The podcast explores Canada's economic decline compared to developing economies, debt dynamics over time, origins of debt creation, social contract implications, youth entrepreneurship challenges, and Canada's immigration advantage for future growth.
Imperial exploitation inadvertently empowered the global periphery to resist domination, challenging common misconceptions around economic decline.
Developing countries are the new economic drivers, with Western economies facing slowdowns masked by unsustainable debt levels.
Deep dives
Parallels Between the Rise and Fall of Empires: Rome and America
When comparing the historical narratives of the rise and fall of empires like Rome to current global circumstances, the parallel lies in the evolution of a global periphery challenging an imperial core. This comparison challenges common misconceptions around factors leading to decline, emphasizing the role of imperial exploitation inadvertently empowering the periphery to resist domination.
Shift in Global Economic Growth Patterns: Developed versus Developing Nations
Current global economic trends reflect a shift where the fastest-growing economies are predominantly found in Africa, countering Western perceptions of Africa as a stagnant continent. Developed Western economies, including Canada, are experiencing slowdowns and negative growth, masked by debt-fueled growth creating the illusion of prosperity. The dynamism in the global economy increasingly resides in developing countries, driven by sustainable growth models.
Debt Dynamics and Financial Sustainability Challenges
The global debt-to-GDP ratio exceeding 350% is predominantly fueled by developed Western economies and China, with most debt concentrated in the private sector. The unsustainable debt levels, coupled with declining labor productivity and increasing dependency ratios, highlight the challenges faced by Western governments in maintaining fiscal sustainability while servicing existing debts.
Economic Growth Sustainability and Future Prospects
Discussions on the possibility of sustaining endless economic growth reveal a fundamental reliance on historical growth rates exceeding the current norm. The post-World War II era saw exceptional growth rates that are unlikely to be replicated, necessitating a shift in social and economic constructs to align with a lower growth trajectory. While challenges exist in meeting past commitments, potential solutions lie in reevaluating distribution systems, transitioning from rent-producing to profit-producing models, and leveraging Canada's immigrant absorption capacity as a strategic advantage in a changing global landscape.
John Rapley is a political economist specializing in global development, the world economy, and economic history. He was born and raised in Ottawa and is a political economist at the University of Cambridge. He has written five books, the latest of which is titled Why Empires Fall: Rome, America, And The Future Of The West
In this 35-minute interview, Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern talk to him about his latest book, why he thinks Western countries are in economic decline compared to developing economies, pensions, the housing crisis, and what Canada's economic advantages are.