We’re diving back into tariffs! This time, David and Matt chat with Mike Beckham, co-founder and CEO of Simple Modern, to break down what the new U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports really mean for businesses and shoppers. Mike shares his firsthand stories from the trenches of global supply chains and his efforts to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. and why that’s way harder than it sounds. He explains how these tariffs could cause even more chaos than we saw during the pandemic, thanks to America’s shrinking know-how in things like tooling and missing infrastructure. Plus, Mike pulls back the curtain on Amazon’s business model, the real price of “free shipping,” and how algorithms, not people, are running the show.
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58:52
The Tariff Doomsday Scenario
What’s the real-world fallout of the newly imposed 145% tariffs on Chinese imports? Matt and David speak to Molson Hart, someone smack in the middle of the current tariff debate. Molson is an entrepreneur and toy company founder with firsthand experience in global manufacturing. He breaks down the step-by-step journey of a product from design to delivery-and how these tariffs have abruptly halted shipments, risking layoffs in ports, trucking, and warehouses long before consumers feel the shortages. This behind the scenes look into supply chains, including Hart’s experience working in a Chinese factory, make clear how quickly a trade war can ripple through the economy, impact everyday products, and upend the lives of workers and business owners alike. Learn more about Molson Hart's work on his site.
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57:52
Antitrust Woodstock: Google and Meta Go to Court
Today, we go courtside at two landmark tech antitrust trials unfolding in the DC District Court: the Department of Justice’s remedy hearing against Google, and the Federal Trade Commission’s monopolization case targeting Meta (Facebook). David and Matt speak with two lawyers and antitrust experts Laurel Kilgore and Brendan Benedict who are covering the trials. The Google case is all about what punishment fits the crime after they were found guilty of monopolizing search - should they have to sell off Chrome? Meanwhile, the Meta trial is digging into whether the company crushed competition by gobbling up Instagram and WhatsApp.The fact that these high-stakes antitrust cases are happening in the midst of all the political chaos may represent the system actually working and the rule of law reining in corporate power. Check out Brendan's coverage of the Meta trial at Big Tech On Trial.
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56:15
Marketcraft with Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes
Spurred on by Trump, Covid, and climate change, leaders are taking a more hands-on approach to shaping markets that would be seen as impossible a few years ago—but as our guest today argues, this kind of marketcraft is actually a long American tradition. Today, Matt and David welcome Chris Hughes, one of Facebook's founders, to the show to talk about his new book Marketcrafters. The book demolishes the myth that government and the free market were ever truly separate entities and examines the oft-forgotten stories of how policymakers on both sides of the aisle have used their power to craft markets to both good and bad ends.This week also marks the beginning of the FTC's trial against Meta, an action Chris called for back in 2019 in The New York Times. We get Chris's take on the trial, plus a dispatch from Matt, who has been watching the proceedings go down at the courthouse. To learn about Chris's new book Marketcrafters, check out his Substack: https://chrishughes749530.substack.comRead Chris's 2019 op-ed calling for Facebook to be broken up: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/opinion/sunday/chris-hughes-facebook-zuckerberg.html
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58:44
Breaking Monopolies from the Inside with Jonathan Kanter
Ever wonder what it's like to take on Google with a tiny government team? In this episode David and Matt are back with part two of their interview with Jonathan Kanter, who until recently led the DOJ's antitrust team. Kanter doesn't hold back, sharing what really happens when you sue tech giants, meatpackers, and ticket monopolies while working with government resources (read: not much). He talks about the challenges, the courtroom drama, and even brings some laughs to the table—somehow Groucho Marx glasses get involved! It's a fascinating insider look at fighting corporate power from someone who's actually been in the room.
Organized Money is a podcast about how the business world really works, and how corporate consolidation and monopolies are dominating every sector of our economy. The series is hosted by writers and journalists Matt Stoller and David Dayen, both thought leaders in the antimonopoly movement. Organized Money is a fresh spin on business reporting, one that goes beyond supply and demand curves or odes to visionary entrepreneurs. Each week Matt and David break down the ways monopolies control everything from the food we eat, to the drugs we take, the way we communicate and even how we date. You’ll hear from workers, business leaders, antitrust lawyers, and policymakers who are on the front lines of the fight for open markets and fair competition.If you care about an economy that is free and open, one not controlled by a handful of corporations, Organized Money is for you. New episodes out every week until the end of the year. Organized Money is a Rock Creek Sound production, from executive producers Ari Saperstein and Ellen Weiss, and senior producer Benjamin Frisch.
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