Saagar & Marshall Supercast AMA & Discussion Preview: Biden State of the Union Reaction, Contrasting WWII Leadership with Today's, Unpacking Cal Newport's Spatial Computing Vision, and More...

$465 | Admiral James Stavridis and Elliot Ackerman: How AI, Biotech, and Geopolitics Will Define the 21st Century: Former NATO Allied Supreme Commander Admiral James Stavridis and Elliot Ackerman, co-authors of 2054: A Novel and 2034: A Novel of the Next World War, return to The Realignment. In a follow-up to their fictional exploration of a military conflict between the U.S. and China in the 2030s, Stavridis and Ackerman explore how artificial intelligence, advances in biotechnology, fractious politics, and an evolving world order defined by nation-states and corporate power could shape the midpoint of the 21st century.$

464 | Saleha Mohsin: How the Weaponization of the Dollar Changed the World Order: Saleha Mohsin, author of Paper Soldiers: How the Weaponization of the Dollar Changed the World Order and Senior Washington Correspondent for Bloomberg News, joins The Realignment. Saleha and Marshall discuss the "strong dollar" consensus that emerged after the end of the Cold War, the resulting tradeoff between cheap consumer imports and the decimation of the manufacturing sector, how the Trump administration began to turn against the strong dollar consensus, the role the Treasury Department and the dollar play in perpetuating America's superpower status, and the increasing use of financial sanctions from the War on Terror to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. by The Realignment

52 min listen

463 | Jim Sciutto: Has Great Power Conflict Set Us on the Path to the Next World War?: Jim Sciutto, CNN Chief National Security Analyst and author of The Return of Great Powers: Russia, China, and the Next World War, joins The Realignment. Jim and Marshall discuss why he believes we're living in a "1939 moment," why the "Cold War II" description understates the perilous geopolitical environment, lessons from the past two years of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, whether the United States can afford to handle multiple theaters of conflict at once, and the Biden vs. Trump foreign policy visions that will define the 2024 election. by The Realignment

61 min listen

462 | Frank H. McCourt, Jr.: How Decentralization Can Fight Big Tech & Reclaim the Internet's Promise: Frank H. McCourt, Jr., founder of Project Liberty and author of Our Biggest Fight: Reclaiming Liberty, Humanity, and Dignity in the Digital Age, joins The Realignment. Marshall and Frank discuss his belief that the internet as we know it is broken, why reimagining the internet's architecture could address growing social strife, the limits of the past decade's regulatory and status-quo market approach, and the promise a "third-generation internet" premised on digital property rights, autonomy, and ownership. by The Realignment

64 min listen

461 | Lucas Vaz: Navigating Decaying Infrastructure, Failing Institutions, and Geopolitical Threats with “Critical Software”: Lucas Vaz, Founder and General Partner of Ravelin Capital, joins The Realignment. Marshall and Lucas discuss, Ravelin, his newly launched fund focused on "critical software." They discuss how successful critical software startups can address the looming challenges posed by decaying infrastructure, failing institutions, and geopolitics, his previous investments in companies like Apex and Hadrian, the generational opportunity to utilize software to address real-world problems, and the ins and outs of launching a new fund amid market uncertainty in the tech industry. by The Realignment

37 min listen

460 | Cal Newport: Why the Obsession with "Pseudo-Productivity" is Driving Knowledge Worker Revolts and Burnout: Cal Newport, Georgetown University professor of computer science, founding member of the Center for Digital Ethics, and author of Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout, returns to The Realignment. Cal and Marshall discuss why "pseudo-productivity" is at the root of trends such as anti-work and quiet-quitting, why knowledge workers feel so burnt out despite the promise of post-COVID remote/hybrid work, the economics behind decades of evolving productivity fads, and where workplace norms and practices settled after COVID's disruption. by The Realignment

78 min listen

459 | Steve Coll: Saddam Hussein, the CIA, and the Perils of Misreading Dictator's Ambitions: Steve Coll, author of The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the C.I.A., and the Origins of America's Invasion of Iraq and Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001, joins The Realignment. Marshall and Steve discuss America's decades-long relationship with Saddam Hussein before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the CIA's intelligence failures that led to radical misinterpretations of Saddam's ambitions after the Gulf War, the Iraq War's significance 20 years later, and how past mistakes can inform today's assessments of Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. by The Realignment

60 min listen