Thinking Ahead with Carter Phipps

What are the causes of political populism? How and why has it manifested so strongly in America? This country is often considered a society in which class is less important, but is that really true? In this episode of Thinking Ahead, Carter speaks to Michael Lind, professor at The University of Texas, about his book The New Class War: Saving Democracy from the Managerial Elite. Lind suggests that a new economic and cultural elite has risen in the last few decades and argues that only by recognizing the nature of this new class can we understand the resistance and frustration that is driving populist sentiment. He calls for a new “democratic pluralism” that can revitalize our body politic and reconnect increasingly alienated political factions. This wide-ranging conversation about the America’s political scene concludes with a discussion about the nature of democracy itself, and its deeper purpose. 

Netflix’s popular documentary The Social Dilemma is causing millions of viewers to rethink the influence of big tech on our society and ourselves. But does it go too far? In this inaugural "Rants & Reflections" episode of Thinking Ahead, Carter discusses the film and the provocative questions it raises. How do we develop a more conscious relationship with social media and the “attention economy”? Is human psychology just easy prey for the incentives of “likes" and “retweets”?  It the situation really as catastrophic as the movie suggests? Are there historical parallels? The personal and societal challenges presented by The Social Dilemma are profound; our response must be equal in intelligence and wisdom. Carter delves into the good, the bad, and the oft-neglected in-between in this thoughtful analysis of technology’s new frontier. 

Why is America so polarized? Today everyone wants to know. Explanations abound—money in politics, gerrymandering, cronyism in Washington, the two-party system, the electoral college, the primary system, or even the structure of Constitution. While these issues are each worthy of real concern, many are effects rather than causes. In this episode of Thinking Ahead, Carter interviews Steve McIntosh, author of Developmental Politics and co-founder of the Institute for Cultural Evolution, about the underlying cultural issues that are driving our hyper-partisan era. They discuss the historical roots of polarization; the rise of progressive politics in the 1960s and 1970s; and the ways in which progressivism’s new influence has upset the applecart and changed the political dynamics of the country. And they propose the emergence of a new “cultural intelligence” that can help reconcile America’s competing worldviews. Can we integrate progressive concerns without abandoning or condemning other legitimate political views? How do we build a post-progressive coalition can transcend polarization and appeal to more of the country? Is there a way forward that doesn’t involve worsening civil strife and conflict? This episode is a deep dive into a new way of thinking about American politics. 

In the second part of this two-part series with Steve McIntosh, author of Developmental Politics and co-founder of the Institute for Cultural Evolution, Carter and Steve discuss the conflicts between worldviews in American politics. Can we defend the strengths of one worldview without being shackled to its pathologies? How do we protect liberal values that are increasingly under attack? With the rise of climate concerns, the “me too” movement, and the recent racial justice upheavals, progressive politics has come of age and is exerting more influence on the American scene. Can we embrace these more evolved values without enabling their troubling excesses? The work of sorting out progress from pathology is the essence of cultural intelligence and is essential If we are to truly overcome political polarization. This episode of Thinking Ahead envisions a new politics, and posits that today’s seemingly insurmountable troubles might contain the seeds of a new Golden Age. 

Deflation, inflation, debt, interest rates, QE, Federal Reserve policy—for many, words and ideas like these that come from the world of economics might as well be a foreign language. And sometimes, they seem like one. But they are important. In this episode of Thinking Ahead, Carter dives into technology and economics with Jeff Booth, author of The Price of Tomorrow: Why Deflation Is Key to an Abundant Future. Booth is a former entrepreneur and CEO who thinks that the power of technology is making just about everything in our lives cheaper. That could be good—except if you have lots of debt. And today, our economic system is awash in it. Perhaps that’s why, in the past few months, Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell has promised just the opposite—that the Fed is committed to creating inflation, come hell or high water. So what does the future hold—inflation or deflation? How will these dynamics effect politics? Investments? Cryptocurrency? Are we headed into a currency crisis? Are we caught in a debt bubble? This episode is a deep dive into the profound and complex relationship between technology, economics, central banks, and the future of our society. 

Trauma. It’s a term we hear everywhere today, or so it seems. In our psychologically informed age, the idea that many of us—if not all of us—carry around some psychological and even physiological effects from troubled events in our history is commonplace. But what if all trauma was not the same? In this episode of Thinking Ahead, Carter interviews Dr. Mark Forman, author of The Monster’s Journey: From Trauma to Connection. Mark takes listeners on a new archetypal journey of self, one that compares and contrasts to the much better known “Hero’s Journey” archetype made popular by famed mythologist Joseph Campbell. For those who experienced significant early childhood trauma in their own lives, the Monster’s Journey describes the pathway to wholeness, peace, and connection. In their conversation, Mark and Carter explore how to heal the inner “monster” and what a path of recovery might look like. How do we know if our own history might have included the type of trauma that would generate an inner “monster”? How do we break the karmic chain that links generations in traumatic psychological events? Even for those who haven’t undertake the monster’s journey, there is much to learn in this episode that may be relevant in better understanding a friend, companion, family member, or loved one. 

Have you ever had a dream that seemed to come true? You are not alone. Some of the most famous people in history have reported having precognitive dreams. Are they just imagining it? Or is there something more interesting going on? In this episode of Thinking Ahead, Carter interviews Eric Wargo, author of the book, Time Loops. Wargo has deeply studied the nature of time and precognition and has come to some fascinating, unconventional conclusions. Is it possible that much supposedly psychic phenomena are actually misinterpreted precognitions? Together, they explore the physics of time, the history of precognition, and how to get in touch with the latent capabilities of our “long self.”

Have you ever looked at the world through the lens of “deep time”? Carter speaks to Marcia Bjornerud, author of Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World. They discuss why the title of her new book is a play on “mindfulness,” and the importance of being able to appreciate the perspective of geological time. Bjornerud suggests that our species tends to have a “temporal illiteracy.” By embracing a more profound view of Earth’s history, we can better understand our own lives and the timescales on which planetary change happens. They discuss the history of geology and the emergence of a new science of “catastrophic events” like the meteor that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. Sometimes bad things happen to good planets. Bjornerud brings her “geo-evangelical” perspective to the discussion, her rich sense of the natural world, and her deep knowledge of the Earth’s history. She suggests that by appreciating the dynamic history of the biosphere, and our intrinsic relationship to the planet, we will be better stewards of Earth’s future.

Energy and power is fundamental to the information age, and few people bring as much insight and knowledge to the table as Robert Bryce, author of A Question of Power and creator of the new documentary Juice: How Electricity Explains the World. They discuss the future of energy, the role of new technology, Climate Change challenges, and the increasing global demand for electricity. Beginning with a discussion of America’s own efforts to bring energy to rural communities in the 30s, they discuss the developing world. How do we meet the demands of human growth over the next decades without pouring unacceptable amounts of carbon into the air? How do we balance the desire to decarbonize our electricity sector with the need to reduce “energy poverty” and increase opportunity? Will the future of energy be determined by solar? Natural gas? Nuclear? Is green energy a grand illusion or can it address our future energy demands?