Snapshot · Dwarkesh Podcast
Machiavelli was the first European thinker to suggest that two political parties could coexist stably in a state, rather than one being exterminated by the other.
Where this was said
At 20:10 · chapter starts 15:08
The episode examines Machiavelli's core analytical innovations: how means determine power stability, fortune controlling half of all outcomes, when lying is acceptable, and his radical idea of coexisting political parties.
Before Machiavelli, everyone agreed: two political parties in one state ends when one destroys the other. Florence literally salted the earth where its defeated faction's houses stood. Machiavelli looked at Siena and said — wait, maybe competition is better than massacre. That idea feels obvious now because we built entire democracies on it.
Joel de la Garza noted that the CISO role is a relatively recent invention, with Steve Katz widely credited as the first-ever CISO.
Superficial adoption of electricity gave factories only 6% efficiency gains; fully redesigning factories around it delivered a 3x productivity improvement that powered 20th-century US growth.
Harold Ramis recounted that during Caddyshack filming, storms kept the cast cooped up in a Florida hotel for days, during which they partied and did drugs all day and night.
In the 1820s, China accounted for 25% of global economic output, making it the world's largest economic machine — a historical precedent for its current AI superpower ambitions.
66 Americans held hostage at the US Embassy in Iran were released after 444 days, within hours of Reagan's inauguration.
In the first round of the secret arms deal, 508 TOW missiles were transferred from Israel to Iran in exchange for hostage releases.
America secretly transferred 2,000 missiles and missile parts to Iran across 8 separate shipments over just over a year.
Despite all the missile sales, only 3 of the 7 American hostages held by Lebanese terrorists were ultimately released.
The CIA supply plane that blew open the scandal was flying at only 2,500 feet in broad daylight when it was shot down on October 5, 1986.
We use essential and analytics cookies to run Vuci. To understand how the site is used: Privacy Policy.
Install Vuci on your phone
Add it to your home screen for a faster, app-like experience.
Install Vuci on your phone
Tap the Share button, then “Add to Home Screen”.
A new version is available
Reload to get the latest Vuci.