Plato's Cave: Economic and Media Analysis in a Dark Time
Critically examining current political and economic policy, and more importantly, how the media is framing our current policy debates.
Episodes
Bill bans economists who use the phrase, "Maybe this time it will be different." Both Bill and Linda shake their heads at Trump voters who remain loyal. Linda indulges in schadenfreude at Ellison's stock market losses. Both of us wonder if Melania Trump should be Secretary of State.
Bill is sorry he predicted correctly that Trump's policies would lead to stagflation. Linda moves from considering policy woes to the undermining of the U.S. moral foundations. Both wish and hope for some promising news.
Join Bill and Linda as they find glimmers of hope in the news. Bessent buys back bonds; the economy worsens for all but the rich; the interesting story behind the story of the intolerable conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, and how the anti-woke viciousness drove a young professor to his death.
Join us as we focus on the worrisome employment figures, the paralyzing effect of Trump's Loyal Liars fibbing to one another like a Cluster of Pinocchios; Can the Dems sing kum ba ya in the hot tub, or will they behave like Velociraptors and eat their own?
We're back! This edition explores the cultural myths and misleading rhetoric that obfuscate both current economic realities and the OpenAI cybersecurity breach. Bill reports the bad economic news and why the Bond Market called "bullshit" on the Fed's non-explanation of the most recent decision on interest rates. Linda warns against the journalists who frame the OpenAI breach and shy (ironically) prompts ChatGPT to render OpenAI...
Join us as we discuss how OpenAI secured a lucrative Pentagon contract after Anthropic turned it down for ethical reasons. Then, take a deep dive into how the stock market really works to understand why commentators agree with us that Musk's IPO is a Ponzi Scheme and should remind everyone of the Tulip Craze, except then at least there were tulips after the bubble broke.
We know you keep up on the news. If you yearn for informed analysis spiced with humor, you have come to the right place. Bill, an academic economist, and Linda, a retired academic in media studies, are here to make sense out of the turbulence. This week: In National Intelligence, competence matters, so Trump names a loyal real estate mogul to the job; Sam Altman can charm the birds out of the trees. Is his race for unregulat...
On the cusp of Musk losing his lawsuit against Altman, or the Battle of the Stupid Titans, Linda takes a deep dive into Altman's charm, his hypocrisy, and why we should all be worried. Bill explains why the increase in bond yields means Trump will not get the lower interest rates he devoutly wishes for, even with his handpicked head of the Federal Reserve. Bill applies Thorstein Veblen's economic theories to argue that neither Al...
It was a week even the Onion couldn't invent. A customer service representative in Chicago hung up on the Pope, people believed a spoof prank about the "Gays of Hormuz," and the Secretary of State gave the Pope a tiny, crystal football. The economy continues to head in the wrong direction, and the plan to escort shipping from the Gulf of Hormuz using AI sounds like a sci-fi thriller about totally autonomous warfare.
Linda takes a deep dive into "Slopaganda" and the pro-Iranian Lego animation videos flooding the platforms; Bill explains how the incoming head of the Federal Reserve will change how inflation rates are tracked and why it will not help with affordability; we discuss the widespread cynicism that the assassination attempt on Trump was staged; and we salute the King who schooled Congress.
Bill explains the route to approval by the new Fed Chairman, we discuss how the war in Iran threatens to lead into stagflation; Linda explains how enshittification of Amazon relates to Amazon's entry into the online entertainment industry. Bill introduces us to AI Theology Porn in response to Trump's meme of himself as Jesus, and Linda introduces the term Slopaganda to describe the AI generated videos from Iran that are flooding Y...
Bill walks us through the potential dangers of every major financial bank using the same AI at the same time, and the War in Iran stalemate; Linda analyzes the response to the NYT article about Netanyahu's war pitch to Trump; we take a first peek at the Lego propaganda ads coming from Iran; Linda explains why medievalists are thrilled with the attacks on the Pope and the enshittification of digital platforms; and presents the funni...
This week, Linda explores the Roll Calls of God by Netanyahu, the Ayatollah, Hegseth, and the Pope as the War in Iran continues; Bill considers when insider trading is treason and gives a gloomy picture of a looming recession; and we both celebrate the success of NASA's mission.
Bari Weiss, Director of CBS News, joins the Ladies Who Fawn on Trump; the labor news is grim; the economic consequences of the war are grim; there's no comfort in how 18-30 year olds get their news; we explore the logic of black swans and white crows; we contemplate how AI will change employment; and say good-bye to Ice Barbie Noem.
Linda takes a look at the turmoil at CBS, theParamount/Skydance takeover of Warner Discovery, and Nexstar’s merger withTegna; Bill explains wholesale pricesand the implications for inflation, and the broader implications of the Supreme Court’s decision that Trump’s tariffs are illegal; we both discuss the coming war with Iraq and how Phillip Noble got that iconic photo of the arrest of the Andrew forme...
Linda analyzes why Pam Bondi is one of the Ladies Who Fawn on Trump; Bill explains why figuring out the figures is difficult but the negative effects of Trump’s tariffs are clear; we discuss why the Supreme Court is taking so long to decide on the legality of Trump’s tariffs; and discuss the joyous, surreal, and affirming halftime show by Bad Bunny, but Linda confesses she is not an admirer of twerking.
Bill returns refreshed from Egypt. Linda questions why there have been no prosecutions of Epstein's pals and how the world would be different if the files had been released during Biden's Administration. Bill and Linda agree that ICE needs to be put out of business, and we discuss the implications of the EU stepping up its pressure against Russian oil transported on the ghost fleet.
Bill and Linda consider what an odd use of administrative power at Texas A&M it is to ban certain of Plato's texts; Bill reports on the decline in economic indicators; Linda and Bill mourn the tragedy of the extrajudicial murder by ICE; and both take a deep dive into what is behind the kidnapping of Maduro and his wife. Hint: It isn't about oil for the USA.
Bill explains how the governors of the Federal Reserve outwitted Trump's efforts to manipulate their votes; Linda discusses the appointment of an Ombudsperson and Bari Weiss to CBS News and the Vanity Fair article; Bill discusses Trump's 20-minute rant on the major networks and the untruths he spewed.
Bill reviews the news of our soured economy as well as the deeper and disturbing reality of the affordability crisis; Linda continues the saga of Billionaires Buying Media; Bill considers the silly nonsense of Trump's efforts in the courts; and in reaction against Trump's immoral and gloating comments about the death of Rob Reiner and his wife, Linda calls out politicians and the press for "sanewashing."
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
DISGRACELAND is an award-winning music and true crime podcast about musicians getting away with murder and behaving very badly. Jerry Lee Lewis's 5th wife? Dead. Sid and Nancy? Both dead. Why? Because musicians are insane, and insane things happen to them. Why did we lose Amy Winehouse at 27? Was Debbie Harry really abducted by Ted Bundy as she claims? Is Patti Smith not just the "Godmother of Punk", but also the "Original True Crime Girl"? What really happened the night of the Jay Z nightclub stabbing? What do the Diddy indictments truly reveal? All these stories and more, on artists from every genre and their true crimes, in our massive 260-plus story archive. The Dead, the Stones, Johnny, Willie, Frank, Kurt, Courtney, Gaga, Lana, Taylor, and too many to name. DISGRACELAND is music history come to life through audio storytelling as you've never heard it before, with revealing facts: yes, assassins are the real reason the Beatles quit touring—reclaimed myths: no, Mama Cass didn't die from choking on a ham sandwich––and constant reckoning between art and artist––all told through the lens of true crime. This is the podcast for the self-proclaimed "Disgos", the musically obsessed and the true crime heads; the outsiders, the independent thinkers who know that the best history is the history that gets buried. DISGRACELAND is where host Jake Brennan tells the stories they didn't want told. The kind you'll end up telling someone else. Get ready to uncover hidden truths and buckle up for truly edge-of-your-seat storytelling. New, fully scripted, sound-designed episodes are released every Tuesday. Bonus chat-style episodes where Jake responds to voicemails, texts, and emails from Disgos hit on Thursdays, and "Rewind" episodes from our archive drop on Sundays. DISGRACELAND is not a journalistic podcast. It's an entertainment podcast inspired by true events. Certain dialogue and scenes are dramatized, as is common in scripted entertainment based on real stories. Sources and credits for each episode are available at www.disgracelandpod.com. To unlock ad-free listening, exclusive content, and connect with your fellow Disgos, go to www.disgracelandpod.com to become an All Access member. Rocka Rolla.