Rutger Bregman knows what appearing at Davos can do for your profile. His reputation was made when he went there in 2019 and attacked the rich. The clip went viral.
A historian and author originally from the Netherlands, Bregman has been focused on elites ever since, most recently in his book Moral Ambition, and in a series of lectures on the BBC, after which he accused the organization of censoring his views on Donald Trump.
In this conversation with Mishal Husain, we hear more about his worldview, which is more nuanced than some might expect. He discusses how he is impressed by entrepreneurs, favors action over commentary and is putting his book profits toward building a community that furthers his beliefs.
00:00 - Introducing Rutger Bregman
02:30 - The rise of AI
07:53 - Wasted talent
09:22 - I want to pull my hair out
10:05 - European leadership
11:14 - Europe is weak
12:25 - Ideals are worth little without power
13:45 - Building a movement
17:40 - Mamdani and populism
21:00 - The God shaped hole
25:12 - Elon Musk the entrepreneur
26:08 - The BBC and Trump
30:49 - A new form of feudalism
33:56 - Small groups can change the world
35:14 - The best place to think
Watch this podcast here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe4PRejZgr0Ns_wjGlmjlPz0cded0nTYS
You can find the written version of this interview with Mishal’s notes on Bloomberg Weekend: https://www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview
Contact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.net
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