biggest man in India and all of Asia, lost half his wealth in a stock sale
  • His response was 435 pages playing to Indian nationalism rather than addressing claims
  • The company needed to raise $2.5 billion and he had to back out because of the collapse
  • The collapse of the crypto industry is due to overextension and a story of leverage
• 02:21:24

  Regulation in the Crypto Industry and Original Idea of Bitcoin

  • The original idea of Bitcoin was a hedge against inflation and censorship
  • The idea of censorship-free money is possible but difficult to achieve due to government regulation
  • The Canadian government has seized bitcoin from US citizens sent to Canadian freedom protesters
  • The current pressure for the Fed and the US to create a centralized digital currency may lead to a cashless society.
• 00:05:27

  The evolution and corruption of the American financial system

  • The American financial system has a history of corruption and instability, with state-issued and bank notes competing with each other before centralized greenbacks were introduced.
  • There were silver runs, bank runs and multiple panics leading up to the Great Depression.
  • After the 1929 stock market crash, banking reforms separated gambling and speculation from regular banking.
  • Over time, regulations were eaten away and the system returned to a pre-1929 situation, leading to the 2008 financial crisis.
  • The only answer to the corrupt system is to have better reforms within it and make it safe from wild speculation and bubbles.
• 00:14:46

  The corruption of congressional trading

  • Politicians on both sides of the aisle engage in trades that consistently beat the market, leading to suspicions of insider trading.
  • Efforts to ban this trading have not been successful, with some politicians pushing back against it.
  • Journalists and independent media outlets have played a major role in shedding light on this issue and putting pressure on politicians.
  • There was a grassroots movement to ban congressional trading, but both parties found ways to avoid actually changing anything.
• 02:33:17

  Political corruption in Congress

  • Congress engages in corrupt practices, with lawmakers buying and selling stocks for personal gain.
  • Biden is one of the few politicians who did not engage in this corrupt practice.
  • Republican lawmakers should have pushed for stock trading restrictions, but did not because they also engage in this practice.
  • Politicians need to be forced to do the right thing.
  • Independent media and an alternate system can help mitigate corruption in Congress.
• 02:33:17

  Diplomatic solutions to Ukraine conflict

  • Ukraine is in a conflict with Russia and diplomatic solutions should be explored.
  • Early on in the conflict, there were talks between Russian officials and Ukrainian representatives.
  • Boris Johnson, UK's prime minister at the time, reportedly discouraged Ukraine from making a deal.
  • The Biden administration and others should not solely put the responsibility of finding a solution on Ukraine.
  • The stakes of the conflict are high, as nuclear war and World War III could be possible.
• 02:40:25

  War with China

  • The speaker discusses how the United States is provoking a war with China and that the military-industrial complex is orchestrating it for their financial gain.
  • He reminds listeners that the United States is the world's terrorist and is occupying a third of Syria for the oil.
  • The speaker also questions who is making the decisions in the country and why the Nord Stream pipeline was blown up.
• 02:44:50

  The profit motive in the military-industrial complex

  • The speaker discusses how the profit motive is at the core of many military decisions made by companies in the defense industry.
  • He cites examples such as the F-35 program and the Zumwalt class navy ship and points out that the Pentagon failed its audit for the fifth time, representing a missing $9 trillion.
• 00:00:00

  Biden's foreign policy stance on Afghanistan

  • Biden showed some backbone by standing up to generals on Afghanistan
  • There are concerns about Kamala Harris potentially starting a war with Russia
  • Biden is more willing to buck the trend of group think in foreign policy
  • The media's uniform criticism against Biden's decision to pull out of Afghanistan shows how easy it is to be manipulated by people who want to remain in a place forever or start a war
• 00:10:39

  IP theft in China and its implications on industry

  • The heist of the century by a British semiconductor company highlights IP theft by Chinese companies
  • American and Western businesses doing business in China have to have a Chinese subsidiary, making them vulnerable to IP theft
  • IP theft is rampant in China, making Americans and Western businessmen wary
  • The EV battery supply chain, which China dominates, is precarious for the US in times of conflict
  • Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturer's dominance in the industry makes any conflict with Taiwan dangerous for the US
• 02:57:22

  The Biden administration's industrial policy

  • The chips act is just the beginning of Biden's industrial policy measures.
  • The policy aims to make the US less reliant and more resilient.
  • The inflation reduction act emphasizes the production of green energy and EV batteries on US shores.
  • Sourcing materials for EVs, especially conflict-free cobalt or lithium, remains a challenge.
  • Building semiconductor fabs takes a long time and requires a lot of resources.
  • Lack of EV infrastructure remains an obstacle to the adoption of electric vehicles.
• 03:14:34

  Current Infrastructure Problems and Solutions

  • Power lines constructed above ground contribute to grid failure during cold snaps.
  • Weatherizing the natural gas grid is necessary to prevent grid failure.
  • Preemptive investment in infrastructure can save lives.
  • Lack of consensus hinders investment and reform in infrastructure.
  • Money spent on foreign affairs could be better spent domestically.
• 03:05:30

  Bipartisan Consensus

  • Bipartisan consensus is crucial for policies to get implemented in Washington.
  • Expanded child tax credit during the pandemic was successful in lifting kids out of poverty.
  • Research showed parents spent it on enrichment for their kids.
  • Democrats and Republicans did not support it and let it expire without discussion.
• 03:09:45

  Work Reevaluation

  • A cultural mindset shift is happening, especially for white collar workers.
  • People are valuing their quality of life over careerism.
  • People are being more intentional about what they want their lives to be about.
  • There is a positive direction towards finding more fulfillment outside of the workplace.