Dispatch Twenty Three
market socialism, directions, writing vs. editing
Monday
The Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit is behind schedule, and I’m running out of questions to ask the 25-year-old life coach seated next to me.
Finally, the president of JobsOhio introduces Ohio’s Republican gubernatorial nominee and failed presidential candidate, saying, “We’re so proud of him.”
Vivek Ramaswamy strides onto the stage to loud applause and shakes hands with the session’s moderator, Forbes’ Chief Content Officer Randall Lane.
Lane takes Ramaswamy through some generous paces: his 2024 presidential campaign: (“That was a fire first, aim later decision.”); his 69-day stint with DOGE: (“The short version is I learned I don’t make for a particularly good number two.”); his pitch to revitalize Ohio’s business sector: (“By the way, Silicon Valley was yesterday, the Ohio River Valley is tomorrow.”)
Then, asked about his motivation to become governor, Ramaswamy said he feels called to revive capitalism.
“I worry we’re entering this era where capitalism is no longer popular in America,” Ramaswamy said, gesturing to the audience. “Socialism, especially among young people—probably not the people in this room—but the generation of people in this room, is now more popular than capitalism.”
Several Gen Z attendees shift in their seats; two women with slick ponytails start whispering.
A minute later, he doubles down, repeating a pitch he published in the Wall Street Journal.
“If you have $10,000 invested in the S&P 500 on day zero, let’s say it’s the day you’re born, you are guaranteed effectively to be a millionaire by your 50s, so long as we keep our economic productivity going,” Ramaswamy says.
“The major difference between the wealthy and everybody else is whether or not you own an asset that compounds. The best way to combat the popularity of socialism among young people is to actually make everyone a capitalist by giving them skin in the game so we’re rooting for the same thing.”
In my Notes app, I write:
Who makes the per-child investment—the federal or state government?
His proposed Ohio economic agenda eliminates the state income tax. How would the state afford that kind of direct investment?
Isn’t that market socialism?
Lane’s follow-up question is whether Ramaswamy plans to run for president in 2028.
As soon as the send-off music starts, I say goodbye to the life coach and head for the door. I walk straight into a crowd of bored twenty-somethings, all waiting for Ramaswamy to stop talking so the content creator seminar can begin.
Also Monday
“This is how it feels,” Chris said. He flipped over his bar receipt and clicked the waitress’ pen.
I watched him sketch lines and circles in quick succession. The same hand that edited my college magazine articles, pulled me into my first dive bar, and clapped my back when I became editor-in-chief.
We’ve always shared a troublesome relationship with identity. The I—who am I but a constant question: in this investigation to determine which parts to keep, change, hide. In our ten years of friendship, we have habitually tried to trade answers.
Chris pointed to his makeshift diagram.
“Most of the people in my life are going this direction—establishing roots, having kids,” he said. “And I’m going in the opposite direction. I have no idea what’s over there.”
I sputtered something about the freedom to build whatever life he wants. The thrill of the open road.
I should have asked: How can I make you believe that, whatever the direction, we will travel together?
Thursday
When I was in my early twenties and knew everything, my boss told me I was a better editor than writer. Then I knew nothing.
I hadn’t considered that my relationship with a practice more mysterious than myself could split two ways. How can you create without making decisions? Strong trees must be pruned.
I learned to cope with this prescribed reality by making it a game. Extra points for writing something decent several days in a row. Deleting sentences that overexplained the ones before wasn’t a loss, it was a win for the editing team. I know it’s frowned upon to keep score in a marriage, but if competition becomes ubiquitous with growth, it seems worth a few nights going to bed angry.
Lately, I’ve been writing in sprints during the day and editing at night. The curious result is a conversation stretched over hours, with room for rebuttal. Sometimes, I purposefully leave a metaphor messy, just to give myself something to roll my eyes at later. Tonight, my husband pointed out that I was laughing at my computer.
I’m in my thirties now and still know nothing—except that I want to keep talking.
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"Lately, I’ve been writing in sprints during the day and editing at night. The curious result is a conversation stretched over hours, with room for rebuttal." Love this! Delighted that you're talking/writing to us.