Happy Monday! Sam and Emma speak with Rob Larson, professor of economics at Tacoma Community College, to discuss his recent book Mastering the Universe: The Obscene Wealth of the Ruling Class, What They Do with Their Money, and Why You Should Hate Them Even More. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on Israel’s bombing of Lebanon and continuing slaughter in Gaza, Mark Robinson’s campaign, Harris’ polling lead, Mike Johnson’s capitulation on a continuing resolution, dropping violent crime rates (and rising rates for hate crimes), Harris’ economic program, Trump’s vow to protect vaping, NATO and Ukraine, Musk’s cave to Brazil, the Fed’s raid on NYPD’s interim commish, and new free COVID tests, before tackling the GOP’s ongoing attempt to rerig electoral votes ahead of the election, alongside some interesting revelations about the Trump campaign’s ground game. Professor Rob Larson then joins, first running through the numbers behind the modern era of wealth inequality and the validity of the parallels with the inequalities of the Gilded Age – from the overwhelming wealth of the top 1% to the minimal holdings of the masses – and the overwhelming social isolation of the upper class via class segregation that defines the stratification of these eras. Expanding on this, Professor Larson walks through the disconnect of the ruling class on the level of the interpersonal (with some strong examples from one Elon Musk) and material, diving deep into how both social institutions (e.g., the media) and economic institutions create (and celebrate) isolated worlds for the uber-wealthy, with boundaries explicitly designed avoid undesirables. Rob, Sam, and Emma then step back and examine the devastating impact this grotesque excess has on the rest of society, particularly in the opportunity cost of the absurd endeavors of the elite, before moving into an expansive conversation on the role of philanthropy in bolstering the power, ego, and wealth of the uber-rich, eventually wrapping up the interview with the central role labor and social organizing must play in the fight to even this playing field.

And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma watch Trump flaunt his Zionist and VC backing, admire Lina Khan’s stellar appearance on 60 Minutes, and soak in JD Vance’s continuing blunders. They also unpack Hillary Clinton’s insane claims about pro-Palestinian campus organizers, parse through RFK’s growing misconduct controversies, and have an extensive conversation with Joseph from Berkeley about the US’ role in pushing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Romeo from Long Island has some comments for the Kamala campaign, plus, your calls and IMs!

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