Salisbury Forum examines money, power

FALLS VILLAGE —Northwest Corner residents packed the Housatonic Valley Regional High School’s newly-renovated auditorium on the evening of Nov. 22 for the Salisbury Forum’s final event of the year, entitled “Following the Money: What Will Become of America.”

The night’s speakers Kurt Andersen and William D. Cohan never quite answered the prompt, but their jocular, casual spotlight banter throughout their hour of stage time seemed to indicate that they felt it would be nothing good, and that they better crack jokes while they still can.

Andersen, whose long list of accolades and accomplishments includes co-founding Spy Magazine and penning the New York Times bestsellers “Fantasyland” and “Evil Geniuses,” played the part of interviewer for the hour-long conservation. He began by announcing that he was hesitant to embrace the role, as the two were old friends, and that he would prefer their chat progress naturally.

It largely did, with Andersen appealing to Cohan’s knowledge of America’s ultra-wealthy to illuminate the country’s uncertain future as the new administration positions itself to take power. The duo seldom offered predictions or concrete advice — “Your 401k will probably drop a bit,” Cohan offered as a response to a concerned small business owner’s question about how tariffs will impact her — but rather ruminated on the marriage of right-wing politics and billionaires in the recent election cycle.

Cohan, a former investment banker turned decorated author and journalist, offered several anecdotes from his time writing about the mega-rich, including detailing several experiences with hedge fund tycoon Bill Ackman, whose longtime loyalty to the Democratic Party ended with his support of President Elect Trump in the 2024 election. “I don’t understand what happened to this guy,” Cohan said, speculating that Hamas’ attack on Israel last year “radicalized” him.

Cohan and Andersen specifically decried the Washington Post’s neutrality in the November election, blaming the newspaper’s owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, for refusing to allow the paper to take a stand.

“Once upon a time when we were growing up, publishers prided themselves on taking sides,” Cohan said.

There was no shortage of jabs at the incoming administration throughout their discourse, repeatedly referring to Trump’s growing cabinet as “the Star Wars bar clientele” or “the clown car.” The clown car is usually a metaphor, Andersen explained — “we’re literally almost there this time.”

Elsewhere, their conversation ranged from bitcoin — “You can’t do anything with bitcoin,” Cohan said — to Elon Musk’s sudden entrenchment within Trump’s political sphere.

“Elon Musk has a lot of power right now … in the classic, robber baron corruption style,” Andersen said.

At one point, Cohan riffed on Trump coming after journalists he doesn’t like when he assumes power. “You can’t joke about that, Bill!” Andersen exclaimed.