In this episode, Maureen and Mashudu dive headfirst into the turbulent waters of our political and economic moment. The conversation begins with a 2020 leaked email from billionaire Peter Thiel, sounding the alarm on a generation turning towards socialism. But is it a rejection of capitalism itself, or a revolt against a system corrupted by policy-driven scarcity and cancerous success? Mashudu frames this modern turmoil through the legacy of Adam Smith and Kenneth Lux's critique, How a Moral Philosopher Invented Economics and Ended Morality, setting the stage for a deep dive into the ideologies shaping our world.
Two responses emerge: one blames policy failures, not capitalism. The rebuttal? Capitalism enabled the aggregation of power that led to monopolies and "too big to fail." Thiel's fears materialized in 2025 when Zohran Mamdani became New York's newly elected mayor. A candidate with no elite backing, dismissed as a communist despite identifying as a social democrat, running on policies aimed squarely at the working majority. His opponent, Andrew Cuomo, enjoyed support from billionaires like Michael Bloomberg and Bill Ackman, as well as a nod from Elon Musk. And yet, the race became a reminder that political legitimacy doesn’t always flow from capital — sometimes it flows from the people.
The duo also unpack how the right packages left-wing policies as progress while the left often struggles with messaging. Maureen's analogy cuts through: capitalists want bailouts when things fail (centre right), socialists want business-friendly environments that provide them with a fulfilling experience (centre left). The centre is where ideology collides with reality...The conversation shifts to South Africa's Police Service. Maureen shares her experience being scammed (not on her 2025 bingo card) and the nightmare of opening a case. If this is what reporting a scam looks like, what must GBV victims endure? The ineffectiveness of public services is why private companies now run critical industries.And because no episode would be complete without levity: does pineapple belong on pizza?This one's heavy, layered, and full of contradictions that don't resolve neatly, but maybe that's where the most honest conversations happen.
