Dave Collum: Unpacking the Deep State, Financial Crises, and the Digital Evolution of Control

This weekend, I thought I’d try fixing my bike, and let me tell you, it was a disaster. Those YouTube tutorials make it look so simple, but in reality? Total nightmare. By the end, I had grease everywhere, and somehow, the bike looked even worse than when I started. Jake was supposed to help, but of course, he bailed—classic Jake. The bolts didn’t make any sense, the chain was a complete mess, and now I’m seriously thinking about taking it to a shop. Turns out, I’ve got zero mechanical skills. Definitely not doing that again anytime soon.

The Professor Who Dares to Speak Out

It’s not often you find an Ivy League professor willing to step outside the ivory tower and engage in the broader cultural conversation. Professor Dave Collum, an organic chemistry expert at Cornell University, is one of those rare individuals. Despite his academic standing, Collum isn’t afraid to share his unfiltered opinions on economics, social policy, and foreign affairs, often through his active X (formerly Twitter) account and various podcast appearances. He’s even known for his widely read annual "Year in Review" at Peak Prosperity, where he dissects the year’s events with a sharp, contrarian eye.

Key Takeaways

• Academic Freedom vs. "Staying in Your Lane": Collum recounts instances where he’s spoken about economic collapse or social issues in his chemistry classes, only to be met with a mix of student curiosity and, at times, the implicit pressure from colleagues to "stay in your lane."
• The "Cancel Culture" Experience: He details his own experience with being "canceled" in 2020 after supporting the police, highlighting the speed and seemingly orchestrated nature of online backlash.
• Questioning Official Narratives: Collum consistently questions the official stories surrounding major events, from the COVID-19 pandemic and its origins to the Diddy and Hunter Biden investigations, suggesting deeper, often hidden, agendas at play.
• The Evolution of the "Deep State": He believes the "deep state" has evolved, moving from direct suppression of information to flooding the internet with noise and distractions to obscure the truth.
• Economic Foreboding: Collum expresses significant concern about the current economic climate, warning of a potential catastrophic crisis driven by factors like inflation, debt, and asset overvaluation.

Navigating the Currents of Controversy

Collum’s willingness to speak his mind hasn’t always been easy. He recalls an incident in 2007 where he predicted the banking system’s collapse in the middle of an organic chemistry lecture. While his colleagues might have wished he’d stayed silent, Cornell itself hasn’t officially reprimanded him. However, he did face a significant "cancellation" in 2020. This stemmed from a tweet where he commented on a video of an elderly man being pushed by riot police, suggesting it looked like a "self-inflicted problem" after the man appeared to poke the officers. The speed of the backlash, with emails flooding the administration within minutes, struck him as highly organized and not "organic."

He also touched upon the incident involving a professor at another university who made a statement about Israel being attacked, which led to condemnation. Collum argues that universities, meant to foster free speech, sometimes struggle with this principle, especially when dealing with "dumb speech" or even hostile speech.

The COVID-19 Conundrum and Lab Leaks

Collum is deeply skeptical of the official narrative surrounding COVID-19. He suggests that the virus might not have originated in Wuhan, China, as widely reported, but potentially from a lab in North Carolina. He points to patent trails and research funding that moved offshore due to U.S. bans on gain-of-function research. He even raises the disturbing possibility that foster children were used for clinical trials in the U.S., drawing parallels to unethical practices from the past.

The Diddy Arrest and Epstein’s Shadow

When discussing the arrest of Sean "Diddy" Combs, Collum speculates that it was less about the specific charges and more about seizing incriminating data, similar to the Jeffrey Epstein case. He believes Diddy may have had damaging tapes, and the arrest was a way to secure that information before civil lawsuits could access it. The lack of significant charges, he argues, points to a different motive behind the arrest.

Hunter Biden’s Laptop and the Weiner Connection

The conversation then shifted to Hunter Biden’s laptop. Collum references lawyer Sidney Powell’s assertion that if Anthony Weiner’s laptop were ever released, the government would fall. He suggests Weiner’s laptop contained highly sensitive information, and the mysterious deaths of nine police officers who viewed its contents raise serious questions.

January 6th and the Shaman

Collum expresses skepticism about the official narrative of the January 6th Capitol riot. He questions the presence of individuals like John Sullivan, who filmed Ashley Babbitt’s shooting, and notes the unusual circumstances surrounding the deaths of Capitol police officers. He also points to the seemingly contradictory nature of some individuals involved, like the QAnon shaman, who was reportedly a nationally ranked cyclist, suggesting a more complex and possibly orchestrated event.

The "Kayfabe" of Politics and the Deep State’s Digital Shift

Collum introduces the concept of "kayfabe," borrowed from professional wrestling, to describe modern politics. He argues that much of what we see is a performance, designed to manipulate public perception. He believes that around 2013-2014, the "deep state" realized they were losing control of the narrative due to the internet and social media. Their strategy shifted from direct suppression to overwhelming people with "excess noise" and misleading information, making it difficult to discern the truth.

QAnon: A Tool of Control?

Regarding QAnon, Collum suggests it might have been a sophisticated control mechanism designed to siphon off and redirect public energy. While acknowledging that some predictions attributed to QAnon came true, he views it as a tool, possibly created by former intelligence operatives, to manage dissent and focus attention on specific narratives, like the Wuhan lab leak theory, which distracts from other issues.

The Maui Fires and Directed Energy Weapons

Collum touches on the devastating fires in Maui, questioning the official explanation. While he doesn’t fully subscribe to the directed energy weapon (DEW) theory, he finds the official narrative lacking. He notes the rapid, simultaneous start of fires across a wide area, suggesting a need for further investigation beyond simple arson.

The Erosion of Truth and the Rise of AI

Collum expresses deep concern about the future of truth and information. He believes AI will make systems "brittle" and unforgiving, leading to a world where human nuance is lost. The act of writing, he argues, is crucial for understanding and articulating complex ideas, and AI’s role in generating content threatens this process. He also points to the censorship of dissenting voices, citing examples of individuals being de-platformed for expressing views that deviate from the official storyline.

Universities in Crisis: DEI and the Erosion of Merit

Collum is critical of the direction of many universities, particularly the emphasis on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which he believes have led to a decline in academic standards and meritocracy. He argues that while affirmative action had a noble intention, its current implementation has created a system where qualifications are secondary to identity politics. He also laments the rising cost of education and the administrative bloat that has overshadowed the core academic mission.

The Economic Catastrophe and Asset Bubbles

Collum paints a grim picture of the global economy, warning of a potential catastrophe. He highlights the disconnect between low-level employment struggles and high-level layoffs, suggesting underlying systemic issues. He is particularly critical of inflation numbers, believing they are significantly underestimated, and argues that the market is in a state of overvaluation, driven by decades of low interest rates and a "recency bias."

He uses historical data and valuation metrics to argue that assets are astronomically overpriced. He believes that a significant market correction is inevitable, and the current economic system, with its reliance on loose monetary policy and private equity’s destructive practices, is unsustainable. He points to the housing market as an example, where institutional investors have bought up properties, making homeownership unattainable for many.

The Search for Safe Havens

In this uncertain economic landscape, Collum discusses potential safe havens. He expresses a long-term bullishness on energy and precious metals like gold and platinum, though he cautions that even these assets may experience significant sell-offs before finding their true value. He remains skeptical of cryptocurrencies, viewing them as a potential tool for government control rather than a genuine alternative financial system.

The Future of Finance: CBDCs and the Loss of Liberty

Collum is deeply concerned about the rise of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), which he sees as a tool for authoritarian control. He believes that the development and rollout of cryptocurrencies have served as a testing ground for these digital currencies, paving the way for a cashless society where individual financial liberty is severely curtailed. He emphasizes that "cash is liberty."

A Call for Truth in a World of Noise

Ultimately, Dave Collum’s message is a call to critical thinking and a relentless pursuit of truth in an increasingly complex and deceptive world. He urges listeners to question official narratives, look beyond the manufactured noise, and seek out genuine understanding, even when it’s uncomfortable or goes against the prevailing consensus. His work serves as a reminder that intellectual courage and a commitment to truth are more important than ever.