Opinion

The Revolution Will Be Retweeted: The Breakdown Weekly Recap

A recap of one of the most significant weeks in recent American political history.

By Nathaniel Whittemore

Jun 6, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. UTC

Updated Sep 14, 2021 at 8:49 a.m. UTC

By Nathaniel Whittemore

Jun 6, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. UTCUpdated Sep 14, 2021 at 8:49 a.m. UTC

Breakdown 6.6 — Credit: Jackson Fox-Bland/Shutterstock

By Nathaniel Whittemore

Jun 6, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. UTCUpdated Sep 14, 2021 at 8:49 a.m. UTC

A recap of one of the most significant weeks in recent American political history.

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This episode is sponsored by Bitstamp and Ciphertrace.

The Breakdown Weekly Recap looks at the key themes that shaped the week. On this week’s episode, NLW discusses:

The modern significance of Tiananmen Square, and why this week’s U.S. protests show why the tools of surveillance need to be applied to states, not citizens.
The importance of “narrative violations,” or fighting to see things without falling into popular but often wrong conventional wisdoms.
The need to resist attempts from both the left and the right to fit today’s unrest into convenient culture-war frameworks that perpetuate each group’s power.

This week on The Breakdown

Monday's Breakdown | The Power and Peril of the 'Bitcoin Fixes This' Meme

A look at what role, if any, bitcoin has to play in remaking the world that is being protested around the U.S. (and world) this week.

Tuesday's Breakdown | Bitcoin, Cellphones and the Citizen Tools of Anti-Authoritarianism, Feat. Alex Gladstein

A look at the anti-authoritarian technology stack, including where non-state money like bitcoin fits in.

Wednesday's Breakdown | 5 Numbers That Tell the Story of Markets Right Now

From the number of U.S. flights from Chinese carriers to S&P 500 growth in the tumultuous year of 1968, these (unexpected) numbers tell the story of today’s markets.

Thursday's Breakdown | The Mirage of the Money Printer: Why the Fed Is More PR Than Policy, Feat. Jeffrey P. Snider

An argument that the Fed is actually highly ineffectual due to the presence of the eurodollar shadow-banking system.

Friday's Breakdown | The Biggest Realignment in the US-China Relationship Since Nixon, Feat. Graham Webster

A 101-level primer on the history of the U.S.-China relationship, and why today’s bluster represents a fundamental shift.

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Nathaniel Whittemore