Liberalism Under Siege: Mark Blyth, Margaret Weir with Ed Steinfeld

[@paultout4087]

Blyth (here) is intellectually head & shoulders above Margaret Weir I'm afraid. Weir spends her time virtue signalling and telling us her feelings, why she's so sad. Blyth, however, repeatedly explains WHY (Trump happened) without being judgemental about the people who voted for him. Taleb Nassim's McDonalds meal analogy (42:00) is great.

[@Comando96]

Moreso, finding excuses. _Solidarity is different here, because of our history of race._ _Blame the people's philosophy, leading to public goods shortage._ etc. I mean its an explanation... great... who's fault is that though? Who is to blame, and can this be changed? Blyth directly pins a political group for each of the symptoms at least, but with Weir its more vague and ethereal... unless its the Republicans. If its their fault, she'll pin them immediately.

[@benjaminbogliacino7778]

I live in France and what Blyth said at the end is exactly what is going on. At work (I'm in an NGO dealing with rural development in Africa, so I'll let you guess what my colleagues' political convictions are) no one will go to vote for the left primaries and I dont think many will go to actual elections in May. The left (Socialist Party) and the right (the Republicans) are completely disconnected from reality: the former talks a progressive game, but do not criticize the EU on any aspects of its monetary and fiscal policies while the latter falls back into a discourse mixing catholic values and more austerity, trying to imitate, unsuccessfully, the National Front in its rhetoric. Bleak, bleak times

[@qwe123303]

Election is in April btw. I realize that no one will probably win then and the run-off in May will most likely be the ultimate decider, but if too many people skip April 23rd, the National Front could just win outright.

[@shatteredreality11]

It's unfortunate they couldn't bring a more nuanced speaker to counter mark's point. Would be more interesting than Margaret going off the racist tangent

[@josephinhiding3595]

What then Ms. Weir? Do you prefer to an untroubled turned on and dropped out bliss?

[@katienolan6834]

I'll always come back to listen to Mark Blyth. He's been right on the nose for the last few years. Hope I see more of him.

[@DHANANJAYKUMAR-jw5bd]

if he is right for few more years we would be in great danger

[@johnblythe5731]

we re in grave danger Blair showed the way a religious freak who got power and ends up committing religious genocide

[@katienolan6834]

The US just elected an egomaniac that is hellbent on destabilizing international relations and won't rule out using Nukes. I'd say we are already there. Some just haven't woken up to it yet.

[@DHANANJAYKUMAR-jw5bd]

well he is just making america great again ;)

[@iaindunbar1578]

Yes I can go with that. If he wipes out the rest of the world, then america will be number one!!!!!!!

[@KenzieLaMar]

Watching this was very deeply depressing. Time and time again Blyth was ignored and his points were passed by in favor of more of the same old talking points. The Democrats are in big trouble.

[@M_Faraday]

you are so right

[@toforgetisagem8145]

And the UK Labour Party has committed suicide.

[@liberalmike27]

Yep. Trump 2 is likely coming due to Democrats being paid by money to NOT do anything the left wants. The pendulum is straining with all of its might to swing back left, but is being constrained by our media and the money of Plutocrats.

[@55blackty]

Chomsky, Blyth, Hedges are the top intellects to critique the American domestic and foreign affairs

[@sharann3482]

Blackty 37 Ad Heiner Flassbeck to that list

[@vgernyc]

And Adam Curtis

[@yuvalesroni1680]

Blythe is dead on about the Obama administration, never have I heard it being summed up so quickly and accurately.

[@stuartwray6175]

And the Clinton administration

[@buzoff4642]

@@stuartwray6175 Both of their "compromises" compromised the well being of the public. There's nothing "centrist" about their move to the Right.

[@stuartwray6175]

@@buzoff4642 I agree.

[@vgernyc]

I've to believe the use of the term "Centrist" is not meant to mean in the halfway point between two extremes but more to mean they are The faction.

[@julierozo]

Weir demonstrates the lack of self-examination that holds liberalism and Democrats back. Agrees there are problems, yet neglects examination of the sources.

[@glynndonahue1159]

It was amusing & disheartening how quickly she latched on the standard Crony Capitalist Lackey RepubliCrat Identity Politics, self-loathing “all whites are racists” trope to dismiss Blyth’s arguments.

[@reynaldodelafuente4267]

A great conversation. I hope for more. Mark Blyth nails it every time. Although I do disagree with Margaret Weir, it is great to see these opposing views of the democratic party.

[@Iandrasill]

The word liberal has lost all meaning, thanks America

[@joelmartin2826]

Margaret Weir : 0 Mark Blyth : 1 We don't just need the "happy face," Dr. Weir. We need the distribution of the "happy face" that Mr. Blyth is talking about.

[@donovangill3138]

holy crap, i think mark may be the only person that understands the American people.... too bad he's not able to run for President

[@ShakinJamacian]

Mark has highlighted the rise of the precariat class in other lectures, too. He has his hand on the pulse, just like Noam Chomsky, Henry Giroux, and Guy Standing. If you don't know who these guys are, look them up. They don't blame the people, but the system.

[@rahulgandhi4721]

+LAFOLLETTER and he said it was mainly because of trump's denial of global warming. That is a problem that goes beyond national issues.

[@rahulgandhi4721]

+LAFOLLETTER You assume that these products can be manufactured here. I doubt that is possible, considering the high wages expected by the american workforce. Let's assume all the products manufactured in china and india are produced locally. That would lead to significant increase in the cost of these products which in turn would increase the wage demands of the american workforce. As to my point about global warming, pointing a finger at india and china is valid but atleast these countries are trying to look at ways to use renewables for their energy needs. American consumption is a much more obscene use of fossil fueled energy. Regardless of all these points I would expect the president of the united states to acknowledge the existence of man made climate change and its serious consequences for the planet. If he had fought for protectionist trade policies with the reasoning that you follow (i.e. it doesnt make sense to manufacture goods 1000s of miles away in coal powered factories) I would still give him credit for maybe having some rational thought behind his actions. Calling climate change a hoax is just ridiculous and ignorant (in my opinion).

[@rahulgandhi4721]

+LAFOLLETTER yearbook.enerdata.net America consumes 2.5 times the amount of energy india consumes while India has 4 times the population. Ofcourse that is no excuse to burn fossil fuels but America, unlike India has the technological and economic resources to do something about it. I guess the first step would be to accept that there is a problem, which, one political party, for some reason (money seems to be the driving force for both political parties in america) does not agree to.

[@rahulgandhi4721]

+LAFOLLETTER I don't see what Inaction you speak of. India is taking actions towards reducing dependence on coal for energy. It's just not possible for them to switch off coal because of the huge energy demands of the population. The largest solar plant in the world was recently built in India. I didn't say manufacturing shouldn't be moved to America. That will be good for a lot of people who lost jobs due to the shut down of manufacturing plants there. I am just pointing out that it might not be so beneficial for Americans after all. Anyway, you seem to be avoiding my main point here, that Trump and most republican leaders deny the existence of man made climate change. Don't you think that is wrong and dangerous for our future (not just America's future but the world's future)?

[@davidhoward3970]

3 years later and Mark Blyth is 100% vindicated. Margaret Weir made me throw up. That other dude is just a weak sister.

[@gabay123vip]

One thing is very clear: Margaret weir is a politician, not an academic scholar. She talks like a demagogic speaker of the democratic party, not as an objective academic researcher who analyzing social trends without judging them according to her subjective inclinations. Now, the question is: What n the name of god is she doing as a professor in a prestigious university? Why is she making her living as an academic scholar? Who pays for this kind of cynical political activism masquerading as "social science"? This question should stand at the center of the education policy of the Trump administration. The American public should not allow this sort of extremist activism to penetrate its scientific institutions. Politicians' like Weir, should focus on politics and not pretend to be scientists.

[@MrBoreray]

After listening to her droning on I admire Mark's restraint and politeness regarding her 'points' when in reality he must have been thinking'what ARE you talking about you silly old bag'? How long do we have to put up with this tired old rhetoric from 'wheeled on' apologists pretending they're just trying to make the 'world' a better place ?Hippie ideals are admirable but that's all they are,they don't work,after all when a 'hippie' pushes a light switch he still expects the light to 'magically' turn on.( 'they don't work' and 'turn on' was not intentional when talking about hippies)but if the cap fits...

[@jimmichels7844]

The only thing that Weir did was regurgitate retail talking points from the DNC in the most boring possible manner. She was a waste of air time. Blyth is insight personified.

[@qwe123303]

How is Bernie Sanders not brought up in this discussion? My mind is a little blown right now. All this talk of solidarity not from a place of hate, populism and rejection of technocratic elite and Bernie Sanders is not seriously mentioned once? How?

[@benjaminbogliacino7778]

That is one reading, which I partially subscribe to. Another one is that, if Bernie hadn't supported Hillary, with her losing he would have been accused of being the reason she lost, and if she had won, he wouldn't have had any place in her administration. Not supporting her would have been, in a purely cynical, political calculation, much worse than endorsing her. I do agree that it was disheartening to see him backing her, but I think Bernie made a choice to shield his position and still have some relevance once the election was over. Now, whether that will pay off or not, we'll see, your guess is as good as mine.

[@Comando96]

+LAFOLLETTER No, he should aim to raise a successor and only retire when handing over the movement and its support to them. Retiring immediately would be missing a grand opportunity. Also there was a good chunk of, not wanting to be the next Ralf Nader thrown in for good measure... but even with all of that, I can't get the image of a cat turning away while another cat has sex with another cat, with the Bernie logo out of my head ¬.¬

[@Comando96]

+mrsme1234 I hate acronyms so just skirted around the term and assumed it to be Democrat institution XYZ. +LAFOLLETTER Check out the Justice Democrats. Not a new party, but its an attempt to set up a sub organisation within the Democrats to oust the Clinton wing. Being heading by a guy from Secular talk, and getting money from TYT. Before the obvious warning alarms go off, Kyle from Secular talk is the least cancerous part of TYT, and freedom of speech is mentioned before many other things within their platform. While going within the Dems may feel dirty and wrong, its going to net better results, than just abandoning them entirely. At least initially getting people involved, actively in the party would make a later split more catastrophic if it happened and an event covered by the US's media circus.

[@jfgresham]

Disbanded, OK, but it's not like the people who made up the DLC all died or disappeared. They're still around and very influential in the Democratic Party: they shaped and in many cases became the party establishment that pushed to nominate Clinton. They and those friendly to them are the ones still advocating third way politics even after its total rout in general election 2016.

[@blairschirmerx1711]

Because Bernie is not taken seriously except as a metaphor of sorts. This is a politician who was openly cheated by the person he then promptly endorse. He would not stand up for electoral integrity then, he is not standing for electoral integrity now, even as he calls for a fundamentally electoral revolution.

[@doctorgonzo207]

Blyth is tremendous and provides a correct analysis of how we got here. He also rebuts the MSDNC talking points and seems to be one of the few voices out there who looks past Obama's oratory skills and correctly analyses his presidency and sees it for what it is: The unapologetic expansion of neo-liberal market rule.

[@stanjones2126]

I love Blyth but I think Hillary Clinton is "McDonald's" in his analogy not Trump. We all knew what to expect in selecting Clinton - voting Trump was a "hail Mary" move. Let's try this other restaurant - the food may be crap but, who knows, it might be better than McD.

[@MichaeldeSousaCruz]

Mark Blyth is a master!! The other two are bumblers. Listen up to Mark, he’s speaking the truth!

[@arthurspoerner4329]

Dr. Blyth you kicked butt!

[@richardsmith2825]

I can only say that they are in a sense of denial. If they fully take in what Blyth is saying they'll have a breakdown so instead they chose to ignore it.

[@joeberg3317]

The point about Le Pen is: - terrifying - completely on point Pleeeeaaaase run Hamon.

[@view1st]

48:40 onward: Mark Blyth hits the nail on the head here. What is the point in democracy, in voting, if all elections are is a way for lobby groups to effect the system leaving everyone else high and dry That's why the right, both hard and centre, are winning, because the left has collapsed or been destroyed leaving the voter with the stark choice of voting for the lesser of two evils or not voting at all.

[@PatrickJWenzel]

I watched this thinking it was filmed mid 2020. Oh dear. Mark you've been calling everything as you see it and it's been one proven observation after another.

[@roc7880]

Blyth is the only one who talks like he lives in the real words. he has concepts and knows theory while he also knows how to speak for any person with a moderate IQ

[@TheToughBaby]

Yeah the other two are pitifully stuck in a fantasy land. They're not really understanding him at all.

[@Xandrosi]

I would love to see this trio come back together for an update!

[@brhughes487]

Canadians have been subsidising big business (including political parties) for years without knowing it, whats that called? How can we say "people support" when they are not part of the decision process. The people used to tell government what they wanted, and now government tells what we want?

[@bradellis6406]

Blyth is the man!

[@MaxPower-oq2df]

Well, Weir certainly explained something to me, the source of the "rot" I've been hearing about at Colleges today. Blyth is worth listening to, Weir on the other hand offered little more than a endless stream of banalities that I have read on the signs of hysterical protestors burning and breaking things.

[@dennissalisbury496]

BIOGRAPHY Margaret Weir is Professor of Political Science and International and Public Affairs at Brown University. Before coming to Brown in 2016, she was the Avice M Saint Chair in Public Policy and Professor of Political Science and Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research centers on social policy, poverty, and urban politics in the United States and Europe. She is the author and editor of several books, including Schooling for All: Race, Class and the Decline of the Democratic Ideal (coauthored with Ira Katznelson, Basic Books); and Politics and Jobs: The Boundaries of Employment Policy in the United States (Princeton University Press), The Politics of Social Policy in the United States (with Ann Shola Orloff and Theda Skocpol, Princeton University Press) and The Social Divide (Brookings and Russell Sage). She is currently working on a book about the politics of spatial inequality in American metropolitan areas.

[@markusass]

Most of capital resides in bonds, not in stock markets, which it dwarves on a scale of 9 to 1. This era will be defined by capital preservation, and when government starts to get into trouble, and in turn the bond markets, capital will flee from bonds to stocks (and other asset classes) for wealth preservation.

[@Xandrosi]

This discussion is as timely now as when it was recorded.

[@LL-cz5ql]

Man, anyone can pretend to be an egg head nowadays, too bad they are completely empty. Mark Blyth shouldn't have kept the gloves on

[@bartmason9916]

Wow, Blyth is a whole-picture guy. His command of political/economic history and their ripple effects are mesmerizing to me.

[@buzoff4642]

Another outstanding video by Blyth, kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnvSlpKalrVjeqc

[@CoolGuy-fg3xv]

She’s got her Democrat glasses on and Blythe is the voice of reason

[@spartacusforlife1508]

Liberalism, conservatism, social democrats, economically there is no difference between them now. They,ve bought into the so called neo liberalism and even though it is apparant that this theory is not working, especially for the working class, the polticians are doubling down on this idiotic economic plan

[@fishysnake1]

Left economists aren't in short supply, but in my opinion Blyth is the most powerful, articulate orator of the group. "By Congressional rules to find money for one thing you have to take it from something else"?! In a nation with FIAT currency?! WTF?!

[@ttystikkrocks1042]

Now ask yourself why that's so and you'll have your answer about who benefits. Hint; the elites.

[@SuperSpidey313]

LOL Democracy. Right. We don't live in a Democracy, dear Moderator

[@bobramsay4355]

All societies lash out at change, like packing up and moving your home its disruptive and easier to be angry rather than trying to understand and taking a side. Theres a lot of changes coming as our value for one another and the earth becomes front and center and for me? its about bloody time.

[@Kalysta]

The only candidate in 2016, and for 2020, who has a message of solidarity is Bernie Sanders. "Not me, us!" I hope Mr Steinfeld is supporting him now.

[@mmmk6322]

And Andrew Yang is the second. UBI function the same way democracy dollars does. He can't fix the system alone he means. We gotta all pitch in and the freedom dividend is a tool for that to happen just like democracy dollars

[@SalmonFume]

Mark Blythe always be droppin' them quotes

[@krjames5880]

I liked the finger wagging... Blyth was pretty much on the ball with the French election of 2017..

[@sean85ster]

This discussion is one the most remarkable respectful dialogues ive ever seen. Its like a blueprint of how to communicate as people with people. Regardless of political compass. Wonderful :3

[@Edgar-Friendly]

Boomers just cannot taking enough for themselves.

[@cabbieg]

I could listen to that marvelous Scottish accent all day!

[@bfbf334]

(love Mark Blyth) BUT they just do not get IT.....do they.

[@jojo-wx4nm]

49:43 This is a job for... Justice Democrats. Search - "Progressives launch ‘Justice Democrats’ to counter party’s ‘corporate’ legislators".

[@rogerbuell2767]

it,s not the speach but the reaction to thes speach that should be in question

[@madchiller123]

The answer is Sanders

[@putrapratama-sq8hu]

nope...

[@jmanakajosh9354]

@@putrapratama-sq8hu oh how wrong you wer and still are

[@putrapratama-sq8hu]

@@jmanakajosh9354 Nope...

[@firefox5926]

46:16 dude its divide and conquer ... sun tzu wrote about it

[@firefox5926]

if people are fighting each other by default they're not fighting you

[@igorvski]

whaou, he got the french case right 100%. This guy is just too intelligent.

[@JoeCiliberto]

(The 7) Issue, solution, approach, schedule, costs, risk and mitigation, alternatives including variation on the approach toward the solution. It is good that everyone on the panel continue to explain what is wrong, how we got here, and how (beneath the top few) we wallow. The lesson must sink in deeply across the voting public. Across the doing public however, The 7, has become a bag of bones pit pulls growl about, at each other and at the fawning media. Where is the (The 3) Public/Private/Government consensus on The 7? Will it come from the top-down (of The 3)? I doubt it. The top-Down has continued to make matters worse. Will it come from the bottom-up? I fear not, as by some (or someone's design) the bottom chooses to take sides against one another rather than recognizing their disunity ensures their continued subjugation and decline. So where out of The 3 will we begin to elucidate The 7? It will not be done by party, but by people.

[@MartinScreeton]

I have not heard a thing about labor Law (and minimum wage) from either party nor in this discussion and fully 50% of our population lives paycheck-to-paycheck and only commands a total of slightly less then 1% of the family wealth Assets of this country...(CBO/Aug/2016) meanwhile the top 10% went from owning about 24% of all assets in 1989 to almost 80% of all assets today. The bottom is basically a straight line across that last 25 years. This is the number #1 issue of our time and it's how DeBlasio in NYC got elected twice with over 50% of the vote. The bottom 50% is looking like a 3rd world in America.

[@billy-joes6851]

"keep heroine out of the country" lol Oxy=synthetic heroine the problem is the Oxy from the pharmaceutical companies in America .

[@buzoff4642]

The fact that addiction is kicked off with prescription pads doesn't mean what's sold on the street is irrelevant, given that is where people turn when the prescription strength fails to satisfy the inherent need for ever more.

[@bdff4007]

She sounds like prim and proper Cokie the Washington insider.

[@drstrangeclock2253]

The problem: The people who benefit from tax money don't realize it and it isn't the helpful tax-funded program's job to communicate how many people they help and why. Also, Red states have no concept of how much of their rural life is subsidized by the money making cities they resent.

[@Trid3nt861]

"Fascism will come to the States under the guise of liberalism"

[@ttystikkrocks1042]

Fascism has arrived in the United States, ushered in by the Republicans. Stop trying to blame the Democrats, who are mere enablers.

[@desicpr00]

When intellectuals throw around terms like xenophobic regarding the times we are in it makes me nauseous. Not wanting to open borders to potentially dangerous people "Islamists" is not racist or xenophobic. Conservatives that want "America first" means they want protection. When an American sees what's happening in Europe their survival instincts kick in and it has nothing to do wit racism.

[@paullymberopoulos2593]

ok these guys are very good at explaining what's wrong, but explain very little of the solution

[@MrBoreray]

Solution for who ? even in a 'perfect world' some are going to be more 'perfect' than others,for most people the solution would basically amount to 'bad','less bad' or at best 'ok'

[@JAMIEFORSTER]

Margaret talked a lot of nonsense, it actually surprised me the gulf between her and Mark

[@QezaBara]

Brexit was not anti liberal.

[@Comando96]

If someone at Watson who uploads these, could give each of the speakers, a pat on the back or a hug, and tell them to at least try acting like they aren't at a funeral? :P This is one of the greatest opportunity moments for societal change, and entering mourning will mean its not you directing that change.

[@andyphillips7435]

Regardless of the strength or not ,of your argument, finger pointing is the same as stamping your foot.

[@GingerDrums]

"Inclusion" did not provide the social progress we experienced as Weir suggests. The civil rights movement and invasive technological development provided the engine of progress.

[@altinfoil592]

Elephants in the room: 1. International Trade Agreements were promoted by multinational corporations and their bought and paid for politicians. Multinationals moved their factories out of the US and escaped US taxation, labor laws, environmental laws, the plaintiffs' bar and class action suits, and higher costs for wages and benefits. The working class in the US was the big loser as they lost high-paying jobs and employer-provided benefits, and their standard of living was maintained only by taking on debt; 2. The American economy moved from the leading manufacturing economy at the end of WW2 to a leading consumption economy in which one of the biggest economic sectors became financialization. The excessive power and influence of the financial sector and their recklessness led to the 2008 financial crisis from which the World financial system has not recovered. Since 2008, the majority of income improvement has gone to the top 1% of the rich, while income disparity has increased badly; 3. The military and intelligence budgets are unsustainable, and the military-industrial complex enjoys very great influence and money from governments; 4. Obama's Hope and Change mantra became more and more a blatant fraud over his two terms. Federal debt almost doubled during his terms, and the government fudged unemployment figures outrageously to hide high unemployment rates; 5. The social benefit programs that were brought in since WW2 are not fully funded and when their future funding costs are taken into account, they have been estimated to put the US federal government as much as $220 Trillion underwater. The US federal government says their debt is only $20 Trillion, but that does not take into account future costs for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, Veterans' benefits, government employee pensions and benefits, etc.; 6. Obamacare was sold as making medical care available to all, and as ending insurance company abuses such as cancelling coverage as soon as the insured became ill. But Obamacare turned out to be a gift to the insurance companies and for-profit medical industry, with deductibles, co-pays, and ever-increasing premiums. Only those with extreme medical problems benefited, as they would have been refused insurance before. The funding model for Obamacare depended upon forcing young and healthy persons to buy insurance and thus subsidizing the medical costs of the unhealthy, but the young and healthy have largely refused to play along, electing to pay the cheaper penalty for not buying insurance; 7. Another bad effect of Obamacare was the reduction in working hours of "full time" employees. Workers who formerly worked 40 hours or more per week had their work week cut to below 35 hours, so the employer escaped the Obamacare mandate for employer-provided medical coverage; 8. To keep the tottering finances of the US and Europe afloat, the Federal Reserve and Central Banks elsewhere pushed interest rates to near or below zero, making it possible for governments and businesses to survive on cheap credit, but making it impossible for savers, banks, pension funds, and insurance companies to get a reasonable rate of return on their funds except by engaging in risky financial strategies that may well lead to significant losses; 9. Academics tend to view the weakening of social protections as purely the result of lack of political will and cohesiveness, while ignoring how these social protections are to be paid for.

[@thomaswanado8744]

I love how they really have a constructive discussion - as opposed to politicians having a debate.

[@robdeskrd]

Interview man felt something, like he was part of a thing and for him that is evidence for disagreeing with these 2 economists who were stuff like facts, actual events and real thing happening.... This interviewer is a dope

[@MrBoreray]

I saw and heard one 'economist',one moderater and one hand-wringing mouthpiece for the Dem. Party

[@yuvalesroni1680]

Of all the economist or economic pundits on the internet these days Mark Blythe makes the most sense to me. it's sad to think that the policies he suggested had the chance to be acted out by world leaders (in the last decade) but they didn't. and maybe that chance is over now.

[@rfmckean]

I agree with Byth but it might because of his contrariness. Canada doesn't get a mention but Liberals do seem to have been successful. The secret is: deficits can be OK.

[@narkelnaru2710]

Superb.

[@coryhinman5134]

Marget is wrong about the problem being Republicans thwarting Obama's good intentions. How good could his intentions have been when, as Mark points out, he brought Summers, Geithner, and Rubin in to be his economic team? At the end of Dubya's second term we were fighting 2 wars. Now we're fighting 7 wars! Thomas Frank makes the case that since Obama was a beneficiary and proponent of the Democratic Neoliberal Meritocracy, what happened during his terms was pretty much exactly what he wanted to have happen.

[@bobramsay4355]

We allowed or help co-create the place we are at, lets drop our mental guns become once again naked and vulnerable and write a new script for the future of the earth and our children.

[@sveu3pm]

we just got rid of first class professionally trained demagog and international war criminal , omg thats so sad.

[@nowaskmehow]

"Russia." BINGO! How can Mark keep his cool?

[@arshiff336]

Very patronizing how Margaret kept minimizing Blythe because he wasn't born in the States. You don't need to be born in the U.S. to understand U.S. political economy. Very impressed with his patience with this.

[@srikargottipati]

Blyth has a perfect analysis for this situation. He stated in other videos that the only solution is Bernie Sanders policies. But unfortunately it's structurally impossible for Bernie to win. This is baby boomers vs the young electorally. Sanders to win needs the young millennials to turn up in equal numbers and that seems to be a structural impossibility at this point

[@pcuimac]

I hate that 'african american' label for decendents of slaves. They are humans like everybody else. Nobody gets called,'catholic american' or 'irish american' 'german american' etc.

[@vicpso1]

Flawed paradigm. Blind men and an elephant. They want the other guy to buy their lunch.

[@edifier74]

I might disagree with some of Mrs Weir arguments, if you see polls on Obama's Policy popularity its worst then Obama's popularity. Even ACA as a whole is unpopular, just some of its elements are popular

[@Stewiehleba]

Aaaand wait for it....... Russia... tum tum tuuuuuuuum. I am sad to say that I didn't expect that. Listening to Mark shut off the crazy part of my brain I guess and I completely forgot about that dumb ass talking point.

[@bdff4007]

This guy has a much better handle on our politics, he is an immigrant who understands to a. Greater extent than this woman who has been in, what, the academic bubble?

[@firefox5926]

50:03 ahem.. sit down son and let me tell you about a man... a man named Bernie :)

[@echowit]

Ms. Weir needs to get her vision prescription checked. She doesn't see reality very well.

[@b.terenceharwick3222]

A good quality discussion with three participations, each of whom see things differently AND have some truth to speak about recent trends and contemporary challenges. Unlike too many political "conversations," this is one worth listening to. As in medicine, no intervention or remedy is ever better than the diagnosis that precedes it...

[@tomslade3365]

So which state will exit the union first ? who's going to say bye bye whashington DC hallo the independent state of ?

[@oldgymrat71]

"LIBERALISM" has always primarily meant Enlightenment values of science, class mobility, open to evidence induced changes, thirst for facts!

[@jonc67uk]

Economic liberalism on the other hand is anything but liberal. And that's the problem..

[@carlkolchak4437]

the hell with this 1% crap, lets talk about the .001%.

[@AudioPervert1]

wonder what they have to say about the staggering third world slavery. which is the most unliberal of all humanity. example the nike jacket worn by one of the speakers is made in bangladesh and vietnam for pittance. the liberal order seems to work very well only inside a room full of yes yes yes

[@rtperrett]

We are seeing the Weimarization of fragmentation of political parties in the West, the political binary is realigning and recomposing itself, the political left and right is a game of dosey do, aspects of the left are now the right, and vice versa. People who don't fit into those two poles are going to opt out and not vote, if there is only a choice between two. The problems with the Democrats is that they are all things to all people and end up failing to get enough people to turnout because those people were not buying what they were selling. To keep things in perspective as time goes on, most Western countries do not have the money to pay for pensions and healthcare because of the aging of the population. The only way to solve this problem is to have more taxpayers which means more immigrants, and/or robots. Yes, with Prop 13, I live in Cali, everything is bias towards the preferences of the old, politicians are going to bend over backwards for those people, not the young. The main question should there be a property tax, is it a good tax to fund schools, why even bother having one, why is the house and the land taxed, why not just tax the land. One would also think that with driverless cars coming into the next 10 to 20 years, we will see land used for parking garages be freed up for affordable housing. Why do colleges jack up tutition midstream when a student is going to college, they could the same price for the said student until they gradudate, but make it contingent that they do in a timely matter. The young don't have the barganing power and influence to change things. The U.S is not like Europe in terms of race, but much more like other settler colonies Australia, NZ, Canada, and Latin America. Perhaps the problem with democracy is with democracy itself, elections that force people into binaries, might be better to randomly pick citizens out of a lottery, bring back the Greek sortition, because the ancient Greeks believe that Democracy lead to oligarchy and ordinary people are cut off from the opportunity of politics because of the heavy cost and huge time expense. Making it like market research where citizens study an issue and put it to the people in a referendum might be the way to go. There may be problem with this, but a good mathematical formula to pick people might work. For the UK, turning the House of Lords into a random house might be better than having an elected Senate.

[@loremipsum7471]

As America becomes racially as diverse as Brazil, the promises of both left and right will fail.

[@davecarl7142]

Mark Blyth this day and age Alexis De Tocqueville of the US......

[@treyquattro]

ProTip: Mark sounds normal at 1.25x speed, the other two at 1.5x

[@anthony_mundane]

Well... Time has proven her wrong...

[@jestubbs69]

Margaret, you're living 50 years in the past. You all ignored the smartest person in the room in favor of the same old dribble. Go away already.

[@alloomis1635]

i guess i'm a simple man. there is democracy, a society in which every citizen has an equal vote, not for a choice of who shall be his master, but for choosing 'what shall we do?' this last is realized by initiative and referendum, supported by open administration of public affairs so that the electorate has the facts to decide. or, there is oligarchy. this is rule by a few. the few come in a variety of groups: the rich, the generals, the bureaucrats, the priests, and usually all of them support one another in the enjoyment of the labor of the many. every oligarchy is unstable, since there is no limit to greed and arrogance, and society collapses when no more blood can be had from the many. and that's all i know about politics and economics. just a few simple principles. you can talk about 'bad men' all you want, whether it be lenin or reagan, but if you don't look at the system that produced them, you are wasting your time.

[@nudgenudgewinkwink3212]

Yeah Hillary Clinton's "orange man bad" was her whole campaign strategy.

[@johndoe3210]

I wonder if Ms Weir actually lives in a wonderfully diverse and vibrant neighborhood? 10 g's says 'no' .

[@bdff4007]

My brother voted for Obama twice. he voted for Trump. if Trump had not won Republican nomination, he would have voted for Bernie. This woman needs to get out of her bubble

[@peterstill3760]

Mark Blyth is a really impressive talker if not a good dresser

[@scottmialltablet]

Disagree with the McDonalds analogy - I think it's exactly backwards. The rust belt has been eating McDonalds for decades, and now they've decided to go with that flashy new burger joint called "Carl Juniors'!", which you've heard so much about and don't you remember that Paris Hilton commercial that was banned (But wasn't it called Carl's Jr?) that might sell you the best burger you've ever had. So do you choose McDonalds again, or go with that new burger joint - it's still going to be a burger, right? Right? Trump isn't McDonalds. Trump isn't the same thing you've had all over the nation (the world!) only with slight regional flavours (wow, McLobster on the East coast! Tomato sandwich in Japan! No beef in India! Etc.) - that's the DNC and GOP. We KNOW what the DNC is going to give us, and what the GOP is going to give us. We know their menu. We know their prices. We know if we have $13, we're going to be able to get two basic meals (or a "good" meal and a Happy Meal). With Trump we are assuming we're getting a burger and fries, but until we open that door and get the food on our plates, we simply don't know. That's why Trump can't be McDonalds. Other than that, love almost everything Blyth is saying. I just hope more people listen to him than to Weir, who scares me more than Trump does. She's essentially saying "This is the Republicans fault! This is the fault of the (racist, xenophobic, misogynistic, etc.) GOP voter! We're the victims of their bigotry and greed! It's not our fault at all!" that I see in the DNC and other Liberal talking heads - the ones who think they're going to "fix" the DNC and beat Trump. They're going to fail and they refuse to learn why.

[@nuthinasitseems5213]

Trump Labor Secretary pick Puzder Carl's Jr CEO i think ill stick with a papa burger, and a rootbeer float from A&W

[@lotlievaart6823]

The main difference between these scholars (Blyth being the only one cutting the crap) in that one is European and the others are American and are used to and perfectly happy with moralising any subject and pivoting any problem towards the other "party".....The US as a political economy is utterly schizophrenic......

[@justanotherbaldbastard2193]

It seems to me that one of the problems the democrats is facing is that there is money to be made in politics. The republicans have known this for a long time, of course, but that was mostly about keeping the money they already had. The rise of the professional politician is a serious problem since it completely eradicated ideology in favour of winning elections, and squeezing their position of all capital it could generate, political as well as financial. Political capital can then generate actual capital when the tenure is over and a well salaried position opens up, ready for plucking by the well informed ex-politician cum CEO. Then, of course, the democrat, turns into a republican, because now he has all this money which he would like to keep. Only he won't call himself a republican because that won't get him elected, since the people without money would like some too and republicans are only good to the select few who can afford the price of admission, and that price just keeps rising.

[@alloomis1635]

and still no one has said, usa is not, never has been, was never meant to be, a democracy. prof blyth is an amusing speaker, and a smart man, studies and teaches political economy, and never ever connects current affairs to the fact that the people do not rule. aristotle, he ain't. not even an honest man.