Freddie deBoer joins the podcast to talk about his book “The Cult of Smart,” which argues that many problems in the education system and American society are due to the failure to grapple with the fixed nature of individual differences in intelligence. He and Richard discuss the effectiveness of charter schools vs. public schools, how the economic value of traits changes over time, if American despair is a spiritual or economic issue, and whether college degrees have peaked in value. They also explore their differences over economic philosophy, which includes a discussion of why Freddie calls himself a Marxist, different kinds of Marxism, and how his philosophical outlook relates to his views on genetics and intelligence. Despite Richard being a capitalist, they find much common ground on policy specifics, including the need for less education and the acceptance of billionaires, markets and inequality. They also debate what Freddie's ideas about individual differences in intelligence imply – and don't imply – about differences between groups.

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Freddie deBoer, “The Cult of Smart: How Our Broken Education System Perpetuates Social Injustice."

Seth Ackerman’s Substack.

Peter Frase, "Four Futures: Life After Capitalism."

Robert Brenner, "The Economics of Global Turbulence."

Freddie deBoer’s Substack.

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