Real Coffee with Scott Adams
Episode 3025 CWSA 11/21/25 — November 21, 2025
Theme: Reflecting on Current Events Through the Persuasion Lens
Episode Overview
In this episode, Scott Adams tackles the latest headlines—from gas prices and political ambitions in California to the Ukraine peace negotiations and the deeper implications of AI, CRISPR, and the persuasive tactics shaping modern discourse. He filters these developments through his signature "persuasion filter," exploring not only what is happening, but why, and what the common narratives reveal about how society is being influenced or misled.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Gas Prices, Political Theater & Designated Liars
- Adams jokes about being "a little late" and launches into his “simultaneous sip,” then notes that gas prices will dip for Thanksgiving, providing the Trump administration fuel for bragging.
- On Eric Swalwell running for governor of California:
- Describes him as part of the Democrats’ “designated liars”—those who “will Tell the lie that the top of the party wants to tell,” (05:00), and likens current party dynamics to rewarding those who say "absolutely anything."
- Jasmine Crockett, Adams argues, has taken over this role: “Has anyone noticed that Jasmine Crockett just became the person who says the most ridiculous things today?” (06:20).
2. The Cyborg Era & AI Integration
- Adams wrestles with the idea of giving AI access to finances, pointing out security and autonomy risks.
- Core insight: “I feel like you have to go through being cyborgs before you can unlock the real benefit of AI.” (09:30)
- He suggests true AI integration becomes viable only when technology is so fused with the user that it's "no more different from your hands or your feet." (10:40)
- Musings about CRISPR and AI collaborating for everything from monsters to disease eradication, playfully referencing "Monster Island."
3. Social Security Improvements
- Reports that Social Security office wait times have dropped (27% to 22 minutes).
- Calls this a rare example of government providing both raw numbers and percentages, commending their “forthright and honest” reporting. (15:45)
4. Ukraine Peace Plan: Negotiation as Persuasion
- Discusses Trump’s teased Ukraine plan, highlighting the lack of details and possibility of a “trial balloon.”
- Criticizes Ukraine's resistance to transparency: “It would be the height of stupidity to give away billions… and have no mechanism for checking where it goes.” (19:00)
- Ukraine requests "full amnesty for actions committed during the war," which Adams lampoons as nearly satirical.
- Reflects on Trump's deal-making: “Is it possible that Trump alone… has literally invented a way to get deals, peace deals that nobody's ever seen before, and it involves just confusing people and pushing them at the same time?” (23:34).
5. The Elusive Republican Healthcare Plan
- Cites JD Vance teasing a “great health care plan,” but Adams expresses skepticism: “How many of you believe that Republicans already have this great health care plan, but for reasons that are entirely unclear, they've chosen not to tell you?” (28:00)
- Adams stresses the complexity of understanding where healthcare dollars go, noting that incoming solutions must be handled by "somebody who can look at a complicated business and say, aha, here's where all that money's going." (31:45)
- Satirizes viral conspiracy theories about BlackRock “owning” meatpacking and pharma, dismantling these popular online myths. (32:30)
6. Job Market, Rare Earth Magnets, & Manufacturing Resurgence
- Shares skepticism about jobs data.
- Celebrates the first US-made rare earth magnet in 25 years, raising the possibility of a revitalized manufacturing sector reminiscent of WWII production surges. (36:50)
7. Designated Liars & Escalating Rhetoric
- Returns to Jasmine Crockett’s inflammatory comments about “random black bodies being strung up in the south.” Adams rebuts the factual basis and points to the dangers of such hyperbolic rhetoric. (38:00)
[39:44] Persuasion Reframe: Soros, Musk, and the Power of "How to Think"
The Soros vs. Musk Mindset
- Examines Alex Soros’ assertion that “we aren’t going anywhere” (referring to the Soros organization) and Elon Musk’s counter:
- Quote: “Can you stop trying to destroy civilization for like five minutes? That would be great.” —Elon Musk (40:10)
- Contrasts the “two movies on one screen” phenomenon: are Soros’s billions being used to destroy society or to save it? Adams notes that each side is convinced of their reality.
The “Gel-Man Amnesia Effect”
- Defines (with audience help) the term, where people recognize fake news in areas they know, but assume the rest is legitimate.
- Cites Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, Bill Murray, and others who have discussed this, noting:
- Quote: “This is teaching people a way to think and a way to see the world... What comes out of all this Grokopedia stuff is simply that more people understand what Gel man amnesia is. It completely changes how we see the world.” (44:10)
The New Divide: "What to Think" vs. "How to Think"
- Adams reframes contemporary tribal politics:
- Republicans and Musk’s followers are “taught how to think,” while Democrats are “told what to think.”
- “The right-leaning or... Trump supporting common sense part of the political world is really about teaching the other people in it how to think about stuff.” (46:40)
- Predicts that this asymmetry will lead the “team that can’t avoid the hoaxes just goes right off the cliff.” (48:00)
- Highlights how persuasion, once seen as innate, is now a teachable skill, crediting Musk and his own body of work.
Further Major Segments
[51:10] Epstein & The Nature of Blackmail
- Raises questions about JPMorgan’s alleged failure to report $1 billion in suspicious transactions related to Epstein.
- Thought experiment: “Who taught Epstein to be Epstein? ... How do you blackmail somebody without them killing you?” (53:10)
- Adams doubts that such a complex operation is figured out individually—hints at intelligence agency training.
Minnesota, Somalia, and Media Red Flags
- Notes recurring news stories tying “Minnesota taxpayer dollars” and “Somalia investment scheme,” sarcastically suggesting that these phrases together always signal fraud. (56:20)
[57:20] The Muslim Brotherhood & Western Institutions
- Reports on allegations that the “Muslim Brotherhood has infiltrated US colleges” and is “halfway done with its 100-year plan.”
- Posits that systemic features of Islam make it “a very successful system” and poses AI as the West’s possible long-term defense, especially if it is designed for “maximum truth seeking.” (59:00)
The CDC, Vaccines, and Shifts in Official Language
- Observes the CDC’s subtle retreat from stating “vaccines do not cause autism” to stating that “vaccines do not cause autism is not an evidence-based claim.”
- Critical of the CDC’s historical framing, viewing the change as progress toward more scientific honesty. (01:01:15)
Notable Quotes & Moments
- “Eric Swalwell will be teaching us that you can do literally everything wrong for years and be a front runner in the Democratic Party for anything, really.” (05:15)
- “Could it be that you can only get there [full AI benefit] when you are unambiguously committed to being a cyborg?” (10:05)
- “It would be the height of stupidity to give away billions of dollars and have no mechanism for checking where it goes…” (19:00)
- “Is it possible that Trump alone… has literally invented a way to get deals, peace deals that nobody's ever seen before…?” (23:34)
- “I would love somebody to explain to me where all the money is going [in healthcare]… I have no idea.” (31:45)
- “How did Epstein learn to be Epstein? ... Who taught him?” (53:20)
- “Democrats tell you what to think. And at least in 2025... we've all been taught how to think, and a lot of it comes from [Elon Musk].” (50:55)
Engaging Insights & Reframing
- Gel-Man Amnesia as Cultural Training: Adams weaves the concept of “Gel-Man Amnesia” into explaining why segments of the public are better inoculated against media hoaxes.
- AI as Civilization’s Firewall: Suggests AI’s relentless pursuit of truth could be Western society’s only defense against systemic infiltration by more rigid ideologies, like Islam.
- The Coming “Golden Age”: Predicts a near-term future where the divide is not just right vs left, but between people who have been taught “how to think” and those told “what to think,” forecasting increasing divergence in political and social outcomes.
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Simultaneous Sip & Gas Prices: 01:10
- Designated Liars (Swalwell/Crockett): 05:00–07:00
- Cyborg Era, AI, & Monster Island: 09:30–15:00
- Social Security Update: 15:45
- Ukraine Peace Plan & Trump’s Negotiating: 19:00–26:40
- Healthcare Plan Critique: 28:00–33:00
- Debunking BlackRock Myths: 32:30
- Rare Earth & Manufacturing: 36:50
- Jasmine Crockett & Escalating Rhetoric: 38:00
- Soros vs Musk & “How to Think”: 40:10–50:55
- Epstein Mysteries: 51:10–54:00
- Minnesota/Somalia/Media Patterns: 56:20
- Muslim Brotherhood, AI as Defense: 57:20–60:30
- CDC’s Vaccine Messaging Change: 61:15
Conclusion
Scott Adams closes by inviting feedback and private discussion, but the core message resonates: he contends 2025 marks a turning point where the ability to see through BS and understand persuasion is the new civic literacy, anchored by Musk’s influence and a culture shift toward “how to think.” The episode, in typical Adams fashion, blends humor, skepticism, and contrarian takes—leaving listeners with provocative questions and a call to cognitive arms.