Transcription
And Douglas Rushkoff is talking about some very candid conversations he has had with people who I would describe as very separated from the realities of the average person. Let's run it.
And you know, this is actually a decent example if he ever comes in here and after this episode probably won't, but a decent example to give you an idea like how I approach these things. So I don't do gotcha sitdowns with people. I talk with people for three hours. That's the way it's been since the beginning of the podcast. We had without knowing about any of this months ago looked into having Kevin Olir in. I think I know some people who know him. I think that's how that came up.
>> Yeah, I've spoke with his people too. They've been receptive.
>> And may and maybe that'll happen. If Kevin Olir came in here, I'm not going to sit down and be like, "Yo, [ __ ] you, bro. What are you doing?" I want to hear him out. I want to rather than a 90-cond [ __ ] sitting in his car answering a basic question on some mainstream network or whatever it was, I want to actually have a discussion, see what it is, have him lay out his whole case, be able to lay out the same case respectfully and carefully that I just did to you guys in probably a way more forgiving tone to see what he does with that. And then you guys out there can judge away based on whatever his responses are. And wherever that lands, it lands. you know that my my job is as best I can to not I mean my opinions come into some things but I don't want you to just like take my opinions including on this show obviously my job is to present the things as best I can and then let you guys figure it out agree with me disagree with me agree with the guest disagree with the guest however you want based on what the facts laid out are but yeah I I pro I haven't really thought about this in the context of now what's coming up I probably I probably still want to do that podcast cuz I think that should happen.
>> Oh, I I.
>> And I and I know where my head's at. My I I'm going to be honest, my bias is with the people here. I think this is way too fast, way too much without even knowing all the specifics of just what a >> AI data race this is. And a big issue that I take with stuff like this and and and it was a big issue with the Andover New Jersey meeting a few days ago is that they're rolling out these projects for, you know, billions on billions of dollars with no incentive or very little incentive to the town, to the schools, to the people. So it's just like who is this for?
>> Who is this really for?
>> That's right. And again, it's a big part of the AI craze. And like I don't And this is something I would say to Kevin Olirri. I don't think like Kevin Olirri thinks. Kevin Olirri is a stone cold business investor. I don't say that as a slight or a compliment. That's he is just he is a very successful businessman.
>> Yep.
>> Who is always looking at trends and what he gets off on as best as I can tell is like let's make a deal and let's grow from that deal. And good for him. Like that's a part of what runs the economy. I don't have that gene. I'm a creative, as I've discussed recently. I'm romantic about how I make money. I like to do things I love and wherever it lands, it lands. And that's probably why I don't have a lot of money. I should probably get a little better at it. Maybe I could take a point.
>> Preach to the choir, brother.
>> Right. But like you know the downside of being purely motivated that way is that maybe even through the right intentions in your head you pave your way to hell with the wrong intentions subconsciously because subconsciously what you're seeing is target trend acquire go and you lose the people that are caught in the middle of that because you see them as assets or liabilities or a mix they're in. I don't know. But it takes the humanity out of things. And again, sometimes that's not intentional. Other times it is. They these guys like Kevin Olirri, they got to look themselves in the mirror at the night at night and decide what it is. And they know the truth there. So, I won't say one way or the other, but you know, when you're looking at latestage empires throughout history, we talk about it so much. There are all these different trends that happen over and over again. Go back to the Roman Empire, go back to any empire, and one of them is a separation of classes, the diminishingly small powerful, more and more powerful elites.
>> And everyone else.
>> And eventually the scale of math and money tips. Now, what's funny is this is like the story of my life, but not what I just said, what I'm about to say. I was watching a clip a couple days ago. I believe Elizabeth Lane posted it on Twitter. It was from the Rebel Wisdom Show hosted by David Fuller. It was from back in 2020 with Douglas Rushkoff, who spent a lot of time with billionaires. guy I don't know a ton about, but I was thinking to myself, man, this would make a great podcast. And then today, Danny Jones drops a podcast with Douglas Rushoff. So, shout out Danny Jones. Everyone, go check out that episode. Danny Jones never ever gets the credit he deserves. Basically, if you look at any big podcast where like a guest blows up, there is a 20% chance over the past like five years that this was Danny Jones plus x number of months. Like Danny gets people first, turns over rocks or you know people maybe sometimes people who are known but just haven't done the podcast circuit or whatever and he gets it and then it goes. So maybe that'll happen with this Douglas Rushoff guy. But let's play this clip real quick de because again this is back this was released on February 7th 2020 so over a month before the pandemic started which was a obviously a worldchanging event and all that and Douglas Rushkoff is talking about some very candid conversations he has had with people who I would describe as very separated from the realities of the average person. Let's run it.
>> Yeah. I I was invited to do what I thought was a talk to like bankers or something at a resort.
>> And um instead of me going out on stage to do a talk, they brought these five guys into the green room who started peppering me with all these questions about the digital future, you know, like uh you know, Bitcoin or Ethereum and augmented reality or virtual reality. I figured it was one of these things where it's just these five billionaires looking for, you know, investment strategies from someone who's on the ground in the cyber revolution. And eventually they got around to the question of you know Alaska or New Zealand right? So they wanted to know mainly how to prepare for the inevitable collapse of society. And the question we spent most of the time on was how do I maintain control of my security force after the event.
>> Because their money is going to be worthless and these guys will turn on them.
>> And uh it it just struck me that here are the >> wealthiest and most powerful men I've ever encountered. Yet they feel utterly powerless to influence the digital future. That the best they can do is prepare for the inevitable collapse and you know insulate themselves from the reality that they're creating by earning money in the way they're earning it. And it was it was sad, but it was it indicative of the way these folks are thinking. You know, the the highlevel billionaires like the the Alon Musks and Jeff Bezos, they want to get off the planet alto together, really just leave us behind. But the mid-level billionaires who can't afford rocket ships, they're want to build, you know, bunkers and secret communities and get uh robot guards and, you know, and protect themselves from the rest of us. you know, they really think that this is that this is where it's going or at least they they're they're >> convinced enough that they're uh putting in 20 30% of their wealth into these uh uh survivalist scenarios and it's just it's a it's a dark place for us to have gotten you know particularly the people who are building the technological infrastructure.
>> Yeah. Yeah, I think the conclusion to that was.
>> So this last part we're going to watch of this right here. This is in a nutshell to me just encapsulates the complete separation from reality. And I would argue at the very least the basic human decency or straight up lack of humanity that some of I'm not labeling all people. Some of these elites seemingly the ones that he's talking with have of all of us. Let's play it.
>> Well, if you want to stop your your kind of security force basically mutinying, you're going to have to treat them well. Basically, the only things that actually are going to be useful in those environments are >> things like trust, love, care, and the and the soft skills because you can't actually the money isn't going to help.
>> Right? And a legacy of doing that. You can't just start when they arrive. I mean, the joke was I said, you know, if you really want, you know, you want your head of security to protect you, um, you know, pay for his daughter's bot mitzvah today, you know, and they all laughed because none of their heads of security are Jewish guys with, you know, uh, daughters getting bach mitzvah, but they understood what I meant. You know, if you've paid for someone's daughter's bach mitzvah, then when push comes to shove, it's going to be hard for them to kill you, you know, 20 years later in the shelter because they'll think, "This guy paid for my daughter's bot mitzvah."
>> Pause it right there.
>> Can't can't just kill him. It's so sad. It is so sad that advice like that needs to be given. They're basically like, "Yeah, you know, get a little ashtray money and [ __ ] buy off your security guy. Throw him a throw him 100 grand so he doesn't kill you in 10 years when the whole world's over." And the fact that these people are thinking that way. And to Douglas's credit, he talked about the only things that would matter in that type of scenario where he's like love, trust, you know, lean on each other's safety and things like that. the fact that these people that he's talking with don't even know what that is.
>> Yeah.
>> Those words mean nothing to them.
>> They operate in a world of just this.
>> It's crazy.
>> You know, you got to live with yourself, man. I wish you all the best. But like don't come to us, the people, literally everyone who's not a billionaire, and tell them how how to live their lives, whether that be through dark funding to the government. Don't tell us how wars need to be fought. And I say all this knowing full well they're going to continue to do these things. But like, I'm just like everyone. I'm I'm sick of it. Like you're not even at some point you're not even human. And like I I even do wonder a guy who I I think has done some really good things in the past and then other times pisses me the hell off with Elon Musk. He's a controversial dude. But I wonder like he said this week his goal is to like make 10 million or 10 trillion. Like why do you need that?
>> Yeah.
>> Now Douglas Rushkov says it's because he's trying to get off the planet. Him and Bezos. That's what he said specifically because you think it's ending. You know, I I it's it's dark. It's dark and I and I and and I don't like it.
>> Go ahead.
>> It's got Red Rising written all over it. I know you haven't you you were touching it a little bit and reading it, but [ __ ] crazy.
>> That's Pierce Brown.
>> Pierce Brown. Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> I'm trying to get into that writing style. His writing style is a little different.
>> Well, you know what? That Red Rising was his first book. So, you'll see by the second book his pros gets a lot better. But man, gez, makes you wonder.
>> It does make you wonder.
>> Where will we be in like a few hundred years from now.
>> Yeah, guys, I don't like.
>> Pure spec.
>> If you pure respect.
>> But like if you know me, politically, I'm cynical. Fully admit that. But when it comes to life, I'm an unabashed optimist. Doesn't mean we're not gonna talk about the dark [ __ ]. Doesn't mean we're not gonna get pissed off at things. Doesn't mean I'm not gonna shine a light in in the alleyways that need it.
>> But like when I walk out of here.
>> I go for walks. The sun is up. I'm happy. I spend time with friends. I go on dates. I have a good time. Like life is life. And I feel so I I don't know. Like I wake up happy to be here. As stressful as like life can be sometimes and the job and everyone out there, you know what I'm talking about. Like it's an amazing thing and you never know when it's going to end. But if there's one thing I feel bad for these people on, it's that they're never going to know what that is and maybe they never have.
>> Yeah. Well said. I agree.
>> You know.
>> Yeah. Thank you guys for watching the episode. If you haven't already, please hit that subscribe button and smash that like button on the video. They're both a huge, huge help. And if you would like to follow me on Instagram and X, those links are in my description below. Eight.