Albert Wenger is a partner at Union Square Ventures as well as a prolific thinker and writer. His “World After Capital” is an evolving digital book project that looks at a set of megatrend shifts as the world moves between economic paradigms from the Industrial Age to the Knowledge Age.
In this wide-ranging conversation, he and NLW discuss:
Why attention is at the center of the new Knowledge Age
Why markets can’t price crucial needs such as pandemic preparedness
Why the new era will be defined by three categories of freedoms: economic freedom, information freedom and psychological freedom
Why universal basic income has an important role to play in economic freedom
How UBI could avoid political capture
Why technology is inherently deflationary
Why real estate, education and health care should be much cheaper than they are
Why community currencies could be a key innovation from the current crisis
We’re extremely excited about today’s episode, which includes a lengthy interview with Mike Davis, a friend of the international working class and the author of works such as Prisoners of the American Dream, City of Quartz, and Planet of Slums. We talk about “this moment,” and the need for dissent, street protest and the refusal of the false choice laid out in front of working people between risking their health and complete financial ruin. He also tells us about his rock collection.
1:20 - Mike describes his holed-up multigenerational homelife in San Diego—with his wife, the curator and professor Alessandra Montezuma, twin high-schoolers, and Alessandra’s aunt. Also: why working-class leftists should protest the false choice of lockdown or death; and why Biden should be more like AOC. “We cannot yield the street,” Mike tells us.
18:08 - Central to the US Covid response has been the literal sacrifice of elders and disabled people in nursing homes. Mike tells us why this constitutes manslaughter, and predicts that Filipino/a health care workers may be among the top casualties of the pandemic. Plus: why food insecurity in Africa, South Asia, and South America should be everyone’s concern.
35:48 - “The Yellow Peril is back,” Mike says. He talks about Trump’s and Biden’s demonization of China, and their neglect of the risk of nuclear war. And he explains why “the world described in Karl Marx’s Capital is most true in China.”
55:00 - Mike is still in touch with white working-class pals from 1952 (some of them Trumpers). He describes multiculturalist thinking as “Janus-faced,” but praises young activists, including his twins, for their instinctively radical conceptions of race, class, and gender.
1:08:43 - Can housing organizing be as powerful a vehicle for working-class movements as labor organizing? Mike offers a historical perspective. And a Time to Say Goodbye exclusive: Mike’s extensive rock collection.
Time to Say Goodbye is a podcast—with your hosts, Jay Caspian Kang, Tammy Kim, and Andy Liu. We launched this thing because, like you, we’ve been sheltering in place and wanted an outlet for our thoughts on the coronavirus, Asia, geopolitics, and Asian Americans.
A short introduction to your hosts:
Jay Caspian Kang is a writer-at-large for the New York Times Magazine and the author of the forthcoming book The Loneliest Americans.
E. Tammy Kim is a magazine reporter, a contributing opinion writer at the New York Times, and a retired lawyer. She co-edited the book Punk Ethnography.
Andrew Liu is a historian of modern China. He wrote a book called Tea War, about the history of capitalism in Asia. He remains a huge Supersonics fan.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodbye.substack.com/subscribe
Government marketers need to provide experiences that span the entire customer journey that are nimble, effective, and most importantly, omnichannel. Jeremy Paul from Quadient joins to talk about what’s happening in both digital and non-digital channels, as well as, the feasibility of virtual voting by November’s US presidential election.
On April 27, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court released its opinion in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. City of New York, a case involving a dispute over whether New York City rules limiting transportation of licensed firearms to ranges within New York City limits (and certain state-designated hunting areas) violate the Second Amendment, the dormant Commerce Clause, and the constitutional right to travel. Under New York state law, possessing a firearm without a license is prohibited. New York City issues “premises” licenses that permit possession of a pistol or revolver at a particular address, and under city “Rule 5-23” such firearms may not be lawfully removed from that address except for transport directly to or from authorized shooting ranges within New York City limits (as well as certain state-designated hunting areas). Plaintiffs, who hold New York City premises licenses, wished to transport their firearms to shooting ranges, competitions, and/or homes outside of New York City. They sued for injunctive relief in federal district court, alleging that Rule 5-23’s restrictions violated the Second Amendment and were otherwise invalid under the dormant Commerce Clause, the First Amendment right of expressive association, and the fundamental right to travel. The district court rejected all these claims and dismissed the case. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, applying intermediate scrutiny to the Second Amendment claims, affirmed. The Supreme Court, however, subsequently granted certiorari to address whether the City’s ban on transporting a licensed, locked, and unloaded handgun to a home or shooting range outside city limits is consistent with the Second Amendment, the Commerce Clause, and the constitutional right to travel. The case was vacated and remanded with a 6-3 vote in a per curiam opinion on April 27, 2020. Justice Kavanaugh filed a concurring opinion. Justice Alito filed a dissenting opinion, in which Justice Gorsuch joined in full and Justice Thomas joined except for Part IV-B. To discuss the case, we have David Thompson, of Cooper & Kirk and Amy Swearer, Legal Fellow at the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies As always, the Federalist Society takes no particular legal or public policy positions. All opinions expressed are those of the speakers.
The Fed Chief weighs in on the economic recovery. Closer to normal as more places reopen. A Presidential war of words. CBS News Correspondent Steve Kathan has today's World News Roundup.
Which firms will fly above the covid-19 clouds? Big, low-cost carriers with strong finances seem likeliest, but either way consolidation is inevitable. The Indian state of Kerala seems to be handling its outbreak far better than others; blame an unassuming but wildly popular health minister. And whether New York’s beloved Irish pubs will craic on past the pandemic.
For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer
Leah and Kate break down the major arguments in the presidential immunity and subpoena cases as well as the major (?) social media and supporter updates for the podcast! They also discuss McGirt v. Oklahoma and the ministerial exemption cases. And enforcing the Voting Rights Act too (of course).
Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025!
A lot happened in February for Senator Ricard Burr (R-NC). He told his constituents that the country was “ready to face the coronavirus.” He told a members-only club that they should expect school closures, canceled travel, and overwhelmed hospitals. And he sold a bunch of his stock. Now, Burr is under a federal investigation for possible insider trading.
Guest: Tim Mak, Washington investigative correspondent for NPR.
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Facebook needs to spice up its messaging game, so it’s splurging $400M to control your gif game: Buying Giphy. McDonald’s whipped up a 59-page playbook on how to reopen its restaurants post COVID-19. And remember Luckin Coffee’s $310M fraud last month? It’s pivoting its core biz because it’s more tech than latte.
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