Kurt Andersen: Author "Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America" | SALT Talks #76

Kurt Andersen is the bestselling author of the novels Heyday, Turn of the Century, and True Believers. He contributes to Vanity Fair and The New York Times and was the host and co-creator of Studio 360, the Peabody Award–winning public radio show and podcast. He also writes for television, film, and the stage. Andersen co-founded Spy magazine, served as editor in chief of New York, and was a cultural columnist and critic for Time and The New Yorker. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College. In the 1970s, a subtle yet radical shift took place in American politics that culminated in Reagan’s election. A pro-business vision of the economy displaced the working class policies of FDR’s New Deal. This set the stage for the next 30-40 years of policy consensus that ultimately drove the economic inequality we see today. “I was a little oblivious to and indifferent to the systemic change in the economy that had happened around it, starting in the seventies… I didn't realize until I went back and did the research that had been not the beginning, but the end of a decade of strategic work of CEOs and rich billionaires and libertarians.” ————————————————————————— To learn more about this episode, including podcast transcripts and show notes, visit salt.org/talks Moderated by Anthony Scaramucci.