The day that Nico arrived in Colombia this week a presidential candidate was shot, reigniting old fears of perpetual chaos and instability. Meanwhile, Marines are on the streets of Los Angeles. When the Menswear guy gently suggested on social media that if people really cared about immigrants they should spend their time on real immigration cases and policy instead of burning cars, he was swiftly denounced as insufficiently revolutionary. In a time (again/always) of political violence, Jessa and Nico discuss the desire to complain over the desire to change and the provocation of empathy.

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Dutch historian and author Rutger Bregman wants to start a new brain drain -- starve industries like finance and consulting from the world's genius by redirecting Harvard grads into "good work." His new book is Moral Ambition, and in it he pleads with those who have a bit of talent, a bit of smarts, to use it to solve social problems rather than create them. Jessa and Nico go through the recent history of Elites Solving Problems, from Effective Altruism to Christian Missionaries to the Nonprofit Grift. But also ask, why does everyone start squirming when you suggest that perhaps you should actually live by those lofty ideals you have?

Shownotes and references:

http://theculturewedeserve.substack.com

The story of a young man, filled with fiery ambition, twisted political ideology, and resentment toward everyone and everything and utterly lacking adequate paternal guidance.... gee, I wonder why this might resonate in the age of incels, aspirational fascists, and Elon Musk reply-guys. The Revolution and Ruin podcast gets into 19th century France, manic pixie goth girls, misdirected rage, and why orphans have all the fun.

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