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Artwork for The Permanent Problem

The Permanent Problem

Brink Lindsey
Symbolic Capitalists
Social Justice
Cultural Contradictions
Woke-Ism
Abundance
Great Awakenings
Inequality
Economic Crisis
Niskanen Center
Liberalitarianism
Political Correctness
Symbolic Economy
Professional Managerial Class
The Captured Economy
Liberalism
Johns Hopkins University
Virginia Postrel
Trump Administration
Progressivism
Housing

In dozens of provocative essays published on his Substack and cross-posted here, Brink Lindsey has explored what John Maynard Keynes called humanity’s “permanent problem:” the quest to “live wisely and agreeably and well” with the vast resources and powers that capitalist prosperity has bestowed upon us. That quest, unfortunately, has gone awry in the 21st century. In Lindsey’s analysis, capitalis... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes13Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
GovernmentSociety & Culture

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Artwork for The Permanent Problem

Latest Episodes

After years of disappointing productivity growth, are we about to experience an AI-powered breakout? On this episode of The Permanent Problem podcast, Brink Lindsey welcomes Andrew McAfee, a principal research scientist at MIT Sloan School of Managem... more

In this episode of The Permanent Problem podcast, Laura Field joins host Brink Lindsey to discuss their new books. The first half of the conversation focuses on Field's Furious Minds: The Making of the New Right, an examination of the intellectuals o... more

On this episode of The Permanent Problem podcast, Brink Lindsey welcomes Damon Linker, author of the "Notes from the Middleground" Substack and a Niskanen Center senior fellow, to discuss the challenge of right-wing populism and how liberals should r... more

On this episode of The Permanent Problem podcast, host Brink Lindsey welcomes Jonathan Chait of The Atlantic to discuss the abundance movement and the future of the Democratic Party. Chait sees a major role for abundance-based ideas in challenging th... more

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Recent Guests

Andrew McAfee
MIT research scientist and author
MIT
Episode: The future of innovation, with Andrew McAfee
Laura Field
Author of Furious Minds; non-resident fellow at Brookings; affiliated with George Washington University and American University
Brookings Institution
Episode: MAGA intellectuals with Laura Field
Damon Linker
Substack Notes from the Middleground writer; senior lecturer at University of Pennsylvania
Niskanen Center; University of Pennsylvania
Episode: Defending liberalism (and how not to), with Damon Linker
Jonathan Chait
Writer with The Atlantic, covering American politics and policy
The Atlantic
Episode: Abundance and the Democrats, with Jonathan Chait
Steve Teles
Political science professor at Johns Hopkins University and senior fellow at the Niskanen Center.
Johns Hopkins University
Episode: The prehistory, present, and future of abundance, with Steve Teles
Jonathan Rauch
Longtime journalist, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and author
Brookings Institution
Episode: Christianity and democracy, with Jonathan Rauch
Musa al-Gharbi
Sociologist at Stony Brook University and author of "We Have Never Been Woke"
Stony Brook University
Episode: Symbolic Capitalists and "Awokenings", with Musa al-Gharbi
Eli Dourado
Chief Economist at the Abundance Institute
Abundance Institute
Episode: Abundance and collapse, with Eli Dourado
Tim Carney
Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and author of several books, including 'Family Unfriendly.'
American Enterprise Institute
Episode: Decoding the birth rate decline, with Tim Carney

Host

Brink Lindsey
Host and senior vice president at the Niskanen Center, Brink Lindsey is known for his work exploring capitalism and its various crises through a combination of economic theory and social critique.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#44
Canada/Government
Apple Podcasts
#91
Finland/Government
Apple Podcasts
#98
New Zealand/Government
Apple Podcasts
#223
Sweden/Government

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The future of innovation, with Andrew McAfee
Q: What are the implications of AI for productivity and employment in the near term, and how should society respond?
Productivity gains have been variable historically, with a burst in the internet era but a slowdown since; now generative AI could boost productivity in knowledge work, but there will be dislocations and a need to distinguish between tasks and jobs, allowing innovators to create new opportunities while managing transitions through flexible governance and entrepreneurship.
The future of innovation, with Andrew McAfee
Q: What are your thoughts on where AI is going beyond current language models, and what would constitute a breakthrough toward general intelligence?
There is an active debate among AI researchers about whether current LLM architectures can reach artificial general intelligence; many argue that world models and multi-modal or external-world representations will be required, while others believe LLMs will continue to improve with scale and integration with other models; the conversation emphasizes that true breakthroughs may come from combining language capabilities with world models and specialized tools.
The future of innovation, with Andrew McAfee
Q: Explain the metaphor of the second half of the chessboard and relate it to where we are in AI these days.
The metaphor, borrowed from Ray Kurzweil and elaborated with the authors, illustrates how exponential progress looks slow for a long stretch and then suddenly accelerates; we are now in a phase where computing power and data have reached a point where AI capabilities—especially large language models and code generation—are expanding rapidly, suggesting a shift to a new phase of productivity and innovation more broadly.
Symbolic Capitalists and "Awokenings", with Musa al-Gharbi
Q: What would a healthier, symbolic capitalist sector look like?
A healthier sector involves recognizing and engaging constructively with people outside their elite circles and addressing their self-defeating conduct.
Symbolic Capitalists and "Awokenings", with Musa al-Gharbi
Q: What's your theory for how that came about?
The symbolic capitalists justify their struggles for power and status through a focus on social justice narratives as a response to their own advantages in society.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Permanent Problem

What is The Permanent Problem about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A range of critical discussions on key societal issues and the challenges posed by modern capitalism are central to the content. The podcast primarily analyzes capitalism's perceived crises—including stagnation in economic growth, increasing inequality based on educational disparities, and the challenges to liberal democratic institutions. Interview-based episodes feature experts from diverse fields, examining how these systemic issues affect social inclusion and political stability, often juxtaposed against historical contexts and current events. This intellectual exploration offers listeners a platform to engage with pressing debates surrounding political values, economic innovation, and social equity, providing insights into potential pa... more

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1. The Vital Center
2. The Good Fight
3. The Realignment
4. The New Liberal Podcast
5. The Liberal Patriot with Ruy Teixeira

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The Permanent Problem launched 2 years ago and published 13 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Permanent Problem?

Recent guests on The Permanent Problem include:

1. Andrew McAfee
2. Laura Field
3. Damon Linker
4. Jonathan Chait
5. Steve Teles
6. Jonathan Rauch
7. Musa al-Gharbi
8. Eli Dourado

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