Geopolitics: U.S. industrial revival vs China’s manufacturing rise

In this episode of Crazy Wisdom, host Stewart Alsop sits down with Harry McKay Roper, founder of Imaginary Space, for a wide-ranging conversation on space mining, AI-driven software, crypto’s incorruptible potential, and the raw entrepreneurial energy coming out of Argentina. They explore how technologies like Anthropic’s Claude 4.5, programmable crypto protocols, and autonomous agents are reshaping economics, coding, and even law. Harry also shares his experiences building in Buenos Aires and why hunger and resilience define the city’s creative spirit. You can find Harry online at YouTube, Twitter, or Instagram under @HarryMcKayRoper.

Check out this GPT we trained on the conversation

Timestamps

00:00 – Stewart Alsop welcomes Harry McKay Roper from Imaginary Space and they jump straight into space mining, Helium-3, and asteroid gold.
05:00 – They explore how Bitcoin could hold value when space mining floods markets and discuss China, America, and global geopolitics.
10:00 – Conversation shifts to Argentina, its economic scars, cultural resilience, and overrepresentation in startups and crypto.
15:00 – Harry reflects on living in Buenos Aires, poverty, and the city’s constant hustle and creative movement.
20:00 – The focus turns to AI, Claude 4.5, and the rise of autonomous droids and software-building agents.
25:00 – They discuss the collapse of SaaS, internal tools, and Harry’s experiments with AI-generated code and new workflows.
30:00 – Stewart compares China’s industry to America’s software economy, and Harry points to AI, crypto, and space as frontier markets.
35:00 – Talk moves to crypto regulation, uncorruptible judges, and blockchain systems like Kleros.
40:00 – They debate AI consciousness, embodiment, and whether a robot could meditate.
45:00 – The episode closes with thoughts on free will, universal verifiers, and a playful prediction market bet on autonomous software.

Key Insights

1. Space and Economics Are Colliding – Harry McKay Roper opens with the idea that space mining will fundamentally reshape Earth’s economy. The discovery of asteroids rich in gold and other minerals highlights how our notions of scarcity could collapse once space resources become accessible, potentially destroying the terrestrial gold economy and forcing humanity to redefine value itself.
2. Bitcoin as the New Standard of Value – The conversation naturally ties this to Bitcoin’s finite nature. Stewart Alsop and Harry discuss how the flood of extraterrestrial gold could render traditional stores of value meaningless, while Bitcoin’s coded scarcity could make it the only incorruptible measure of worth in a future of infinite resources.
3. China and the U.S. in Industrial Tug-of-War – They unpack the geopolitical tension between China’s industrial dominance and America’s financial hegemony. Harry argues the U.S. is waking up from decades of outsourcing, driven by China’s speed in robotics and infrastructure. This dynamic competition, he says, is good—it forces America to build again.
4. Argentina’s Culture of Hunger and Resilience – Living in Buenos Aires reshaped Harry’s understanding of ambition. He contrasts Argentina’s hunger to survive and create with the complacency of wealthier nations, calling the Argentine spirit one of “movement.” Despite poverty, the city’s creative drive and humor make it a living example of resilience in scarcity.
5. AI Is Making Custom Software Instant – Harry describes how Claude 4.5 and new AI coding tools like Lovable, Cursor, and GPT Engineer make building internal tools trivial. Instead of using SaaS products, companies can now generate bespoke software in minutes with natural language, signaling the end of traditional software development cycles.
6. Crypto and AI Will Merge Into Incorruptible Systems – Harry envisions AI agents on-chain acting as unbiased judges or administrators, removing human corruption from law and governance. Real-world tools like Kleros, founded by an Argentine, already hint at this coming era of algorithmic justice and decentralized decision-making.
7. Consciousness and the Limits of AI – The episode closes on a philosophical note: can a robot meditate or clear its mind? Stewart and Harry question whether AI could ever experience consciousness or free will, suggesting that while AI may mimic thought, the uniquely subjective and embodied nature of human awareness remains beyond automation—for now.