B Reel Podcast
B Reel is an in-depth conversation series that explores Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, economics, and their broader implications for society through thoughtful discussions with leading voices in the space. Host Tuur Demeester engages guests in candid, sometimes philosophical conversations that go far beyond technical aspects of Bitcoin to examine how this technology intersects with politics, culture, religion, and fundamental questions about money and power.
What makes the series particularly engaging is the balance between technical information and broader societal implications - discussions jump seamlessly from specific Bitcoin developments deeper reflections on theology, philosophy, the nature of government, and changing social structures.
Unlike many crypto podcasts that focus primarily on price speculation or technical details, this series approaches Bitcoin as a transformative force with far-reaching implications for how we organize society. Conversations are refreshingly unfiltered, allowing for nuanced exploration of complex topics rather than simplistic explanations. Tuur creates an environment where guests can speak candidly about their views, even when controversial.
B Reel Podcast
Natalie Smolenski - Universities Have Muddied Their Mission | BRP 3
Natalie Smolenski - Universities have Muddied Their Mission | BRP 3
1:00 What is anthropology?
12:00 Natalie’s Polish background and her jarring experience with Marxism in the US
23:45 Ratcliffe-Brown’s interest in the principles governing stateless societies
28:00 Natalie’s critique of David Graeber’s theory of money
34:20 Karl Marx on how property is supposedly evil, Graeber redefining money as credit
37:50 Graeber’s debate with cypherpunk legend Nick Szabo
42:00 Graeber endorsing the Modern Monetary Theory of money
46:00 Natalie’s defense of academia: why are universities important?
52:20 Do we need to reform existing universities, or just build new ones?
57:00 The academic institution of tenure
1:02:50 How universities get funded, bitcoin as future source of funding, and the role of donors
1:09:25 The link between fiat money and warfare, “Easy Money, Easy Wars”
1:16:10 Strategic Bitcoin Reserve
1:20:00 The criticism that bitcoin concentrates the wealth in the hands of the few, the risk of confiscation, Avik Roy’s argument about why bitcoiners need to be politically engaged
1:24:30 The calcification of institutions, parallels with the Soviet Union
1:28:25 Guilt, Europe, the threat of war in the West
1:32:50 Will the European Union collapse? Historical parallels, George Selgin: The US Civil War, Free Banking, and failing government credit. Europe becoming a vassal of the US, Russia, and China