Compact Podcast Best of 2025
Dec 24, 2025
The hosts reflect on the pivotal events of 2025, including the media fallout from Charlie Kirk's assassination and its implications for free speech. They also dissect the rise and fall of the Doge project and Trump's battle with elite universities. Literature discussions highlight Robert Remini's biography of Andrew Jackson and the relevance of Fukuyama's 'The End of History.' Ashley shares her love for 'Contact' while Geoff critiques the pandemic-themed film 'Eddington' for its commentary on social disintegration.
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Free Speech Hypocrisy Exposed
- The Charlie Kirk assassination exposed fractured commitments to free speech across the political spectrum.
- Ashley Frawley argues this event revealed opportunism and a loss of principled defense for offensive speech.
Kirk As A Unifying Node
- Charlie Kirk served as a unifying node for divergent factions on the American right.
- Matthew Schmitz notes his death revealed tensions between figures like Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson.
Tech Utopianism Repeats And Fails
- 'Doge' (Department of Government Efficiency) revived old tech-utopian dreams of decentralized governance.
- Geoff Shullenberger argues its collapse revealed Silicon Valley's recurring failure to replace democratic institutions.