E64: Richard Hanania on Trump's Genius, Antisemitism, and Election Predictions

In this episode of Upstream, Erik Torenberg and Richard Hanania discuss the surprising support for Donald Trump within Silicon Valley, contrasting it with earlier elections. They also explore reasons behind this shift, such as anti-wokeness sentiments, dissatisfaction with left economic policies, and the Democrats' anti-tech stance. beehiiv: Head to https://beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. The conversation also covers broader societal issues like the impact of religion, American Jews' political tendencies, and the strengths and weaknesses of America's socio-economic systems, and reflects on Elon Musk's political involvement and the rise of conspiratorial thinking in modern politics. We’re publishing this conversation across Moment of Zen and Upstream since the themes are highly relevant to both shows. 🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Patrick McKenzie (@patio11) talks to experts who understand the complicated but not unknowable systems we rely on. You might be surprised at how quickly Patrick and his guests can put you in the top 1% of understanding for stock trading, tech hiring, and more. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Mos4VE3figVXleHDqfXOH Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/id1753399812https://podcasts.apple.com/id1753399812 - 🎙️ History 102 with WhatifAltHist Every week, creator of WhatifAltHist Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg cover a major topic in history in depth -- in under an hour. This season will cover classical Greece, early America, the Vikings, medieval Islam, ancient China, the fall of the Roman Empire, and more. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-102-with-whatifalthists-rudyard-lynch-and/id1730633913 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36Kqo3BMMUBGTDo1IEYihm YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@History102-qg5oj -- SPONSORS: BEEHIIV | BABBEL | SQUAD 🐝 Head to beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. A special offer is at https://beehiiv.com: use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months 🌐 Ready to achieve your 2024 goals? Start learning a new language with Babbel in just three weeks. Enjoy app lessons, live classes, and podcasts designed for real-world conversations. Get up to 60% off at https://babbel.com/torenberg 💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist. -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (00:19) Silicon Valley's Surprising Support for Trump (01:20) Silicon Valley's Shift in Political Climate (03:32) Richard's Political Evolution and Disillusionment (04:27) Conservative and Liberal Ideologies (09:03) Human Capital and Political Dynamics (14:08) Sponsor: Squad | beehiiv | Babbel (14:16) Religion's Role in Society (35:25) Historical Context of Anti-Semitism (36:12) Comparing Prejudices: Gypsies, Asians, and Religious Differences (36:58) Rationalism vs. Conflict Theory (38:00) The Role of Villainy in Political Narratives (39:16) Conspiracies and Enlightenment Values (41:30) The Impact of Conspiratorial Thinking (49:43) Jewish Intellectual Influence (52:09) DEI and Meritocracy in Silicon Valley (53:56) America's Resilience and Future Challenges (56:07) Immigration Policies: US vs. Europe (1:01:44) Future of Political Parties Post-Biden and Trump (1:07:27) Wrap -- FOLLOW ON X: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg (Erik) https://twitter.com/RichardHanania (Richard) https://twitter.com/Upstream__Pod (Upstream) https://twitter.com/TurpentineMedia (Turpentine)