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Artwork for The Permanent Problem

The Permanent Problem

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

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

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes18Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
GovernmentSociety & Culture

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Artwork for The Permanent Problem

Latest Episodes

Virginia Postrel has made a career out of seeing the extraordinary in the everyday -- from the growing importance of "look and feel" in the products we buy, to the power of glamour to arouse our sense of longing, to tracing the history of humanity th... more

America is experiencing an epidemic of loneliness: marriage and birth rates, the number of close friendships, time spent with friends, and community involvement more broadly are all in decline. Phil Levin is helping to lead an interesting new movemen... more

In the heady days after the collapse of the Soviet Union, many imagined that we had arrived at the “end of history” now that liberal democratic capitalism had chased all ideological competitors from the field. Just a few short decades later, things l... more

All of the blessings of modernity, Ryan Avent argues in a fascinating new book, rest on faith. It is our faith in others, our ability to trust strangers we will never meet, that makes possible the large-scale cooperation that has given us science, mo... more

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People also subscribe to these shows.

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Recent Guests

Phil Levin
Co-founder of Live Near Friends; co-founder of Culdesac; runs Super Nuclear Substack
Live Near Friends; Culdesac
Episode: Living near friends and family, with Phil Levin
Adrian Wooldridge
Journalist and author
Bloomberg Opinion
Episode: Liberalism's cycles of crisis and renewal, with Adrian Wooldridge
Ryan Avent
Author of In Good Faith
Episode: Modern faith with Ryan Avent
Jack Lindsey
Researcher at Anthropic, leads the Model Psych Team
Anthropic
Episode: AI "psychology," with Jack Lindsey
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

Host

Brink Lindsey
Host of The Permanent Problem

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#139
United States/Government
Apple Podcasts
#208
Canada/Government
Apple Podcasts
#134
Germany/Government
Apple Podcasts
#181
France/Government
Apple Podcasts
#208
Italy/Government
Apple Podcasts
#20
Switzerland/Government
Apple Podcasts
#68
Hong Kong/Government
Apple Podcasts
#105
New Zealand/Government
Apple Podcasts
#111
Ireland/Government
Apple Podcasts
#247
Israel/Government

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Living near friends and family, with Phil Levin
Q: How does Live Near Friends work and what's the scale of it?
The company helps people purchase and develop housing near friends and family, including co-purchasing duplexes and facilitating multi-home developments on subdivided lots. It also focuses on building from scratch designed for neighborly relationships, with a mix of off-the-shelf options and custom builds, aiming to scale through a combination of DIY development and eventual involvement from traditional real estate developers.
Living near friends and family, with Phil Levin
Q: Tell me first of all, your story. What were you on another career track before you made this pivot? Then tell the tip pivot of how you got interested in housing and making housing something beyond single family housing.
Levin describes a pivot from mobile banking in the developing world to housing experiments after realizing the value of community. A pivotal moment came when he and his wife rented a nine-bedroom mansion with friends, which sparked the idea that housing could meaningfully support belonging and well-being, not just shelter. This led to Culdesac and later Radish, and ultimately to Live Near Friends as a scalable platform.
Liberalism's cycles of crisis and renewal, with Adrian Wooldridge
Q: You've got many different ways to define liberalism. Why don't you tell me about those three essential elements?
Liberalism rests on three foundational pillars: individualism starting from the individual, tolerance and openness to pluralism, and a healthy suspicion of concentrated power, whether in the state or in the hands of a few private actors. These form the core that all liberal regimes must protect, despite varying debates about the size of the state or the role of markets.
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.

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?

The discussions center on capitalism's triple crisis—dynamism, inclusion, and political institutions—with guests who bring economic, technological, and policy expertise. Episodes frequently explore how tech advances (notably AI) interact with public policy, culture, and liberal democracy, often through historical and philosophical lenses. The tone blends intellectual history, critical analysis of contemporary politics, and pragmatic reform ideas, with a strong emphasis on meaning, community, and decentralized approaches to social problems. A standout aspect is the host's ability to bridge economics, technology, and political philosophy, inviting guests who challenge mainstream narratives while offering actionable perspectives for reform-min... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Permanent Problem?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Permanent Problem:

1. The Good Fight
2. Conversations with Tyler
3. The Argument
4. The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan
5. The Ezra Klein Show

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The Permanent Problem launched 3 years ago and published 18 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. Phil Levin
2. Adrian Wooldridge
3. Ryan Avent
4. Jack Lindsey
5. Andrew McAfee
6. Laura Field
7. Damon Linker
8. Jonathan Chait

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