Ryan Research Podcast

Beyond the headlines of the fall of Sam Bankman-Fried and his FTX collapse, a darker cultural and philosophical force is quietly reshaping Silicon Valley and our own democracy. Join us as we pull back the curtain on how the cult of techno-utopianism is truly stealing the future. 

In this episode of the Ryan Research Podcast, host Peter Ryan interviews author and investigative journalist David Z. Morris about his book, Stealing the Future: Sam Bankman-Fried, Elite Fraud, and the Cult of Techno-Utopia.

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*Key Discussion Points:*

- The FTX Connection: An analysis of Sam Bankman-Fried and the FTX collapse, framed as a case study for understanding the broader cultural and philosophical forces in Silicon Valley (0:11-0:46).

- Effective Altruism & AI: A deep dive into the network of Effective Altruists, Rationalists, and AI Doomers. Morris discusses how these organizations operate less like traditional research centers and more like influence and PR engines for current AI developments (2:11-6:39).

- Morris’s Background: A discussion on Morris’s experience as a tech journalist covering crypto and finance, and how his reporting led to his departure from CoinDesk (6:42 - 12:24).

- The Logic of the Code: An exploration of the mindset behind the “tech bro” paradigm, using French theorists like Jean Baudrillard to explain the dangerous obsession with numerical models and performative genius (20:02-23:03).

- The VC Incentive Structure: A conversation on how over-capitalization and specific VC incentives encourage hype and the funding of “genius” personas over sustainable business models (46:02 - 53:07).

- The Illusion of Innovation: Morris and Ryan deconstruct the “genius” narratives used to justify reckless behavior, from the “Kimchi premium” trades to the massive spending on celebrity sponsorships and marketing rather than actual technological advancement (1:02:25-1:11:15).

- Navigating the Hype: Practical advice for the layperson on how to spot the red flags of performative elitism and avoid falling for “hero” narratives in the tech industry (1:13:12-1:16:53).

This conversation serves as a guide for understanding how technocratic ideologies are shaping our economy and democracy, and why maintaining a critical, independent perspective is essential in the current AI paradigm.

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*Please like, follow, and share Morris at his links below:*

Morris is a technology reporter, fraud investigator and financial analyst. He is a former chief columnist for CoinDesk and staff reporter for Fortune Magazine. His work has appeared in a wide range of outlets, including Slate, The Atlantic, Aeon, Bitcoin Magazine, and Protos.

Book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/stealing-the-future-sam-bankman-fried-elite-fraud-and-the-cult-of-techno-utopia-david-morris/ea1a2b9f123f53e8

Twitter: http://x.com/davidzmorris

Website: https://davidzmorris.com/

Substack: https://davidzmorris.substack.com/

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*If You Enjoyed This:*

Read “Money by Vile Means: A Critique of Bitcoin and the Stablecoin Shadow Central Bank"

If you enjoyed this discussion, then you may also enjoy my deep dive critique on cryptocurrency. Bitcoin was sold as a revolution against government money. So why is crypto now helping to fund deficit spending and prop up the dollar? Money by Vile Means takes its title from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, where Brutus wraps a conspiracy in noble ideals. The ebook argues Bitcoin did the same: the rhetoric was about freedom, but the reality served the powerful.

It tests the two big myths behind that rhetoric, that Bitcoin’s software is decentralized and that its market is decentralized. For example, of the 346 people who have contributed to Bitcoin’s code, just five wrote over half of it. From there, it follows crypto’s turn from anti-establishment movement to a tool of the Trump administration through the stablecoin “shadow central bank.”

https://ryanresearch.substack.com/p/money-by-vile-means

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Twitter: https://x.com/_PeterRyan

Website: https://www.ryanresearch.co/

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ryan_research
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I am joined to today by Dan Gray. He is the Research Lead at Odin, a platform for fund managers to start and run venture capital firms online, handling structuring, capital calls, fund administration, and SPVs. He’s been writing for a long time about the ins and outs of venture capital with a level of depth and critical thinking few can match.

In our chat, we discussed the definition of venture capital as an asset class and its role in the political economy. We explore the history of how venture capital developed and if it is in a current crisis. We cover the shifting dynamics amongst GPs and LPs which alters normal venture capital behavior. This produces higher funding rounds, later rounds, and overcapitalization in aggregate. Not only does this distort the transition of startups into public markets but it also alters the front-end decision making process of what types of founders, startups, and sectors get invested in. Ultimately, this makes startups more brittle and venture capital, as an innovation engine, less productive to the overall economy. We further review different models of venture capital (a16z vs. Union Square Ventures), if novel technology requires different funding structures, the role of government in venture capital, and the Europe vs. US debate.

This podcast is also available on all major podcast platforms.

Please like, follow, and share Gray at his links below:

Substack:
https://substack.com/@credistick

Twitter:
https://x.com/credistick

Company Substack:
https://blog.joinodin.com/

Featured Essays:
https://blog.joinodin.com/p/hitting-escape-velocity
https://blog.joinodin.com/p/heavy-is-the-head-that-wears-the

Company:
https://www.joinodin.com/

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Make sure to check out all my links as well:
https://ryanresearch.substack.com/
https://x.com/_PeterRyan
https://www.ryanresearch.co/
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I’m joined today by Tony Chamas. He is an independent researcher and has an upcoming book titled “Freedom to Change Nothing: The Spectrum of Managed Democracy and What Makes the US Different” with Revol Press. He also hosts the YouTube channel, 1Dime as well as his podcast, 1Dime Radio. Notable videos include The Deficit Myth and China's Cultural Revolution: The Full Story (Documentary). He also recently launched a Substack where you can find more of his written content.
In our chat, we discussed our shared desire to critique the left and right. Chamas comes at it from a leftist starting point and I come at it from a right wing starting point. We uncover various contradictions and insufficiencies that both the left and the right contain. We mostly stick to schools of thought in political economy. We touch on Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Friedrich List, and Henry C. Carey. We also cover the geographic case studies of early America, France, Russia, Britain, and China. Naturally, political economy begs the questions of politics, history, and philosophy. We go over the nature of the state, democratic process, oligarchic capture, idealism vs. historical materialism, and a sprinkle of Hegelianism. I found this conversation very constructive and I hope you do too.

This podcast is also available on all major podcast platforms.

Please like, follow, and share Chamas at his links below:

Substack:
https://substack.com/@tonyof1dime

YouTube (1Dime):
https://www.youtube.com/@1Dimee

Podcast (1Dime Radio):
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFQlxdYqyXXuxBkuodA7gfQ

Twitter:
https://x.com/1DimeOfficial

Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/OneDime

Please also follow Ryan Research at these links:

Substack:
https://substack.com/@ryanresearch

Twitter:
https://x.com/_PeterRyan
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Dr. Christopher Mott is an international relations scholar focused on historical geopolitics, grand strategy, and the intersection of defensive realism and conceptions of sovereignty in an era of increasing multi-polarity. He holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of St Andrews, an MA in International Relations from London Metropolitan University, and a BA in History from Rutgers University.

He has published a book, “The Formless Empire: A Short History of Diplomacy and Warfare in Central Asia,” on the rise of indigenous forms of geopolitical strategy on the Eurasian steppe, as well as numerous peer reviewed and general audience articles on foreign policy and historical topics in a variety of places. Dr. Mott is currently a fellow at Defense Priorities in Washington DC, and a former researcher and desk officer at the U.S. Department of State.

In our chat, we explore the historical development of American imperialism, the current version of American imperialism, the Iran War, the economics of empire, the rhetoric of empire, geopolitical strategy, and how DC works. Also, please give Dr. Mott's "Washingtonian Realism" essay special attention, linked below.

You can listen to this episode on all major podcast platforms as well.

Please follow and subscribe to Dr. Mott's links here:

https://x.com/ChrisDMott
https://peacediplomacy.org/2024/03/11/george-washington-and-the-birth-of-american-realism/
https://www.amazon.com/Formless-Empire-History-Diplomacy-Warfare/dp/1594162212
If you enjoyed this, please like, subscribe, and share.

You can follow me on Twitter and Substack at these links:

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https://ryanresearch.substack.com/
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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney just took Davos by storm by challenging US President Donald Trump and the current American-led world order. Carney and Trump appear to be polar opposites. But, upon closer inspection, Carney and Trump share much in common. Find out where they align then where they depart. This is the Carney Doctrine vs. the Donroe Doctrine.

You can find the full written essay this video is based off on my Substack.

https://ryanresearch.substack.com/

If you enjoyed this, also check out my e-book: Money by Vile Means. This is the ultimate deep-dive critique on Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and their intersection with the US government. I debunk myths and reveal crypto’s dark reality as it becomes ever more dominant in our economy. 

https://ryanresearch.substack.com/p/money-by-vile-means
Twitter:
https://x.com/_PeterRyan

I consult financial professionals, technologists, and government officials on subjects like this and more. If you found my expertise compelling, please contact me to discuss how I can help you. You can find my contact form here:

https://www.ryanresearch.co/
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