/
© 2026 RiffOn. All rights reserved.
  1. Uncapped with Jack Altman
  2. Uncapped #24 | Balaji Srinivasan
Uncapped #24 | Balaji Srinivasan

Uncapped #24 | Balaji Srinivasan

Uncapped with Jack Altman · Sep 18, 2025

The political map is now a four-way clash: Blue America, Red America, the Internet, and China. The latter two are winning, forcing a tech exodus.

America's Greatest Talent Emigrated from Collapsing Societies to Seek Opportunity

America is not just a nation of immigrants but of emigrants—people who made the bold choice to leave behind collapsing societies. The Irish fled famine, Germans fled revolution, and Chinese, Vietnamese, and Iranians fled communism and turmoil. This history of leaving failing states is a core part of the American identity, not a betrayal of one's homeland.

Uncapped #24 | Balaji Srinivasan thumbnail

Uncapped #24 | Balaji Srinivasan

Uncapped with Jack Altman·5 months ago

US Media's 'Wokeness' Was a Financial Survival Tactic After the Internet Destroyed Its Revenue

The common mantra 'go woke, go broke' is backward. US media revenue cratered 75% due to the internet's rise. This financial brokenness forced extreme message discipline ('wokeness') as a desperate survival strategy to retain jobs and a shrinking audience base. Financial collapse preceded the ideological shift.

Uncapped #24 | Balaji Srinivasan thumbnail

Uncapped #24 | Balaji Srinivasan

Uncapped with Jack Altman·5 months ago

The Successors to American Empire Are China in the Physical World and The Internet in the Digital World

As America's global dominance wanes, power is bifurcating into two distinct successor empires. China is winning the physical world of manufacturing and military hardware. Simultaneously, the internet is winning the digital world of media (AI, social) and money (crypto, smart contracts). This succession has already occurred but has not been fully priced in by global markets.

Uncapped #24 | Balaji Srinivasan thumbnail

Uncapped #24 | Balaji Srinivasan

Uncapped with Jack Altman·5 months ago

The Tech Industry Is Becoming a 'Market-Dominant Minority' Primed for Political Backlash

Tech professionals are becoming a modern 'market-dominant minority'—an identifiable class that wins economically but is outnumbered democratically. Like historical parallels (e.g., Jews in Germany, Chinese in Southeast Asia), this status makes the industry a target for backlash from a frustrated majority, fueled by envy and political opportunism from both the left and right.

Uncapped #24 | Balaji Srinivasan thumbnail

Uncapped #24 | Balaji Srinivasan

Uncapped with Jack Altman·5 months ago

The Next Political Realignment Will Be a Bipartisan Alliance Against the Tech Industry

After temporary alliances like 'Red and Tech vs. Blue', the next major political shift will unite the establishment left and right against the tech industry. Blues resent tech's capitalists, Reds resent its immigrants, and the political center blames it for societal ills. This will create a powerful, unified front aiming to curtail tech's influence and wealth.

Uncapped #24 | Balaji Srinivasan thumbnail

Uncapped #24 | Balaji Srinivasan

Uncapped with Jack Altman·5 months ago

US Dollar Inflation Acts as a Global Tax, Redistributing Wealth to Banks and Government

The US Federal Reserve's money printing functions as a global tax through the Cantillon effect. The first recipients of new money (government, large banks) benefit before inflation spreads. This silently dilutes the wealth of all other dollar holders, both domestically and internationally, effectively transferring purchasing power to entities closest to the money printer.

Uncapped #24 | Balaji Srinivasan thumbnail

Uncapped #24 | Balaji Srinivasan

Uncapped with Jack Altman·5 months ago

Geopolitics Is a Four-Way Clash Between the Internet, Blue America, Red America, and China

The political landscape is not a simple left-right binary. It's a four-way conflict between distinct factions: the internet (tech), Blue America (media), Red America (manufacturing), and China. Each engages in specific clashes, like the 'tech clash' (internet vs. blue) or the 'trade war' (red vs. China), which better explains modern global tensions.

Uncapped #24 | Balaji Srinivasan thumbnail

Uncapped #24 | Balaji Srinivasan

Uncapped with Jack Altman·5 months ago

US Tariffs Function as a Surprise Tax on Allies and Domestic Manufacturers, Not a Strategic Weapon

Far from being a precise tool against China, recent US tariffs act as a blunt instrument that harms America's own interests. They tax raw materials and machine tools needed for domestic production and hit allies harder than adversaries. This alienates partners, disrupts supply chains, and pushes the world towards a 'World Minus One' economic coalition excluding the US.

Uncapped #24 | Balaji Srinivasan thumbnail

Uncapped #24 | Balaji Srinivasan

Uncapped with Jack Altman·5 months ago