The McFuture with Steve Faktor

Steve Faktor | SteveFaktor.com
The McFuture with Steve Faktor

Freakier than Freakonomics. More funny than Planet Money. Join futurist author and innovation maharishi Steve Faktor for provocative predictions and prescriptions for a world drowning in Avengers, but starved for meaning…and laughter. The show features ferocious, funny monologues on how tech, economics and culture will shape our future – and what it'll take to succeed in it. Spectacular guests like Larry King, comedian Jim Jefferies, Governor Jesse Ventura, Nobel Economist Joseph Stiglitz, former ACLU President Nadine Strossen, Megachurch Pastor AR Bernard and many more. Come explore the deep, dark, hilarious underbelly of The McFuture - from healthcare to media to virtualized lives. Sign up at SteveFaktor.com for member exclusives, occasional updates from Steve & videos. >>>> TOPICS: Economics, Innovation, Comedy, Culture, Technology, Futurism, Happiness, Purpose, Philosophy, Political Humor, Politics, Psychology, Healthcare, Media, Social Media, Religion, Self-Help, Self-Improvement, Social Sciences, Society & Culture, Parody, Talk Radio, Talk Shows, Culture of Technology, Belief, Humor, Political Satire, Ideas, Strategy, News >>>> FOR THOSE WHO LIKE: Joe Rogan, Jon Stewart, Scott Galloway, Tim Dillon, Michael Malice, Patrick Bet-David (Valuetainment), Andrew Schulz, Dan Carlin, Ryan Long, Louis CK, Mike Rowe, Megyn Kelly, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Seth Godin, Glenn Greenwald, Matt Taibbi, Bill Maher, Jordan Peterson, Russell Brand, John Oliver, Tim Ferriss, Tyler Cowen, James Altucher, Bari Weiss, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Eric Weinstein, Bret Weinstein, Ricky Gervais, James Lindsay, George Orwell, Adam Carolla, Ben Shapiro, Stephen Colbert, Malcolm Gladwell, Penn Jillette, Bill Burr, Tony Robbins, Dennis Prager, Bryan Callen, Thomas Friedman, Pete Holmes, Dick Masterson, Niall Ferguson, Ezra Klein, Nate Silver, Jordan Harbinger, Bridget Phetasy, Whitney Cummings, Steven Crowder (Louder with Crowder), Kyle Dunnigan, Kurt Metzger, Jack Murphy Live, Anthony Cumia, Andrew Santino, Crystal Ball, Saagar Enjeti, Ian Bremmer, Dave Rubin, Dave Portnoy, Matt Yglesias, Barry Ritholtz, Yannis Pappas, Glenn Loury, Yuval Noah Harari, Jason Whitlock >>>> FOR FANS OF: Freakonomics, Planet Money, Hidden Brain, Armchair Expert, TED, Reason, The Hill, The Economist, The Atlantic, Forbes, Politico, New Yorker, NPR, Pivot, The New York Times, Psychology Today, Financial Times, Vanity Fair, Evonomics, Wait But Why, Harvard Business Review (HBR), FiveThirtyEight, The Future of Everything, Marginal Revolution, Ben Thompson at Stratechery, Crazy/Genius with Derek Thompson

  1. Figure it out, Abdul — The Trump-Harris Debate Surprise

    SEP 11

    Figure it out, Abdul — The Trump-Harris Debate Surprise

    https://youtu.be/c8viSU2LYr8 Enjoy the world's greatest nonpartisan debate analysis with surprise ending. Below is the original Twitter/X thread. I’ll be live-tweeting America’s Great Unburdening below. Do we need any of these commentators? The world would be better off with Reince Priebus as a goat herder. Wheel him in! Something will die during this debate. I believe it will be…specificity. I love this ABC host facial expression. It’s a leftover news anchor expression from the 1990s. No audience?? Pussies. Kamala starts out wobbly but decent answer on housing. Personal story rehearsals working like a charm. Kamala attacking tariffs, which the Biden administration not only preserved but extended. Trump still doesn’t understand how tariffs work or who pays them. He’s right that Biden Inc kept his tariffs. Trump goes into the immigrant stuff. “Taking over towns.” Not sure this much negativity is the best way to go to sway independents. Kamala’s BS about the Covid era economy is technically correct, but also exacerbated by Biden. She’s doing better than I expected. Trump is on shaky ground with Covid stuff because his side doesn’t love the vaccine, shutdowns and other bad calls (keeping Fauci!) “60 Nobel laureates and 200 former intelligence agents say…” - DNC disinfo machine Trump’s very weak on tariffs. Here’s the truth: “Let’s be clear…” “He invited trade wars…(we invited real wars).” - Kamala She’s quoting tweets. Good prep. Trump better have the same level of detail, but doubt it. The “Marxist” label doesn’t work as well outside of the internet as Republicans think. Most Americans think Marx was a silent movie star. Abortion should be moot at a national level now. That’s the angle Trump should take. Because Democrats do not have any viable national proposals that could bring it back nationally and defeat the supreme Court roe decision. It’s smart to try to link Trump to abortion bans because she gets to claim the high ground as a woman. He is losing this one. This Project 2025 linkage is Kamala’s “Marxism” - beyond the Internet, Americans think Project 2025 is a PowerPoint that’s due Monday. Trump’s second try on abortion is better, but net net he won’t get the high ground with independents. He is right Democrats would never get the vote for a roe v Wade law, which Democrats had multiple opportunities to formalize under Obama and CHOSE not to. She’s doing a job of limiting her circletalk. “I have been a leader on IVF” haha, he mentioned it once at a rally. Immigration! Hide your pets! She’s back to Kamala the Cop. So many identities to manage. She must have a very good notes app. Ok it’s official, whatever you believe she actually stands for, she is extremely well rehearsed. Her dagger on the insanity of his rallies was great. she really hit him where it hurts, his rallies, eg, ego. THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS THEY’RE EATING THE CATS THEY’RE EATING THE PETS. HOLY SHIT, HE SAID IT. THE MEMES ARE ALIVE!!!! “Lots of people on television are saying…” Oh God. So stupid. Trump, wtf are you doing? Dumbass.

    52 min
  2. 10/21/2023

    Decolonized, Demoralized, Dehumanized: The Lost Israel-Palestine Narratives [The McFuture Podcast]

    https://youtu.be/mgOHTkhJwXA Notice how quickly we went from “We’re just criticizing Israel’s policies!” to celebrating executions of Jews and bombing synagogues. Hamas’s barbaric terrorist attack not only exposed Israel’s fragility, but a global network of antisemitism in academia, media, and our very own friendships. The veil has been lifted. We’re in a Roger Waters wet dream, where he can finally slay Jews and stop milking 50-year-old songs. This episode takes on many of the lost narratives the media won’t dare touch, including: * 00:00:00 Why The Deafening Silence, "Friends" and Neighbors? * 00:14:55 Donny Deutsch & The Silence of Corporations * 00:18:14 The Socialist Macro-Aggressors * 00:22:32 Larry Summers & The Ivy League Terror Cells * 00:29:56 Three Drivers of Malignant College Leftism * 00:32:45 (1) Decolonization * 00:38:44 (2) Intersectionality * 00:41:43 (3) Demoralization & The KGB * 00:47:55 Media Complicity * 00:51:32 Jonathan Rosenthal on Moral Equivalency * 00:52:45 Dumb & Dahmer: Hamas's Mission (Golda Meir, Sam Harris, Casey Neistat & Ami Horowitz) * 01:01:11 Jared Kushner on The Perils of Negotiating with Palestine * 01:07:03 Reluctant Conquerors & Noble Victims * 01:11:10 What to do with Terror Sympathizers? * 01:14:42 Democratic Cleansing * 01:16:35 About Colonialism... (featuring Ike Saul) * 01:25:27 The Iran Hack * 01:33:26 How America Made Iran * 01:34:43 How Israel Made Hamas * 01:37:52 The Problem With Weaponizing Extremism * 01:43:50 Israel's Three Options * 01:49:07 More Guns!! * 01:50:01 The Shocking Power of X (Twitter) & Corruption of Corporate Media * 01:54:20 Conspiracies & Reruns If you enjoy this, please support the show on Patreon & get tons of member exclusives!  Also please give a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. Really helps with visibility. Share & subscribe on: YouTube, iTunes,  Spotify,  Google,  Stitcher,  TuneIn, RSS

    1h 57m
  3. 10 Radical Ideas To Reanimate The CNN Zombie & Reinvent TV News

    06/07/2023

    10 Radical Ideas To Reanimate The CNN Zombie & Reinvent TV News

    CNN just fired it's CEO Chris Licht, who overhauled the network, fired a bunch of people, but failed to revive its rotting corpse. In 2018's Trump Save The Media, I warned about corporate television's temporary Trump Bump, then laid out 12 new rules for the future of media (1 & 2), and business strategies to save it. Those held up way better than CNN. So here's how I'd approach re-imagining the Corporate News Network and dying TV news model. Let's face it, network news is dead, especially: * in its current format * with the current talent pool * among young people * at current levels of corporate media distrust Sure, The Trump Circus is coming to town and the Presidential campaign might give TV news one last Zombie Bump, but at best, it's a stay of execution. No stale insider, clinging to big offices and fumes of network prestige, can save a model whose best shows are trounced by podcasts of mid-level comedians. So what now? The first step is acceptance. News must accept its death and use its waning brand and financial capital to make offers that can't be refused to podcasters, podcast networks, YouTubers, and other talent who've developed large, trusted audiences. Then give them time and resources to build something new. This means hiring an unconventional leader with a flair for entertainment, instinct for what audiences want, vision, and integrity. This won't come from a stale insider, but from someone ready to bring these qualities to the news category — and think differently. Could be someone like Tom Segura, a comedian with a sharp business mind, who's built a podcasting monolith at YMH Studios, who regularly performs to massive international audiences in both English and Spanish. Or, Mr. Beast who's a YouTube prodigy, with an encyclopedic understanding of media, platforms, and audiences. To have any chance of innovating, here are 10 principles CNN should consider embracing: 1) Accept platform ubiquity and agnosticism. Be everywhere people stream — podcasts, YouTube, Rumble, Twitter, Substack, Patreon, etc. 2) Find ways to monetize everywhere you are through sponsorships, events, or whatever is native to those platforms. 3) Be transparent about your sponsorships, potential conflicts of interest, and post your contract terms publicly. Maybe even automate ad buys, based on journalistic principles. Make your ad business work like open source code on GitHub - editable and reviewable by anyone. Wikipedia is another model to consider (and build on). Done right, this could be a trust game-changer. 4) Surrender the impulse for corporate content policing, backslapping deals, status games, and political agendas. One way to do that is replace the current opaque system of truth vs. lies with a community fact check system, like Twitter. And address all criticisms on air. But not defensively. Invite your critics on for real dialogue. 5) Make everything interactive. Let fans to nominate guests, choose which ones they want to return, submit questions, and participate in live events where they ask questions the hosts might not.

    16 min
  4. 05/10/2023

    What We’re Forbidden To Say About Aging, Immigration & Wakanda | The McFuture Podcast

    https://youtu.be/dLnwnF7tXv4 HUGE episode. The ONE TREND that will decide the future of humanity and the balance of power in the next 50 years—is buried deep inside a conspiracy theory whose name we dare not speak. Every untouchable subject gets touched — a lot. Plus, a huge surprise ending, fit for Aristocrats. And killer bonus outtakes. It's all here. Sit back and enjoy. EPISODE CONTENTS: * 00:00 Intro/Why "The Great Repla...Substitution Theory" Matters * 04:52 A Bried History of Hate; Worst Hannukkah, Ever! * 06:41 Analyzing "Replacement" straight from the source: Renaud Camus * 14:52 A HUGE Realization! 'Replacement' is Exactly Like........ * 18:12 SHAME * 22:24 Camus Blind Spots * 23:13 The Problem With Aging * 28:58 The Real Replacement Is FAILING, across Poland, Hungary, China, South Korea * 34:10 The Real Reason Birth Rates Fall is STRUCTURAL * 38:13 So What's A Dying Country To Do? The 4 Options * 39:40 The Perils & Perks of Immigration * 43:25 The ONE QUESTION That Decides if Immigration Succeeds or Fails * 44:01 The American Unicorn * 46:26 The Unspoken Advantage of the US * 49:03 How Many Americans Do We Need?? * 51:21 8 Ways To STOP BLOWING Immigration * 53:42 Legitimate Fears & The Baumol Effect * 57:07 STOP BLOWING (Cont'd) * 59:28 "American Migrant Warrior" * 01:00:51 Blood and...WHAT??? Reality Check * 01:03:47 Solutions BEYOND Immigration: DeGrowth * 01:08:00 The Real Case For Birth Incentives * 01:11:37 The Gipper and I Dream of Fluidity * 01:14:33 HUGE SURPRISE ENDING...

    1h 28m
4.8
out of 5
25 Ratings

About

Freakier than Freakonomics. More funny than Planet Money. Join futurist author and innovation maharishi Steve Faktor for provocative predictions and prescriptions for a world drowning in Avengers, but starved for meaning…and laughter. The show features ferocious, funny monologues on how tech, economics and culture will shape our future – and what it'll take to succeed in it. Spectacular guests like Larry King, comedian Jim Jefferies, Governor Jesse Ventura, Nobel Economist Joseph Stiglitz, former ACLU President Nadine Strossen, Megachurch Pastor AR Bernard and many more. Come explore the deep, dark, hilarious underbelly of The McFuture - from healthcare to media to virtualized lives. Sign up at SteveFaktor.com for member exclusives, occasional updates from Steve & videos. >>>> TOPICS: Economics, Innovation, Comedy, Culture, Technology, Futurism, Happiness, Purpose, Philosophy, Political Humor, Politics, Psychology, Healthcare, Media, Social Media, Religion, Self-Help, Self-Improvement, Social Sciences, Society & Culture, Parody, Talk Radio, Talk Shows, Culture of Technology, Belief, Humor, Political Satire, Ideas, Strategy, News >>>> FOR THOSE WHO LIKE: Joe Rogan, Jon Stewart, Scott Galloway, Tim Dillon, Michael Malice, Patrick Bet-David (Valuetainment), Andrew Schulz, Dan Carlin, Ryan Long, Louis CK, Mike Rowe, Megyn Kelly, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Seth Godin, Glenn Greenwald, Matt Taibbi, Bill Maher, Jordan Peterson, Russell Brand, John Oliver, Tim Ferriss, Tyler Cowen, James Altucher, Bari Weiss, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Eric Weinstein, Bret Weinstein, Ricky Gervais, James Lindsay, George Orwell, Adam Carolla, Ben Shapiro, Stephen Colbert, Malcolm Gladwell, Penn Jillette, Bill Burr, Tony Robbins, Dennis Prager, Bryan Callen, Thomas Friedman, Pete Holmes, Dick Masterson, Niall Ferguson, Ezra Klein, Nate Silver, Jordan Harbinger, Bridget Phetasy, Whitney Cummings, Steven Crowder (Louder with Crowder), Kyle Dunnigan, Kurt Metzger, Jack Murphy Live, Anthony Cumia, Andrew Santino, Crystal Ball, Saagar Enjeti, Ian Bremmer, Dave Rubin, Dave Portnoy, Matt Yglesias, Barry Ritholtz, Yannis Pappas, Glenn Loury, Yuval Noah Harari, Jason Whitlock >>>> FOR FANS OF: Freakonomics, Planet Money, Hidden Brain, Armchair Expert, TED, Reason, The Hill, The Economist, The Atlantic, Forbes, Politico, New Yorker, NPR, Pivot, The New York Times, Psychology Today, Financial Times, Vanity Fair, Evonomics, Wait But Why, Harvard Business Review (HBR), FiveThirtyEight, The Future of Everything, Marginal Revolution, Ben Thompson at Stratechery, Crazy/Genius with Derek Thompson

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