Call It Like I See It

Was the Agricultural Revolution humanity's biggest mistake? In this episode of the Call It Like I See It podcast, James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana dive into Part 2 of Yuval Noah Harari's best-selling book "Sapiens." We explore how farming didn't necessarily liberate humanity, but instead locked us into the "luxury trap," how domesticating crops turned into crops domesticating us, and why large-scale societies rely on "imagined orders" like money, laws, and religion to cooperate. From ancient Mesopotamia's Hammurabi Code to the US Constitution (and probably modern AI), we look at the invisible operating manuals that shape human behavior. If you enjoy deep dives into history, anthropology, and culture, make sure to subscribe, like, and share the show! Sapiens (ynharari.com) Sapiens (Bookshop.org)

When does party loyalty require you to check your moral compass at the door? In this episode of the Call It Like I See It podcast, James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana break down the dangerous new normal of American politics. We look at recent political attack ads, the pressure of bunker mentalities, and how hyper-partisanship and tribalism push people to justify the un-justifiable. Drawing parallels to George Washington's farewell address warnings on factions and unprincipled leaders, we examine how group pressure can overwhelm individual principles and reshape public standards. If you appreciate deep, honest conversations about politics, culture, and society, make sure to subscribe, like, and share the show! Ramaswamy ad puts Acton’s estranged mother in spotlight as records reveal family’s troubled past (NBC News) What decent people get wrong about the Amy Acton ad (LA Times) Vivek Ramaswamy, have you no sense of decency? (The Hill) George Washington's Farewell Address (MountVernon.org)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at the huge protests that have been going on in France, consider what the protests may say about the state of the political center in many democratic societies around the world, and discuss how the power of messaging is often overlooked by grassroots movements and leveraged by the ruling class. More than 1,300 arrested as clashes follow another day of mass protests across France (BBC) What’s making Europe so angry? The frustration behind the protests (CNBC) Violence flares in Paris after largely peaceful protests across France (Reuters)

- Understanding this, the question becomes what can Gen Z learn from the excesses of earlier generations? This is an excerpt from the episode "Millennials and Gen Z Were in Trouble Once Baby Boomers Decided Greed Was Good" (Link) In that episode, James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discussed the shocking statistics on how little spending power Gen Z has compared to what Baby Boomers had in their twenties, the reason American society was set up for Baby Boomers to succeed, and the way it has been reconfigured since the Baby Boomers in ways that made it harder for subsequent generations to get ahead. Gen Z has 86% less purchasing power than baby boomers did in their 20s (Fast Company) Baby boomers have now ‘gobbled up’ nearly one-third of America’s wealth share, and they’re leaving Gen Z and millennials behind (Fortune) Why College Graduates Feel Betrayed (NY Times)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana continue their “Streaming Between the Lines” series and discuss the 2022 documentary “Theodore Roosevelt” (directed by Malcolm Venville), exploring the 26th President’s legacy as a fighter against corruption and for working people as well as his efforts to regulate industry and protect public interests.  The guys also consider how historical insights from the time of Teddy Roosevelt can inform current debates on government, power, and societal fairness. Theodore Roosevelt (Netflix) Theodore Roosevelt (IMDb)

Excerpt from the episode "Assessing the AI Doomsday Warnings: the Call is Coming from Inside the House" (Link) In that episode, James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana took a look at what appears to be an increasing number of warnings that humans may already be losing control of artificial intelligence systems and these systems may kill us all, discussed how many of the warnings seem to be that coming from AI professionals, and considered whether American society’s investment into AI is already so substantial that it would be unable to turn back no matter the consequence. The AI Singularity Syllabus (The Ringer) OpenAI’s Systems Meddled With U.S. Government Sites After Going Rogue (NY Times) OpenAI abandons plan to release upcoming model as safety concerns escalate (CNBC)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at a recent attempt to quantify the extent to which culture, as opposed to genetic evolution, enabled humans to quickly adapt to different conditions and rapidly spread out all over world, discuss elements from Yuval Noah Harari's "Sapiens" which touched on this concept a decade ago, and consider how the convergence of culture that defines the modern age may make humans less equipped for long term survival. Humans conquered the planet 300 times faster than genetic evolution can explain (Scientific American) (Apple News Link) Sapiens [Tenth Anniversary Edition] (Bookshop.org) Talking to My Daughter About the Economy or, How Capitalism Works--and How It Fails (Bookshop.org)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at what appears to be an increasing number of warnings that humans may already be losing control of artificial intelligence systems and these systems may kill us all, discuss how many of the warnings seem to be that coming from AI professionals, and consider whether American society’s investment into AI is already so substantial that it would be unable to turn back no matter the consequence. The AI Singularity Syllabus (The Ringer) OpenAI’s Systems Meddled With U.S. Government Sites After Going Rogue (NY Times) OpenAI abandons plan to release upcoming model as safety concerns escalate (CNBC)

Why do people support leaders who pick their pockets? In this clip, Tunde Ogunlana and James Keys break down the profound and disturbing Lyndon B. Johnson quote on social hierarchy, the psychology of transference, and how modern political movements weaponize status to distract from massive financial grift. The LBJ quote: “If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you.” Full episode : Here 

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss Nikole Hannah Jones’ decision to send her own daughter to an under resourced public school and how her effort to be a part of the solution to the problems facing inner city public schools and consider whether the systemic issues in American education are solvable.  The guys then take a look at the controversy involving Macklemore, Ed Sheeran and Robert Kraft and discuss why our society has trouble dealing with an issue at the intersection humanity and antiwar sentiment, antisemitism, and oligarch control. In Fighting for Every Black Child, Did I Betray My Own? (NY Times) Why I’m Sending My Black Son to Private School (The Atlantic) The Macklemore And Ed Sheeran Situation Explained (Forbes) Macklemore apologized for 2014 costume featuring antisemitic tropes (Snopes)