(1) I take your point on general student loan reform, but this seems like a case of letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. You addressed this a bit, but be wary of your cynicism (which is often well-placed!). I think people would be more interested in hearing what you're FOR more often that what you're AGAINST. (2) Acknowledging that Saagar is busy and doesn't have a lot of free time, I think listeners would love if he could get himself back into some interviews (not just Q&A or discussion episodes) that could possibly lead to some areas of contact. Hearing Elliot Ackerman make the rounds on other podcasts, it seems like a missed opportunity to not have Saagar on there.
While watching Saagar appear on "the Good Time Show with Aarthi and Sriram" I noticed a remark he made about having to learn the Metric system. It reminded me how much I dislike people who are high and mighty about metrics superiority. This is especially true when it come to temperature because I think fahrenheit is simply better. So what're y'alls thoughts on Metric and those who think the US should further adopt it?
How would you describe, at a high level, your theory of how corporations do and don't influence politics? You've been critical of a simplistic take that everyone is corrupt and doing it for the money. At the same time, presumably corporations see some value in their spending on campaigns, PACs, and lobbying. How should people see corporate influence and what can be done to combat it? How can less corporate-friendly views and candidates gain a hearing without that money? Is there a useful role for corporate lobbyists and donations in a well-functioning version of our political system?
Marshall commented in an episode that the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq were the single worst foreign policy decisions in the history of the country. While I don't disagree, I think there's a strong case to be made for America's part in Vietnam War. Clearly both were disasters with many similarities, and we have more distance from the Vietnam War. Can you make a case why Afghanistan and Iraq will be worse for the US in the long term? Love the show!