The Gray Area with Sean Illing
Society & Culture:Philosophy
Sean Illing talks with economic historian Brad DeLong about his new book Slouching Towards Utopia. In it, DeLong claims that the "long twentieth century" was the most consequential period in human history, during which the institutions of rapid technological growth and globalization were created, setting humanity on a path towards improving life, defeating scarcity, and enabling real freedom. But... this ran into some problems. Sean and Brad talk about the power of markets, how the New Deal led to something approaching real social democracy, and why the Great Recession of 2008 and its aftermath signified the end of this momentous era.
Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area
Guest: J. Bradford DeLong (@delong), author; professor of economics, U.C. Berkeley
References:
Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of The Gray Area. Subscribe in your favorite podcast app.
Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts
This episode was made by:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What happened to American conservatism?
The limits of forgiveness
The madness behind The Method
David Cross is disappointed in you guys
Author Kiley Reid on why we read novels
The conversation about guns we're not having
Why does middle school suck?
Russia's war with Ukraine — and reality
Robert Glasper on why Black Radio is back
Could we lose delicious foods forever?
What Don't Look Up is really about
Democracy in crisis, part 2: The two-party problem
Why we can't pay attention anymore
Democracy in crisis, part 1: Ross Douthat isn't too worried
Pod Save the Democrats
A Yellowjackets creator spills his guts
A scientist's case for "woo-woo"
Imagine a future with no police
Novelist Lauren Groff on the other Matrix
Are we living in a simulation?
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Modern West
Today, Explained
Re/Code Decode
The Vergecast
The Weeds
Shutdown Fullcast