Robinson's Podcast

Support the Show: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsxwneBx6apV1mQ7CbWKfXQ/joinJiang Xueqin, known online as Professor Jiang, is a Chinese-Canadian educator and the creator of Predictive History on YouTube and Substack. In this second of three conversations, Jiang and Robinson discuss secret societies, conspiracy theories, and the relationship between money and political power. They talk about Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sam Altman, as well as capitalism, the Opium Wars, the Spanish conquest of Mexico, and Sabbatean Frankism. Throughout the conversation, Robinson challenges Jiang on the evidence for his claims, the limits of historical analogies and thought experiments, and what would distinguish a plausible story from an established explanation.Jiang’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PredictiveHistoryJiang’s Substack: https://predictivehistory.substack.com/OUTLINE00:00 Introduction09:10 Who Can Tell the President No?18:50 The Bank of England and the British Empire26:20 Conquistadors and the Opium Wars36:09 What Counts as Historical Evidence?43:33 Elites and Counterelites48:25 Secret Societies and the Rothschilds55:54 Jiang’s Account of the Sabbatean Frankists1:05:35 Sabbatai Zevi and Messianic Movements1:11:18 The Kabbalah1:17:27 Esther, Jacob Frank, and Redemption Through Sin1:27:55 How Would Historians Assess Jiang’s Account?1:35:10 Are Secret Societies Active Today?1:43:05 Can People Coordinate Without Meeting?1:49:49 Could Trump’s Comeback Have Been Predicted?1:58:05 Zuckerberg, Altman, and the Meaning of Genius2:07:24 Facebook’s Investors, Data, and Control2:11:53 Business Success or Conspiracy?2:20:29 Skull and Bones: Existence vs. Influence2:31:06 The Gilded Age and Foreign Capital2:37:29 Which Conspiracy Theories Are Credible?2:47:52 OutroFURTHER READINGThese scholarly histories provide context and alternative accounts of topics raised in the interview. I’m not a specialist in these subjects, and I offer them as starting points for further reading. They do not resolve every claim made in the conversation.Matthew Restall, Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquesthttps://global.oup.com/academic/product/seven-myths-of-the-spanish-conquest-9780197537299Paweł Maciejko, The Mixed Multitude: Jacob Frank and the Frankist Movement, 1755–1816https://www.pennpress.org/9780812204582/the-mixed-multitude/A. B. Bosworth, Conquest and Empire: The Reign of Alexander the Greathttps://www.cambridge.org/core/books/conquest-and-empire/EBAE6ADF5821A05DA6B3ADE3BC49F356Context from Robinson: Virtually every speculative conclusion Jiang reaches strikes me as unsupported, or less well-supported than a competing explanation. The existence of social connections or a historical movement does not establish that a particular group is secretly coordinating to control institutions. Listening to a guest or granting a premise for the sake of argument does not mean that I accept it.Disclaimer: Robinson’s Podcast is a forum for open discussion. Guests’ views are their own and do not necessarily reflect Robinson’s. Hosting a guest does not imply that he endorses the views or opinions they express.Robinson’s Website: https://robinsonerhardt.com/Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

Support the Show: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsxwneBx6apV1mQ7CbWKfXQ/join
Jiang Xueqin, known online as Professor Jiang, is an educator and the creator of the YouTube channel Predictive History. In this episode, Jiang and Robinson discuss the war in Iran, the limits of American power, and the economic and political pressures facing China. More particularly, they talk about Trump’s strategy in the Middle East, Israel, the Strait of Hormuz, the Houthis, Saudi Arabia, and Jiang’s predictions about the war’s consequences for the global economy. They also discuss Xi Jinping, Chinese corruption and debt, Richard Wolff and Michael Hudson’s views on China, and how to test Jiang’s approach to history and geopolitical forecasting.
Jiang’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PredictiveHistory
Jiang’s Substack: https://predictivehistory.substack.com/
OUTLINE
00:00 Introduction
05:53 Can the Iran War End America's Empire?
09:20 How America Lost Its Global Appeal
18:55 America's Three Pillars of Soft Power
29:54 Why Jiang Calls China Neoliberal
34:08 From Rural China to Yale and Back
41:05 Jiang's Critique of Wolff on China
51:28 China's Property Bubble and Debt Crisis
58:44 What Unites Trump, Xi, and Putin?
1:08:49 From Mao to Xi: China's Power Struggle
1:17:01 Zero-COVID and China's Economic Crisis
1:24:14 Taiwan, Uyghurs, and Chinese Rule
1:27:53 Criticizing China While Living There
1:32:57 Arendt, Kafka, and Authoritarianism
1:37:12 Why Jiang Calls Canada Authoritarian
1:43:06 How Jiang Predicted the Iran War
1:51:01 Israel and the Clean Break Memo
1:54:44 Trump's Coalition and the Iran War
1:57:18 Jiang's Original Iran War Forecast
2:02:01 Why Regime Change in Iran Is So Hard
2:07:41 Can Drones and Insurgents Beat Empires?
2:12:02 Iran and the Strait of Hormuz
2:14:45 How the Houthis Disrupt Global Trade
2:18:59 Why Saudi Arabia Struggles in Yemen
2:25:36 Could the Iran War Trigger Collapse?
2:31:02 Would Elites Let the System Collapse?
2:36:55 Rat Utopia and Social Collapse
2:41:01 Canada: Breakup or US Annexation?
2:44:52 Could the Iran War Become a World War?
2:49:30 Jiang on Wolff, Hudson, and Collapse
2:53:27 Conspiracies and Testing Jiang's Ideas
3:02:49 The Iran War: What Can't Be Predicted?
3:07:49 What Would Prove Jiang Wrong?
Robinson’s Website: https://robinsonerhardt.com/
Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.
Disclaimer: Robinson’s Podcast is a forum for open discussion. Guests’ views are their own and do not necessarily reflect Robinson's. Hosting a guest does not imply that he endorses the views or opinions they express.

Support the Show: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsxwneBx6apV1mQ7CbWKfXQ/join

Michael Hudson is an economist, financial historian, and distinguished research professor of economics at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. In this episode, Michael and Robinson discuss how financialization has changed the American economy, why working for a living has become harder, and the growing power of billionaires. More particularly, they talk about Trump and political influence, oil wars involving Iran and Russia, their consequences for fuel and food prices, and Hudson’s argument that China is using the industrial model America abandoned. They also discuss private equity, public banking, de-dollarization, AI, ancient debt jubilees, and the difference between creating wealth and collecting economic rent. Michael’s most recent published book is Temples of Enterprise (2024).

Michael’s Website: https://michael-hudson.com/

Temples of Enterprise: https://michael-hudson.com/2024/05/temples-of-enterprise/

OUTLINE
00:00 Highlights
00:39 Inherited Wealth and Earning a Living
07:03 Financialization, Bank Bailouts, and Private Equity
13:05 Industrial Capitalism, Banking, and Colonial Debt
25:39 Public Investment, Technology, and the Managerial Class
33:18 Reagan, Thatcher, and Privatization
46:35 Oil Wars, Fuel Shortages, and Food Prices
54:06 Debt Jubilees and the Rise of Ancient Oligarchies
1:00:42 Empire, Oil, and Economic Dependence
1:06:24 De-Dollarization, BRICS, and Public Money
1:13:08 Economic Rent, Value, and the Cost of Living
1:27:51 Neoliberalism and the Rejection of Classical Economics
1:39:19 Pension Funds and the Financialization of Retirement
1:45:06 China’s Industrialization and Public Banking
1:59:15 China’s Property Bubble and Evergrande
2:11:16 Billionaires and Wealth Concentration
2:15:22 Trump, Political Influence, and Regulatory Capture
2:26:59 AI, Intellectual Property, and Social Costs
2:30:58 Billionaires in China and Russia
2:36:21 Gulf Monarchies, Oil Wealth, and the United States
2:45:45 Democracy, Oligarchy, and US Foreign Policy
2:55:41 Alternatives to the Rentier Economy
3:01:16 Michael’s Outlook for the Next Few Years

Robinson’s Website: https://robinsonerhardt.com/

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

Disclaimer: Robinson’s Podcast is a forum for open discussion. Guests’ views are their own and do not necessarily reflect Robinson's. Hosting a guest does not imply that he endorses the views or opinions they express.

Support the Show: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsxwneBx6apV1mQ7CbWKfXQ/join

Jessica Tarlov is a political strategist and co-host of The Five on Fox News and Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway. She holds a PhD in political science from the London School of Economics. In this episode, Jessica and Robinson discuss Trump’s political vulnerabilities, the Democrats’ prospects in the 2026 midterms, and how to argue across political divides. More particularly, they talk about immigration and ICE, healthcare costs, the debate over billionaire donors, and Jessica’s view that Trump’s corruption is catching up with him. They also discuss Democratic purity tests, criticism of Trump from the right, Jessica’s career on Fox News, and the cases for James Talarico, Abdul El-Sayed, Jon Ossoff, and Mary Peltola. Jessica’s latest book is I Disagree: Winning Arguments Without Losing Friends (Random House, 2026).

Jessica on Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/person/t/jessica-tarlov

Raging Moderates: https://podcasts.voxmedia.com/show/raging-moderates

I Disagree: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803493/i-disagree-by-jessica-tarlov/

OUTLINE
00:00 Is Immigration Trump’s Greatest Strength?
03:34 Why Admitting You’re Wrong Makes You More Persuasive
06:04 What Do Democrats Stand For?
08:32 How to Disagree Without Losing Friends
10:10 Healthcare, Billionaires, and the Democrats’ Dilemma
12:25 Why Do Billionaires Back Democrats?
17:39 How Jessica Tarlov Found Her Voice on Fox News
26:19 Can Democrats Win Over Conservative Voters?
27:21 Should Voting Be Mandatory?
32:59 Why Talarico Wants to Turn Texas Purple
34:47 How to Win Progressives Without Passing Every Purity Test
39:02 Nick Fuentes, Trump’s Weakness, and the Limits of Debate
42:01 Why Jon Ossoff Is a Democrat to Watch
44:42 Why Jessica Tarlov Is Backing Mary Peltola
47:16 Bobby Pulido, Cait Conley, and the Democrats to Watch
54:42 The Case for El-Sayed and Talarico

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

Disclaimer: Robinson’s Podcast is a forum for open discussion. Guests’ views are their own and do not necessarily reflect Robinson's. Hosting a guest does not imply that he endorses the views or opinions they express.

Support the Show: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsxwneBx6apV1mQ7CbWKfXQ/join
Richard Wolff is Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and co-founder of Democracy at Work. Cornel West holds the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary. Norman Finkelstein is a political scientist and author who received his PhD in politics from Princeton University. In this episode, Richard, Cornel, Norman, and Robinson discuss the crisis of the American left and whether it can rebuild its political power. More particularly, they discuss Zohran Mamdani’s compromises, Cornel’s warning that he could become another Barack Obama, and their disagreements over working with Tucker Carlson. They also discuss Donald Trump and American decline, Bernie Sanders and class politics, Cornel’s break with Jill Stein and the Green Party, immigration, Gaza, and where to draw moral lines when building political coalitions. Their recent books include Richard’s Understanding Capitalism (Democracy at Work, 2024), Cornel’s Truth Matters, coauthored with Robert P. George (Post Hill Press, 2025), and Norman’s Gaza’s Gravediggers: An Inquiry into Corruption in High Places (OR Books, 2026).
Richard’s Website: https://www.rdwolff.com/
Understanding Capitalism: https://www.democracyatwork.info/understanding_capitalism
Cornel’s Website: https://www.cornelwest.com/
Truth Matters: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Truth-Matters/Robert-P-George/9798888451700
Norman’s Website: https://www.normanfinkelstein.com/
Gaza’s Gravediggers: https://www.orbooks.com/catalog/gazas-gravediggers/
OUTLINE
00:00 Introduction
01:06 What Do Elections Actually Change?
05:47 How Enthusiasm Turned Into Disappointment for Zohran Mamdani
09:36 The Deep Denial in the United States
14:11 Is Another New Deal Still Possible?
17:27 The Repression of American Colonialism
23:49 Is America’s Decline Irreversible?
30:25 Cornel West on Bernie, Mamdani, and Colonialism
42:12 America Fears Socialism—But for How Long?
44:36 Neoliberalism Is a Curse on Socialism
49:06 Jill Stein and Why Cornel West Left the Green Party
52:15 Bernie Sanders and the Holocaust
59:52 Is Tucker Carlson Dangerous for the Left?
1:06:53 Can Immigration Be Fixed?
1:11:04 How Capitalism Destroyed Itself in Germany
1:15:21 Do Blacks Have Legitimate Complaints About Immigrants?
1:19:23 International Relations
1:21:04 Biden, Obama, and Red Lines
1:25:09 What If Our Heroes Were Racist?
1:27:27 Will the Rest of Us Ever Be Prosperous Again?
1:42:29 Who Is Pumping Denial Down America’s Throat?
1:48:55 John Stuart Mill on Truth
1:50:34 Rick’s Biggest Mistake in Life
1:57:00 Cornel’s Biggest Mistake in Life
2:01:49 The Academy Caved to Biden, Trump, and Israel
Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.