Discussion on Oligarchs has been a major talking point of the Left since at least 2024. It’s not like many on the Right are rushing to defend them, either. And we can see the impulse - 5-6 companies seem to control most avenues of our consumer decisions (whether in social media, DTC, or AI), the people who work at those companies get paid enormously well (or if frontline, the opposite), and it can seem like providing alternatives is a Sisyphean task.

But is this populist anger, jealousy and/or a fundamental misunderstanding of competition and Big Tech? After all, OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic are competing viciously in AI, Meta and TikTok go head to head in social media, and Amazon…competes with Temu, I guess?

We’re bring world class speakers to fight it out - Columbia Law School and Age of Extraction author Tim Wu (signed copies sold with ticket!) and Manhattan Institute senior fellow Alison Schrager go head to head on whether we need to break up these platforms, or if populist resentment is driving the fight without justification.

Upcoming UNMUTED Events
Monday, 3/16: An UNMUTED Dialogue: Crime and Punishment and Mamdani (link)

Thursday, 3/31: An UNMUTED x the Bench Dialogue: Break Up Big Tech? (link)

Wednesday, April 15: An UNMUTED Dialogue: Is the West Still the West? (link)

Check out all our events here

The events I’ve got my eye on in the next two weeks. Check them out!

Monday, March 16
•6:00 PM – The Information State
Subject: Current Affairs
Where: The CUNY Graduate Center Skylight Room 9100
Who: Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies
What: A book talk and discussion with journalist and author Jacob Siegel and the director of RDI Eli Karetny. In a world where truth is often purposefully manipulated, this discussion explores the implications of the information, or rather disinformation, state on our democratic institutions.

•6:30 PM – M. E. O’Brien, Trans Childhoods and the Family Romance
Subject: Science and Contemporary Thought
Where: SVA, 133 W 21st StNew York, NY
Who: Art History, Visual & Critical Studies, Honors
What: Ok… hear me out. M. E. O’Brien is a local NYC author and psychoanalyst who explores the connections between identity, capitalism, and classic psychoanalysis. This particular talk bridges classical Freudian theory with the modern implications of trans identities and family units as they operate within modern social structures…. I think. I’ll pay a conservative $10 to subject themselves to this, but you have to record your reaction.

🗓 Tuesday, March 17
•5:00 PM – NYU Stern CSB Ninth Annual Practice Forum
Subject: Business and Government
Where: NYU Stern Business School
Who: NYU Stern Business School
What: Part of an all-day symposium on better business practice, I specifically want to mention the AI in government panel, which takes place at 5. Sooner or later, we have to confront the elephant in the room: what are we going to do with AI?

•6:00 PM – Waterfront, Parks & Cultural Committee
Subject: Local Politics
Where: 1 Centre Street, 2202A-North
Who: Manhattan Community Board 1
What: President of the Battery Conservancy, Paula Recart, will give a presentation regarding the preservation of critical NYC waterfront space. I don't always post weekly board meetings, but since this features a special guest, it may be more eventful.

Wednesday, March 18
•6:00 PM – AF-NYC: Lights Up on Mamdani's New York
Subject: Local Politics
Where: Gadfly Bar
Who: America’s Future
What: An early-term analysis and conversation covering Mumdani’s policy progress and indicators for the future - the speakers are Rob Henderson and Daniel Idfresne. Open bar for $10, can’t complain

•6:00 PM – The Met Club Presents: Our St. Patrick’s Day Social
Subject: Policy
Where: An Upper East Side Bar
Who: Metropolitan Republican Club
What: A St. Patrick’s Day event featuring AOC’s republican Congressional challenger, Diamant Hysenaj. Good luck with that lol.

•6:30 PM – The Power of Policy and Online Verification
Subject: Policy
Where: 66 Hudson Boulevard New York, NY 10001
Who: Duke Sanford School
What: Duke Sanford's Development and Alumni Relations is hosting a conversation with Professor Robyn Caplan, who researches platform governance, content moderation, and digital trust. The conversation will touch on how history informs today's digital shifts, the role of AI in verification, and our unique position at the intersection of science, technology, and society.

🗓 Thursday, March 19
•6:30 PM – Offline Book Club: Enshittification
Subject: Technology
Where: Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL)
Who: New York Public Library
What: A book discussion on Enshittification by Corey Doctorow. The term describes the process by which technology and social media networks make our lives “Shittier”. At this point, discussions of technology, social media, and the tech ecosystem cannot be held in isolation from politics, civics, and our autonomy. This book is honestly “ensufferable” - very “one side good, other side bad” activist coded, but could be interesting for others.

🗓 Friday, March 20
•7:30 PM – The Moth Mainstage in New York
Subject: Politics
Where: 566 LaGuardia Pl New York, NY ,10012
Who: The Moth
What: 5 Storytellers will take the stage in a comedic and illuminating night of tales questioning the modern application of “The American Dream”. In our current political moment, the American Dream has persisted in the American Zeitgeist, but is it the same as it once was? Was there ever an American Dream? What is it?! Find out Friday night.

🗓 Saturday, March 21
None I found

🗓 Sunday, March 22
•6:00 PM – The Power Joker
Subject: Comedy and Politics
Where: Caveat NYC
Who: Caveat NYC
What: A riff of the ‘Power Broker’, this comedy show is presented by “Robert Moses” and is a deep dive into NYC's political past and history. Love Caro - not sure how this will be funny.

Monday, March 23
•6:00 PM – This Magazine Life: Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic
Subject: Journalism
Where: The New York Society Library
Who: The New York Society Library
What: A lecture with the CEO of The Atlantic, Nicholas Thompson, where he will be discussing the importance of journalism, critical thinking, investigation, and discussion.

•7:00 PM – Celebrate 30 Years of Independent Global News with Democracy Now!
Subject: Democracy (Wooooooo)
Where: Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10027
Who: Democracy Now!
What: Join Democracy Now! for a celebration of 30 years of independent journalism and promoting democracy. I featured this event earlier, but it had to be postponed to this date. It’s going to feature a bunch of guests, including: Legendary Activist Angela Davis, Rock Legend Patti Smith (Uh ok), Michael Stipe (you know), Pulitzer Prize-winning Writer Mosab Abu Toha, and more. Should be sick!

🗓 Tuesday, March 24
•6:00 PM – FROM OPEN DATA TO DATA COMMONS
Subject: Data and Policy
Where: BRIC, Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY, USABrooklyn, NY
Who: Culture and Arts Policy Institute
What: A round table discussion and presentation regarding data infrastructure. These are the types of questions that will have to be asked out loud. Data governance is a hugely underreported and questioned policy field that has incredible implications for our everyday lives.

•6:00 PM – Democracy Dinners NYC
Subject: Activism
Where: Numero 28 Pizzeria, New York, NY
Who: Numero 28 Pizza
What: So, for those of you who are activists, this one is all you. It’s a pizza diner-and-strategy meeting hosted by this pizza joint, where they'll discuss the upcoming ‘No Kings Rally’. If the pizza is good, go for it.

•6:30 PM – The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America
Subject: History
Where: The Robert H. Smith Auditorium at The New York Historical, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024
Who: The New York Historical
What: A debate/ historical recounting between legal scholar Jeffrey Rosen and New York Historical Scholar David Blight. They will be discussing the classic debate of state vs. federal rights through the perspective of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.

Wednesday, March 25
•6:00 PM – America at 250 – A Global Perspective
Subject: International Perspectives
Where: Maison Française, New York, NY
Who: Alliance Program
What: A contemporary debate about America at its 250th anniversary. We stand at an inflection point in our history, and this discussion will cover all the topics populating our minds as we think about the future of the United States. I’m not really sure what topics they are debating though, it’s not clear from the actual event.

•6:00 PM – Panel at the Morgan: Is Preservation Hindering Housing Creation?
Subject: Local politics
Where: Morgan Library & Museum, Gilder Lehrman Hall, 225 Madison Avenue (between 36th and 37th Streets)
Who: New York Landmarks Conservancy
What: A debate covering the tension between historical preservation and affordable housing in NYC. This debate will ask questions such as: What are the limits of historical preservation in the face of a housing crisis? How do we develop while also respecting the past? How does affordability compare to history?

🗓 Thursday, March 26
•6:00 PM – Policing, Pews, and Firehouse Politics
Subject: LGBTQA+ Politics
Where: LaGuardia Performing Arts Centre ‒ Main Stage Theatre (E-242)
Who: LaGuardia Community College
What: Marking the 40th anniversary of the New York City Gay Rights Bill, LaGuardia Community College is hosting a panel discussion on the evolution of groups against the bill throughout the 70s and 80s. This is for my LaGuardia folks!

•6:00 PM – Victimhood Nationalism: History and Memory- Global Age
Subject: Grand Strategy and Sociology
Where: Heyman Center Common Room, 2960 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, United States
Who: The Harriman Institute
What: A lecture on how regimes use collective suffering, among other strategies, to promote nationalism and global conflict. While heady and generally unapproachable, I think this topic is very relevant today. Even if you're not into high-level politics, it is good to be aware of the indicators of regime manipulation.

🗓 Friday, March 27
•6:00 PM – BATTLE OF THE BOROUGHS SLAM
Subject: Local
Where: Alke Cafe
Who: Creative Soul House
What: We are getting spirited this Friday. If you like slam poetry, I sure don’t, but this is all you. It is a battle of the Boroughs slam poetry battle where you are encouraged to show your borough pride and politics through the use of creatively strung verbage, hell ya.

🗓 Saturday, March 28
•6:00 PM – Sunlight Trapped in Stone
Subject: International Relations
Where: White Rabbit Books
Who: White Rabbit Books
What: This book talk and roundtable discussion with Natalya Sukhonos on her book “Sunlight Trapped in Stone,” which discusses being a Ukrainian immigrant and the implications of the Russo-Ukraine War on migration, might be the perfect palate cleanser.

🗓 Sunday, March 29

Nothing interesting, Rest up.

Show up, think deeper, and as always, stay Unmuted!

The Unmuted Team