Tech, Politics, and Dystopia

This chapter contrasts the housing and homelessness narratives in Texas and San Francisco, linking cultural attitudes to political discussions. It further explores the implications of technology on governance, discussing how AI and social media may influence future societal structures and the balance of power.

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Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss Noah’s travel reflections from Singapore, the recent San Francisco cleanup, and the dystopian routes of progressivism. Daffy is offering Econ 102 listeners a free $25 for the charity of their choice when they join: https://www.daffy.org/econ102

We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com.

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Sponsors: GIVEWELL | DAFFY | NETSUITE

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Daffy is the most modern and accessible donor-advised fund, making it easier to put money aside for charity. You can make your tax-deductible contributions all at once or set aside a little each week or month. And you don’t just have to donate cash, you can easily contribute stocks, ETFs, or crypto. Plus, you never have to track receipts from your donations again. It’s free to get started and Econ 102 listeners get $25 towards the charity of their choice. Daffy is offering Econ 102 listeners a free $25 for the charity of their choice when they join Daffy https://www.daffy.org/econ102

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Econ 102 is a part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: www.turpentine.co

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RECOMMENDED PODCAST:

Odd Lots is a Bloomberg podcast hosted by Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway. Each week they speak with the perfect guest to explore the most interesting topics in finance, markets and economics.

https://www.bloomberg.com/oddlots

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RECOMMENDED PODCAST:

Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriff

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RECOMMENDED PODCAST: LIVE PLAYERS

Join host Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg as they analyze the mindsets of today’s most intriguing business leaders, investors, and innovators through the lens of their bold actions and contrarian worldviews. You’ll come away with a deeper understanding of the development of technology, business, political power, culture and more. LIsten and subscribe everywhere you get your podcasts: https://link.chtbl.com/liveplayers.

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Episode Preview

(01:53) Noah’s Travel Reflection

(03:58) Singapore’s Secret to Solar Punk

(07:33-18:08) Policies we can learn from Singapore

(10:06) Healthcare

(11:33) Housing Policy

(16:35) Singapore and El Salvador’s Strict Crime Policies

(18:09) Sponsor: GIVEWELL

(19:35) San Francisco’s Sudden Cleanup

(22:00) Government and Social Media and AI