Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg dissect the complex web of religion, nationalism, and power that shapes Middle Eastern politics. In this analysis, Samo reveals why traditional solutions have failed and offers a look at how demographic shifts and emerging ideologies will transform the region's future.

—

📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 

🙏 Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse 

—

SPONSORS:

NETSUITE

More than 40,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. If you're looking for an ERP platform, get a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program on NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/zen - Download your free CFO's guide to AI and machine learning

SHOPIFY

Shopify: Shopify is the world's leading e-commerce platform, offering a market-leading checkout system Shoppay and exclusive AI apps. Nobody does selling better than Shopify. Get a $1 per month trial at https://shopify.com/cognitive

GIVEWELL

GiveWell spends 50,000 hours every year doing deep-dives into different charitable programs to try to find the ways to do the most good for your dollar. GiveWell has now spent over 17 years researching charitable organizations and only directs funding to a few of the HIGHEST-IMPACT opportunities they’ve found. Visit https://www.givewell.org to find out more or make a donation. (Select PODCAST and enter Econ 102 at checkout to support our show.)

SQUAD

Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.

—

X / TWITTER:

@eriktorenberg (Erik)

@samoburja (Samo)

@turpentinemedia

@MOZ_Podcast

—

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE:

• Middle Eastern governments often struggle with instability due to ethnic and religious divisions.
• The Syrian civil war exemplifies the challenges of governance in the region.
• Assad's fall may not significantly alter the power dynamics in Syria.
• Kurdish autonomy is a critical factor in the future of Syria.
• Islamist groups pose a significant challenge to stability in the region.
• Turkey's ambitions in Syria complicate the geopolitical landscape.
• Demographic changes will impact the political future of Syria.
• Foreign support has not been effective in sustaining the Assad regime.
• The future of Syria is uncertain, with many factions vying for power.
• Israel and Turkey's conflicting interests will shape Syria's future. Nationalism is a simple legitimizing political formula.
• Arab nationalism struggles due to the lack of unified representation.
• Geopolitical challenges hinder the formation of a unified Arab state.
• Islamism has emerged as an alternative unifying ideology.
• Political projects can lose legitimacy through repeated failures.
• The Taliban's legitimacy is rooted in religious authority.
• Democracy can be a powerful legitimizing force, even in non-democratic systems.
• Supporting stable monarchies may be more effective than backing rebel groups.
• Africa's political landscape is influenced by tribal and clan structures.
• Demographic changes will significantly impact the future of the Middle East.