Events

This month we'll be discussing "Abundance" -- the bestselling book by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson that offers a Blue argument for deregulation and government efficiency. While Klein and Thompson are both progressives, they make a strong case for why well-meaning regulations sometimes get in the way of more important priorities like green energy, high-speed rail, affordable housing, and other things that are important to Blues. Of course, deregulation and government efficiency has always been a cornerstone of Red politics.

Can Abundance help Blues understand the Red perspective on government efficiency and regulatory capture?

Can Blues see eye to eye with each other on Abundance? This issue has been more polarizing within the Blue camp itself. Can the Braver Angels way help?

We can also talk more generally about the economics of abundance. Things like whether trade deals should be looked at as “zero sum” where there's always a winner and a loser, or whether we should view economics more in terms of “a rising tide that lifts all boats.”

What about in the future when we have AI, robotic automation, 3D printing, and other new technologies that lower the cost of building things to nearly nothing? How does the economy run when the marginal cost of creating things approaches zero? What incentivizes companies to keep producing products we need?

A great example of this is generic drugs. They are so cheap to produce, and sold at such a low cost, that few manufacturers continue to make them. This leaves these markets open to exploitation, where a sole supplier can be bought out by bad actors looking to take advantage of a monopoly. This is what caused the skyrocketing cost of Epipens and other life-saving drugs that were big news a few years ago. What is the best way to address these types of issues that have such an impact on Americans' health?

Do we live in a world of Abundance or Scarcity? How does our answer to this question influence our political viewpoint? Can Abundance help us create a common vision for government efficiency? There's plenty to talk about!

Here are some good podcasts and videos that present the Abundance perspective for both Blue and Red audiences. They've been on virtually every political podcast in the last 6 months, so feel free to choose your favorite. Any one of them will give a good overview of the Abundance perspective.

Here's a Daily Show interview for a Blue take on abundance. This one also has the advantage of being shorter and funnier.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnzTnALI720 

For a Red perspective, here is Klein's interview on The American Compass.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2I9RRHMB3s 

A longer discussion moderated by Michael Pollan for Long Now Talks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9wga7S3nAw 

If you want to read the book, check it out on GoodReads here:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176444106-abundance 

Or get the audio book on Libro.fm and support your local bookstore!

https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781797168609 

Let’s use these videos as a jumping off point to talk about how we can use the Abundance perspective to help Reds and Blues understand each other better!

AGENDA

1. Review of the Braver Angels Way and Introductions.

2. Actions since last meeting

3. Discussion of Abundance using the examples from the videos

4. Explore upcoming national zoom events and training classes we can attend

5. Open discussion for any questions, comments, or suggestions on ETA activities

July 17, 2025 Meeting

This month we'll be discussing "Collective Illusions." Is polarization a collective illusion? Do we assume that other members of our tribe all support the things we think are absurd but go along with to avoid conflict? Do we assume that members of the other tribe all believe the same things as their most viral lunatic fringe? How do our assumptions about what others believe contribute to the ongoing environment of polarization and are there techniques we can use to get people to open up about what they truly believe?

Todd Rose wrote a book on this subject, and there are several interviews with him available on YouTube where he discusses it.

https://www.toddrose.com/collectiveillusions/

Monica Guzman gives the book a big endorsement in this Instagram post.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFx9t8XTNJG/

Here’s a short 5-minute video on cultural norms and collective illusions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd8VHbIYqRs

This is a 12-minute video on collective illusions that summarizes it pretty well, and tells the story of Vaclav Havel, a writer whose stories about the collective illusion of communism led to one of the only peaceful movements that has overthrown an authoritarian government.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URdXC6UtfVg

Another 12-minute interview with Mike Rowe that talks about collective illusions around meaningful work, education, and success.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAI2iFm_Knk

This article outlines over 100 policy proposals that have broad support among both Reds and Blues. How do our collective illusions cause us to see these issues as more divided than they really are?

https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/50343-national-policy-proposals-with-bipartisan-support 

If that's too many, here's a nice short article that focuses on 7 of them.

https://buildersmovement.org/2025/06/11/policies-democrats-republicans-agree-on/ 

This is the podcast episode that introduced me to Todd Rose. It’s a 90-minute interview but it’s really fascinating because he goes into detail about this survey technique he uses to ensure that people reveal their true beliefs by giving them “plausible deniability” about their answers.

https://youtu.be/Tj6ptwWOgkU

Let’s use these videos as a jumping off point to talk about how we can have better conversations, and what we can learn from the example they set!

AGENDA

1. Review of the Braver Angels Way and Introductions.

2. Actions since last meeting

3. Discussion of Collective Illusions using the examples from the videos

4. Preview "My Father's Name" movie that has been made available for screenings

5. Explore upcoming national zoom events and training classes we can attend

6. Open discussion for any questions, comments, or suggestions on ETA activities

June 19 Meeting

Braver Angels East TN Alliance monthly meetings are now in person! Come to the small classroom at the Farragut Community Center (upstairs) and bring a friend! 

We’ll also have a zoom for those who can’t attend in person--now with the "Owl" camera that gives you a 360 degree view of the participants.

This month we will start by playing a Braver Angels game that helps us think about issues from other points of view.

Then, we’ll have a discussion of a discussion of the Robert George and Cornel West interview “Finding Truth in Disagreement” that you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woacPc0vm2A

Another great example of the Braver Angels Way in action is this discussion between Francis Collins and Wilk Wilkinson on the ways that the COVID led to polarized responses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBmpxornZvY

These two are about 10 minutes long and give you a good idea of how they work together. For a longer conversation on “Fruitful Disagreement in an Age of Division” you can check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyBHBi-L3yo

Let’s use these videos as a jumping off point to talk about how we can have better conversations, and what we can learn from the example they set!

AGENDA

1. Review of the Braver Angels Way and Introductions.

2. Play the “Left Right” game from the Braver Angels website

3. Actions since last meeting—has anyone connected with interested groups?

4. Discussion of how we can disagree better using the examples from the videos

5. Consider getting a booth at the TN Valley Fair

6. Explore upcoming national zoom events and training classes we can attend

7. Open discussion for any questions, comments, or suggestions for future activities