Reasonably Optimistic

Gen Z has been told a lot of things about loneliness: that it’s caused by phones, social media, remote work, dating apps, the pandemic, the decline of third places and a culture that makes staying home easier than ever. But what if the more uncomfortable truth is that loneliness is also something people have to actively fight?

Host Megan McArdle talks with Wall Street Journal editor Emma Camp about her essay “Loneliness Is for Cowards,” why so many young people seem afraid of embarrassment, and rejection and how to start making real friends again.

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For a lot of men, friendship doesn’t disappear all at once. It fades slowly: a missed call here, a canceled plan there, a few busy years that become a decade. Before you know it, the relationship has moved to the background of life, where it can feel easier to assume the bond will survive on memory than to do the awkward work of reaching back out. Andrew McCarthy wanted to understand why that story is so common.

Host Megan McArdle is joined by the actor, director and author, whose new book, “Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America,” follows his 10,000-mile journey to reconnect with old friends and ask men what friendship means to them.

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A trillion dollars seems like enough money to solve almost anything. We could end world hunger, wipe out medical debt, shrink the federal deficit and still have plenty left over. So when people talk about Elon Musk’s potential trillion-dollar fortune, or the wealth of billionaires more broadly, it’s natural to ask: Why don't we simply tax the rich and use the money to fix our country’s biggest problems?

Host Megan McArdle argues that while taxing billionaires may sound morally obvious, billionaire wealth is often a stock of assets rather than a flow of spendable income — and that distinction makes wealth taxes far more complicated than they appear.

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Populist candidates have a way of making politics feel simple. They tell voters that the problem is obvious, the villains are known and the solution is to break through corrupt institutions standing in the way. That message can be emotionally powerful, but what happens after populists win? Why do they so often win the crowd but lose the plot?

Host Megan McArdle is joined by Richard Hanania, a political scientist and writer whose ideological journey has taken many turns. His new book, "Kakistocracy," argues that populism tends to produce worse leaders, weaker institutions, more corruption and a politics driven by resentment and conspiratorial thinking. They discuss why populism is so appealing and whether liberal democracy can rebuild trust.

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As European tourists travel across the United States for World Cup matches, many are discovering an America they didn’t expect: vast landscapes, friendly strangers, huge portions, small-town surprises and a sense of abundance that Americans often take for granted. Their reactions are going viral, offering a fresh reminder that the United States can look very different from the outside than it does on social media or the news.

Host Megan McArdle argues that Americans have become too pessimistic about their own country — and that seeing America through European eyes can help us rediscover what is still dynamic, generous, innovative and worth taking pride in.

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