Reckoning with America's Identity Crisis

This isn't just a dark time; it is equally a moment with unique potential for positive change. Can we seize it?
Anand Giridharadas and Rob Johnson explore where we might find hope.

[@harrykersey3181]

Anand is absolutely on target how can you lead when you refuse to walk that mile in another's shoes !? As it were. To save this human experiment and continue we will have to come together globally to be good stewards and work hand in hand to make all life of the utmost importance starting with how we care for the lowlyest of life, for all life is necessary. What we do to preserve and protect will decide our future.

[@treefrog3349]

Anand, I am a 73-year-old college-educated, world-travelled individual who now, because of the vicissitudes of fate, live amongst the bottom half of the socio-economic spectrum. I am here to tell you that they don't have a clue about WHY things are, barely care, and look no further than the end of their next paycheck - IF they have one!

[@harrykersey3181]

Tree frog 🐸 like yourself I've seen that world through the same lense that's why their are critical thinkers who are best suited to lead by example and shine that light so those who are burdened with the lions share of the labor can move about unobstructed to contribute their hearts ,minds and backs to see the job through.

[@texazwhyte2791]

Nicely narrated mate.

[@Aztec339]

As a 70 year old “poor” boomer, I never ever Would have thought of myself as lucky. But we are. While it contains some solace, I’m immensely sad. I never expected to see America fail. I knew it was inevitable. Just never realized I would have had experience it. I was taught over and over in school that our country was so great as we were part of a MELTING POT. Of course, subliminally, that only meant our white European ancestors. Not all the others who are here. I knew about black people, very few Hispanics or Middle Eastern. Lord, we were founded by a bunch of old white guys. That I can even say that’s a problem really distressed me. Why? Because I am white. I was never told I was bad. Until like recently. I’m also a woman. So I know that struggle and fear. Even in my neighborhood my mom told me to constantly be very wary of any males. (I think she had a bad experience.) I was NEVER taught I could stand up to or refuse male oppression. Just avoid and run. Sad way to grow up. In my generation, divorces skyrocketed. Little girls grew up! I had the courage to leave an abusive husband. Those were very heady days. So much confusion. So I’m kinda tired now. I LOVE my senior life. And I can only hope the young generation works to save a vast previously great Nation.

[@treefrog3349]

The intellectual and visceral awareness you both share is very much lacking in mainstream "ever-day" society. It continues to be weaned from the American psyche and it is the ultimate source of our dysfunction and cultural malleability.

[@lindascanlan6317]

Agree

[@truthaboveall7988]

Grifting off of propaganda is FAR more lucrative in our culture

[@m.e.1367]

Anand Giridharadas is right on about the basically meaningless philanthropy efforts which are nothing more than a "laundering [of] their reputation" - enough to make a photo op for FB and Twitter and TIkTok, etc., and make people send thumbs up and hearts AS IF nothing else they do is actually indifferent to the poor at best and deeply destructive at worst.

[@nightoftheworld]

20:13 “You launder your reputation using the drive through reputational laundromat of ‘philanthropy.”’

[@justgivemethetruth]

Giridharadas' book is awesome, best book in a decade.

[@direwolf6234]

reminder: 1 million seconds = 11.5 days .. 1 billion sec = 31.5 years ..

[@vmr6771]

It's actually 31.7 years and that makes it even more impressive or depressing, depending on your point of view. Thanks!

[@sophiastuart4016]

‘’Courage taught me no matter how bad a crisis gets ... any sound investment will eventually pay off." - Carlos Slim Helu

[@muyiwamg8841]

Making it out at a young age is quite difficult. I started a side hustle at 17, saved up and made some good investments. l'm 28,live on my own and having a good life for myself. Big ups to you and everyone out there trying

[@steceymorgan814]

@@muyiwamg8841 Sounds like plan, how do you put money to work?

[@muyiwamg8841]

@@steceymorgan814 Yes it sure is. I put in money in investments and get profits. That 's how I make more money without working. This does not sound new to you right ?

[@steceymorgan814]

@@muyiwamg8841 Thanks for replying me, I've heard so many people talk about investment but none had said how to do it right.

[@alexmontrey5372]

Am hoping on you can explain more on how you make extra income from investments

[@etcetera3282]

Very enlightening discussion...I admire the genuine & stoic concern of these two gentlemen.

[@maureenb.7966]

I’m so looking forward to this. Thank You❣️

[@lindascanlan6317]

"Running a society like a casino"...Anand you are so right ...

[@maureenb.7966]

Two of my favorite people ❣️ Thank You.

[@elliottspence]

You really have bad taste.

[@m.e.1367]

I'm a very average citizen, and again, Anand Giridharadas is correct, to me, because I do see a plutocracy that always manages to protect itself, always manages to stay on top, always manages to profit financially, no matter what occurs. They don't actually fight the wars they trumpet, they don't actually suffer at the grocery store, when some basic staple has gone up by $5 with no ceiling in sight and their well-paid talking heads are on social media, trying to spread guilt and shame on those of us who dare to complain, accusing us of ingratitude, unpatriotism and what really rankles me: envy and covetousness. We are at the point of saying, "it's all a scam, just a scam, and we bought it for so long, and all along, we are just pawns in their game."

[@bearclaw007]

I love 'I Contain Multitudes'!! Just saw Dylan play it in Phoenix last week. His work this millennia is fantastic!

[@lindascanlan6317]

Adore you ...your brilliance overwhelms me.

[@awalebebinu]

My 6.5 year old asked me why are we living in the US if the US has army bases all over the world and are committing so many bad acts to poor people and people who are not European (her exact words). I’m not sure how I feel hearing that she’s not the only child out here who thinks along these lines. They’re going to hate us 🥴

[@elainerekopantswe2933]

Wow that is really telling. My worry is that this isn't a US thing it's a world thing. The Racism and othering is going on and on and on all over - at times I feel like we are creating two worlds. One world or world view for everyone else and another world or world view for "Black" people. Maybe it's just me but I am constantly feeling as though in today's world being "Black" is like not being seen as part of the human race but outside of it. the language and the messaging and rhetoric.

[@jacobjorgenson9285]

Study then teach about the fate of empires.. Hard times make strong men Strong men make good times Good times make weak men Weak men make hard times

[@ronanbrodrick9168]

Really appreciate your work. Thank you for doing this.

[@NEMO-NEMO]

We all had a hand in it. One way or the other, every person in America has to realize that. It didn’t happen to us, We chose our world through actions we permitted and allowed from destructive thinking, greed, comfort, and thinking that there would never be a day of reckoning.

[@geoffreynhill2833]

Great host and great guest. Anand is new to me. (His ambivalent reflections on China haunt me too.) Shocked and moved by Sarah's poem. (Greetings from UK!) PS: Rob must be a Tom Lehrer fan...

[@ALL_CAPS__]

Capitalism is at the heart of all our ailments. It breeds individualism, greed, and monopoly. It's the name of the game to be the biggest and only player in your industry.

[@direwolf6234]

perhaps yes but the alternatives have proven to be less desirable .. we need rules

[@ALL_CAPS__]

@@direwolf6234 not advocating for no rules. Capitalists do though, at least no rules that apply to them. Deregulation of their particular industry is always the focus of their legalized bribery (campaign contributions). Professor Wolff and Democracy at Work have good discussion on this.

[@katherinejones850]

@@direwolf6234 In Scandinavia?? Keep out of power the crazies, the power mad, the narcissists, the psychos! when the US is not meddling to cause failure of countries who wish to be socialist, they can succeed! WE enabled Venezuela's collapse.

[@daveruda]

@@direwolf6234 so rather slavery than no slavery

[@margaretgoodheart4167]

Mr. R, yes, more and more of us are understanding that truth. Pope Francis has written 2 encyclicals with the same conclusion.

[@MrKrissus]

very insightfull, tkanks

[@consciousness5061]

Thank you so much 💓 Was a pleasure 🙏🏽 ☺️ ☺️

[@tomover9905]

This seems a vague retreat from Giridharadas' earlier calling out of the problem (not to mention what we can do about it) : plutocracy

[@turtletimeglass4693]

Yes. This is the voice that has been missing from the inet discussions. It's all about the protecting wealth (amassed capital). As long as money is loaned into existence with interest and we allow capital to over accumulate without taxing it appropriately the old economic paradigm will remain and recreate itself.

[@elliottspence]

He's also against free speech... the guy is a stooge for MSNBC.

[@antonionalesnik4706]

Anand is the vision of the anointed

[@thomasraymer1085]

Yep. Are we America still?

[@ahagamama]

Have you read, "Anand, Despair and Personal Power in the Nuclear Age" by Joanna Rogers Macy?

[@lindascanlan6317]

Quoting Dylan ! Ty sir...

[@renatajd7758]

Wow, the daughter's poem.

[@treefrog3349]

There always IS a possibility for beautiful humanitarian outcomes. But talking about possibilities is a whole different game than talking about probabilities. The former is tantamount to wishful thinking (the "better angels" of human nature); the latter is based on empirical observations of what we have actually, historically, empirically done to one another(the lesser angels). All things considered, I genuinely envy those that are able to have any optimism for our future.

[@DanDeLeoninthefield]

Read The Dawn of Everything by Graeber and Wengrow and Rutger Bregman's Humankind: A Hopeful History for additional (and empirical) evidence regarding human nature and its possibilities.

[@erNomic]

I appreciate his hair. Very few phonies can be so easily identified. He builds a lot of social credit, but is ready to sell you out the second he is needed to.

[@truthaboveall7988]

U need a far larger audience /YT seems to prefer less liberal discussions but I am appreciative for ur Channel & have been reading Anand’s book /I also don’t understand y in NYC we aren’t organising some massive stuff right now

[@pseudo_ra]

Anand brought up underpaying people etc…yet he doesn’t follow through. Exploitation is LITERALLY the foundation of unfettered capitalism. To make a profit, you literally have to capitalize on the exploitation of someone or something. The system is set up that way, yet I don’t see him reconciling this with a new proposal.

[@deliberatedmind]

PREACHER! “…on a planet you can’t live on…”

[@m.e.1367]

..well and some people are introverts who prefer the quiet of the countryside versus the chaotic overload of the cities. People who aren't of this type fled the countryside for the cities generations ago and they continue to do so. So it's not as if that's a fixed demographic. I would say people who choose the country over the city are sensitive to nature (such as is left us) and in that quiet, can think about things that the city has a way of drowning out. Yes, the government is composed of "us" but the government is also very hierarchical, much like the military, of which it is deeply aligned. So you have the worker bees at the bottom tiers who are getting up and going to work, dreaming of retirement one day, to do whatever it is they truly wish they could do now, and just above them, middle management with its limited authority, also dreaming of that golden freedom, and beyond that, upper management, etcetera, which still has to answer to higher and higher levels of power. And then you have the people who must do whatever this "government of us" tells us to do - or else. But somehow, somewhere, we are to find the time in our ten-hour work days (counting commutes) and five-day workweeks to organize for something better and more. I hope you do see how hard it is for an exhausted populace to do that. Of course, historically, has it happened any other way? Well, occasionally, yes. But that is not typical and it isn't frequent enough. So when I hear utopians talk about how "we've gotta do this and that" - it's a bit airy and abstract. Maybe what we need are just some concrete steps laid out by which we can see a real path to betterment for our species...but if it doesn't include the transformation of the inner being to a deeper, more compassionate, more loving, kind, and courageous human, if it just addresses the world outside, and the mere appearance of things, that path will fail, because at bottom, that inner being is still the cause.

[@BobQuigley]

INET always brain food good stuff... TY

[@justgivemethetruth]

Great hair

[@johnellington1932]

What is Unbreakable Faith??? Its Without Doubt Knowing Your Faith Can Grow Confirmed.

[@ese3go]

Perhaps some states should consider seceding from "the union" and form their own Congress. I don't think the US as currently configured is workable.

[@pseudo_ra]

I appreciate his insight, however, I don’t see how there’s a positive here. The people that are ruling the world are literally in control of everything and there’s nothing we can do unless we revolt. Are you suggesting a revolt? I would love to know his point by point solution for all these problems.

[@dogeared100]

Start cooperating to aid one another.

[@Sarcastic4u2]

Kudos jackson

[@ericsuarez834]

A problem is that some of his point of views are also provided by corporations and media, it's understandable the hate towards Fox news but any media in the USA is paid to give an opinion and his view about Putin is proof of it

[@thefakenewsnetwork8072]

Long live freedom and democratic communism

[@ujohnmike2293]

Just FOCUS on USA first - on what USA had done wrongs, committed war crimes, etc. for the past 50 years, WOULD BE A GOOD RIGHT START FIRST FOREMOST. Don't have to twist and turn, and waste time, here. AS THERE'S AMPLE EXAMPLES, PROOFS OF WHAT THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS TO BEGIN WITH.

[@jfk-shotbybanksters479]

a starter - at least for the americans - could be to stop thinking of being exceptional

[@enatp6448]

I understand why the accountability of the collective "we" is part of this discussion but I think it's seriously missing the mark and just creates more anger, ageism, and divisiveness between generations. There are some serious heavy hitters in the state of the world that have escaped any level of accountability and that's what "we" the collective need to rally towards. Discussions shouldn't alienate average people but should inspire.

[@jimranallo686]

We have moved into a new age...hoping we focus on healing after the stressful times that the world struggled thru...# 1 priority is ending racism

[@direwolf6234]

just what's your plan to achieve that ?

[@jimranallo686]

@@direwolf6234 do you agree that now is a time to heal after 2 + yrs of destructive... stressful years...do i have a plan?...yes i do...on a personal level i am meeting more with my group of close friends and discussing current events...future prospects and we all are positive folks and all of us contribute here to the community...and try to spread cheer not fear...racism is a tuff one...as it exists in many places and deeply rooted in many of our backgrounds...i myself have never focused on race...i moved to México yrs ago and traveled...i just do not see color...cheers

[@noricd]

Nation-states have psychologies. I believe I have some understanding of say half a dozen. Their psychologies are apparent in differences in expressions of nationalism. Identity is a matryoshka (ie nesting Russian peasant doll), it's personal, familial, social and for most people in recent centuries, national, (though some have millennial nation identity). My formal and informal education has been more about the USA than any other (including in a university Arts degree), more so than Australia where I live, Iran where I was born, or Armenia (past and present) which is my inherited (OK, I admit "treasured") heritage. Late in life I find nuts to crack, in the psychology and consciousness, largely informed by my readings of history. These nuts are nourishing my understanding of the half dozen peoples and nation-states with which I have some familiarity. The USA being among them.

[@ivandafoe5451]

So...this conversation is somehow all about you?

[@noricd]

@@ivandafoe5451 No, not "all".

[@vincentquintero6464]

anand should run for office 2024

[@scottmcloughlin4371]

USA Foreign Policy = IHOP: International House of Pancakes.

[@bearclaw007]

More like Waffle House.

[@treefrog3349]

Its curious to me that Rob Johnson is of the same "vintage" as myself and we share equally dim expectations for our descendants futures. Anand, on the other hand, is young and naive and innocent when it comes to the ways, means and practices of his "elders".

[@hughmcdonnell849]

Listening to these guys anyone might think that Biden is not one of the plutocrats!

[@pseudo_ra]

My main criticism of Anand is that he still believes that “Democrats good and Republicans bad.” He still believes that we have a choice as far as politics go. The two parties work for the same plutocrats that he’s talking about here.

[@imaginationfactory9560]

Ok, this is a conversation that unfortunately must be taken lightly. Anand believes in "taking back the government" to effect change. How can that be done when so much of the government is in servitude to the powers that be ? A necessary question to answer for which in this transmission there is no answer. Now, I've reached the point where the host is speaking about the existential genius of his 9 year old in talking about climate change. I don't want to be disrespectful, but must say that I feel that this anecdote is disrespectful to those that are listening in order to learn. puuuuleeeeeze.

[@ezehernandez]

Agree. Comparing the state with a family is beyond naive

[@BestResuMS]

"Government is not the answer; government is the problem." I now have to agree with Reagan.

[@daveruda]

if you dont take back control guess who will keep control? The economic elites ofc. The levers of power are there and we can change things. This is all man made.

[@ezehernandez]

@@daveruda that´s not in question. the way is in question. The idea of changing the system from within when the system itself is geared to annul and divert such efforts.

[@theunwantedcritic]

I think the interviewer is stuck in the 60s

[@UMS9695]

Pretty much one sided views.

[@jozbluts8868]

What do u mean with climate change? ThaT CO2 NONSENS OR ........

[@homapirzadeh3930]

I am wondering, with all your knowledge and research on the Afghanistan issue , do you still think USA and its allies were there to give them democracy and freedom? War is a successful business for the collective West! They were happy with the outcome! They did not care about the situation they have created in that country, not care a bit about all the human lives , injured and disabled people and distractions, they had no plan to get out of there if they were not forced to!!

[@oscarwindham6016]

If your - "New Economic Thinking" - doesn't feature the modern-day advent of QE, then there isn't anything new about your thinking since QE is the answer to the funding issue which is the crux of entire matter when you're trying to get something done.

[@coolmodelguy6304]

So far, all the QE has done is grow financial assets beyond the capability of economic sustainment. Using more QE without controls will do more of the same. Just like the latest "Infrastructure Bill" that passed into law earlier this year is simply fodder to grow financial assets, QE has done nothing to assist the country at large, so how can QE fund anything without making the crisis worse?

[@oscarwindham6016]

@@coolmodelguy6304 You have just made my point by exhibiting your lack of understanding about QE which understanding has been deliberately kept from you by both the Left and the Right up in D. C. This is not the format for an in depth discussion so as to explain what is going on behind the scenes these days with a perfect example being the latest news story about another omnibus spending bill just being passed in the House for $1.25 TRILLION in the dead of night by the Left without any participation being allowed from the Right while we're supposed to be in debt which we are not and the key members in the kleptocracy (Congress) know it but won't explain same to the masses. The best I can do for you is to recommend that you do a little research on my explanatory narrative about the subject of our irrelevant federal deficit due to QE, which is called Equity Spending or ES, not to be confused with the more Left leaning MMT explanatory narrative, in my very biased opinion. The truth is that we have federal funding available to - "Infinitum" - to quote Fed Chairman Powell. If you have any questions, just let me know. P.O.O.F.O.O.S.I.E.

[@coolmodelguy6304]

@@oscarwindham6016 - My first comment is: there is no left or right in the Congress or Senate. With the exception of a very few principled individuals, democrats and republicans are of the same corporate party (corporatocracy, not kleptocracy). Your claim that the left passed this budget bill in the dead of night did not survive scrutiny, both partied signed off on the details by agreeing to parity in increasing defense and non defense spending. I am well aware of how the appropriations process works and it is separate from QE, which is the purview of the Federal Reserve and has been used extensively and exclusively to inflate the equity (financial asset) markets. There is no way the Federal Reserve is going to use QE for anything other than propping up the stock market, so please explain how QE can be used to "get something done" when that is not and never has been used in such a manner.

[@ivandafoe5451]

As long as the power to create money is in the hands of private interests, it will never be used for the public good.

[@oscarwindham6016]

@@ivandafoe5451 Agreed, so, since when has private interest been able to electronically (legally) generate monies?

[@coolmodelguy6304]

The only stewardship that is important is to keep growing the value of financial assets. Everything else can burn.

[@ivandafoe5451]

Not so "cool" after all.

[@coolmodelguy6304]

@@ivandafoe5451 - Not my opinion, just plain old fact. Most people are unaware of the growth of financial assets, which are the real drain on our economy. In the first three business quarters of 2021, financial assets grew by $10 trillion, which is just under half of our entire GDP. If people want to know why things have gotten so bad, it is because financial assets are a vampire parasite latched onto our economy, and the powers that be protect that parasite at all costs. Thus, everything else can burn.

[@ivandafoe5451]

@@coolmodelguy6304 You need to be more clear about how you write your comments if you are giving opinions that are not your own. Your post was NOT just making a factual statement when you have included two opinions..."the only stewardship that is important" and "everything else can burn" which are not facts, they are the expressions of the attitudes of some people...apparently not including yourself.

[@coolmodelguy6304]

@@ivandafoe5451 - That's ok, when I read sarcasm, I don't always get it either. The people who are in control do not give a crap about anything except wealth and power. Since I wrote those last comments, the new figures for financial assets came in. The gains were $13.277 trillion, which is equal to 66.98% of our GDP for the year. That money was not earned. It was extracted or pulled out of the future through massive borrowing. This is what we all should be angry about. What I meant by "plain old fact", is that our global priority is to grow these stupid artificial means of wealth, instead of many, many more important and urgent matters that need attending to. P.S. When I wrote my OP, I was beyond frustrated. Every system has limits, just not wealth. It makes no sense.

[@scpatl4now]

If the Democrats could just net 2 Senators (and hold the house) in the midterms...you get rid of the filibuster. That would go a long way to getting things done.

[@jarvisaddison8560]

Good idea. However the dems have no interests to abolish the filibuster. Its all a facade.

[@ujohnmike2293]

Don't be fooled by the charade that's going on, in Congress. Been on show for long long time now.

[@vmr6771]

The 2 party system is part of the failure we are living in. It would be nice to have a strong 3rd party to break their monthly.

[@jacobjorgenson9285]

The US needs what all nations eventually need. A break down with a chance of starting over.

[@dogeared100]

When we get there let's see what happens?

[@brandonguzman2757]

"winners take all" is a very well-written book that definitely has something to say. However the authors bias rings clearly throughout the pages of that book; as it does in this discussion. Everything would be great if only taxes on the rich were endless and re-distribution to the poor was boundless. His criticisms of elite and plutocratic philanthropy are excellent but they leave out the failures and scams of much lower-level activism that prevent the whole from being seen -much less acted upon. Further, his focus on elites never allow for discussion as to the squandering of "democracy" he speaks of here in one sentence. Exactly what democracy means, who squandered it, and what could be done to educate people about that goes fallow is never mentioned (of course) while "climate change" is asserted to be an undeniable clear and present danger. (Man-made climate change that is; without one word ever being spoken as to what tree rings and ice cores tell us about climate change over millions of years). I 'd also infer he believes the same of "covid". OMIT OMIT OMIT. These guys...UGH!

[@robertcalamusso4218]

Hmmm Young Africans dance. S Americans play soccer Hmm

[@kikolatulipe]

Oligarchy rules !

[@michaelbunner7387]

Oligarchs of theft murder inequality and environmental destruction all need to be physically removed from their high chair and put into their rightful place which is equal to us not loading over us and that starts by taking back their I'll gotten wealth that they stold and leaving them in a trailer court eating hotdogs for dinner cleaning their own house and wondering if they can pay their electric bill Then they will understand,not before then.

[@deregulatethisnow4555]

Anand is a grifter.

[@Rick-uu4sj]

Armand is intelligent but not very smart. He also loves the sound of his own voice. He likes so many others lives in the upside down world. When you don't create anything that anyone wants you start to make stuff up...

[@ivandafoe5451]

So you make up lame excuses to not understand anything that he says. You couldn't come up with anything substantial here, only your dubious, self-proclaimed assumptions of superior knowledge and intelligence. Talk about the projection of making stuff up when you don't have anything to offer...

[@eileenmc4746]

I was a housekeeper in 3 homes owned by a global financier who actual owned more than ten. I read Anand’s book and understood exactly the case he is making. I am glad he has a few positive remedies as I also listen to others such as Hedges. I saw how the one percent of the one percent treat life. Pre- Pandemic, preTrump and the Democrat politicians they fly in for dinner stays. I am a Leftie btw

[@raoulwise1654]

Armand created a very insightful book about phony philanthropy among plutocrats--have you read it? It was very well-researched and well-written. Rick, what of value have you created lately?

[@Rick-uu4sj]

@@ivandafoe5451 Ahhhh yes.....The armchair spin theoretical and social/political commentary crowd....Handing each awards, sniffing each others asses and the rarified air only they can appreciate. The self enlightened..... the frustrated.

[@Rick-uu4sj]

@@raoulwise1654 Oh please- An insightful book? Let me guess...the victimizing of the downtrodden? The inherent inequities in a meritocracy based society? The oppressive history of the Western Patriarchal System? ZZZZZZZZZZ......Mental masturbation for the bored, frustrated, and unfulfilled self enlightened ! rubbish!