tangentgeneral's podcast

From one scandal to another the Trump Presidency surges forward. From Stormy Daniels, to Russia Gate, to Nikki Haley Resigning to Kavanaugh getting confirmed as a Supreme Court Judge, we are talking all manner of scandal without discussing the economy. 10 years on from the Global Financial Crisis, we are facing a situation where the fundamentals of the economy in the form of $250 Trillion dollars’ worth of Sovereign debt in the US alone. Throughout the world, Trumps Trade War is starting to have a massive impact on the business cycle. Crude Oil peaking at 2014 highs suggests though that things are going to get a lot worse soon. Drew Sample, from the Sample Hour joined me to discuss this with a specific focus on Martin Armstrong and his Pi cycles which have proven to have amazing predictive power.

Without further ado, here is Episode One of a new monthly show I am co-hosting with Nick Ulbrick of the Tangent General Podcast.  

In this episode we discuss "Liberal World Order, RIP", an article penned by Council on Foreign Relations Director Richard Haass and breakdown the motivations behind his assertion that the United States and a larger populist movement are leading to the downfall of the "Liberal World Order". 

Thank you for listening!  

Original Article: 

https://www.cfr.org/article/liberal-world-order-rip

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism_(international_relations) 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realism_(international_relations) 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_interdependence 

The Real New World Order by Anne-Marie Slaughter

http://www.columbia.edu/itc/sipa/S6800/courseworks/real_new_slaughter.pdf 

What is the Maxwell’s demon? Why is the second law of thermo dynamics so important for our survival as the human race? Why is Elon Musk worried or even terrified by the current and near-term future states of Artificial Intelligence? Phil Surdam and I take a look at how a seemingly simple idea about the speed of a particle in a closed system can have profound implications for the social apparatuses we interact with on a daily basis. The study of entropy becomes the study of information theory and the study of information theory quickly leads to deep philosophical questions about the very nature of cause and effect. In this episode Phil and I take you to the base camp of one of the biggest mountains you can climb in the field of cybernetics, so strap in and enjoy the ride.

***THIS IS AN ADDENDUM, PLEASE START AT EPISODE 19*** In this addendum to episode 19 I tell my story of a particularly bad night when I was ten years old. 1997 was the worst year of my life, and Alanis Morissette was a friend who through her music was able to help me deal with trauma. The anguish and the catharsis of her music shaped my childhood and I want to share that story with you here. Just as Tori Amos would years later, the emotional release of songs like “right through you;” “not the doctor;” and “wake up” were critical for me to connect with a rapidly changing home environment. We all have our own cross to bear, and my story is not necessarily any better or worse than anyone else’s. However, I have thought long and hard about why we share our despair at all. Partly it is a personal relief and release. Partly it is so that others can find their own method to deal with their own pain. This is my method, but I hope that it helps you to in your own journey. Please consider consulting your local crisis centre if you are upset or triggered by any of the sensitive material covered in this episode.

Today we are doing a deep dive into music and its role in pain relief. This episode is being broken into two parts, the first the main production and the second an addendum to the main production where I share my story of a traumatic period in my childhood and how music has helped me to deal with that and acknowledge that pain. In this first part, Chris and I discuss core beliefs and the role that these play in shaping our interactions with the world. We delve into how significant trauma is in our lives and how easily it is in contemporary society to simply compartmentalise it. If this episode triggers you in any way, please reach out to your local crisis centre.

Today I am proud to invite Antony Sammeroff onto the show. Sammeroff has written a truly inspiring book called Procrastination Annihilation which is going to help all of us sort out of lives and move from a state of being overwhelmed and discouraged to knowing that with a few small steps, a few small tasks we can build towards our long-term goals. The golden triangle is sleep-health-exercise. I would say most of us can get two out of the three, and occasionally for a short period achieve three of the three. However, our ability to achieve the good life (as we define it for ourselves) long-term does require an awareness of the forces that help and the forces that hinder us. This is why I love the work that Sammeroff does. He has a beautiful Scottish accent that sells this message in a soothing and kind voice. Go to beyourselfandlove.com/doit today and make the most of the opportunity each new day brings you.

This is a short discussion that creates and adendum to my conversation with Antony Sammeroff. Depression is a major subject for this show and for my life. As a part of that, I often procrastinate, but it's not as simple as an irrational putting off of a task that needs to be done. In fact it is far more serious and something which I work with and through on a daily basis.

I felt compelled to include this extra media with Episode 18 as it is very important to learn about ourselves and to know when to push hard and when to take it easy.

Today we continue the discussion around cybernetics and even dip into system dynamics. Phil Surdam again joins me to discuss not only Norbert Weiner, but the rest of the crew involved in the Macy conferences and some of the spectacular results that have emerged. We also draw in some more of the philosophical background hearing from Stuart Umpleby who is a pioneer of second order cybernetics and worked on the biological computer program. This is stuff to make your skin crawl and your head ich. Where the Terminator formed a motif in episode 16, the Matrix serves a similar function in episode 17. However, the twist in the story is that the Matrix asks us to question what is real and what is simply illusion. In this age of fake news we are immersed in a sense reality that can hardly be trust, but was this always the case? Neil Sanders, Mark Devlin, Jay Dyer and John Coleman have been on the scene for years discussing one institution that may be responsible for this sensory illusion we call reality – Tavistock. But were the Beatles really a creation of Tavistock? Did Paul McCartney get replaced following a tragic accident in 1967? I can only take you so far on this journey, you need to make the final choice… blue pill or red pill?

Today we begin an investigation into a big topic. So large it exceeds the very boundaries of the medium. Phil Surdam joins me to discuss Norbert Weiner and the history and impact of Cybernetics. We look into the remorse and the fears that Weiner had regarding this new science. Technocracy is a child of Cybernetics and increased social control is its sister. This episode starts with a montage that is designed to get under your skin and make your spin tinkle with fright. Joblessness, human beings becoming resources for a fully mechanised world and the constant fear of nuclear war. The terminator may be nothing more than the fever dream of James Cameron, yet the impact it has had on pop culture and our feelings about technology have been heard and felt for two decades now. Unfortunately, Schwarzenegger isn’t holding out his hand and asking us to come with him if we want to live. Instead it’s the scary world of quantum computing that we need to be on guard for, that is where our story today begins and over a series of episodes it will progress. Of course, whenever you’re dealing with a subject like this the spectre of Ted Kaczynski is never too far away.