Jonah Goldberg is joined by Brink Lindsey, senior vice president at the Niskanen Center and author. They discuss urgent social policy matters, challenges of modern capitalism, libertarian philosophy, and Thailand's problematic geography. Did the libertarian project fail? Do intellectuals shape the world? How can we make capitalism sustainable?
Reinvigorating smaller scale local communities and fostering cooperation is crucial for society's reconnection.
Intellectual articulation is influenced by societal changes, but it starts with what is happening in the world.
Creating smaller-scale local institutions and promoting community self-reliance can address the breakdown in institutions and sense of disintegration in society.
Deep dives
The importance of demasifying society and reinvigorating local communities
It is crucial to demasify society and reinvigorate smaller scale local communities within families, neighborhoods, and smaller communities within metropolitan areas. This can be achieved by giving people practical functions at the local level that their cooperation accomplishes. Finding meaning in solving problems together is vital for society's reconnection.
The role of intellectual history in shaping society
Intellectual history plays a role in understanding societal changes, but it is not the sole causal factor. It is important to recognize that intellectual articulation is often a reflection of what is already happening within society. The big honking events and brute facts drive societal changes, and intellectuals articulate and provide language to those changes. Their writings can influence and clarify existing ideas and shape thinking, but it all starts with what is happening in the world.
The need to address the concentration of economic and cultural power
The concentration of economic and cultural power in certain groups, such as the coastal tech and highly educated elite, has created divisions and a sense of exclusion. This has led to a breakdown in institutions and a sense of disintegration in society. To address this, efforts should focus on creating smaller-scale local institutions that provide meaning and value beyond careers, fostering community self-reliance, and encouraging cooperation to solve real problems together.
The evolution of society and the current challenges we face
Society is simultaneously getting better and worse depending on where one looks. The optimistic or pessimistic outlook depends on the perspective employed. While there are ongoing challenges and tensions, there are also possibilities for positive change. It is crucial to maintain hope and commit to making the world a better place in our own capacities.
The complexity of generational differences
Generational differences cannot be solely attributed to events, but also to technological changes and shifts in societal values. Changes in technology and the decline of certain institutions impact generational perspectives. Ideas are influenced by these changes and provide articulation for certain groups, but it is not a one-way causality. Technology, societal shifts, and intellectual articulation interact to shape generational differences.
Get your bingo cards ready once again, because today’s Remnant offers a greatest hits of Goldbergian geekdom. Jonah’s joined today by libertarian writer Brink Lindsey, a senior vice president at the Niskanen Center and the author of The Permanent Problem on Substack. Together, they dig into urgent matters of social policy—institutional decay and the challenges of modern capitalism among them—libertarian philosophy, and Thailand’s problematic geography. Did the libertarian project fail? Do intellectuals really shape the world? And how can we make the mass affluence provided by capitalism sustainable?
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