Joyless Spectacle: A Conversation with David Roth

It was a joy to welcome David Roth of Defector back to Dispatches From A Collapsing State. David and I started the discussion with the abysmal and dismal UFC 250 event at the White House, the palpable lack of joy among Trump and his benefactors and how capitalism is just stripping the meaning from everything, the harvesting of organic happiness by corporations and the wealthy, and what we can learn from Zohran Mamdani’s tenure as mayor of New York City as we move away from a politics that is disastrously measured and, tragically, unsuccessful. And, finally, why we’re both feeling a sense of hope in the moment.If you haven’t already, check out David’s invaluable contributions to understanding the mindsets and motivations of MAGA and the wealth class, as well as some of the best sports and cultural analysis out there.Dispatches From A Collapsing State is a reader-supported project that enjoys no funding from corporate media or wealthy benefactors. If this work resonates with you, if it has helped you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber todayOh, and as promised, here’s James Dolan, the billionaire owner of the New York Knicks, absolutely killing it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jaredyatessexton.substack.com/subscribe