Plato's Cave: Economic and Media Analysis in a Dark Time

Ep 39: Bond Yields and the Feds; Musk Loses Lawsuit; Altman's Open AI; Rubio, the Jock?

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 Altman nor Musk is an innovator, but each relies on the trappings of status to signal they have the Midas touch. Linda fulfills a promise to listeners to find out if Rubio was a jock in college (because of that crystal football he gave to the underwhelmed Pope).

Ep. 38: The Economy, Defending the Strait, and Irony

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.

Slopaganda, Inflation Metrics, Assassination Cynicism, the King's Speech

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.

Ep. 36 The New Fed Head, Enshittification: Amazon; Threat of Stagflation Looms

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 YouTube.

Ep35. AI Danger to Financial Markets; War in Iran; Oh! Netanyahu, What Did You Do?; Whose God, part 2; Lego Propaganda; Enshittification; Funniest Headline Ever

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 funniest headline ever.