The Hanania Show

I did a livestream today with Noah Smith, someone whose writing I have admired for a long time and who I was happy to finally get to meet.We start out by talking about what’s going on with the Trump administration, and all the recent craziness, including the president’s supposed plan for the US to take over Gaza. This blends into discussions about China and Russia, and their memetic relationships with the American left and right respectively. Noah explains why he believes that Putin will not make a deal in the current conflict, and why that means we should keep supporting Ukraine. He also goes into why the current war in Ukraine reminds him of the Russo-Finnish War (1939-1940), and whether Elon Musk is destined to play the role of Franco and eventually take over the Republican Party once Trump is gone. If that’s not enough in the way of historical analogies, Noah presents his theory that Elon Musk sees himself as a Metternich-like figure, perhaps trying to form a global triumvirate with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping against the US foreign policy establishment and the forces of woke.We also talk about American domestic politics, including the GOP as a cult of personality and how quickly the Democrats can reform. In the process, Noah names his ideal Republican presidential candidate and talks about why he is a fan of Texas as a civilization. Near the end, going off his recent article on too many Americans being afraid of the future, I ask Noah what his elevator pitch is for embracing change. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I present a novel theory of “horny posting,” which sees it as a way to defeat both inceldom and racism, the two great evils of the right. Relevant articlesNoah Smith, “Too many Americans still fear the future.”Noah Smith, “The chaos has arrived.”Richard Hanania, “Trump’s executive branch revolution”Betting market I created on Trump’s tariffs This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.richardhanania.com/subscribe

Brian Chau, an AI expert known for his insights into artificial intelligence developments, discusses the groundbreaking open-source AI model from DeepSeek. This model rivals American giants while being significantly cheaper to produce. They dive into the implications of open-source technology and its potential to disrupt the industry. The conversation raises crucial questions about AI's impact on jobs and creative fields, exploring whether regulation has kept pace with these rapid advancements. Brian also reflects on the role of community in a tech-driven economy.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.richardhanania.comI just did a livestream with Bryan Caplan on Trump’s executive orders on DEI and my role in making them happen. For context, see my post from yesterday. We discuss the history of EO 11246 and Bryan talks about the pressure his dad got from the government to hire more minorities in the airline industry in the 1980s. One point to emphasize is that even people who think a lot about policy have been completely in the dark about the reach of the affirmative action in government contracting regime, on both the right and left. Bryan asks me to give an estimate of the probability I made the marginal difference in us getting Trump’s new executive order.Bryan leaves about halfway through, and I then provide further thoughts on the topic, along with sharing some ideas on the general “vibe shift” everyone is talking about. While this is a victory over DEI, I worry about the pendulum swing involving a backlash to immigration. To me, the fight against DEI and for more open borders is the same struggle: merit, treating people as individuals rather than members of groups, and economic progress. Yet most who are passionate about DEI are motivated by their place on a racist-antiracist axis, so a vibe shift against woke means more restrictive immigration policies. It is important to push back against this. I close by taking a few questions from the audience, including on how to think about the issue of nationalism versus globalism.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.richardhanania.comI just did a stream on the inauguration and Trump’s potential executive orders, some of which might be signed by the time you watch this. I did this stream with screensharing, so you can follow along as I scroll X, the New York Times and the Washington Post, and read about the Biden pardons, what Trump is expected to do on his first day, and more. In the midst of the Twitter scrolling, I also go on tangents about parenting, Barron’s potential, and the Elon “Roman Salute” scandal that just happened. I find this kind of stream fun and might do it more often if people want it. The recording is available audio only as a normal podcast, but you probably won’t get nearly as much out of it if you don’t see the video. I also noticed that you might need to do full screen in order to see things well enough on a computer. I think that it might actually work better on mobile. Sorry, the Substack video feature is still a work in progress.

Alex Epstein (X, Substack) is a philosopher, energy expert, and the author of two New York Times bestselling books: Fossil Future and The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels.Alex and I met a few years ago through our mutual friend Bryan Caplan. A couple of months ago we were talking and he asked me how much Ayn Rand I had read. I mentioned that I’d gone through Atlas Shrugged when I was in my teens or early twenties, and by chance had picked up The Romantic Manifesto not that long before we spoke. One thing led to another, and the last few months I’ve been going through all of her published books. I’ve also read the Anne Heller biography, which the Ayn Rand Institute hates but Bryan and I both found captivating. Alex lives in Los Angeles, so we decided to meet for a podcast to discuss her ideas and work. In this conversation, I fear that I come across as not that big of a Rand fan, though that is only in comparison to Alex. As I say during the discussion, I’m probably at the 90th percentile of Ayn Rand appreciators and he’s at the 99th percentile. To me, her greatest contributions were providing a moral foundation for capitalism and a framework for self-help. I believe if you adopt Ayn Rand’s philosophy, you will both be happier and have generally correct political and moral views. We get into the question of whether Rand is anti-natalist, or even anti-family. I think kids are conspicuous by their absence in her works, and family relations are usually portrayed negatively. Alex provides a different perspective. We also go into Rand’s personal life, what if anything it tells us about her philosophy, and which novels we like more or less. I’m personally partial to We the Living, while Alex likes The Fountainhead the best. There are a few spoilers here regarding Atlas Shrugged, but none for her other fiction books. I’ll be writing more about Rand and her ideas in the coming weeks. For those who want to start reading her work, or perhaps reconnect with it, the Ayn Rand Institute allows students to get one of her books for free.Most if not all of her published essays can be found online. Below are a handful that we mentioned throughout this conversation.“Racism” (1963)“What Is Capitalism?” (1965)“Of Living Death,” (1968) on the Catholic Church’s views on contraception and sex (text, Rand speech)“Philosophy: Who Needs It?” (1974) (text, audio of speech at West Point)Update: Subsequent to this discussion, I published two articles on Ayn Rand’s life and work. See part one and part two. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.richardhanania.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.richardhanania.comA war has broken out on X between Tech Right types and populists over the question of Indian immigration. For context, see this article, or basically scroll through my entire X feed. I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day posting about this, as this topic is where many of my interests overlap. I’m particularly fascinated by the idea of right-wing nationalism as a radical egalitarian movement that masquerades as one that is Nietzschean. As soon as these people want to argue against high-skilled immigration, they start using talking points that are basically carbon copies of those of woke leftists, even borrowing their exact language. Another one of my recurring interests is the natural tension between the Tech Right and right-wing chuddery. I’ve previously discussed JD Vance as a figure who straddles these two worlds. The Tech Right and many classical liberals dislike the left because it is too small-minded, safetyist, and fearful of the future. Populists come from the opposite direction. While they think leftists are too concerned with the feelings and well-being of racial and sexual minorities, they are driven by a leveling instinct when it comes to whites and resentment towards successful outsiders. I discuss the two main arguments right-wing populists make against high-skilled immigration: that newcomers depress native wages, and “we are a nation, not an economy.” The first argument violates basic economic reasoning, while the second makes little sense unless you understand it as a racist dog whistle. Near the end I break down Vivek’s post today about jocks and nerds. See also my response on X. This is an issue that is going to pop up again as the Trump administration begins to govern. Few things are as important for the future of humanity as making sure that the most competent people get to the places where they can be the most innovative and productive. This is a war worth fighting, even if it includes posting through Christmas.Note: I’ve changed the name of this feed from Clown Car to The Hanania Show. The original name was meant to highlight that the show revolved around the 2024 election, but since the topics covered are now much broader, it no longer makes sense. If the audio cuts off, it is because you have the free preview feed and will need to become a paid subscriber to listen to or watch the whole thing.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.richardhanania.comTom Khaled Würdemann (follow on X) is a PhD student at Heidelberg University. He also works as a lecturer at the Police College of the State of Hassia, Germany.He joins the podcast to talk mainly about the history of Syria and recent events in that country. I am particularly fascinated by the question of why a nation that had multiple coups in the decades before 1970 ended up being ruled by one family for over half a century. We discuss the personalities of Hafez and Bashar al-Assad, and the nature of the mafia state that they created. I knew that part of the regime’s downfall was a result of it no longer having much support from Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah, but Tom explained to me the extent to which the Syrian government itself was hollowed out and had to rely on militias domestically. Once the Assad regime turned on those militias and its foreign backers were distracted, there was no one left to face the rebels. I personally enjoyed the story of the Druze commander of the Republican Guard Issam Zahreddine, who was jacked and apparently a falconer, although I couldn’t find much detail on this picture. Here’s a hagiographic obituary that is very fun to read but should be taken with a grain of salt of course. I thought since Zahreddine posed with a falcon he was the leader of the Falcons of the Euphrates, but Tom corrected me on this and noted he was actually part of the government. This is why you talk to experts in their field. We go into the role of socialism in Baathist ideology, how that was operationalized in Syria, and the supposed economic opening under the younger Assad. Tom lists four possibilities for a new Syria, from worse to better: ISIS, the Taliban, Iran, and Turkey.Near the end we talk about the issue of Syrian refugees in Germany. Tom’s father is Syrian and his mother is German, and he teaches aspiring police candidates in Hassia, so he brings a unique perspective to this issue. There’s also some talk on German culture, which from what I’ve heard I’ve always found disturbingly weird. LinksMe, Uncle Sam as the Hegelian Hammer in SyriaMe on Assad’s last daysTom on October 7 from a comparative perspective (only published work in English)Economic growth in rebel held areas versus those of the regimeThe historic overrepresentation of Alawites in the top echelons of the Syrian military

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.richardhanania.comMichael Tracey joined me tonight to discuss the fall of the Syrian regime. We speculate about the future of Syria, and express surprise regarding how little Assad did to rally his troops and try to inspire them to fight on. See here for the WSJ piece we refer to.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.richardhanania.comBryan joined me on a livestream recently to talk about his new book Self-Help is Like a Vaccine. We discuss topics like parenting, how to live a stress free life, when to stick to one’s principles and when to compromise, and more. We end by taking a few questions from the audience. See Bryan on Milei and populism, which is another one of the issues we discussed. To get notifications for future livestreams, make sure to download the Substack app.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.richardhanania.comStephen Goldstein (follow on X) is a postdoc in Evolutionary Virology at the University of Utah Medical School, where he specializes in coronaviruses. He joins me to discuss vaccines and whether you should get them.Short answer: yes. I’ve been delving a bit into the claims of anti-vaxxers, and every time you look at one of their arguments it falls apart in the face of the most basic scrutiny. See tweets on RFK here, here, here, and here. The debate has a certain motte-and-bailey quality. Anti-vaxxers will throw ten different things at you. They’ll dispute the term “anti-vaxx,” and claim they are only asking questions. Every question you answer leads to more ill-informed questions, and claims that this or that hasn’t been studied. Overall, we just have to step back and say that the main claims of their most prominent spokesmen – that the covid vaccine was a net negative for most people or that it led to a surge in sudden deaths, that there is any link between vaccines and autism, that vaccines have done more harm than good, etc – are false, and they have a negative influence on public life. Maybe they once in a while have a very narrow point. Perhaps young men shouldn’t get two doses of a covid vaccine if they’ve recently been infected. Who cares? If your issue is public health, the world is much more undervaccinated than it is overvaccinated, so you should take up the cause of developing and distributing more vaccines, or just pick another topic. See my previous article on the “99% Good Principle.” There’s no reason to be questioning the common recommended vaccines people get that is not rooted in a misinformed and unscientific worldview.Near the end, Stephen tells people to “do your own research.” Oh how we’ve learned what a can of worms that phrase opens up! As the success of anti-vaxxers has taught us, most people are bad at it. I reject the idea that if only elites were better or more honest, we wouldn’t have anti-vaxxers. Human stupidity doesn’t need a “root causes” explanation in the era of MAGA and the Joe Rogan Experience. Not sure what the answer is.