In this book, Musa al-Gharbi argues that despite the rise of a new elite who identify as allies of progressive causes such as antiracism, feminism, and LGBTQ rights, social and economic inequalities have continued to grow. These symbolic capitalists, who work primarily with words, ideas, images, and data, genuinely believe in egalitarian principles but inadvertently contribute to and perpetuate the very inequalities they oppose. The book examines how their actions and narratives often provoke backlash against the social justice causes they champion and argues that challenging these self-serving narratives is crucial for addressing social and economic inequality effectively.
In 'Ready Player One', Ernest Cline introduces Wade Watts, an 18-year-old living in a dystopian future where people escape their harsh reality through the OASIS, a vast virtual reality world. The story revolves around Wade's quest to find an Easter egg hidden by the OASIS's creator, James Halliday, which would grant the finder immense wealth and control over the OASIS. Wade, known as Parzival in the OASIS, must compete against other 'gunters' and the corporate-sponsored Sixers to achieve this goal. The novel is filled with 1980s pop culture references, adventure, and social commentary, making it a deeply engaging and nostalgic read.
This week, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss Silicon Valley's cultural influence, Marc Andreessen's predictions, what comes after wokeness, tariffs on China, Reaganomics, the 'polycrisis,' the future of industrial policy, and political dynamics involving Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Paul Krugman.
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RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Modern Relationships
Check out Modern Relationships, where Erik Torenberg interviews tech power couples and leading thinkers to explore how ambitious people actually make partnerships work. Founders Fund's Delian Asparouhov and researcher Nadia Asparouhova kick off the series with an unfiltered conversation about their relationship evolution.
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1786227593
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hJzs0gDg6lRT6r10mdpVg
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernRelationshipsPod
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Highlights from the Episode:
- The decline of "wokeness" follows historical patterns of social movements, with San Francisco leading both adoption and abandonment of cultural trends.
- Industrial policy and targeted tariffs are crucial for American manufacturing competitiveness, particularly in relation to China.
- The challenges of implementing meaningful austerity measures in the US government and the necessity of making difficult policy choices.
- The complex relationship between Trump and Elon Musk's competing visions for America's economic and foreign policy future.
- Paul Krugman's legacy: Reviving Keynesian economics during Great Recession.
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SEND US YOUR Q's FOR NOAH TO ANSWER ON AIR: Econ102@Turpentine.co
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FOLLOW ON X:
@noahpinion
@eriktorenberg
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LINKS:
Noahpinion: https://www.noahpinion.blog/
Marc Andreessen on Trump, the vibe shift, and what’s after wokeness: https://youtu.be/l8X8jecivWw?si=ZKfdrvEetz8sZ6Hi
The Wokeness series: https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/the-wokeness-series
Ready Player One: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9969571-ready-player-one
We Have Never Been Woke: https://www.amazon.com/Have-Never-Been-Woke-Contradictions/dp/0691232601
Musa al-Garbhi Substack: https://musaalgharbi.substack.com/
Akira: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094625/
The Big Chill: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085244/
"Econ 102" with Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg 
