Uploaded May 2024 | Updated September 2026, 16 hours ago
Today Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss the recent angry posts on X from David Austin Walsh, a history postdoc at Yale, and what this affair says about the social and economic trends of the elite in the US. They also cover the 'muckrakers' of the new right, what the conservative media movement needs, and who they consider the smartest thinkers today are -- on the left and the right.
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Recommended Podcast: The Riff with Byrne Hobart
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/6rANlV54GCARLgMOtpkzKt
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-riff-with-byrne-hobart-and-erik-torenberg/id1716646486
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SPONSORS: BEEHIIV
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SEND US YOUR Q's FOR NOAH TO ANSWER ON AIR: Econ102@Turpentine.co
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LINKS:
Noahpinion: https://www.noahpinion.blog/
Noahpinion: The case of the angry history postdoc https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/the-case-of-the-angry-history-postdoc
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(00:52) Twitter Blow-Up: David Austin Walsh controversy
(04:10) Elite Overproduction and academia
(08:09) Racial Disparities in academia
(14:12) Sponsor: Beehiiv
(15:23) Elite overproductionâs implications for politics and academia
(20:46) Right-Wing muckrakers and progressive institutions
(30:37) Misconceptions about Barack Obama
(31:08) The Rise of Mike Solana
(33:00) Evolution of progressive and conservative labels
(38:33) Smartest leftist
(40:48) American Roots of Wokeness
(54:20) Future of Conservatism
(59:59) Wrap
Today Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss the recent angry posts on X from David Austin Walsh, a history postdoc at Yale, and what this affair says about the social and economic trends of the elite in the US. They also cover the 'muckrakers' of the new right, what the conservative media movement needs, and who they consider the smartest thinkers today are -- on the left and the right.
--
Recommended Podcast: The Riff with Byrne Hobart
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/6rANlV54GCARLgMOtpkzKt
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-riff-with-byrne-hobart-and-erik-torenberg/id1716646486
--
SPONSORS: BEEHIIV
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. đ beehiiv.com and use code "MOZ" for 20% off your first three months
_
SEND US YOUR Q's FOR NOAH TO ANSWER ON AIR: Econ102@Turpentine.co
_
LINKS:
Noahpinion: https://www.noahpinion.blog/
Noahpinion: The case of the angry history postdoc https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/the-case-of-the-angry-history-postdoc
--
TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(00:52) Twitter Blow-Up: David Austin Walsh controversy
(04:10) Elite Overproduction and academia
(08:09) Racial Disparities in academia
(14:12) Sponsor: Beehiiv
(15:23) Elite overproductionâs implications for politics and academia
(20:46) Right-Wing muckrakers and progressive institutions
(30:37) Misconceptions about Barack Obama
(31:08) The Rise of Mike Solana
(33:00) Evolution of progressive and conservative labels
(38:33) Smartest leftist
(40:48) American Roots of Wokeness
(54:20) Future of Conservatism
(59:59) Wrap





![Explaining Kamalaâs VP Pick, the US Economy, Venezuelaâs Fall and Chinaâs Rise
This week, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss the implications of Tim Walz as Kamala Harris VP pick, the stock market chaos of Monday August 5th, the state of the U.S. economy, the economic collapse of Venezuela, and the growth of East Asian countries.
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SPONSORS: BABBEL | WORKOS
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SEND US YOUR Qs FOR NOAH TO ANSWER ON AIR: Econ102@Turpentine.co
LINKS:
Noahpinion: https://www.noahpinion.blog/
Whos weird?: https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/whos-weird
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(00:27) Discussion on the VP pick
(08:49) Democrats and the strategy of Return to Normalcy
(09:56) The Weirdness Discourse
(17:11) Sponsors: Babbel | WorkOS
(19:38) âWeirdnessâ in politics
(23:44) Kamalas inconsistency
(26:16) Economic updates and market sentiment
(32:54) Economic indicators and unemployment trends
(36:23) Concerns about national debt
(40:00) The dollar milkshake theory
(42:07) Venezuelas economic collapse
(51:04) East Asian economic success stories
(01:00:01) Chinas growth and success
(01:03:44) Wrap Explaining Kamalaâs VP Pick, the US Economy, Venezuelaâs Fall and Chinaâs Rise](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iUns2mUI7LE/mqdefault.jpg)




