David Edgerton, a historian of science and technology at King's College London, dives into the contradictions of our chaotic world. He discusses how oligarchs reshape capitalism amid a global crisis and analyzes China's dual role as a challenger and contributor to social disparities. The conversation explores the turbulent relationship between war and innovation, while highlighting the struggles of the Left to articulate coherent responses. Edgerton also critiques the media landscape and the complexities of misinformation, emphasizing the need for thoughtful dialogue in these times.
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insights INSIGHT
Global Crisis of Power
The world is in crisis due to a lack of countervailing power against the ruling class and rapid evolution into oligarchy.
This is the first time in history with tolerant capitalism and a radical elite unconcerned with opposition.
insights INSIGHT
Capitalism vs. Oligarchy
Current system may not be true capitalism but benefits specific capitalists due to power redistribution through money.
We haven't seen this kind of world in a long time.
insights INSIGHT
China's Role
China acts as a countervailing force to US/European capital, but not capital in general.
It does not force the West to reduce income or power inequality.
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SHOCK OF THE OLD: TECHNOLOGY AND GLOBAL HISTORY SINCE 1900
David Edgerton
The rise and fall of nations
Forces of Change in the Post-Crisis World
Ruchir Sharma
This book, written by Ruchir Sharma, rethinks economics as a practical art. It explains how to spot political, economic, and social changes in real time by reading signals such as political headlines, black markets, the price of onions, and billionaire rankings. The book is set in a post-crisis age characterized by slow growth and political unrest, and it provides an entertaining field guide to understanding change in this era or any era. Sharma breaks down his research into ten broad factors that determine a country’s economic future, covering aspects such as demographic data, state involvement, geographic location, and financial parameters.
We can’t make this make sense.
The world’s most famous face of renewable solutions spent a record-breaking amount to get Big Oil’s candidate into the White House. The ruling communist party of China is backed by Chinese billionaires. Political pundits are whipping up war fever without reason. The international rule book is merely scattered pages in the wind. And, in the midst of it, the Left is struggling to produce a coherent and collective analysis.
David Edgerton, historian and author of The Rise and Fall of the British Nation, joins me to explain how we are in a unique period of history, pointing to changing geopolitical relations, emboldened authoritarians, oligarchic capitalists and flailing climate policy as evidence. We discuss the contradictions which make this world so hard to navigate, and probe the failures of Leftist discourse to make sense of the mess. This broad conversation covers war, productivity, dematerialisation, power and information — explaining why it’s so hard to keep up with a rapidly changing world.
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