In this episode of Moment of Zen, Balaji Srinivasan sits down with Erik Torenberg to discuss the massive vibe shift in Silicon Valley a week after Trump's near-assassination, tech's emerging role as a counter-elite force, why Biden is president NPC, January 6, and the role of the media.
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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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LINKS:
Librem 5 Phone: https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/
School of Fish Meme: https://x.com/balajis/status/1489288836349784064
Graph: History is Running in Reverse: https://x.com/balajis/status/1749858089665257497
FBI Lost Count of Number of Informants at Jan 6: https://nypost.com/2023/09/19/fbi-lost-count-of-number-of-informants-at-capitol-on-jan-6-ex-official/
Most important article: https://time.com/5936036/secret-2020-election-campaign/
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FOLLOW US ON X:
@balajis (Balaji)
@eriktorenberg (Erik)
@turpentinemedia (Turpentine)
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:21) The Vibe Shift in the Tech Industry
(02:54) The Tech Counter-Elite
(08:01) Tech's Influence on Politics
(14:32) Tech's Impact on the Republican Party
(20:40) The Democrat Party and the Tech Counter-Elite
(26:49) Sponsors: beehiiv | Babbel
(29:39) The Core Disagreement: Who Should Run Things?
(38:45) The Power Struggle Between the Elite and Counter-Elite
(38:49) Sponsors: CommandBar | Squad
(40:02) Political Parties as Swarms of Ideologies
(49:56) Adapting to a Changing World Order
(1:12:41) The Media's Role in Shaping Public Opinion
(1:26:48) The Potential for New Cities and Countries
(1:41:54) Wrap
"Moment of Zen" 