Michael Shellenberger on the Psychology of Left-Wing Violence

Conversations with Coleman

The Free Press

Society & Culture, Philosophy

4.8 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 18 May 2026

⏱️ 62 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Michael Shellenberger is the author of San Fransickco and Apocalypse Never. He’s a former progressive activist, and one of the most prominent advocates for nuclear energy in the country. In this episode, he and Coleman dig into the Epstein story and why the evidence falls far short of the conspiracy theory most people believe; the savior complex he sees underlying progressive politics and its connection to recent left- wing violence; and what California and other blue states are finally starting to get right about homelessness after years of getting it catastrophically wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money, whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion dollar swings. There's a money side to every story. Get the money side of the story. Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com.
0:18.3	Welcome to another episode of Conversations with Coleman. My guest today is Michael Schellenberger.
0:25.0	Michael is an author and journalist known for his writing on climate change, energy,
0:29.4	homelessness, censorship, and free speech. He co-founded the Breakthrough Institute. He founded
0:34.9	Environmental Progress, and he's been a prominent advocate for
0:38.2	nuclear power. In this episode, we talk about Michael's background as a progressive activist. He talks
0:45.2	about why he changed his mind about Jeffrey Epstein. We talk about whether political violence is
0:50.9	equally a problem on both sides of the aisle or whether it's tilted towards one.
0:55.8	We talk about the psychological profile of people who commit political violence.
1:01.0	We talk about how San Francisco and other West Coast cities have been doing on issues like
1:05.7	crime and homelessness, and much more. So without further ado, Michael Schellenberger.
1:18.9	Okay, Michael Schellenberger. Thanks so much for coming back on my show. Yeah, great to be with you.
1:22.6	It's been a couple years. We're here in Austin, Texas Texas we are both visiting professors at
1:28.1	University of Austin I'm not visiting you're not visiting no you visited and yeah
1:32.5	professed so what what is your title then I'm the CBR chair of politics
1:37.3	censorship and free speech there you go so you're better than a visiting
1:39.9	professor I'm a lowly visiting professor but it's great to see you in person, and there's a lot to talk about.
1:47.5	I've been perusing your substack. I saw your latest appearance on Joe Rogan, so there's a bunch of things we've both been thinking about in common.
1:55.6	I want to start with your view of the Epstein story and situation, because you're a rare
2:06.7	public commentator in that you change your mind about things sometimes publicly.
2:12.5	Yes.
2:12.8	You are a rare commentator on conspiracy theories in that you seem to actually follow the evidence
	...

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