Today's Top Episodes
The Sunday Daily: Hollywood’s A.I. Moment
Is AI about to write the next Hollywood blockbuster and replace your favorite stars? Dive into the ethical battle raging in Tinseltown!
#634 - Fiona Cauley
Discover how dark humor becomes a superpower for Fiona Cauley as she navigates life with a rare disability and fights for agency.
TIP785: My Reflections on Money, Life, and Happiness w/ Stig Brodersen
Beyond the billions: Unlock the secrets to lasting happiness and make your money work for your true self, not against it.
Will AI Make Bitcoin More Valuable Than Ever? | Jordi Visser
Is Bitcoin the ultimate AI play? Explore how the rise of artificial intelligence could redefine the value of digital assets and your career.
Defending the Disabled
A simple act of bullying, a powerful wave of kindness: Discover how students rallied to defend a disabled classmate.
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The World According to Trump | GoodFellows | Hoover Institution
- The discussion emphasizes leveraging electronic and cyber warfare, alongside potential direct strikes, to disrupt the Iranian regime's command and control systems to weaken it and aid the opposition.
- The conversation highlights the complex nature of counterrevolutions, noting that foreign intervention can backfire and that domestic support and organization are crucial for the opposition's success.
- There is a critique of the Western left's perceived hypocrisy for protesting against actions against Hamas while remaining silent on the Iranian regime's violent suppression of its own citizens.
Coercive Diplomacy: Venezuela, Iran, and . . . Greenland? | GoodFellows
- The discussion revolved around the recent military intervention in Venezuela, exploring its execution, potential regional implications, and historical precedents like the Roosevelt Corollary.
- The conversation highlighted President Trump's transactional approach to foreign policy, influencing decisions on Venezuela and potentially Greenland through a "real estate politique" lens focused on strategic assets like oil.
- The panel debated the weakening of authoritarian regimes globally, considering the internal protests and economic crises in Iran, and speculating on future geopolitical shifts in Latin America and beyond, particularly regarding Cuba and China.
Are We Doing This Again? Andrew Ross Sorkin on “1929” and the GoodFellows on 2025 | GoodFellows | Hoover Institution
- The 1929 market crash was a misunderstood financial disaster, not a single-day event, and its severity was compounded by subsequent policy choices rather than being an inevitable outcome of the crash itself.
- Parallels exist between the 1920s and today, including a tech boom, the concept of "democratizing finance," rising inequality, and the investor psyche seeking a "lottery ticket" opportunity.
- Financial crises are fundamentally driven by leverage, and while policy responses and market structures have changed since 1929, the potential for panic and systemic impact remains a concern.
Tiny Cars and 70’s Problems with Ben Sasse | GoodFellows | Hoover Institution
- Former Senator Ben Sass argues that Congress suffers from "underreach," with members prioritizing punditry and avoiding difficult decisions, leading to the executive branch filling the power vacuum.
- The discussion highlights a significant decline in public trust across various institutions, with higher education and Congress showing the most rapid erosion, partly attributed to social media's amplification of misinformation and institutional missteps.
- The conversation delves into the systemic issues within higher education, including underprepared students, a focus on DEI over merit, and the need for institutional reform beyond current models, with the University of Austin and Hamilton School at UF presented as potential exemplars.
Viewer Mail: War & Peace, Reading & Writing, Why Babies Are Good, and Thanksgiving Memories | GoodFellows | Hoover Institution
- The discussion critically examined analogies for a potential Trump-Putin agreement on Ukraine's fate, suggesting that while historical parallels might seem apt, the current situation is distinct due to Ukraine's prolonged resistance and significant inflicted losses on Russia.
- Experts debated whether economic and political freedom are mutually exclusive, with China's development cited as a challenge to the traditional view, though underlying economic weaknesses in authoritarian systems were also highlighted.
- The conversation explored the evolving nature of warfare and military technology, specifically addressing the continued relevance of tanks in the face of drone warfare and the need for adapting defense budgets and strategies to maintain a qualitative edge.
Cyber Rattling & Socialism: Anne Neuberger on Future Wars, Mayor Mamdani, and a Big Deal at the BBC | GoodFellows | Hoover Institution
- Technology is outpacing military strategy, creating an asymmetry in warfare driven by advancements like drone technology and cyber capabilities.
- The United States faces a significant cyber gap with China due to its democratic system's inability to monitor private sector networks, which house critical infrastructure.
- The future of warfare will likely involve a combination of cheaper, commercially procurable systems in greater numbers, alongside sophisticated "exquisite" capabilities.
Trick or Treat? A Fight Between Good and Evil with Michael McFaul | GoodFellows | Hoover Institution
- The conversation highlights the complex relationship between autocracies and democracies, emphasizing how regime type and individual leaders, alongside power, shape global dynamics and international relations issues like the Ukraine conflict and competition with China and Russia.
- A key theme is the misinterpretation by various US administrations of Vladimir Putin's motivations, often attributing them to security concerns rather than a deeper ideological drive for Russian imperial restoration and the dismantling of the liberal international order.
- The podcast contrasts the Soviet Union's economic weakness during the Cold War with China's current economic strength, suggesting that the US faces a more challenging competition because its primary adversary is now not an economic basket case and the US itself is not performing as well economically as it could.
It’s The Economy, Israel and Tariffs, Stupid | GoodFellows | Hoover Institution
- The Trump administration's Middle East peace plan, while having early successes like hostage release, faces significant challenges due to Hamas's non-compliance and the lack of detailed planning for a stabilization force and Palestinian governance.
- A prevalent view suggests that the Abraham Accords represent a paradigm shift in Middle East diplomacy, prioritizing economic cooperation and regional stability over traditional peace processes, potentially sidelining the Palestinian issue.
- Despite concerns about potential crashes, current economic conditions do not mirror the preconditions of 1929; however, rising global debt levels and the geopolitical weaponization of trade, particularly between the US and China, pose significant long-term risks.
Who’s Going To Win The Future? Dan Wang on China’s Engineers vs. America’s Lawyers | GoodFellows | Hoover Institution
- The discussion centered around China's advancements in engineering and manufacturing, suggesting that the US needs to prioritize building and innovation to remain competitive.
- China's internal vulnerabilities, such as a declining population and social engineering concerns, were acknowledged as potential long-term challenges to its continued rise.
- The panel debated the US approach to competing with China, including selective industrial policy and strategic engagement, rather than a complete replication of China's state-controlled system.
Turning Points: Kyiv, Kirk, Kimmel, and the Sundance Kid | GoodFellows | Hoover Institution
- Neil Ferguson reported that morale in Kyiv is somber and grim due to increased Russian air strikes, but Ukrainians remain resolved to resist Putin's terms.
- The conflict in Ukraine has significantly evolved into a drone war, where Ukraine's technological superiority in drone warfare provides a strategic advantage.
- The panel agreed that the potential "canceling" of Jimmy Kimmel raises concerns about free speech and the influence of government regulation, prompting calls to abolish the FCC to prevent political cronyism.