Joe Lonsdale: American Optimist Joe Lonsdale

Is greatness a choice? If so, why doesn't everyone choose greatness? And more broadly, what are the prerequisites for a great society? 
This week, I'm joined by Ethan Penner, author of the new book "Greatness Is a Choice" and one of the most influential figures in modern real estate. In his early 30s, Ethan pioneered the creation of commercial mortgage-backed securities and helped build a new market at a critical moment in history. We discuss his journey from the streets of Yonkers to the heights of Wall Street and what he learned from industry greats like Sam Zell. 
Ethan is also a student of history, religion, and philosophy who cares deeply about advancing freedom and helping others find purpose in life. His new book argues that most people misunderstand greatness and equate it to the top one percent of society. Rather, he believes that greatness is a daily decision to choose excellence, and by deliberately choosing excellence we can bring newfound meaning and fulfillment to our daily lives. Through concise and pointed chapters, like "The Debilitating Effects of the Victim Mentality" and “Equality Is Not the Point," Ethan diagnoses where our modern culture has gone awry and offers an antidote that can inspire us all to pursue greatness. 


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At Columbia University's freshman orientation, Coleman Hughes and his classmates were separated into groups by skin color to discuss the effects of racism, with minorities portrayed as victims and white students as beneficiaries. Why have exercises like this become commonplace in elite institutions? How did this neo-racism take hold? And what are the counter-arguments and better approaches to race and diversity? 
These questions are at the heart of Coleman's new book: "The End of Race Politics: Arguments for a Colorblind America." A talented, rising public intellectual, Coleman was one of the first courageous voices pushing back against the "anti-racist" pablum popularized by Ibram Kendi and Robin DiAngelo. He's a contributor to The Free Press, analyst at CNN, and host of the popular podcast "Conversations with Coleman." 
In this episode, Coleman argues for a return to colorblindness and the ethics of MLK — not that we pretend we can't see race, but that we strive to move beyond it and focus on character, culture, and merit instead. He makes the case that socioeconomic factors, not race, are more accurate proxies for helping the most disadvantaged in society, and our public policy should be oriented as such. He also exposes the lazy thinking and platitudes that permeate conversations about race, along with some of the worst ideas done in the name of diversity, such as rejecting standardized tests. Finally, we discuss a better way to acknowledge America's past sins while moving forward in a way that unites our country.


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Dr. Clarence Jones is a giant of the civil rights movement. As the personal attorney and speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he risked everything to help save the soul of America, including smuggling scraps of papers in and out of Birmingham prison that would become Dr. King's Letter from Birmingham Jail.  In fact, Dr. Jones never thought he'd live to see the age of 50. 
Today, he's 93 years old, and one of the last living civil rights icons. In this episode, we trace the journey of an American hero — the son of domestic servants who became valedictorian of his high school and studied at Juilliard before becoming a successful entertainment lawyer. That is until Dr. King showed up at his California home asking for legal assistance. After initially turning him away, he went to hear Dr. King preach, and his life — and the direction of our country — changed forever. 
We discuss the key moments in his fight for justice, the significance of the black-Jewish alliance, and the legacy of Dr. King, including his thoughts on today's debate over DEI, Critical Race Theory, and colorblindness.  He also shares his powerful approach to radical non-violence and his advice for young people today: pursue excellence. Dr. Jones has lived an extraordinary life, and his wisdom on issues of race should be heeded over many of the voices in popular culture today. 
SHOW NOTES: 
Dr. Jones was recently awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation's highest civilian honor. 
Last year, Dr. Jones released his memoir, "Last of the Lions." 
Learn more about Dr. Jones' work through his foundation and as Chair of the Spill the Honey Foundation, which continues the legacy of the Black-Jewish Alliance. 


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Are government programs and interventions superior to market corrections? According to Dr. Cliff Winston, the evidence to support such a claim doesn’t exist. Many economists obsess over market failures but seldom point the microscope in the direction of government, despite its many failures. And worse, the bureaucracy doesn't hold itself accountable. 
This week, we examine some of the flaws of modern economic theories with Dr. Winston, a microeconomist and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, with a B.A. and Ph.D. in economics from UC Berkeley, and Masters from the London School of Economics. He is the author of numerous books and papers, including, most recently, “Indispensable: Market corrections in a U.S. economy beset by government failures.” 
From antitrust to welfare programs and tax incentives, most Americans assume government interventions are preferable to allowing the market to correct itself, but as Cliff explains, we don't have scholarly evidence to back that up. He explains why we need government retrospectives and more widespread experiments to test what does or doesn't work. When has government been effective? Ironically, Cliff says, when it gets out of the way: deregulation. We talk about the benefits of airline deregulation, for example, and Cliff makes the case for deregulating the legal profession and other areas that require occupational licensure. Finally, we discuss scenarios where government involvement could be beneficial, such as setting adoption standards for autonomous vehicles.  


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.joelonsdale.com

STEM (science, technology, engineering & math) education is the backbone of the innovation economy. Yet at many schools, it's become stodgy and irrelevant to solving real-world problems. Not surprisingly, many of the best minds forgo college or drop out. What would it look like to design a STEM program that is inspiring, cutting-edge, and grounded in timeless truths? And how do you educate the next generation of great entrepreneurs who are also citizens of virtue? 
This week, we discuss a better model for STEM with Dr. David Ruth, Dean of the Center for STEM at the University of Austin (UATX). Dr. Ruth is a retired U.S. Navy Captain who worked on a nuclear attack submarine, an aircraft carrier, and as a war planner in Asia, before teaching advanced mathematics at the U.S. Naval Academy for 13 years. 
In this episode, Dr. Ruth lays out UATX's approach to 21st-century STEM: a curriculum that balances first principles with practical application and unparalleled industry engagement. (We're already partnering with The Boring Company and other leading companies in Texas!) Many STEM programs bog down students in unnecessary tasks; UATX is taking a different approach with "computation-enabled thinking" that combines what humans do best (abstracting, modeling, and interpreting) with what computers do best (computation). We also discuss how to safeguard science and math from identity politics, and the importance of making STEM exciting and challenging through innovative games and challenges. If you're a student pursuing a STEM education, we hope you'll check out what we're building at UATX. 


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.joelonsdale.com

In 1979, Crown Prince of Iran Reza Pahlavi was attending fighter pilot school in Lubbock, Texas when the Islamic Revolution overthrew his father's reign. A radical theocracy seized power and began extinguishing freedoms, persecuting minorities, and taking a pro-Western Iran back to the Middle Ages. Since then, the Crown Prince has lived in exile as a leading voice for a secular and democratic Iran. What is his view of the Revolution? Why does he believe regime change is possible today? And how should the U.S. and the West deal with Iran?
Given Iran's recent attack on Israel, we get a rare and timely perspective on the power dynamics within Iran and why the current regime is more fragile than we realize. The Crown Prince paints a picture of his homeland pre-and-post Revolution, and explains why many governments misunderstand the fanatical leadership of Iran. He lays out his strategy of "maximum support" and how combining sanctions and external pressure with internal support, such as internet access and financial resources for protestors, could someday topple the regime. And if it does, he details a post-regime strategy to transition the government toward a secular democracy. We also discuss the longstanding history between the Persian and Jewish people, and how, with the right leadership, the region could once again become dynamic and prosperous.
[NOTE: this conversation was recorded shortly before Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel.]



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.joelonsdale.com