TRASHFUTURE

histroy sent from my iphone feat. Paolo Gerbaudo

Feb 3, 2026
Paolo Gerbaudo, sociologist of digital culture and platforms and professor in Madrid, joins to unpack tech power. He breaks down the TikTok US sale, how recommender algorithms reward sensational content, and why platform tweaks can shift political debate. Short takes on media empires, invisible throttling, and how algorithms tend to advantage the right.
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INSIGHT

Epstein As A Transnational Broker

  • The Epstein files reframe him from an isolated monster to a transnational broker connecting oligarchs, intelligence, and politicians.
  • His role as an access broker made systemic elite impunity visible across finance, politics, and trafficking.
INSIGHT

Profit From Collapse As A Business Model

  • Epstein's financial moves had outsized geopolitical effects, including triggering crises by withdrawing from leveraged funds.
  • He used financial leverage and elite introductions to shape government responses and profit from collapse.
INSIGHT

Small Nodes, Big Cultural Shifts

  • Epstein appears as an infrastructural node behind culture-war phenomena like Gamergate and Brexit.
  • Small acts of networked influence compounded into major political and cultural shifts.
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