American Neo-Feudalism and How to Escape It - Joel Kotkin

On episode 3 of Unbridled, Peter sits down with writer and demographer Joel Kotkin. Joel is one of the most incisive interpreters of America's social and economic fabric. He is also politically close to unclassifiable--equal parts old-time liberal and contemporary conservative. Joel and Peter talk immigration, automation, affordability and unaffordability, the decline of California and the Coasts, and the rise of Texas and the Heartland.

Timestamps

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:04:12 - The new aristocracy: consolidation of power in Big Tech

00:06:40 - The new clerisy: the educated managerial class

00:09:07 - The rest of us: the yeomanry and serf class

00:12:15 - Alienation driven by AI

00:15:05 - Counterarguments for Joel

00:19:55 - Does the gap between the poor and rich matter?

00:24:45 - Modern opportunities outside of large cities

00:30:55 - The oligarchy's response to Trumpism

00:36:44 - The change in the cultural zeitgeist despite Trump's narrow victory

00:42:07 - Red State vs. Blue State governance

00:48:44 - Young people dedicating themselves to their political inheritance

00:53:26 - Card game!

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Host: Peter Robinson

Peter Robinson Unbridled is a podcast of the Civitas Institute of the University of Texas at Austin

Executive Producers: Mat Hames Beth Hames

Researcher: John Masko

Producer: Laura Utt

Editor: Josh Meyers

Post Production: Jacob Estrada

Camera: Josh Hardwick, Nathan Jennings

Music by Brandon Shufflebarger