In this episode of Upstream, Erik Torenberg and Richard Hanania discuss the surprising support for Donald Trump within Silicon Valley, contrasting it with earlier elections. They also explore reasons behind this shift, such as antiwokeness sentiments, dissatisfaction with left economic policies, and the Democrats' antitech stance. beehiiv: Head to https://beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months.

The conversation also covers broader societal issues like the impact of religion, American Jews' political tendencies, and the strengths and weaknesses of America's socioeconomic systems, and reflects on Elon Musk's political involvement and the rise of conspiratorial thinking in modern politics.

We’re publishing this conversation across Moment of Zen and Upstream since the themes are highly relevant to both shows.

Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/J...



RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Moment of Zen

Every week, Erik Torenberg, Dan Romero, Antonio Garcia Martinez and frequent special guests discuss what's happening in technology, business, politics, and beyond.

Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/15KYOzv...

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...



SPONSORS: BEEHIIV | BABBEL | SQUAD

Head to beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. A special offer is at https://beehiiv.com: use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months

Ready to achieve your 2024 goals? Start learning a new language with Babbel in just three weeks. Enjoy app lessons, live classes, and podcasts designed for realworld conversations. Get up to 60% off at https://babbel.com/torenberg

Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.




TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(00:19) Silicon Valley's Surprising Support for Trump
(01:20) Silicon Valley's Shift in Political Climate
(03:32) Richard's Political Evolution and Disillusionment
(04:27) Conservative and Liberal Ideologies
(09:03) Human Capital and Political Dynamics
(14:08) Sponsor: Squad | beehiiv | Babbel
(14:16) Religion's Role in Society
(35:25) Historical Context of AntiSemitism
(36:12) Comparing Prejudices: Gypsies, Asians, and Religious Differences
(36:58) Rationalism vs. Conflict Theory
(38:00) The Role of Villainy in Political Narratives
(39:16) Conspiracies and Enlightenment Values
(41:30) The Impact of Conspiratorial Thinking
(49:43) Jewish Intellectual Influence
(52:09) DEI and Meritocracy in Silicon Valley
(53:56) America's Resilience and Future Challenges
(56:07) Immigration Policies: US vs. Europe
(1:01:44) Future of Political Parties PostBiden and Trump
(1:07:27) Wrap

FOLLOW ON X:
  / eriktorenberg   (Erik)
  / richardhanania   (Richard)
  / upstream__pod   (Upstream)
  / turpentinemedia   (Turpentine)