Our political leaders are tearing us apart | Eric Weinstein and Lex Fridman 

"They are simply the people who have discovered how to inhabit the seats, that's their great achievement." perfect description of these so called leaders.

You are TEARIN ME APART LISA! -sorry somebody had to write it

keep them coming

We've had it so good for so long that we forgot that the brutal aspects of history never really went away. We were just very well insulated from it. Well, those days are gone and we're about to see the worst of humanity rear its head once more.

You are your own person. Do not let anyone influence you, or you won't be you.

Thank you for the views. I struggle to grasp the US message these days. United States of America should have a clear message to the world. I wish you luck with your leadership.

Love hearing Eric Weinstein speak, his view on the world and the way he thinks is amazing. Feel myself learning a lot from him every time I hear him speak

We're pretending like this wasn't inevitable. This was the plan the whole time. Yuri Bezmenov was right.

When CNN calls you a maggot for simply supporting your president it sorta makes you feel some way.

Term limits and a reckoning on the media side of this.

You can go very high level to solve a problem. But you can lose the sight of reality of the situation. You can blame two parties or the platform and on and on. But if you forget the hard truth that THIS is what we have right now and thats all you have to work with, you will also never come up with a solution. Eric has grand ideas but no possible path to them. Its like the headline “There is a planet EXACTLY like Earth” without saying “its so fucking far, we can never get there with anything we can make with our current understanding of physics”. Any solution is a waste of time if its not possible to achieve with what we have right now.

The real world is harsh.

The leaders in the chairs NEVER pay the price for being wrong. If we could change that ONE thing, only the brave/smart would enter politics.

I don't feel Eric has anything to offer anymore other than cynicism, pessimism, and whining. What does he contribute to the conversation anymore? Instead of making 2021 a good year he weeps.

Buy bitcoin... take the power of money back at least.

Alex are you part of the organization know as the Men in Black?

This make no sense. The government always watch for our safety and well-being. They loved us!

Guys when they tell you to go... DONT

Lex I hear you brother. Keep speaking your mind man. Big fan

lex needs to have tristan harris on

Two things that cause the majority of the world's problems, the existential corner we have painted ourselves into. 1) People recognizing people as their leaders who they don't know personally. 2) The adoration of scientists as our saviors, when they have painted us into the existential corner we find ourselves in...

Get rid of the news media. Bring in non partisan journalists. Let the truth be seen without bias.

Our leaders don’t tear us apart, we send leaders who are already torn apart

Lex very interesting perspective that many of the leaders do have good things they believe and can take the country to a better place. It's that the platforms and methods of communication is the problem.

It’s technology’s fault, Particularly the Internet.

The media is tearing us apart

At a certain degree, wishful thinking becomes a vice, even if it is a minor one. Having the platform, but being blind to the issue, will not help the world. Assuming people are in power due to mere competence, both moral, and technical, is naive. As Eric said, those who should be in the seats, are voiceless, and those who have voices, do not know what to say. I can understand to a degree, that people who never really were touched by malevolence, cannot see it. But that blindness to it, offers only so much protection, before it erodes the foundation. The trick is to look into the dark without turning cynical. Eric has figured it out almost completely! And your enthusiasm is laudable. I love your show - And i hope you will see the spider before it tries to cut you down. Your intuition depends on the datasets you have measured. You havent seen those datasets. So this is why Eric is pushing you, to recognize the issue at hand. To intuit that congress and the elect, are somehow redeemable, is absurd, Lex. I can see how you could think that, if you were completely convinced that we were a meritocracy, but that belief is dangerous for all of us. What if Eric is right, and you have not seen the issue yet? In that case, when you see it, you will be shocked to your core, it is better to take it into the equation. I say this with the best of intentions. If the intelligentsia goes into the battlefield with THIS worldview, then we will all loose... Best regards Lex ;)

Organize and educate against the corporate capture of Washington. No more or less complicated.

This title is an example of false equivalence. Clearly one person is doing this far more than anyone else in either party

Everybody is convinced that everybody else - leaders and followers have suddenly all gone mad, evil or stupid in lockstep while what has changed is the new media landscape.. If the algorithmic architecture is feeding everybody whatever reinforces what they give attention to, the problem is the destruction of an information commons in which no consensus is possible.

Lex's voice is unbelievably soothing

2x speed feels weirdly natural

The platforms are broken. Preach!

i think for the first time, the media is tearing us apart

great snippet, love the guest and the conversation. it’s a breath of fresh air, truly.

Just about his point about just waiting for the next pay cheque is spot on

Please articulate the change you desire to see. Then tell me which of the administrations you think you'd have a better chance convincing that your ideas for change are of value.

This is because of the university system TEACHING IT!!!!!!!! STOP teaching it. And add some term limits! Its not a JOB! Its so simple to fix.

At least be honest and name the democrats as the main culprits,. What are you afraid of?

It's people like him who should be in politics instead its drawing in bad actors who only see what the positions can do for themselves not what a political position can do to better the country

Lex at the end puts it down to "it's just the platforms". It's not. If anything, social media has blown the lid off what politics have always been: just a means to obtain power at any cost. We're ripping ourselves apart because we've been awoken to this crap.

We are a high-tech society running on outdated infrastructure. The leadership problem is a symptom, not the problem. Think about it. It is like we are running society on Windows XP and we are all wondering why everything is hacked, overheating, and running too slow. The solution is not changing the environment, it is introducing the right technologies in the right social constructs (sell it) to implement revolutionary-scale change. Change the infrastructure, change society.

Goodness is more important than intelligence in the absence of goodness. And ones greatness should never be achieved at the cost of morality. Might sound cliche but “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely”. Therefore, a small group of high IQ billionaires controlling the rest of the world is NOT the answer @Ericweinstein That’s a top-down government! WE THE PEOPLE, collectively decide our sovereign government, NOT global oligarchs! That’s why we’re in this mess now! Ever read “The Creature of Jekyll Island” regarding the unconstitutional banking system, along w/the previous China trade deals, together slowly bleeding our country dry! And J-Epstein’s blackmailing honey traps? We’re in an information war, used to disguise the REAL war over who controls the global AI! It’s us or China! Who do you choose? Keep in mind Biden is very much in bed w/China!

"until we get some actually decent people in the right chairs, who are not constantly thinking about their next paycheck, I don't see a solution" -- everything is lame in this answer: 1) looking up at the right chairs, 2) this thing of "getting decent people" to do something. Political leaders are elected by the public. They just reflect the public. The problem is in the public. The public does not want decency, it crashes everybody who could be a good leader. There is a book on this by Lee Iacocca "Where have all the leaders gone?" And a very good comment to this book on amazon: "here is my answer: They have gone into hiding, Lee, just like you!" And "According to his memoirs, as documented here, Lee Iacocca had at least three opportunities to serve his country in government and in positions as high as President. His reasons for passing on those solicitations were the same as usually uttered by other very capable people; they are not confident about their ability to participate effectively in the degradingly duplicitous and disingenuous management system that we currently call "politics."" But maybe the first point is more important: do not look up to the "right chairs", be more independent and self-reliant. Isn't that what America is about after all? Don't be so pathetic.

Lex should interview Trump

If there's any restrictions on speech I think politicians while campaigning should not be allowed to make ad hominem attacks or insults. Though i find Trumps insults entertaining it has resulted in too much vitriol everywhere.

Any young politicians who go to Washington with ambitions of true change, get chewed up and spit out like nothing. Or you can adapt to your party lines and party leaders and have a successful career in Washington. You get nothing done without support from your constituents and if you aint dirty, or play by the rules you accomplish nothing

Very intelligent conversation...!

"We`ve taught people that they can reason through the world as uhhm, sub-cocker spaniels - they just bark things at each other" Eric Weinstein

A lot of media is fair and balanced. If you think the media is biased you have the option not to watch it. But most don’t. Print and media has been one of the guardians and keep our democracy in check. It’s silly to vilify media when you lack the ability to figure out what’s right vs wrong

Third parties should be have full ballot and debate access as the two establishment offices. We need more choice!

Our political leaders are not tearing us apart, we are too stupid to understand what is going on. I'm surprised they actually let us vote, even though we don't really get to pick the president.

Eric is absolutely right. The leadership, courage, ethics, reasoning simply isn’t there. Little will change with Biden. As for the cowardice of our billionaires - yes and yes, what’s the use of being of billionaire if you don’t have the courage to use your money in pursuit of the improvement of society.

I never thought I'd say it, but it seems that I disagree here on several points. Eric throws in many good points with some serious BS, imo: 1. First, I don't like the narrative of "them against us", whether it's left against right or the elite against the normals. Yes, politicians have more power and thus there is more potential and precedence for abuse, but they too are a product of their environment and it's actually difficult to make the right choice under pressure (not trying to shift blame away, just remember that "the crown acts upon you if you put it on"). 2. 2:43 perhaps the biggest BS Eric said in that podcast ever: First, who decides who is smart and by what measure? What is a diverse group of what correct opinions? How do you measure and control for those and who controls for it? And how and why(!) would you want to get rid of people with antithetical opinions? And again, what would an antithetical opinion look like? And who(!) decides that? It is extremely difficult to set up a system, that is fair, efficient, and robust against abuse. More than anything, it's an iterative process, where the laws are forged through centuries to be as good as they are now. Of course, Eric is right in wanting to reforge some of those laws, but don't overdo it. 3. You don't just go around spending money as you please if you're a billionaire. And even if, Eric's view of what a billionaire is supposed to do, is 1) too nerdy, 2) narrow minded and 3) not really his business. It is precisely the fact that billionaires arise because they have an idea that has utility and where people are willing to pay for it. They can't just suddenly throw away the foundation they're built upon and start doing politics. Also I don't know if Eric is just simplistic, but a billionaire's wealth isn't measured in how much he has pocket money available. Most billionaires in fact struggle to keep up with their competition, so every dollar is reinvested. Even Elon Musk, who is looking like the good guy, is doing that. Also, you don't just mess with a political system that has become culture. You may be a billionaire, but remember that the power of a whole state plus some billionaires are up against you. It's nothing a single person or organization can pull of that easily. I'd recommend reading "A Dictator's Handbook" as a quick overview about how power and money work. The youtuber CGP also recommends that - I actually got that from him.

I absolutely love Eric Weinstein’s personality. His unapologetic wittiness, along with hints of subtle sarcasm, is perfectly calibrated like that of a Swiss watch.

A third credible party, even one that has minimal chance at power, is needed desperately in the US to ensure a healthy discourse and put an end to the hyperbole and posturing.

i feel for lex. Eric often goes from making real good points to trowing in a taint off baseless assertions. It can be hard to pick out the poison. I do think Eric is smart, I do think he has a lot of good things to say, but he often switches over to 'simple' answers where he rejects legitimate concerns or arguments. Prases like it's simpler than that, or what about such and such, totally ignoring much larger consequences then the ones he wants you to worry about.

Everybody is about personal responsibility while pointing the fingers of blame outward. Also, Lex's man crush on the world's biggest blowhard narcissist is getting old.

There is good & bad in every person but it depends how much goodness or badness there is.

AGREEED, could not agree more. Division is profit for politicians

There is no vision. Even the evil, power hungry bastards are lazily rehashing the same thing now. Let's just *do* something again instead of wasting the efforts of those who came before us and got us to this point in time.

What is the point of creating obscene wealth if we don't have anyone smart enough and caring enough to use it { 3:47 } ?

As Lex said at the end, the system is the issue, not the individuals. But he and his guests never think about the system, what kind it could be. The system is can never work as long as it is based on capitalism. It has to be a socialistic, inclusive system whith direct democracy from the workplace, to your neighborhood and up to the executive.

What this conversation is missing is a sense of boundaries. Yes, some things may be good or bad, but it is not w/i your authority to do anything about it. For instance, I may think that basketball would be a more enjoyable game if the total height of a team’s players on the court can’t exceed 32 feet. I might be able to show all kinds of data proving my point. It doesn’t matter. There is nothing in the rules requiring teams to abide by my suggestion. The only way to change the rules is to get the owners to agree to amend the rule book. Amendments are hard... because they require supermajority agreement.... not just a simply majority. In America, our rule book is the Constitution. While some might legitimately feel/believe/have data supporting... the idea that [insert policy here] should be done at the federal level, there is a 10th amendment hurdle they have to address first. Until they do that, they are operating outside of the bounds of their authority. Remember, Lincoln needed the 13th amendment to make slavery illegal. The federal government had no authority under the 10th amendment to ban slavery by federal legislation.

House divided can not stand .... Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg II red versus blue

Thanks, Eric.

Remember these two are very smart folks. The blablabla they utter is of less relevancy.

And all the mainstream news company’s ..

Our MEDIA is most responsible!!!

These guys do not appear to have any idea what is going on.

More true words have never been spoken.

Really? There's "good" in Joe Biden??? Wtf

What nonsense.

Does Eric not get Trump?

Nope. Until the American people themselves have the attributes described, no political party can effectively lead. Hell, more than 40% of us voted for Trump and will continue to do so. The problem is not the political party but the people of the US.

Im sorry, but maybe im dumb, but didnt the orange man deliver the "best numbers of our lifetimes" according to Jim Kramer - median incomes raised 9.5% in three years, as against 4.5% in 8 years under Obama....4 important peace deals, no new wars, limits on CRT... why is none of this ever addressed? Are these issues too "low brow"?

I really like this guy, great thinker, doesn't go far enough for me though.

That is why ignorance is a bliss.

Divide & Conquer

It’s hilarious to hear Eric Weinstein and Lex Fridman not understand their political system. They just don’t get it. They both think that if you have the right people in the right place all is good. They’ve been conditioned by their environment for so long that they can’t even see the trees for the forest. Listen. It’s like asking for the “right people” to play monopoly. for the game to suddenly be a different game, by the magic of “competent” people. It’s not a thing! Incentives always trumps morals. And the incentive of the political game can be mapped with basic game theory and it simply tells you. American bureaucracy leads to a zero sum game between two parties that votes for the largest minority rule. The more people vote, the largest the population of people ignored after the vote is. Just imagine how asinine it must be to vote in a country, where there is a possibility of not getting represented after having voted, even if you are part of the 49% of the county. And that they don’t even see it. I’m appalled. US type “democracy” can never ever produce the type of quality of policies they are looking for. And even if it did, it would never be trusted. The ONLY thing that will actually solve 90% of all your worries is to do something that is actually hard - better bureaucracy. Morons around the world have thought, that if they with their genius just implemented better policies it would all be perfect. It’s like trying to be better at monopoly, than realizing the game you play, is bad. The reason why these dictatorships and the likes doesn’t work is multifold. But the most obvious is: A fully represented highly trust based society and a dictatorship implements the same restrictions because of COVID. The dictatorship will always be seen as less trustworthy and abusive while the democracy isn’t. Simply by the fact that in a fully represented democracy, you can see your representation agreeing on the lockdown. Lack of trust leads to inefficiencies. Because if you stop trusting society, there is no reason to try and maintain or uphold the rules of the game, which leads to HUGE inefficiencies and even more speculation and abuse of the rules. I might just get my son a great position because why not him vs someone else. You can’t trust the system anyways, so I might get my piece of it. And we see bureaucrats do this all the time. It’s why 150 million russians are as productive as 25 million scandinavians. Or 1.4 billion chinese are as productive as 350 million americans by GDP. It’s why societies with highly trustworthy government get’s such productive members of society. Because making an effort actually can have a yield. Because they trust the rules and the rules are predictable. And you don’t even need some crazy complicated model. You can just ask mathematically: How predictable are people. Or how predictably does people perceive their neighbors to be. Here’s the actual reform the US, EU, Indian Parlament and the AU should go for. Whomever gets’ there first will become the next super power. Implement an extra chamber of congress with equal power to the current chamber(s), where as soon as 0.5% of the voters, no matter their location(no fucking landlocking of voters) agree on a person or a party - they get a parlament member. It’s that basic. If they don’t. That union will either become irrelevant or revolution. We are talking about a 150 year period. Or here’s another idea. A political party, that only has this single policy goal. Otherwise it’s power is conveyed through an app, where the members has direct and live influence on the parlament members vote. About 74% of the american population and close to 40% of the voting population would be better represented through the app, than by actually voting. The current system doesn’t allow for the real nuances of opinions to be visible and gives an incentive to pander reducing the nuances and demonise, because that is actually how you win the fucking vote in the current system. It leads to a lot of pretending and speculating about what the others incentives are. And it’s a complete waste of time for the rest of us, who just need a trustworthy functional government. There are more reasons why and how countries work, population, energy production, banking, corporate structures, healthcare, education. All relative to all other countries. If you are the only quasi democratic country, you have an edge. If you are one of many, possibly better implementations, then it’s not as huge a factor. All variables in a huge function. But there is no doubt in my mind. They are all multipliers and government is the one with the biggest opportunities with the largest potential, you just don’t get rich by solving them.

Media tearing us apart

laws and systems outside of human control tend towards fairness, the human is the flaw we are trying to program out of the perfect system. Where does it leave us?

Really, we have to build a place of smart talented people who represents a diverse group of "correct" opinions and we need to "get rid" of almost all of the people who have opinions that are antithetical to what we're trying to accomplish. And who do you propose are the ones who have the “correct” opinions and the ones who do not have the “correct” opinions? That sounds very Hitleresque to me." And while I agree that many of the leaders of the political parties are disgusting and have to go, who elected them? Do the voters who elected them have to go as well? And what about “our” media leaders? Arguably, they have done as much or more to tear us apart than our political leaders. Shouldn’t “we” get rid of our media leaders too? Oh, but wait, you (Eric) said we need to get rid of those who have opinions that are antithetical to what “we’re” (code for the “smart and talented” people) trying to accomplish. Aren’t the mainstream and social media tech giants doing that already via censorship and ignoring stories that don’t fit “their” agenda and narratives?

@ Lex - Read some Chomsky or others in his field where through public record he demonstrates the nature of the power systems of government and from where the policy and direction is generated. From back in the day with Trilateral Commission to today with the many NGO and other systems built to circumvent representation, not excluding the purchasing of the main parties and offices of importance. Gore Vidal has good stuff on this as well from someone who grew up around politics and political families. Maybe you're looking for silver linings for one reason or another and that is a nice sentiment, but when dealing with the analysis of politics and power it is exactly these feelings that are abused by those who prey on the national system's weaknesses and those of the humans that comprise them. The Prince is but one book of strategy denoting how power is gained and maintained through the focus and leveraging of exactly these human tendencies for emotional response and naivety. The media is a part of the problem, but it is merely the distributor, this implies you are looking at the power systems and thinking they flow from the middle rather than those who both leverage the media and the officials and their parties, who set the ideology and priorities. The policies are written by lobbyists and plutocrats and have been since the World Wars. It wouldn't matter if Congress had a good idea because it is the majority leverage that is owned, media wouldn't change that. Intuition is fine and a good starting point, but assuming it's equal to research and study is delusion and a bandaid for the discomfort that comes with facing humanity's ugliest and darkest problems. Power Systems, or Towards A New Cold War by Chomsky are two of many of his on these subjects, as is History of The National Security State by Gore Vidal. From here you will get a better understanding of where media fits in the puzzle unless I misunderstood your terminology around platforms completely. It is nice to suppose new formats, but if you want them to have a better chance it helps to know the nature of the environment in which you are trying to build them. I like the show, keep them coming.

Talking about nuance or subtle conversation, we have completely contradicted that by making everything in life binary. Trench warfare on every topic with those brave enough to enter no man's land being shutdown in the crossfire. I personally believe our addiction to technology, particularly media platforms is an underlying cause to so much unrest. It literally re-programs our mind and body, as time goes on maybe one coule even argue the soul.

Eric Weinstein, our political leaders are good at inhabiting seats, out billionaires are good at amassing wealth. That’s what we have selected for.

In my humble opinion what is missing is a way for individuals to have their reasons heard without the “bark”. And that the best reasons rise to the top until we have consensus which politicians then implement. This name calling is useless. I never know really what my fellow Americans think or why because the are so busy insulting each other they can’t produce a reasoned argument that might convince me this policy or that policy might be best for us all. A platform where everyone can speak but no one can troll. Where ideas are voted up or down. Where algorithms clump those that are similar and the discussion is forced to focus on the issue until some solution begins to appear. I never really get to weigh in on big topics. My vote is almost never for what I think would be best on a particular issue. The way it is now I have to jump onto the least worst band wagon. A much more nuanced democracy is what is needed. Some sort of government social media that sets behavior rules but encourages thoughtful discussion and carries some weight in informing those that govern might help.

Excellent

Jesus, Eric. right now, everyone is just thinking about their next paycheck.

TRUE!!YET NOTHING WILL BE FIXED ONLY GET WORSE!!DO TO SIN!!YAHWEH MUST PAY THE WICKED THEIR WAGES!!NOTHIN WILL STOP HIS SPIRIT!!TO MUCH BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT IN THIS LAND!PRAISE YAHWEH HE WILL FIX IT!!

This is the goal tho, to break down civilians w the 2 party system

Weinstein Bros for President and VP.

The only way to fix this thing is to have Donald Trump run as Democrat in 2024

In the end, people like following. It makes you not have to think for yourself which takes time and energy. If you have just enough food, housing and clothes you wont revolt and even if you did revolt it would end up most likely in the same situation we have now eventually. Its the rise and fall of civ's

I love Lex work, but he would really benefit from some political science knowledge for these conversations. He looks into politics from a philosophical point of view instead of a scientific one, that is, as he would like politics to be, not as it is. It is rather naive.

Wrong our value systems are tearing us apart. Two very different ways of viewing the world and life and no common ground between them. This was bound to happen at some point because they are polar opposites. I don’t think it can be resolved due to the nature of selective and objective reasoning.

See Tom McDonald’s “no lives matter”

2021 will probably be worse than this year

Eric Weinstein has my vote

Eric Weinstein is such a dilettante: "What´s the point of billionaires if you don't do billionaire cool stuff like saying f*** you"