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KMO welcomes James Howard Kunstler back to the program to talk about the themes in his new book, Too Much Magic: Wishful Thinking, Technology, and the Fate of the Nation. Jim describes himself as being allergic to conspiracy theories, and KMO explores the space of ideas looking for the place where Jim draws the line between credible speculation about malfeasance in the corridors of power and the paranoid fantasies of ultra-right-wing lunatics as exemplified by the John Birch Society. Could anybody ever be elected to high office by promising to manage economic contraction intelligently, or will promises of American exceptionalism and continued expansion mark the winner in every electoral contest? Jim says that the chronic trafficking in dishonesty in the realms of politics and finance is destroying necessary public institutions and eroding the legitimacy of government. In the second segment, KMO and Olga talk about student debt with Beth and Karl Klein and concludes with a few words about the soon-to-be-launched C-Realm Vault Podcast.