 Pretty soon, and without that perspective we lose track. I would also say that this notion that these great world religions are constantly at war with each other depends upon an understanding of religion that sees it as a series of empirical absolute reveal truths that we can either prove or disprove. That is not, in my view, what religion truly is. What religion truly is, is a way of living, a way of life. And when you examine all the great religions, there's so much in common. The question of mutual love and forgiveness, the question of service, the question of humility, the question indeed of how the more you give to others the more you might receive, the paradoxes that make human beings' lives worth living. And the ability to construct however brilliant a technological achievement does not make a single person happier, a single person more spiritually satisfied. And I would also argue the last 250 years has indeed seen human reason completely explode and create an extraordinary civilization of technological and physical extraordinary lengths. Let me also point out that in those 250 years we have probably set in motion the destruction of our entire planet. The machinery of the individual desire to do well and to prosper has been so unleashed that it has wrought unbelievable havoc on the natural climate and the natural operation of the Earth. And to that extent, Western civilization has to answer for that. It is no good creating a civilization if it destroys the very habitat in which it exists, especially at the rate it's going. And so again, I would say reason alone would tell you, why not? More and more money, more and more wealth. Look at China how fantastic it is. Or it would say in America, look, the average standard of living is actually higher now than before. And yet countless people are suffering from unprecedented levels of depression. The suicide levels are up. The large swaths of this country are numbing themselves on opioids. So many people are restless and angry because the jobs they do don't really add meaning to their lives. That these are huge questions, paradoxical questions, that the promise of reason progress never really fully realized until the last minute. And the other part of it is that we constructed a machine of wealth creation, product creation, production of things and things and things to sell and buy and sell and buy. That it can't be stopped. None of us can stop this machine from China, through India, through the use of the world's resources. And it is an unbelievably ecological destructive force. And it will, if it continues, it is not stopped. It will be the greatest crime humanity has committed on this planet because it will be destroying the very planet that gave us life. So let me take two of those issues first. Let's start with the depression and the fact that people are so miserable today. And indeed, there is a problem. I'm not going to deny the problem exists. And it's a problem of meaning. It's a problem of purpose. And I think to that extent, I think that Western civilization still has work to do. That the idea of applying reason to human purpose, to human morality, to philosophy is a work in progress. And that the enlightenment was immediately attacked. And the anti-enlightenment movement, which dominates the world today, the anti-Western civilization movement, which I think dominates today, has not provided and not allowed for the advancement of ideas that I think that would provide spiritual sustenance to individuals. Spiritual sustenance. And indeed, I would add, the welfare state, I think, is to a large extent responsible for this depression. If you look at where it happens, you know, it's stunning to me. Today, in places like Ohio, you know, people have lost their jobs over the last 30, 40 years because of industries have closed. And they sit at home waiting for those jobs to come back because politicians promised them that one day the jobs will come back. They sit at home waiting for the welfare check because they become dependent on the state to support them. Instead of what Americans used to do is get in their car and drive to where their jobs are. There are plenty of jobs in America today. Northwest Arkansas is booming, has been booming for decades. And people don't go there. They stay at home in Ohio using their opioids, waiting for the miracle to come because our politicians and our intellectuals and the welfare state implicitly have told them, don't worry, we'll take care of you in their message. If you see statistics about the willingness of Americans to cross state lines for work, they move as we all used to. It's way down. Americans don't move from state to state anymore, partially because they lose their benefits, partially because they're just waiting around for the Messiah to come or Donald Trump to come and save them. So I don't think it's capitalism, I don't think it's reason that has brought us to where it is. Indeed, it's the rejection of capitalism and they're not taking reason far enough for finding meaning, purpose, and applying ethics and developing an ethic of living as an individual in the world in which we live that has brought us to where we are in terms of this depression. And it's a lot of it has to do with the lack of real personal responsibility. You're not the superficial kind of politicians to talk about. But a real personal responsibility and the real personal responsibility means taking responsibility on your own life and find purpose, meaning, and live it, live your life, make your life the best that it can be. At whatever point you are in your life or whatever your background is, whatever opportunities you face, there are opportunities to go out there and make your life better. Now, again, I think the welfare state and I think the regulatory state and I think the mixed economy suppresses those opportunities dramatically, particularly if you're poor. But there's still enough of them going home, taking opioids and dying slowly. Do you know when the greatest opioid epidemic in this country was? No. In the late 19th century, when there was no welfare state, and it happened partly because of the Civil War and afterwards because puppies were grown for the wounded. It was the only actual painkiller anybody had. And in that same period, it spread massively. What was going on in that period? It wasn't a welfare state. It was massive technological and social change caused by the engine of capitalism, by the desire for profit, which had more concern with the profit than with the stability and security of the lives of the people involved in it. Now, look, I am not attacking capitalism. I think it is the least worst option that we have of generating wealth and taking care of each other. But that is where it should be put in its place. The goal is human flourishing, and there are many ways to it. And no, it is not a failure of an individual who's lived in a community that had a meaning and a role and an industry and a community and a life. It's not that person's fault when that industry has moved on and those people are left. And there really isn't much to do. The truth is that also capitalism has created now automation and globalization in such a way that so many more people are actually not going to be needed anymore in our society. And the one thing that people need to be happy is to be needed. And I think those things are qualifying. I think we are learning now, as we've learned before in periods of massive disruption, that the people are hurt. And not everybody is capable of doing what you think they're capable of doing. Not everybody is capable of pioneering their own life. Most people don't want that. They want security. They want their family. They want a simple community. They want to live a life in happiness. You can go back, one small point and I'll shut up, hunter-gatherer societies had higher lifespans in general, more leisure, better diets, and although they had occasional rather bloody fights, nonetheless could be seen to be flourishing human beings in a way which the early 21st century has not provided. So I disagree with all of that. Not surprising. No, I think if you expect little from people, you'll get little. That is, if you tell people that yes, it's not their fault and they shouldn't strive and they shouldn't be self-starters and they shouldn't go out and pursue their own happiness, then they won't if you say it often enough and reinforce it with the things like the welfare state. And capitalism is an unmitigated, amazing success to call it the least of all evils, is to denigrate it in a way that it doesn't deserve. If you look at human life 250 years ago, 300 years ago, 400 years ago, when the cathedral was bought, think about what that cathedral required in order to build all these peasants who were barely surviving, where life expectancy was in the 30s, nothing, nothing. And then whatever they had, a little bit is taken from them or they put into endangered servitude to build this, in a sense, monstrosity pyramid in honor of what? In honor of the elites of the time in order to serve the elites of the time. No. In order to worship God. To worship God who has done what for them? They're barely surviving. Half the kids are dying before the age of 10. They live short and horrific lives. It's not pleasant. So yes, today, life expectancy in the United States the last three years has declined a little bit. We're living into our 80s. Technology doesn't provide happiness. Of course it does. It provides the happiness that our children don't die at childbirth. It provides the happiness that we see them grow up. It provides the happiness of providing leisure and a million other things, little things that we enjoy. The fact that I can turn on the light and read a book in the evening instead of going to sleep because that's all I could do 400 years ago before we had electricity. The fact that I can... Every aspect of this technology enhances my life in dramatic, significant ways and in ways that make it possible for me to enjoy all these spiritual benefits. I can now listen to every piece of music. Ever written. Ever written. On my iPhone any time of day, anywhere in the world at a marginal cost of zero. If that doesn't provide a little bit more happiness I don't know what does. It surely does provide happiness to me. I love music and I get incredible spiritual joy from the fact that I can listen to it. So let's not detach technology from happiness. It's crucial. And let's not forget that because of technology there are 8 billion people living in the world today who wouldn't live. About 7 billion, 7.5 billion wouldn't be around if not for that industrial revolution. If not for the fact that we have developed all these technologies that make it possible for them to live and to thrive and to succeed. And yes, I do place the responsibility and the whole idea that technology displaces jobs sorry, but as an economist. Really? I mean this is the argument we've heard for 250 years as economists. The Luddites have always argued that at every point I remember my Marxist uncle in 1987 telling me that PC's were going to take over the world and there will be no jobs any day now. And there are more jobs now than ever. You've got millions of people in China working now. You can denigrate China with all this trade stuff, but people who used to be starving starving are today in the middle class and are living good lives. And if you go to China you see the dynamism and excitement of people who used to be poor and now are middle class and now have some material wealth and the spiritual value that that provides the spiritual value that they now benefit from because they can now live a decent life and don't have to live in squalor in the villages. And you can still go to the villages in China where they still live in squalor. It ain't fun and it isn't spiritually good and it's materially good for any of those people living in that squalor. So there are more people on the planet today than ever before. They're producing more than ever before. There are more jobs than there ever were before. The idea that in 10 years there will be fewer jobs or 50 years there will be fewer jobs I think there's no empirical evidence for that there's no reason to believe that indeed every historical fact suggests the exact opposite. There will be more jobs, more opportunities more ways to do stuff in 50 years that are unimaginable to us today. What we need today what I call the new intellectual would be any man or woman who is willing to think. Meaning any man or woman who knows that man's life was guided by reason by the intellect. Not by feelings wishes, whims or mystic revelations. Any man or woman who values his life and who does not want to give in to today's cult of despair, cynicism and impotence and does not intend to give up the world to the dark ages and to the role of the collectivist brought. Using the super chat and I noticed yesterday when I was enrolled for support for the show, many of you stepped forward and actually supported the show for the first time so I'll do it again. Maybe we'll get some more today. If you like what you're hearing if you appreciate what I'm doing then I appreciate your support those of you who don't yet support the show please take this opportunity go to uranbrookshow.com slash support or go to subscribestar.com uranbrookshow and make a kind of to keep this going. I'm not sure when the next...