The Narrative Monopoly

A conversation with Erik Torenberg on all things narrative and the The Narrative Monopoly BioErik Torenberg is co-Founder and co-CEO of OnDeck, which is on a mission to organize the world's ambition. Co-Founder and Partner of Village Global, an early stage venture fund. Erik was the first employee and on the founding team of Product Hunt. He's also a writer and podcast host.  Times0:15 - Intro to Erik & breaking into tech6:00 - Status Theory of Narratives9:45 - Meta Narratives & Identity16:00 - Martin Gurri's Crisis of Authority18:45 - Authenticity & Elon24:30 - The Narrative Monopoly43:15 - Truth & Narratives54:30 - The Current Thing1:00:30 - Lack of meaning1:05:15 - LARPs1:07:30 - Rethinking Higher-Ed LinksErik's blogErik's twitterbeondeck.comvillageglobal.vcnarrativemonopoly.com

A conversation about free speech with UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh Topics Computer engineering vs lawSCOTUS LeakBackground of free speechTwitter and free speechAre platforms utilities?The Ministry of Truth Disinformation BoardAnd more! Bio (from UCLA Law)Eugene Volokh teaches First Amendment law and a First Amendment amicus brief clinic at UCLA School of Law, where he has also often taught copyright law, criminal law, tort law, and a seminar on firearms regulation policy.Before coming to UCLA, he clerked for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the U.S. Supreme Court and for Judge Alex Kozinski on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.Volokh is the author of the textbooks The First Amendment and Related Statutes (6th ed. 2016), and Academic Legal Writing (5th ed. 2013), as well as over 90 law review articles. He is a member of The American Law Institute, a member of the American Heritage Dictionary Usage Panel, and the founder and coauthor of The Volokh Conspiracy, a leading legal blog. His law review articles have been cited by opinions in eight Supreme Court cases and several hundred court opinions in total, as well as several thousand scholarly articles.Volokh worked for 12 years as a computer programmer. He graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in math-computer science at age 15, and has written many articles on computer software. Volokh was born in the USSR; his family emigrated to the U.S. when he was seven years old. LinksThe Volokh Conspiracy,Free speech videosnarrativemonopoly.comtwitter   

A conversation with Michael S. Malone, author of The Big Score, on the history of the semiconductor industry and silicon valley Topics include (but not limited to): Fred Terman, Hewlett-Packard, Stanford, Vacuum Tubes, Varian Brothers, Fairchild, Intel, AMD, National Semiconductor, Bob Noyce, Gordon Moore, Arthur Rock, Andy Grove, Jerry Sanders, Charlie Sporck, Bob Widlar, Transistor, Microprocessor, Ted Hoff, Planar Manufacturing Process, Venture Capital, Eugene Kleiner, Nolan Bushnell, and More! Bio (from Big Score)Michael S. Malone has covered Silicon Valley and tech for over 30 years. His articles and editorials have appeared in the San Jose Mercury-News, Wall Street Journal, Economist, Fortune, and New York Times. He has written or co-authored more than 25 award-winning books, including Bill and Dave and The Intel Trinity, and co-produced The New Heroes, an Emmy-nominated miniseries on social entrepreneurs. He lives in Palo Alto, California. LinksBuy The Big ScoreMichael's podcast  — Silicon Insidernarrativemonopoly.comtwitter

A conversation with Michael Fritzell, author of Asian Century Stocks, on Asian markets and geopolitics BioMichael Fritzell is a Singapore-based analyst and the author of Asian Century Stocks.  He's worked as an analyst and co-portfolio manager in Asia for well over a decade. Times0:15 - Intro0:55 - What is Asian Century Stocks & intro to Michael4:15 - Chinese politics8:15 - Michael's media diet (east vs west)10:45 - Parsing out the truth in media13:15 - Evergrande19:15 - Which sectors in the Asian-Pacific is Michael bullish on?21:45 - Covid recovery in Asia27:15 - Specific equites32:15 - The Chinese sphere of influence & Taiwan39:15 - What's going on with Hong Kong?43:45 - China49:45 - How to sift through and find truth in Chinese “official” reports and data53:45 - Is the 21st century the Asian century?56:15 Sections of Asian Century Stocks LinksAsian Century StocksMichael's TwitterJeff's Twitternarrativemonopoly.com

A second conversation with economist John Cochrane BioJohn Cochrane is the Rose-Marie and Jack Anderson Senior Fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and the author of The Grumpy Economist Blog. Before that John was a Distinguished Senior Fellow of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, he's taught both MBA and PhD programs. And a fellow of the Becker-Friedman Institute, a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research. He is a past President and Fellow of the American Finance Association, and a Fellow of the Econometric Society. He's served as the editor of numerous economics journals. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Physics at MIT, and earned his Ph.D. in Economics at the University of California at Berkeley. Times0:00 - Intro1:15 - Inflation, supply chain crisis & labor market shortages16:15 - Weird economic signals, looming recession?20:30 - Administrative state + government competence28:30 - Climate change37:30 - The media & censorship43:45 - Bitcoin50:00 - Central banks digital currencies1:00:30 - Government's role in money1:07:00 - The relationship between debt & inflation1:19:00 - Stanford Free Speech / University of Austin1:33:00 - Nobel prize / institutional failure — rebuild or build anew? LinksThe Grumpy Economist blogGoodFellows podcast narrativemonopoly.com

A conversation with James Poulos on his new book Human Forever BioJames Poulos is the Executive Editor of The American Mind and author of the books The Art of Being Free: How Alexis de Tocqueville Can Save Us from Ourselves and now Human Forever.Dr. Poulos graduated from Duke University with distinction in Political Science and received his Ph.D. in Government from Georgetown University. He is also the contributing editor of American Affairs and a fellow at the Center for the Study of Digital Life. Linkshumanforever.usGet the book at: CANONIC .XYZJames' twitternarrativemonopoly.com

This episode was recorded on Callin, a new social podcasting appBioDavid Sacks is co-founder and general partner at Craft Ventures, founder of Callin, and co-host of the All-In Podcast. He has been a successful founder, investor, and operator for over two decades, including as member of the PayPal mafia and founder of Yammer. Some of his early stage investments include AirBnB, Bird, Eventbrite, Facebook, Lyft, OpenDoor, Palantir, Reddit, Slack, SpaceX, Twitter, and Uber. He also writes “Bottom Up SaaS,” a bible for SaaS companies.  Times1:45 - Origin story of The All-In Podcast4:45 - Philosophical underpinnings & features of Callin9:15 - Changing Red Pills to Purple Pills14:30 - Proposed tax on unrealized gains23:30 - Nuances of the two party system34:00 - The US debt & deficit46:00 - Who makes up the MOD squad today / Social media addiction narrative55:15 - The US's relationship with China LinksCallinBottom Up SaaSAll-In PodcastDavid's twitterJeff's twitternarrativemonopoly.com

BioJamie Catherwood is the publisher and author of Investor Amnesia ("The goal of Investor Amnesia is to provide investors with key insights and lessons from our past in order to avoid repeating the same mistakes.”). He majored in History at King's College London, and entered the financial services industry after graduating. He started writing about financial history in 2018 and writes the Financial History: Sunday Reads newsletter, which goes out to over 14,000 people. He's guest lectured at the Yale School of Management, and his work has featured in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, Financial Times, CNBC and more.  Times0:15 - Intro to Jamie & Investor Amnesia3:45 - What got Jamie into financial history6:30 - Old financial illustrations10:15 - How the government could harness speculation for productive uses20:30 - Detour on Cleveland, OH24:40 - Access to public and private companies and SPACs31:30 - Imperial finance42:45 - Busting the Tulip Bubble narrative45:30 - Importance of history50:45 - Jamie's closing thoughts on how to apply financial history LinksInvestor Amnesia (articles, courses, etc)IPO and SPAC article mentionedJamie's twitterJeff's twitternarrativemonopoly.com

BioAntonio García Martínez is a writer at and the publisher of The Pull Request, a publication about technology by technologists for technologists. He also hosts the The Pull Request podcast on Callin. He is best known for writing the best selling book: Chaos Monkeys, Obscene Fortune and Random Failure in Silicon Valley.  The book details his journey from the PhD physics program at Cal Berkley, to trading credit derivatives at Goldman, to founding a YC company - AdGrok, to working as Facebook's first ads targeting product manager.  Times1:00 - Intro to Antonio, who is the smartest person Antonio has ever met, and intro Qs4:30 - We are no longer a serious people; Afghanistan & democracy11:15 - Elites solving problems for twitter not reality & hot button issues13:00 - Accountability in democracy15:45 - The Pull Request & tech journalism21:45 - Antonio pushes back on The Narrative Monopoly!29:45 - Thinking about what to focus on33:45 - 30 Years War analogy to where we are with the internet38:45 - Federalism41:15 - Austin and people leaving CA43:15 - Decoupling how information flows from matter moves and the implications51:30 - Historical counter point to problems of internet information distribution58:00 - The advent of frictionless and ubiquitous information1:02:45 - Where to find Antonio LinksThe Pull RequestAntonio's twitterNarrativemonopoly.com

BioLanhee Chen is currently a candidate for Controller of California. After earning four degrees from Harvard University, including a law degree and doctorate in political science, he served in senior roles in both Republican and Democratic presidential administrations.Lanhee is regarded as one of America's leading policy commentators and experts - specifically on health care. He teaches at Stanford,  was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as a member of the independent and bipartisan Social Security Advisory Board.Lanhee has also built his own small business, which focuses on providing advice on fiscal and other public policy issues to leaders in both the public and private sectors. He is an investor who works with entrepreneurs to help them grow their businesses and create new jobs. He is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors of El Camino Health, a health care system in his community. Times0:15 - Intro to Lanhee1:30 - What does the Controller of CA do & why is Lanhee running?5:15 - Focusing on state policy vs federal policy7:15 - $31 billion in unemployment insurance fraud16:00 - Conceptualizing how large $30 billion is for CA19:00 - Will CA see any of that money again?21:15 - Audit powers of the Controller25:15 - Medi-Cal & Medicaid32:00 - Major drivers of health care costs40:15 - Specifics of price transparency & cost45:45 - History of employment based health care & path dependence52:30 - Closing thoughts on the Golden State LinksLanhee's campaign websiteLanhee's twitterNarrativemonopoly.com

BioMark Nelson is a Managing Director at Radiant Energy Fund. He's one of the world's foremost authorities on nuclear energy. In his capacity with the fund, he fights to keep Nuclear energy plants open around the world. Times1:00 - Intro to Mark & Radiant Energy Fund4:45 - Belgium's 2 nuclear plants & the green plan9:30 - Why nuclear? Nuclear vs other energy 10118:00 - Is nuclear safe?23:00 - Price disparity between nuclear and nat gas28:30 - The argument against nuclear, Mark steel man's himself34:45 - Coming Russian of nat gas this winter38:45 - NY state closed Indian Point nuclear plant and there will be electricity shortages this winter47:45 - Climate change and intersectionality50:45 - Chernobyl + HBO's Chernobyl making people fearful54:15 - Nuclear reactors and plants in the United States56:30 - Mark's political philosophy (not partisan)1:00:30 - The recent saving of a nuclear plant in Illinois1:09:45 - Will Mark and I buy a nuclear plant? How much do they cost? LinksMark's twitterJeff's twittermark@radiantenergyfund.orgnarrativemonopoly.com 

BioJoel Kotkin is the Presidential Fellow at Chapman University, Executive Director of the Houston-based Urban Reform Institute , the author of 10 books including his most recent “ The Coming of Neo-Feudalism: A Warning to the Global Middle Class”. And he's been described as “America's uber-geographer”. Times0:15 - Intro to Joel1:30 - The rise of neo-feudalism and what is it?15:30 -  Power vacuumed to the executive branch & federalism19:45 - Wealth inequality24:45 - Hypocrisy is part of the medieval mindset30:15 - Big government benefits big business38:45 - How the pandemic impacted America's geography / economy44:30 - FAANG M&A50:30 - Closing segment LinksThe Coming of Neo-Feudalism: A Warning to the Global Middle Classjoelkotkin.comJoel's twitterJoel's podcastnarrativemonopoly.com

BioAnthony Pompliano is a bitcoiner, GP of Pomp investments, host of The Pomp Podcast, The Best Business show, author of The Pomp Letter, and last but not least - a veteran of our armed forces. Times0:55 - Intro to Pomp2:00 - El Salvador & Bitcoin Beach8:10 - Halving10:00 - Btc as medium of exchange vs store of value (vs other assets)14:45 - Inflation & messaging16:15 - The crypto provision in DC is going to become law, enforcement, the ramifications, and what's going on in DC21:15 - Will DC become friend or foe to btc?25:00 - How would/should the US embrace btc?30:00 - Putting btc on corporate balance sheets33:00 - Elon Musk & btc35:30 - Why is the media attacking btc?37:00 - Pomp on the media51:30 - Cancel culture, trust, authenticity, and society58:00 - The Best Business Show LinksThe Pomp LetterPomp's YouTube (Pomp Podcast & Best Business Show)Nic Carter's "A Peaceful Revolution" (mentioned in the show)

Martin Gurri rejoins The Narrative Monopoly to do a live Q & A on the Callin app cross posted hereQ & A with Martin on: Revolt of the Public documentary??History, his piece on CRTThe efficacy & reach of Crypto distribution vs legacy mediaCuba, Afghanistan, China 

A conversation with world class economist John Cochrane on a wide range of topicsBioJohn Cochrane is the Rose-Marie and Jack Anderson Senior Fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and the author of The Grumpy Economist Blog. Before that John was a Distinguished Senior Fellow of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, he's taught both MBA and PhD programs. And a fellow of the Becker-Friedman Institute, a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research. He is a past President and Fellow of the American Finance Association, and a Fellow of the Econometric Society. He's served as the editor of numerous economics journals. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Physics at MIT, and earned his Ph.D. in Economics at the University of California at Berkeley. Times0:15 - Intro1:30 - How did John become an economist?4:15 - How has the field of economics changed since John got started in it?7:00 - Are we all Keynesians now?10:15 - What's going on with inflation?15:45 - Putting modern American life in perspective19:15 - Covid & the incompetence of bureaucracy22:30 - Counter culture28:30 - Woke vs Woodstock33:00 - Central banks getting involved in climate policy38:45 - The role of the Press, the failure of the Press and the 1st Amendment49:15 - The Grumpy Economist & blogging lessons53:30 - r < g (govt debt)59:00 - What & when of a debt crisis1:07:15 - What is John's specialty? (If there is one)1:09:00 - Closing thoughts LinksThe Grumpy Economist blogGoodFellows podcast narrativemonopoly.com

 A conversation with Max Towey, co-founder and CEO of RocaNews, about the media and state of AmericaBioMax Towey is co-founder and CEO of RocaNews, a company committed to making news easy and enjoyable. He previously worked at a DC think tank where he hosted it's official podcast Banter. He received an undergrad degree from Notre Dame. Links@ridethenews on Instagramrocanews.comMax on twitter  

Bio(From Manhattan Institute) - Brian Riedl is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, focusing on budget, tax, and economic policy. Previously, he worked for six years as chief economist to Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) and as staff director of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth. He also served as a director of budget and spending policy for Marco Rubio's presidential campaign and was the lead architect of the ten-year deficit-reduction plan for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.During 2001–11, Riedl served as the Heritage Foundation's lead research fellow on federal budget and spending policy. In that position, he helped lay the groundwork for Congress to cap soaring federal spending, rein in farm subsidies, and ban pork-barrel earmarks. Riedl's writing and research have been featured in, among others, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and National Review; he is a frequent guest on NBC, CBS, PBS, CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, and C-SPAN.Riedl holds a bachelor's degree in economics and political science from the University of Wisconsin and a master's degree in public affairs from Princeton University. Times0:45 - Intro to Brian1:45 - Status of the federal debt and why is it so important6:45 - The insanity of future budget deficits9:30 - Will there be a crash or slow decline?14:30 - When will it happen?16:15 - Entitlements are THE problem and both parties are big spending parties20:30 - Who actually holds the debt?25:45 - Interest rates32:15 - Is American debt too big to fail?35:30 - Can all the millionaires and billionaires pay for the debt?40:45 - How would Brian fix the debt crisis?44:45 - Low hanging fruit49:45 - AARP53:45 - Brian's closing thoughts LinksList of Brian's writingBrian's twitterJeff's twitternarrativemonopoly.com 

BioThomas Joscelyn is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and is senior editor of FDD's Long War Journal, a widely read publication on counterterrorism and related issues. His main focus is on jihadism and how al-Qaeda and the Islamic State operate around the globe. He has served as a consultant for the FBI's Counterterrorism Division and has testified before Congress on more than twenty times.He has constructed dossiers on hundreds of terrorists during the course of his work. He's been described as one of “the most trusted authorities on the al-Qaeda network because of his encyclopedic knowledge of terrorist biographies.” In 2017, as a result of Thomas's efforts, the CIA declassified and released the vast majority of the files captured in Osama bin Laden's compound. Times1:00 - Intro to Tom2:00 - Bin Laden files & al-Qaeda intro7:15 - What was Bin Laden working on at the end?9:45 - The narrative that Bin Laden was “retired”15:30 - What is al-Qaeda?19:15 - Rationale for 9/1122:00 - Abdul Azzam23:15 - Ayman al-Zawahiri's role and is he still active?27:00 - Media exposure of Zawahiri31:00 - Day to day operations of al-Qaeda & Its history w/ ISIS37:00 - Would al-Qaeda leave us alone if we got out of the Middle East?43:00 - Congressional authorization of war48:45 - What would the world have looked like if we got Bin Laden at Tora Bora?51:15 - Challenging the narrative of “2001 invasion of Afghanistan was a success”52:45 - The Taliban in Afghanistan57:00 - Does the Taliban have the appetite to sponsor another Bin Laden?60:45 - What's the goal of al-Qaeda?1:02:30 - Final recap of narratives1:06:30 - American elites & leadership LinksTom's Long War JournalTom's twitterJeff's twitternarrativemonopoly.com

BioKat Cole is the former Chief Operating Officer and president of Focus Brands. Her journey began as a Hooters hostess at age 17, and within 2 years she was traveling around the world launching new locations for the company becoming a Vice President at 26. In 2010 she became the president of Cinnabon, turning the company around during the recession. That was part of Focus Brands — the parent company of Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, Moe's Southwest Grill, McAlister's Deli, and Schlotzsky's. For 10 years at Focus she was a turnaround artist of its franchise businesses and grew global, multi-channel retail offerings to more than $1 billion in branded sales. Times1:00 - Into to Kat3:15 - How did her career accelerate so fast?7:30 - What is brand?9:30 - What goes into brand?12:45 - Interactions & brand16:00 - Is brand centralized or decentralized in the org chart?19:00 - Who are the brands that impress Kat?20:30 - How to think about distribution26:00 - Store in store concept28:30 - Grocery store distribution32:30 - Future of the restaurant industry34:45 - Thoughts on ghost kitchens and virtual brands39:30 - How has travel impacted Kat professionally?47:30 - How to become a better leader?49:15 - Where to find Kat LinksKat's substackKat's twitterJeff's twitternarrativemonopoly.com

BioMike is a co-founding Partner at Floodgate, a venture firm in the bay area. Some of Mike's investments include Twitter, Twitch.tv, Lyft, Clover Health, Okta, and Chegg. Before founding Floodgate Mike was founder and operating executive at back-to-back startup IPOs, including Tivoli Systems and Motive. Mike is the host of the Starting Greatness podcast, which shares startup lessons from the super performers.Times1:10 - Intro to Mike2:10 - Centralization vs decentralization13:40 - Metcalfe's law & deploying capital based on it17:10 - How does network capitalism and decentralization connect?21:40 - Federalism & Austin23:25 - Nihilism vs A Time to Build28:40 - How do you get people to believe in progress?36:00 - Impact of culture39:40 - Technology & institutions43:00 - Nation states vs micro-sovereignties (like bitcoin)46:40 - Mike's framework for companies of Beer Slammer vs Wine Sipper applied to ideas58:10 - Choices, agency, & optimism1:00:10 -  Mayor Francis Suarez1:03:00 - Mike's closing wisdomLinksMike's podcastMike's twitternarrativemonopoly.com

BioMarty Bent is a bitcoiner, podcast host, and newsletter author — specifically knowledgable about the intersection of bitcoin and energy use. Times0:55 - Opening bitcoin talk3:10 - Intro to Marty5:55 - Working for Barstool Sports7:55 - The narrative of “bitcoin uses too much energy”11:10 - Framing of the narrative15:40 - Bitcoin accelerating renewables & conservationism20:55 - Carbon emissions & honest debates26:55 - The Fed30:10 - Is the goal for bitcoin to replace the dollar?31:25 - How does it become a medium of exchange?37:10 - Other crypto currencies besides bitcoin?41:10 - How does bitcoin end wars?44:10 - The ultimate goal of bitcoin46:25 - How to get started accumulating bitcoin52:25 - Where you can find Marty LinksMarty's NewsletterMarty's PodcastsMarty's TwitterJeff's TwitterNarrativemonopoly.com

BioYuval Levin is the director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, he's the founder and editor in chief of National Affairs. He was a domestic policy advisor to the 43rd President. He's the author of numerous books including the subject of today's podcast, A Time to Build - From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus, How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream. And perhaps most importantly he's seemingly always a few years ahead of the curve. He holds an MA and PhD from the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago. Times1:05 - Intro to Yuval2:25 - Who are the thinkers, dead or alive, that have most influenced you?4:45 - What's the goal of Yuval's work?7:45 - Connecting think tank work to policy12:45 - Yuval's experience in the arena16:30 - Insiders vs outsiders20:45 - Younger Americans, Elites, & institutions27:30 - Defining institutions & their formative nature33:30 - Cameras in Congress (hint: get them out of committees)41:30 - Other reforms Yuval thinks are good47:00 - The history of Congressional reform51:15 - Restoring vs rebuilding institutions56:00 - The unasked question of American life59:00 - Who are the best thinkers on the left?1:01:45 - Yuval's thoughts on the intra-conservative ideological debate LinksYuval's Book, A Time to BuildYuval's highlighted workJeff's twitterNarrativemonopoly.com

BioGeoff Lewis is the Founder & Managing Partner of Bedrock, a technology investment firm currently managing approximately one billion dollars. He's served on the Board of Directors for companies including Lyft, Nubank, and Workrise. He's also invested in Wish, Vercel, Anduril, and more. Prior to founding Bedrock, Geoff was a Partner at Founders Fund and was the co-founder and ceo of the technology company TopguestTimes1:15 - Intro to Geoff2:15 - What makes a vibe capitalist?3:45 - Impact of money printer on Venture6:30 - Deal markups & entertainment funding vs venture funding12:45 - What drives Geoff as an investor16:30 - A few investors that Geoff admires18:45 - Temp Checks that struck a chord21:45 - Algorithmic governance25:30 - Geoff moved to Austin, how about Miami?27:15 - How does the real estate footprint impact the types of companies in each city? And other drivers33:15 - City culture and the impact on startups39:15 - Predictions for algorithmic governance42:00 - Inflation48:30 - Cohesive world views54:45 - Performative lunacy vs performative sanity1:01:00 - Reality Dysphoria Industrial Complex1:04:00 - What is the Narrative Monopoly?LinksBedrock lettergeofflewis.orgTemp Checks on YouTubeGeoff's twitterJeff's twitterNarrativemonopoly.com

BioMark is one of the most knowledgeable people on the planet when it comes to everything Russia. He's the CEO of Mayak Intelligence, he's a PhD and has served as a professor a multiple schools including NYU and now the University College London School of Slavonic and East European Studies, he's the author of many books on Russia. Including the recent titles A Short History of Russia and We Need to Talk about Putin How The West Gets Him Wrong.Times1:25 - Intro to Mark4:30 - What it's like to work in Russia (spoiler: he was shot at once)10:55 - Russian intelligence & USB sticks13:55 - Russian opinion of war in Afghanistan (having been there)19:40 - Monopolized narratives in Russia26:55 - Putin and these narratives30:55 - Do the people of Russia believe the narratives?35:25 - How much impact does the Bolshevik Revolution have on today's Russia? / Putin's time in KGB39:10 - Russia's 3 parties41:25 - Are Russian elections from national to local all shams?43:40 - Navalny background & update57:55 - Russian build up on Ukrainian border1:05:25 - Russian legitimacy through Putin's eyes1:08:40 - Does Russia need to become more aggressive? / Oil1:15:25 - What is Putin's endgame?1:16:10 - Is the NHL black card rumor true?LinksMark's twitterMark's blogMark's Recent  Books:A Short History of RussiaWe Need to talk about Putin, How the West gets him Wrong Jeff's twitterNarrativeMonopoly.com

Drew Holden is a public affairs consultant in Washington, D.C. He's well known for keeping the receipts on the media class and creating illuminating threads that show clear as day how the media treats different people with the same issue at hand. Times1:25 - Intro to Drew2:20 -  Drew explains his process for making the threads5:30 - What does Drew look out for?10:00 - Thoughts on the media ecosystem13:40 - Drew's recent viral thread on Afghanistan pull out16:40 - Newsroom dynamics20:25 - Drew's story of starting the twitter account and what is Drew's goal with the threads?27:35 - What's it like to get 20k Retweets?30:55 - Russian bounty story40:05 - Contagious narratives & truth47:00 - EndingLinksLink to Drew's Afghanistan threadnarrativemonopoly.com 

BioEliana Johnson is editor-in-chief of the Washington Free Beacon. Prior to joining the Free Beacon, she served as a White House correspondent at POLITICO. She is a regular presence on cable television and has appeared on NBC's Meet the Press, CBS's Face the Nation, ABC's This Week, and the PBS News Hour. She graduated from Yale College with a degree in History. Times0:15 - Eliana's background3:15 -  Getting started in journalism6:00 - Incentives for sources10:00 -  A return to the party press & objective journalism18:00 - Rigor of & insights from working the White House beat22:30 - Young employees influence in newsrooms28:00 - Cable news31:00 - Update on the Biden administration34:40 - What has Biden left in place from the Trump administration?38:20 - “Infrastructure bill” update40:15 - Court packing commission42:30 - 2024 GOP Primary50:15 - Intra conservative debates impact on primary LinksEliana's twitterJeff's twitterNarrativeMonopoly.com 

BioRobert Shiller is a Nobel laureate, meaning he's won the Nobel prize in economics. He's a professor of Economics at Yale. He's written countless papers, articles and books including Irrational Exuberance which predicted both the bubble in equities in the year 2000 as well as the housing crisis. He's the “Shiller” in the Case-Shiller Indices which is how we measure home prices in this country. And he's the author of the 2019 book, and main subject of today's discussion, Narrative Economics.Times1:00 - Intro2:00 - Comments on the state of equity markets6:30 - Narrative Contagion & Constellations11:00 - Neuroscience & narratives15:00 - Constructing narratives17:00 Contagion rate & cross-discipline learning19:00 - Consilience22:30 - Behavioral Economics vs Narrative Economics25:30 - Narratives & Truth / Marketing32:30 - October 29 crash narrative & recent crashes39:00 - How does internet distribution affect the contagion rate?43:00 - His recent Op-ed on 1920s49:00 - Thoughts on inflation Link to his book Narrative EconomicsHis NYT Op-edNarrativemonopoly.comTwitter

Philip Klein is the Editor of National Review Online. He's the author of numerous books including the subject of today's discussion, Fear Your Future: How the Deck Is Stacked Against Millennials and Why Socialism Would Make It Worse. Previously he was the executive editor of the Washington Examiner, a Washington correspondent for The American Spectator, and a financial reporter for Reuters.Times0:15 - Philip's Background & National Review3:45 - Intro to Philip's book, Fear Your Future & Debt added by Covid10:00 - Why does debt matter?17:00 - Who has to pay? Millennials on the hook?25:00 - How to avoid a debt crisis29:00 - What changed to cause the sudden ramp of debt?32: 00 - The politics of debt40:00 - Was Bill Clinton a more conservative President than George W Bush?43:00 - Special Interests who depend on MORE debt51:00 - Closing thoughtsBook Link: Fear Your FuturePhilip's TwitterJeff's Twitternarrativemonopoly.com

In this week's episode we're rolling out a new format - [Deconstructing the Narrative]. Every so often the podcast will deconstruct a popular narrative providing context and nuance behind it, to get to the truth. In this week's episode we deconstruct the narrative from the most infamous photograph of the war in Vietnam.  On February 1st 1968, US photographer Eddie Adams caught the precise moment South Vietnamese General Nguyễn Ngọc Loan executed Nguyễn Văn Lém with his .38 special Smith & Wesson. The narrative of Loan ruthlessly killing Lem went viral, and is still widely believed to this day. But is that really the case? Listen to find out. LINK TO PHOTONarrativemonopoly.comTwitter  

BioMike Solana is a vice president at Founders Fund focused on community and brand. He is the creator / producer of the Anatomy of Next Podcast. He's the author and creator of Pirate Wires. Times1:00 - Hereticon Update & why Hereticon?7:30 - Believe science?9:00 - Speech at micro & macro levels12:00 - Cultural monopoly, monoculture, & counter-culture19:00 - Capitalism26:00 - Protest coverage & media approval32:45 - Impact of networked world on real world / regulating of social media?40:15 - Good at twitter?42:45 - San Francisco56:00 - A day in the life of Mike Solana / Twitter Battle Command58:00 - Is the Twitter Metaverse now more important than IRL?1:03:30 - Background & vision for Pirate WiresLinksPiratewires.comMike's TwitterJeff's Twitternarrativemonopoly.com

BioGlenn Loury is a distinguished professor of economics at Brown University, he was a professor at Boston University, the University of Michigan, Northwestern University, and the first African American tenured professor of economics at Harvard. He's the author of many books and essays, and the host of the popular Glenn Show podcast (link below). Times1:00 - Opening Banter5:45 - Development Narrative & Bias Narrative14:00 - Can the mix of these narratives be quantified?25:45 - Follow up on incarceration data29:00 - Education, teachers, & wages37:00 - Truth in the Bias Narrative & Glenn's personal stories45:00 - Advancement in institutions52:00 - CRT & Structural RacismLinksGlenn's Patreon & PodcastBloggingheads.tvGlenn's Twitter narrativemonopoly.comJeff's Twitter

A conversation with Adam White, Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute & Executive Director of George Mason University's Gray Center for the Study of the Administrative State Bio (from AEI)Adam White is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on American constitutionalism, the Supreme Court, and the administrative state. Concurrently, he is assistant professor of law and the director of the C. Boyden Gray Center for the Study of the Administrative State at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.Mr. White previously practiced constitutional and administrative law, particularly in the regulation of energy and the environment, finance, and telecommunications. He was a research fellow for Stanford University's Hoover Institution and an adjunct fellow for the Manhattan Institute. He started his legal career as a law clerk for Judge David B. Sentelle at the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.Mr. White has appeared in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, National Affairs, Commentary, The Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, and the Notre Dame Law Review. Mr. White has testified before a variety of US House and US Senate committees, including the Senate Judiciary Committee; the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial, and Antitrust Law (currently known as the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law); the Senate Commerce Committee; and the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.He has a JD from Harvard Law School and a bachelor of business administration from the College of Business at the University of Iowa.Times1:45 - The Administrative State13:15  - Fixing the Administrative State & Transition to the Courts18:30 - Role of Congress21:30 - Earmarks26:00 - Cameras in Congress and the Court30:45 - SCOTUS Talk34:30 - Debates within Originalism38:15 - Narratives and the Courts / Term limits47:25 - Adam's switch from Hoover to AEI52:15 - Think tanks vs publishers57:30 - What does it take to keep a republic? LinksAdam's podcast, UnprecedentialAdam's twitterHis Atlantic piece mentioned in the showJeff's twitternarrativemonopoly.com

Josh Holmes is a Founding Partner and President of Cavalry LLC. Prior to that he was Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell. He managed McConnell's 2014 re-election campaign as well as numerous other Senate campaigns. He's also a frequent guest on Fox News, and the co-host of the podcast Ruthless. Times2:00 - Jen Rubin & opening banter6:10 - How should the GOP interact with the media moving forward?19:15 - Cable news23:00 - Tough votes / cult of personality & party politics 28:00 - Story on 2005 social security reform29:45 - State parties31:10 - How much overlap between Tea Party and Maga?36:15 - The Revolt of the Public38:50 - How to build the GOP & leadership50:15 - How to deal with bottom's up party takeovers54:40 - Any policies from Trump to keep?1:02:45 - Trump Tweets1:05:30 - Filibuster repealed this year?1:11:30 - Josh answers HIS 3 final questionsJosh's twitterJeff's twitternarrativemonopoly.com

Bubba Atkinson has a wealth of experience in media and has been at the forefront of the digital media revolution. Bubba was employee #10 at Axios, where he served on the executive team and  was the founding head of social, video, and audience . He was also a founding employee and editor in chief of IJReview. During his tenure, he oversaw the growth of 20 million facebook fans,  40 million unique visitors/month, 100 million pageviews/month, and over 3 billion total pageviews. He's now a consultant to some of the world's leading media properties.

Doug Ellin was the creator, writer, and director of Entourage. We talk all things Entourage. 1:00 - Victory the Podcast2:00  - Will there be an Entourage reboot?4:00 - Doug's path to Entourage6:00 - Getting Entourage off the ground9:00 - Difference between pilot and last episode?11:00 - Backstory of characters stuff14:00 - Ari Emanuel  / Harvey Weinstein stories16:00 - Cameos / real life story lines21:00 - Film vs Digital23:15 - How real is the show?27:15 - The state of comedy34:30 - Working with Gary Busey36:10 - Larry David39:00 - Mt. Rushmore of Guests43:00 - Doug's new showLinksVictory PodcastVictory Instagram@jfeiwell

A wide ranging conversation with WSJ Editor at Large (and former Editor in Chief), Gerard Baker. We touch on  everything from his experience in journalism, narratives, and recent social phenomena. From his WSJ Bio: "Gerry Baker is Editor-at-Large of The Wall Street Journal. His weekly column for the editorial page, “Free Expression,” appears in The Wall Street Journal each Tuesday. Mr. Baker is also host of “WSJ at Large with Gerry Baker,” a weekly news and current affairs interview show on the Fox Business Network.Mr. Baker previously served as Editor-in-Chief of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones from 2013-2018. Prior to that, Mr. Baker was Deputy Editor-in-Chief of The Wall Street Journal from 2009-2013. He has been a journalist for more than 30 years, writing and broadcasting for some of the world's most famous news organizations, including his tenure at The Financial Times, The Times of London, and The BBC.He was educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford University, where he graduated in 1983 with a 1st Class Honors Degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. You can follow him at @GerardTBaker. narrativemonopoly.com

Ben Hunt Bio from his siteBen Hunt is the creator of Epsilon Theory. Over 100,000 professional investors and allocators across 180 countries read Epsilon Theory for its fresh perspective and novel insights into market dynamics. As Chief Investment Officer, Ben bears primary responsibility for determining the Company's investment views and positioning of model portfolios. He is also the primary author of materials distributed through Epsilon Theory.Ben taught political science for 10 years. He also wrote two academic books: Getting to War (Univ. of Michigan Press, 1997) and Policy and Party Competition (Routledge, 1992), which he co-authored with Michael Laver. Ben is the founder of two technology companies and the co-founder of SmartEquip, Inc., a software company for the construction equipment industry that provides intelligent schematics and parts diagrams to facilitate e-commerce in spare parts.He began his investment career in 2003, first in venture capital and subsequently on two long/short equity hedge funds. He worked at Iridian Asset Management from 2006 until 2011 and TIG Advisors from 2012 until 2013. Ben is a graduate of Vanderbilt University (1986) and earned his Ph.D. in Government from Harvard University in 1991.Times0:25 - Who is your Twitter avatar & why?6:45 - Zooming out with everything that's going on9:40 - What's going on with the Fed right now?21:15 - BITFD & the managerial class26:00 - Saving capitalism & the role of government30:15 - Financialization 32:00 - Public company board pay & composition39:00 - What comes after BITFD?43:25 - What about middle America?51:00 - Narratives & finding your pack LinksEpsilontheory.comEpsilon Theory ManifestoPost on AirlinesGell Mann AmnesiaBen's TwitterJeff's TwitterNarrativemonopoly.com

From the site: The Roots of Progress is a website about the history of technology and industry, and the philosophy of human progress. It was founded on the conviction that the story of progress is important and under appreciated, and deserves to be studied.Jason Crawford is a former software engineering manager and tech startup founder.Times: 3:45 - What is progress?7:30 - Progress in vaccines21:00 - Regulatory structures & progress 29:30 - Funding models for progress40:00 - How much $$ would it take for you to live in John D. Rockafeller's era?45:00 - The great stagnation53:00 - Time horizons & capturing value Links:rootsofprogress.org Essay on Technical Stagnation  narrativemonopoly.com

Martin Gurri is a former CIA analyst specializing in the relationship of politics and global media.  He is the author of the 2014 book The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium. The book is a prophetic look at how the explosion of information is impacting our society. If you're curious as to why the events we've seen over the past 12 months are happening, this book and this conversation are the best places to start.Links to his book, his blog (The Fifth Wave), and his twitter are listed below: Book: https://www.amazon.com/Revolt-Public-Crisis-Authority-Millennium/dp/1732265143/Blog: https://thefifthwave.wordpress.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/mgurri narrativemonopoly.com