In this episode, your favourite neoliberal Decoder shills take a break from managing the decline of late-stage capitalism to examine the insights of famed writer and renegade activist Naomi Klein. The focus is her latest literary offering, Doppelganger, where Klein wrestles with the existential dread of being confused with Naomi Wolf and uses that mix-up as a gateway to explore the "Mirror World" of conspiracy theories and online gurus (a landscape our listeners know all too well).
Along the way, Matt and Chris discover Klein's views on Steve Bannon's dubious charm (and what percentage he gets right), the cause of Russell Brand's descent, the real agenda behind conspiracy theories, and why neoliberal capitalism remains the root of all evil. Plus, special guest interviewer Ryan Grim parachutes to 'just ask questions' about the lab leak, vaccine side effects and other forbidden topics that the people were not allowed to talk about!
So, whether you’re a champagne socialist, a crypto libertarian, a neoliberal shill, or just here for the popcorn, join Matt and Chris as they parse Klein’s content and consider: is Klein speaking truth to power, or just preaching to the choir?
Sources
- Penguin Books: How did conspiracy theories become mainstream? | Naomi Klein | Big Questions
- Naomi Klein. Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World.
- Politics and Prose. Naomi Klein — Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World - with Ryan Grim
- THIS- The Rebel Sell: If we all hate consumerism, how come we can’t stop shopping?
- Ryan McBeth: Exposing the Military Industrial Complex