A Good Walk Spoiled | Revisionist History | Malcolm Gladwell

[@chuckalsdorf557]

As a fan of Gladwell's, and an enthusiast for learning about consciousness and metaphysics, I found this fascinating. Thank you! As a senior in high school in San Diego in 1978, I have a different albeit complementary memory of Proposition 13 and its impact. My mom moved my sister and me to California in 1970 from the East Coast primarily because of the fabulous reputation of California's education system. My recollection of public school in California was of some of the best educators and programs I ever experienced (and I have two Ivy League degrees), and when I enrolled in Brown in the fall of 1978 I recall proudly that what I gained in public schools in California was every bit as impressive and perhaps more innovative than what I heard from my new colleagues who graduated from the best prep schools. And then I watched year after year as California's public schools and universities decayed and became out of reach financially for so many. Proposition 13 had sent the state's educational funding on a slow path of death. Hmmm... If I were a Beverly Hills mansion owner from before 1978, couldn't I just sell my house to a new owner in increments of 10% at a time, and thereby pass on the low tax rate to the new owner? Having recently retired from a "successful" career, I have now joined the bandwagon of American's who realize the new American Dream is to leave America. Perhaps that would make for an interesting research topic.

[@SamSung-nf6tr]

My old boss said 'More deals are made on golf clubs than in any other place to meet". I was told if I wanted the promotion I had to learn to play golf. I tried. I sucked. I got a better job & didn't need a promotion.

[@HistoryforThinkers]

Literally everything from Gladwell blows my mind. Great work :)

[@thomdrolet2624]

You should go watch his recent munk debate appearance, brilliant.

[@b.melakail]

He was such a lovely likeable person interacting with Matt and Doug

[@thomdrolet2624]

@Melakail wasn't he though.

[@b.melakail]

@@thomdrolet2624 totally. I mean after that debate everyone thought Malcom was a shining beacon of integrity and intellect...

[@tylermarshall5350]

Lol can't tell if you're actually serious, this guy's a hack

[@JaymeeKay]

Be careful Malcolm don't get yourself in trouble by pointing out the addictions of the rich. 😂 The opening music is beautifully done. I do hate golf ⛳️ and now I loathe it. The people create and use laws to their advantage always amazes me.

[@bobcornwell403]

There is an alternative way of looking at this. Let me tell you a story. Back in the late '70's, my dad bought some property to camp on during the summer. One of the enticements for him doing this was that the property owners association owned a golf course. And members (property owners) could golf on it for free. I suspect that, had this not been the case, my dad may have either not bought the property, or would not have been willing to pay as much as he did for it as he did. I think the same reasoning can be used in this case. Part of the reason the property has the value it has is because of the existence of the exclusive golf course. If this is the case, then it's the local property owners who are subsidizing the golf course, through paying higher property taxes than they otherwise would have.

[@richardmoore8918]

This entry was written on 1/4/'23. Malcolm Gladwell sure gives the listener something to think about doesn't he? There is definitely the spark of a new idea in this presentation.

[@varalakshmielango5208]

Insightful and thought provoking! Thanks for this wonderful podcast!

[@canadiangemstones7636]

Any man who hates golf can’t be all bad. MG is the best thing on YT.

[@steveschrodi2167]

great piece, but I'd bring up a couple counterpoints points: 1) with regard to discussion on philosophy of identity, the atoms of a person are continually being replaced. No person is composed of the same "parts" as they were a few years prior. Yet, in all realms of society, we treat that person as being the same person: we do so in our personal lives, authorship, the legal system, etc. We don't absolve a person of a crime because they are composed of different atoms and cells than they were previously when that crime was committed. Do we think of ourselves as a completely different person than we were a few years ago, or do we impose a temporal continuity due to the fundamental characteristics of ourselves? The Sun changes continuously, our pets change continuously, etc. We organize our understanding of the world based on a functional continuity over time. 2) Removal of Prop 13 would have some highly negative repercussions in a state that has experienced nearly absurd property value appreciation. Is it fair to someone who purchased their home at a certain price with a given income level to be subject to property taxes that would result in a forced sale of their home? They do pay large capital gains taxes if they realize the gains on their property through a sale (many of the homes would have appreciation far exceeding the exemption amount in CA). These are unrealized gains they have on the property due to factors they have nothing to do with (namely the expansion of the money supply and high demand from tech companies, etc.). It seems reasonable to me that most of the tax burden should be implemented following the sale of a property when that wealth is actually realized. 3) I'm not a fan of golf either.

[@joelschachter6755]

US Open at LACC is on TV right now. I was wondering just these very things while watching the 1st round.

[@brandonosten]

Have you seen "Falling Down"? I think you would like it (at least the golf scene)

[@bharatshah7271]

Could you cite some sources...It would be nice? I'm not mad, I just want to do some more research.

[@GraysonTGivens]

Thank you so much for your content I learn so much from you and looking through themes and elements through your perspective is amazing thank you

[@cherylcarlson3315]

With persistent drought am wondering how the water is billed/paid for. Could leverage public access tied to public water usage? Have always hated golf courses and thought to guerrilla plant them as food forests but...didn't have courage, resources or the best ag skills.

[@j.corbygaming]

why are the captions not matching the text?

[@jardennis4nd]

I lived in LA. I’m unclear why there are no places to run when a boardwalk is peacefully adjacent to calm waters.

[@cv3045]

Just brilliant. Malcolm, you’re the bomb! Yes I’m dating myself.

[@demar1496]

The tax authorities could increase the proportional valuation by the proportional change of ownership if they wanted a compromise that kept prop 13 relatively intact.

[@SkiRedMtn]

It doesn’t matter how many boards you replace on the ship. It’s completely rebuilt (new, different, whatever) when the last original piece is replaced with the last new piece. Building something and rebuilding something can be reduced to the same activity. It’s done when the last piece is in place (in the case of building) or replaced (like for ol’ Theseus). The reason he doesn’t have to change the name of the ship is because the concept of identity, which is key here, is being falsely equivocated in the puzzle.

[@really2345]

Building something and rebuilding something is NOT the same activity even if the result looks identical. Building new is much simpler than rebuilding an existing structure.

[@SkiRedMtn]

@@really2345 completely missed the point. Utterly. Hard to think of a comment that would demonstrate more thoroughly that you have no idea of the concept being discussed here.

[@sergiomessina2037]

Love your work been following you for years! You mentioned Bob Hope as having the common man Personna as you remind me of being a "common (smart) man". I checked out your net worth on celebrity net worth, just for fun… Not bad Malcolm…

[@TRHummer]

Hi Pushkin. I'm a huge fan of the podcast. I have a Pushkin+ membership because it promises to keep me up to date on the latest from Pushkin and to allow me to listen without advertisements. However, I'm listening to THIS installment on KZbin because it isn't available through my podcast app OR on the Pushkin site as of this moment. What gives? Are you migrating to KZbin? Why, since this is still a podcast without visual content? And if this is available here, why am I paying for a Pushkin+ membership? I ask these questions in a spirit of goodwill because I'm a dedicated supporter and fan. But the delivery system is confusing me. Help!

[@TRHummer]

Is this the SAME podcast I'd hear if I listened to the same words on my podcast app? Is this a case of spacio-temporal continuity? If I listen to a podcast with one set of advertisements, and then listen to the "same" podcast with different ads, is it a different podcast? Shouldn't all Pushkin podcasts be shared FIRST with Pushkin+ members--otherwise what's the point? Is Pushkin a golf course? Do I have to pay subscriptions over and over in order to get to listen to the podcast without enduring also a bunch of advertising? Interesting philosophical questions, no? I also hate golf, and love the podcast. But property taxes are property taxes, no?

[@SamSung-nf6tr]

This is from 2013. I think. A philosophical conundrum.

[@TheMikemedia]

The National Golf Course Owners Association was a big supporter of The Sunshine Protection Act sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) The elitist golf industry once estimated the game would increase revenue by $400 million if daylight saving began a month earlier. Yeah, I pretty much hate daylight savings time and golf.

[@WNH3]

Forget Theseus' ship: what about a Club, which continues to exist although members change? Or, a body, which discards and replaces cells all the time?

[@djephalpha]

Why would we compare a club's membership changing to a club's membership changing? That's the exact same situation.

[@AravindanUmashankar]

Malcom is my favourite author, an invigorating perspectives socialiser at large , an enormous public intellectual and a generous genial sharing his discerning and incisive thoughts that on a normal day would elude mortals .. throughly enjoyed this podcast and how well articulated.. articulated with aplomb 🎉 kudos Malcom 👌

[@PhoebeFayRuthLouise]

Thank you for your excellent deep dive into the finances of golf courses! Once again, I come to the conclusion: tax the rich!

[@laurelledubois]

Unfortunately they protect themselves...

[@PhoebeFayRuthLouise]

@@laurelledubois Exactly!

[@DRFelGood]

Blue is Red ❤

[@stephensmith5982]

Great video, thank you for making it. One comment I have for you is watch out for that barbed wire.

[@evgenybelkov2300]

I am so enjoying your streams. I got introduced to your writing class on a delta flight and started following your work ever since. Please post more? Ready to support your channels in some way if details are shared. 🤝🏻👍🏻😎

[@karlobermeyer]

June 20, 2023 (revised): Dear Mr. Gladwell, thank you for drawing attention to the unfair tax system that perpetuates the hoarding of land by rich golfers. I agree that reform is required, and that the possibility of the general public time-sharing the land seems like a good option. However, I think the force of your arguments would have been greater if you had just said "rich people/golfers" instead of "rich white guys". It may well be that country club membership is empirically correlated with whiteness and maleness, but it seemed like you were suggesting that whiteness and maleness is a causal factor in the land-hoarding behavior, maybe because it's fashionable in certain circles to bash white people and men. There are many characteristics loosely correlated with various ethnicities and genders for complex historical reasons, but one of the main reasons for equal opportunity legislation is to ensure individuals are not implicated based on correlations. To do so would be an overgeneralization, i.e., racist, resp. sexist. If you are interested in learning more about the difference between correlation and causation, and what confounding factors are, I highly recommend "The Book of Why" by Judea Pearl. In the meantime, I welcome an explanation from you if you where pointing out whiteness and maleness for some reason other than idicting an entire race and gender. If you want us to recognize the perpetrators on the street, you are are going to have to be more specific.

[@stevencroft5784]

Great podcast, how about one on the area covered by basketball courts.

[@willmpet]

No, do not climb the absurd fence, cut your way in using a bolt cutter because the rest of LA have subsidized it for many years! They who play on those courses only have paid a ridiculously low amount of taxes compared to the rest of the population.

[@jayfredrickson3620]

His argument doesn't convince me golf is bad - just another way to enjoy the outdoors and friends....

[@roc7880]

I do not hate golf. I only believe that those clubs can be used for other activities too

[@barryth]

maybe the CEO that played so much is CEO of Titleist😂

[@naftalibendavid]

St. Louis has Forest Park!

[@donaldjmccann]

While I am sympathetic to the notion of change of ownership, consider the fact that not a single atom of your body is the same as it was 8 years ago. Does that mean that you no longer own the property that you owned 8 years ago? We are all patterns of behaviour, not solid beings. I like the idea of taxing the shit out of those elite golf clubs!

[@barryth]

The Human body is a prime example of a Theseus ship. Every cell being replaced at least once a year. 😂

[@askbob2009]

The Failure of Golf episode number 462....bankrupt companies. How to invest vs golf

[@josephgreenberg2063]

A fact you will like, MG: the links of St Andrews allows runners and walkers along the paths through the dunes of all the courses, including Thee Old (750 years old and the. original) Course at all times. Fact you won’t like: the town of St Andrews was bequeathed the rights to steward the land. Fact no one else cares about: i ran the Brentwood and San Vicente paths for years and enjoyed the beauty and uninterrupted urban running.

[@mikehess4494]

I just want to eat my meatloaf dinner and watch sports. World domination is too much effort.

[@DefineLines]

Dude got embarrassed in is recent debate if anyone wants to check it out.

[@stephenmascari950]

Many courses are " private property. " 1. The course would be legally responsible ( and would be sued ) if someone hurt themselves on the course. 2. Courses create " space breaks ' to break up and slow down any potential fires.3. Golf courses are " green areas" that help lower the overall temperature in the area. 4. Golf courses aid and assist in water drainage and retention thus assisting in flood control and maintaining the water table.5. Courses are " green areas " for a diversity of plants and animals . I could go on about the benefits of Golf Courses in your area but you get the idea.

[@Edo9River]

This makes up for Sammy Davis, who could go onto Brentwood any time he wanted to😮😮😮

[@bd7913]

Malcolm, Malcolm ... You waste little time in revealing your biases (similar to the ones that showed through during your Munk debate). Funny how you seem certain that golf is only played by "rich white guys" (let's ignore golfers like Tiger Woods, Barrack Obama, Condaleeza Rice and Charles Barkley for starters, never mind all those other enthusiastic and often addicted golfers who we would neither consider rich nor white), and that somehow private golf clubs are the scourge of the earth, ignoring that there are vastly more public golf courses than there are private courses in The U.S. (The City of Los Angeles alone owns and operates 20 public golf courses). However, you are quite right suggesting a CEO is being careless by entering his golf scores into a publicly available data base; but, that's on him and not an indictment of serious golfers in general who simply want to have a record of their scores for purposes of having a recognized handicap. Funny how some wealthy people feel free to criticize how other wealthy people spend their money.

[@wadetewano]

Rich white people and 4 rich black people . Point noted

[@rossrobinson7943]

I think there is an error in his analysis. If the country club land was not a country club, it would be houses not a public park. That is the crux of his not paying best use taxes is a subsidy. If looking for why LA lacks public parks. The existence of country clubs today is not the answer. Learn to ignore envy messing up your logic. Your other idea on ignoring slow changes comes up in other areas. Home insurance doesn't cover slow damage from a slow water leak but does cover a pipe burst. I think there is a Supreme Court case on the Texas Oklahoma border being set by a river. Slow changes over time moves the boarder but a single event like a flood changing the course of the river would not.

[@steveadams1850]

You may know Rockway in Kitchener. It's an old municipal course. The city operates it. 28 dollars for a round after 3 pm on a Saturday. 28 bucks to spend 4 hours with my son's is money well spent. Sorry you hate golf. 😂

[@Malekbh1984]

"I hate golf. And hopefully, by the end of this, you'll hate golf too" what a promising start!

[@ricksilverstein8848]

Malc- 15 rounds is 15 Saturday’s per year. Give the guys a break. Most of the use goes towards lunches and dinners where you are always guaranteed a decent meal and not to be bothered with some schmuck getting in your face because you’re a capitalist trying to run a company. Next episode please🙃

[@jessejulian3875]

I have read every book MG has produced and have always been very impressed with his output. This pod cast disappoints. What about the service Bob Hope did to military service men entertaining? I am much older than MG. I am not from the wealthy class-- lower middle class origin. I never thought Bob Hope represented "everyman" or especially white men. I enjoyed the jokes and skits but had no illusion that he was representing anything other than what he was, a rich successful entertainer, regardless of race. I know many CEO type golfers who are of a race other than caucasian. To say that this is a pursuit of "rich white men only" is disingenuous at least or racist at worse and inadequately informed for sure. Agree that golf is there pursuit of the wealthy, but regardless of race. Related more to thickness pocket book than to race.

[@patrickmaline4258]

think you missed the point. not bob bad. rich (almost all white in los angeles) golf club members are being subsidized by people with whom they will not associate, and that’s bad mmmmmmmmk.

[@Splinter8859]

L.A u would have to road test that spatial temporal consistency theory on plastic surgery enhanced faces surely?

[@xaviernavy]

Here because of Theo. RIP Billy Conforto. Gang.

[@bettydean4149]

Injustice and inequality is something that bothers me all the time and, what I don't understand is why we are so easily manipulated into believeing that people like Donald Trumps talk for and like the common man

[@L33PL4Y]

And people like Joe Biden. They're all crooks.

[@shaagarey469]

Very disappointed. Has Gladwell always been a bit racist, or his he’s simply pandering and virtue signaling? Please note that there are rich Asians, Rich Blacks, and other rich ethnicities who belong to these country clubs

[@berry.morgan]

Absolutely hilarious skewed analysis. There are more things in golf heaven and golf earth, Malcolm, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. LOL

[@mry5892]

you, George Carlin, and the rest of us. it's not a good walk spoiled, it's an utter shame.

[@mooster47]

California is an extreme example of everything related to property values. All across the rest of the country plenty of far more ordinary people - including lots of POC - play golf, and there are vast numbers of public courses. It still tends to be relatively costly, but the poor folks can't afford to visit the opera or watch pro football either, among other things, and those things are heavily subsidized with public money as well. My husband, who is retired from a middle management position and has probably a fraction of net worth as you do (just for reference sake), worked his butt off for decades to be able to afford to play in his retirement years. Most frequent golfers on weekdays are older, and on public courses they're far more likely to be like my husband than like the former president. By the way, he doesn't have a handicap because he doesn't need one. He recently scored five under his age. He's a type A who works his butt off at this, too. Around here at least some of the publicly owned courses I know of are built on flood planes which are not suitable for housing. One of their principle functions is to raise the property values of adjacent houses. The view for those homeowners is lovely, and all day there are passing people for their dogs to bark at. Golf courses also provide a lot of habitat that's suitable for birds and other wildlife. Another point to make is that we live in a community that has vast acres of public park land, and you'd be amazed at how few people are actually out there walking or biking on the trails or swimming in the pools or playing on the soccer fields and tennis courts. Both parents have to work in order to have a middle class income for their families now, and the children tend to be in day care and not in a park during the week. Parks represent an American way of life that's mostly evaporated. It's not because of golf.

[@jhebigej]

This was so excruciatingly painful to read. From the anecdotal evidence to the whataboutisms, strawmen and red herrings all leading to a completely incoherent, nonsense conclusion... how truly fucked is America

[@SeanHopkins-h1b]

i wonder how any Hospital and Healthcare CEOs are on the list/ while their institutions suffer through where are they? wonder if its a golf course? 148+ perhaps?

[@johnmichaelcule8423]

I tend to favour the continuity defninition of things at least with regard to me: I'm certainly not the same person I was at eighteen except maybe in a few of my bones. But a corporate entity, a community is another thing. The golf club is a continuity. So is a university. Would you apply the law you're thinking should be applied to a college? A church? I think California tax law is an extreme example of how rich white guys have captured the organisations that should be monitoring and keeping them down.

[@ricardomurillo5205]

In Cape Verde, small island in Africa, I saw this big golf course sprinkled for white tourists, when next door black women and children carry water for kilometers. I HATE GOLF!!!

[@rys2754]

Aha, so if these were rich black guys it would be fine?

[@noturdaddyblameyomomma8354]

But no, it's the poor & people of color that are entitled 🙄