This episode is the ninth part of a larger series in which I am joined by Roman Empire expert Brett Davidoff, as we discuss some of the parallels of ancient Rome to the United States and other historical instances of democratic decay. In this episode we discuss the prosperous rule of the emperor Domitian.

Alexander and I discuss the philosophical implications if humans are not the only form of intelligent life.

Topics:

◉ We as a species don't have our act together.

◉ Problems tend to travel with us.

◉ We'll never have it as good as we do right now on this big blue ball called Earth.

◉ We are no longer evolving with this planet.

◉ Good Technology versus bad technology.

◉ The dangers of playing with genetics.

◉ Aliens feeding us breadcrumbs?

◉ Entitlement can cause contempt.

Alexander and I discuss the importance of leadership and empathy.

Topics:

◉ Empathy is sometimes more of a journey.

◉ Experiences can make the abstract real.

◉ A walk down the emphatic trail...

◉ The more experiences you can comprehend the better you can predict how people will behave.

◉ You can't quench the thirst of a village with tears alone.

◉ Training people to see beyond the veil of false empathy.

◉ Sometimes it's the people that appear to care the least, that care the most.

Alexander and I, discuss why during periods of frustration, flipping the table over almost never works.

Topics:

◉ A Case Study: The French Revolution

◉ Revolutions are typically started by those already in the front of the line.

◉ Second tier elites have a magical ability to rile people up.

◉ We need to be a lot more mindful if our representatives are living true to the ideals they espouse.

◉ Power has a funny way of alienating representatives from the very people they were entrusted to represent.

◉ Consequences is the watchdog ensuring the captain is taking us where we were promised.

◉ Overturning Citizens United is a good place to start.

◉ Campaigns financed by smaller donors, creates a much stronger pipeline to those in power.

◉ None of these ideas can work, if we don't do our part in holding powerful people accountable.

Alexander and I discuss if we as humans are inherently selfish and if so, what are some of the ways that we can start reprogramming ourselves.

Topics:

◉ Selfishness exists within each of us.

◉ Selfish behavior stems from fear and the need to control.

◉ We do have a biological proclivity to protect those closest to us.

◉ Religion stresses the need for humanity to make personal sacrifices.

◉ Incremental altruism.

◉ Vast income and wealth inequality creates greater instability...even for the rich.

◉ Who are the truly deserving?

◉ Fairness and justice should be our highest ideals.

In light of recent events in the stock market, Joe and I explain how current market volatility has more to do with value fabrication more than anything else.

Topics:

◉ Income inequality eventually comes for the rich.

◉ All of capitalism is predicated on sustaining markets which can afford the goods and services being offered...there is no way around this.

◉ The dangers of a stock market that does not reflect real world economic conditions.

◉ The psychological construction of value.

◉ Executive compensation and perverse incentive structures.

◉ The practice of short selling is not a problem...it's when short sellers manipulate value that it becomes a problem.

◉ Capping executive compensation to a certain percentage beyond the lowest paid employee.

◉ Consequences can help correct risky and corrupt behavior.

◉ Once people discover there are no real gold coins in the treasure chest...chaos ensues.

◉ Layoffs and minimum wage jobs should be an indicator of weakness not strength.

◉ We need to bring back good ol' fashioned SHAME.

Kenny and I discuss some of the things and people that we falsely pay just a bit too much attention to.

Topics:

◉ The things we cherish today might easily become tomorrow's plastic toys.

◉ Our temporary obsessions come not just with a cost, but with an opportunity cost as well.

◉ We tend to value what others value without really thinking it through.

◉ Momentary pleasure will only lead to regret later.

◉ We are failing to make the most crucial investment of all...our youth.

◉ Impatience and visibility can be blinding.

◉ The people we surround ourselves with are based on the best of times, not the worst of times.

◉ Compassion versus competence, why not both?

Alexander and I discuss potential alternatives to the highly polarized and ideologically driven political class that now dominates.

Topics:

◉ We are trained to pay attention to those who are the most radicalized and entertaining.

◉ Truth is a giant puzzle in which we all hold a piece.

◉ The significance of the "Middle Way."

◉ The middle is not necessarily the median viewpoint.

◉ Extreme zealots are incapable of holding down a conversation.

◉ Our desire for entertainment is usurping our will to find solutions.

◉ Plato warns us of the dangers of having a ruling class that is too wealthy.

◉ We can't expect our representatives to represent us, until they start living like us.

Joe and I navigate some of the immediate hurdles we will likely encounter as the U.S. emerges from the pandemic as well as some of the more long-term problems that still loom over us.

Topics:

◉ Times of extreme peril require a strong guiding hand.

◉ Stimulus packages serve as good first aid but are not the cure.

◉ Access to easy credit and tax cuts cloak real economic problems.

◉ The invisible elephant in the room is really not enough jobs for everyone.

◉ Capitalism is predicated on the idea of selling to markets which are rich enough to afford the goods being sold.

◉ Some of the problems with UBI.

Nearly a month into 2021, Kenny and I discuss how we can live with the daily uncertainties that challenge us.

Topics:

◉ If it never rained, life would get boring quick.

◉ Absolute certainty can lead to absolute stagnation.

◉ Humans need growth...perhaps more so than their need for stability.