Events

August 21, 2025 Meeting

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