🎙️ EP18: Elon Musk’s First 130 Days — A Report Card for the Age of Geopolitical Disruption

In this sharp and surprising episode, Aparna and Harinda evaluate Elon Musk’s first 130 days in the White House — but not through the usual partisan lens.Instead, they ask: If government were a university, how would Musk perform as a student of power?Using a semester-style report card, they grade him across economics, political science, business, computer science and ethics — while exploring whether our old frameworks for leadership, performance and accountability still hold up in an era defined by speed, scale, and disruption.🧠 This episode challenges:How we judge performance in the age of power-first governanceWhether governments should still be evaluated by theory and institutions or by outcomes and impactIf traditional political science can explain Musk’s influence — or if we need new rulesWhat happens when goals like efficiency and scale replace consensus and processThe blurred lines between CEO thinking and geopolitical strategy📰 Media of the Week:Harinda’s Pick: U.S. Army PSYOP Book on Psychological OperationsAparna's Pick: Claude resorts to blackmail if threatened for it's existence📌 Chapters:00:00 Elon Musk: The Disruptor in Government06:19 Evaluating Elon Musk's Economic Impact12:17 The Macro-Economic Landscape and International Relations17:01 Political Science: Rewriting Global Politics23:42 Domestic Accountability and Government Efficiency24:10 Political Landscape and Republican Strategy26:38 Business Acumen and Strategic Interests32:08 Technological Advancements and Data Utilization36:18 Ethics in Governance and Business Practices👥 Connect with Us:• Aparna Bhushan on LinkedIn• Harinda Katugaha on LinkedIn• Learn more: rethinkingtech.co🎧 Follow for new episodes every Tuesday — where we rethink tech, power, and the frameworks we use to measure both.