E5: How Exactly Joe Lonsdale Would Fix The Public Sector
"Upstream" with Erik Torenberg
The Real Problems in Education
The only group that's consistently learning the most in high school is the top 1% says Obama. Education savings accounts done correctly are not a great thing, he adds. "We spend way more money on our city schools like on average way more than we do on like these random schools"
Joe Lonsdale is the founder of Palantir, 8VC, a number of other unicorns he’s incubated, and Cicero Policy Institute. In this episode we focus mostly on his policy, breaking down what are the real problems in healthcare, education, crime/police, homelessness and what are the solutions he recommends to fix them. We talk about how the right is focused on the culture war when fixing accountability will actually be a more effective way to change the culture. We talk about the future for the right, why wealth inequality is the wrong metric to measure, and what it means to believe in America in 2023. This episode was recorded in February 2023. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/UPSTREAM
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TIMESTAMPS:
(3:10) How Joe Lonsdale maximizes his impact
(5:10) The focus of Joe’s public policy org, Cicero
(7:58) Why institutional reform is more effective than fighting the culture war
(10:11) Misunderstandings about education
(12:56) government unions shouldn’t exist
(15:02) Misunderstandings about prison reform and crime
(18:31) Misunderstandings about homelessness
(21:13) Sponsors
(26:52) Explaining our healthcare problems
(32:53) When to reform vs start new institutions
(38:00) What’s the power of a presidency / State reform vs federal reform
(40:54) The frontier vs the core
(43:40) Draining the swamp
(43:50) Wealth inequality
(47:20) Equality of opportunity is a myth
(49:00) Appreciating billionaires
(52:00) Peter Thiel isn’t really focused on politics
(54:00) The future of the right
(58:42) Why be an American optimist
SOCIAL LINKS:
Erik’s Twitter: @eriktorenberg
Joe’s Twitter: @JTLonsdale
Podcast Twitter: @Upstream__Pod
Erik’s Substack: eriktorenberg.substack.com
Joe’s Substack: blog.joelonsdale.com
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This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
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