Richard Hanania & Noah Smith: Making Sense of Trump, Elon, and Global Politics

"Econ 102" with Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg

This week, we're sharing Richard Hanania and Noah Smith’s live conversation from Feb 6th, recorded for their Substack audiences. This is the first time the two writers have met, and in this conversation they covered fundamental differences between the American right and left movements. They also discuss Elon Musk's positioning as the future Republican kingmaker and Noah's theory that Musk envisions coordinating a global "anti-woke alliance" with Putin and Xi.

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SEND US YOUR Q's FOR NOAH TO ANSWER ON AIR: [e-mail]

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FOLLOW ON X:

@RichardHanania

@noahpinion

@eriktorenberg

@turpentinemedia

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RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE:

Richard Hanania’s Newsletter: https://www.richardhanania.com/

Noahpinion: https://www.noahpinion.blog/

Too many Americans still fear the future: https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/too-many-americans-still-fear-the

The chaos has arrived: https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/the-chaos-has-arrived

Trump's Executive Branch Revolution: https://www.richardhanania.com/p/trumps-executive-branch-revolution

Trump impose large tariffs in first year?: https://manifold.markets/RichardHanania/trump-impose-large-tariffs-in-first?play=false

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TAKEAWAYS:

• Richard notes Trump's first administration achieved success with Middle East normalization agreements.
• Noah compares Ukraine war to Finland's Winter War - Ukraine may lose territory but maintain independence.
• Richard questions whether taking NATO membership off the table could have prevented the Ukraine conflict.
• Right-wing politics revolves around personal loyalty while left-wing politics centers on ideological purity.
• Elon Musk is positioning himself as the kingmaker for the post-Trump Republican party.
• Richard supports technological progress, believing future generations should benefit from AI and genetic engineering.
• Noah argues societies that resist technological progress inevitably get left behind in global competition.
• Richard expresses skepticism about Democrats' ability to reform, citing Obama's failed education reform efforts.
• Noah predicts Democrats won't move away from "institutional wokeness" until the 2030s.