From Elon's immigration takes to Silicon Valley's clash with MAGA nationalists, this conversation between Erik Torenberg and Indian Bronson dives deep into tech's newest culture war. A raw, unfiltered look at why America's elite and working class can't see eye to eye. — 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 🙏 Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse — SPONSOR: ORACLE ☁️ Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is a single platform for your infrastructure, database, application development, and AI needs. OCI has four to eight times the bandwidth of other clouds and offers one consistent price. Oracle is offering to cut your cloud bill in half. See if your company qualifies at https://oracle.com/turpentine/ — RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Check out Modern Relationships, where Erik Torenberg interviews tech power couples and leading thinkers to explore how ambitious people actually make partnerships work. Founders Fund's Delian Asparouhov and researcher Nadia Asparouhova kick off the series with an unfiltered conversation about their relationship evolution. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1786227593 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hJzs0gDg6lRT6r10mdpVg YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernRelationshipsPod — RELATED LINKS: Debating Immigration Policy: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4xR2aTcekJ60GFgTXMKGy4?si=DjML853wSLOUTmWAyqgv9g Indian Bronson Substack: https://indianbronson.substack.com/ Bernie Sanders: The Vox conversation: https://www.vox.com/2015/7/28/9014491/bernie-sanders-vox-conversation — X / TWITTER: @Indian_Bronson (Indian Bronson) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @turpentinemedia @MOZ_Podcast — HIGHLIGHTS Political Coalition Discussion: Discussion of Trump's winning coalition between nationalists and technologists Highlights tension between nationalist interests and tech industry goals Mentions Elon Musk's role in energizing the electorate for Trump Immigration Policy Debate: Detailed discussion of H1B visa program (approximately 85,000 workers annually) Contrast between different types of skilled immigration: Legitimate cases (like Elon Musk's companies hiring specialized talent) Problematic cases (like Disney's IT staff replacement controversy) Criticism of current immigration system as satisfying narrow interests rather than broader American needs "America First" Philosophy: Emphasis on policies benefiting Americans primarily Discussion of obligations to American citizens versus immigrants Comparison with other countries' policies (Singapore, Japan mentioned as examples) Cultural and Economic Issues: Discussion of declining American metrics (youth suicide rates, marriage rates, patriotism) Critique of promises made to Americans regarding economic policies Debate about automation and future of work Bernie Sanders Reference: Discussion of Sanders' 2015 interview with Ezra Klein Sanders' opposition to open borders as a "right wing proposal" His concern about impact on American workers Tech Culture Commentary: Discussion of "jock vs. nerd" dynamic in American culture Criticism of changes in NASA's culture and tech sector Advocacy for "jock-nerd alliances" as beneficial for innovation Call to Action: Encouragement for Americans feeling left behind to reach out Emphasis on opportunities still available for starting businesses Offer of guidance and introductions to VCs
