The Argument
Episodes
Chat, are we doomed?
Jerusalem Dempis and Matthew Glia debate the existential risks of advanced AI, specifically the threat of recursive self-improvement leading to human extinction.
Are we on the road to serfdom?
Hosts Jerusalem Demsas and Matthew Iglesias discuss Friedrich Hayek’s *The Road to Serfdom*, analyzing his argument that central planning inevitably leads to totalitarianism.
How 9/11 changed American politics forever
Hosts Jerusalem Dempis and Matthew Glacias discuss the 25th anniversary of 9/11, analyzing how specific contingencies and early policy decisions altered world history.
Nate Silver on why the center-left is losing
Nate Silver joins hosts Jerusalem Demsas and Matt Iglesias, along with guest Jeremiah Johnson, to discuss his essay "12 Questions for the Center Left.
Derek Thompson on the antisocial century
Hosts Jerusalem Demsus and Matthew Iglesias interview Derek Thompson on the rising epidemic of loneliness in America.
Are elites just whoever you don’t like?
Hosts Jerusalem Demsas and Matthew Iglesias analyze original polling on who Americans consider "elites," finding overwhelming agreement that…
What's wrong with Bowling Alone?
Hosts Jerusalem Demsas and Matthew Yglesias discuss Robert Putnam’s *Bowling Alone*, analyzing his argument that American social capital has declined…
#MeToo didn’t go far enough
Jerusalem Demsas and Matthew Yglesias debate whether the #MeToo movement achieved sufficient cultural change or went too far in its social enforcement.
You don't actually want to buy a house
Hosts Matt and Jerusalem debate whether homeownership is overrated, weighing its financial risks against the benefits of leverage and forced savings.
Why AI might not replace us after all
Hosts Jerusalem Demsas and Matthew Iglesias welcome Timothy Lee to debate AI’s impact on labor.
What AOC and Bernie Sanders get wrong about the oligarchy
Hosts Matt and Jerusalem debate the validity of the "oligarchy" narrative popularized by Bernie Sanders and AOC.