In this eye-opening conversation, Aaron sits down with economic historian Chris Bream, author of Beyond Steel: Pittsburgh and the Economics of Transformation to unpack one of the most dramatic industrial collapses in American history — and what it reveals about the future of cities, regions, and the country.

Pittsburgh went from being the steel capital of the world to losing hundreds of thousands of jobs and people in just a few brutal years in the early 1980s. Chris explains why the collapse was so sudden and so total, how generations of warnings were ignored, and how Pittsburgh eventually began to rebuild around talent, education, and knowledge industries.

This is far more than local history — it’s a powerful case study in economic denial, disruptive change, identity tied to work, and what successful regional adaptation actually looks like in the 21st century.

CHAPTERS:
(0:00 Introduction)
(0:59 Why Pittsburgh became the steel capital of the world )
(3:24 Geography, coal, rivers, and Andrew Carnegie’s real role )
(5:18 How steel came to dominate and displace every other industry)
(7:54 Steel wasn’t just jobs — it became Pittsburgh’s entire identity )
(10:03 The shocking speed of the 1980s collapse — what really happened )
(13:21 Paul Volcker, 21% interest rates, and the Rust Belt reckoning )
(15:21 Warnings ignored for decades: reports from the 1940s, 1960s, and earlier)
(19:24 Why temporary booms kept postponing the inevitable day of reckoning )
(23:27 Denial, hubris, and the human cost of believing “it will never end” )
(27:14 How Pittsburgh actually recovered — the real story )
(29:47 The roots of the knowledge economy go back decades before the crash )
(31:20 Lessons for the rest of America: what declining regions can, and can’t, do )
(33:52 Rethinking success in places that won’t grow anymore )

CHRIS BRIEM LINKS:
🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/chrisbriem
📖 Beyond Steel: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Steel-Pittsburgh-Economics-Transformation/dp/1606355023/?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=theurban-20

CONNECT & FOLLOW AARON RENN:
🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/aaron_renn
🌐 Newsletter - In-depth cultural analysis: https://www.aaronrenn.com/

In this eye-opening conversation, Ohio businessman Justin Powell joins Aaron Renn to discuss his viral article “Dying to Give” — why waiting until death to pass on wealth is often the wrong move, and how thoughtful, early giving can build stronger families, businesses, and communities.

Justin shares powerful real-life stories: a multi-generation gravel pit owner who’s deliberately preserving two generations of reserves for his sons instead of chasing short-term profits, how he set his teenage boys up with $3,000 each to start lawn-mowing businesses (one made $35K in a summer), and why small, strategic investments at key “choke points” (home down payments, first business capital, financial literacy) can change the trajectory of a young person’s life forever.

Together they explore:
- The massive $85 trillion wealth transfer happening over the next 20 years
- Why asset ownership (homes, businesses, land) is becoming harder — and more important — than ever
- How parents and grandparents can give wisely without spoiling kids
- Balancing prudence (longevity, healthcare risks) with bold generosity and trust in God’s provision
- Real examples of leverage points where $5K–$20K today creates massive long-term impact

Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, business owner, or young person trying to get on the ownership ladder, this episode challenges the default “you’ll get it when I die” mindset and offers a better way forward.

Read Justin's entire "Dying to Give" article: https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/dying-to-give

CHAPTERS
(0:00 Introduction)
(1:26 The gravel pit family story: preserving two generations of reserves)
(4:41 Setting kids up early — $3K investment → $35K summer earnings)
(7:06 The mindset shift: prepare them now, not just at death)
(9:06 The $85 trillion wealth transfer wave)
(10:53 Upper-class family subsidies vs. the ownership ladder struggle)
(13:24 Choke points: down payments, first businesses, college debt)
(16:00 Timing matters — home equity winners vs. renters)
(19:00 Wisdom over coercion: guiding adult children with small gifts)
(21:52 Billionaire’s car test & financial literacy approach)
(23:51 Prudence vs. catastrophe planning: when to give boldly)
(26:58 Time, talent, and treasure — character over cash)

In this episode I sit down with Tanner Greer, one of America's most insightful public intellectuals. We dive deep into his recent American Affairs article, "The Making of a Techno-Nationalist Elite" — a sharp review of Palantir CEO Alex Karp's book "The Technological Republic." Greer contrasts today's Silicon Valley tech elite with the Gilded Age industrialists and Eastern Establishment who led America's second industrial revolution - railroads, steel, electricity, modern corporations - and built a modernized nation. He argues that tech leaders must step up as a true governing class — with economic power, political coalitions, and cultural vision — to build a "techno-nationalist" America that serves the nation, not just consumer gadgets or globalist ideals.

We explore why Karp's call for Silicon Valley patriotism falls short, the lessons from history's successful elites (like building alliances beyond their own class), and what it would take for tech to become a patriotic, nation-building force in the age of AI, China rivalry, and hard tech resurgence. Whether you're in tech, politics, or just care about America's future, this is a must-listen on power, elites, and rebuilding national ambition.

CHAPTERS
(0:00 - Introduction)
(2:45 - Overview of Tanner's American Affairs article & Alex Karp's book)
(6:30 - Why Silicon Valley needs to embrace nation-building (and why many resist))
(12:10 - The Second Industrial Revolution: How America became the technological republic)
(18:40 - Pre-Civil War vs. post-Civil War elites — sectional to national vision)
(25:15 - Rise of the modern corporation, railroads, and managerial class)
(32:00 - The Eastern Establishment's generational mindset & political coalitions)
(40:20 - Critiquing Karp's The Technological Republic — scattered ideas, no real vision)
(48:50 - Silicon Valley's shift from libertarian/globalist to techno-nationalist awareness)
(55:30 - Comparing tech elites to antebellum planters — a wake-up call?)
(1:02:45 - Hard tech, defense startups, and re-industrialization potential)
(1:10:20 - Building a true governing elite: Economic base, politics, culture)
(1:18:00 - Advice for Silicon Valley: Heritage, responsibility, and connecting to America)

TANNER GREER LINKS:
🌐 The Making of a Techo-Nationalist Elite: https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2025/11/the-making-of-a-techno-nationalist-elite/
🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/Scholars_Stage/
🌐 The Scholar's Stage: https://scholars-stage.org/

CONNECT & FOLLOW AARON RENN:
🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/aaron_renn
🌐 Newsletter - In-depth cultural analysis: https://www.aaronrenn.com/