"Econ 102" with Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg

This is not normal, even for war | Israel, Hamas, Palestine, Iran, and Saudi Arabia

18 snips

Oct 9, 2023

The recent war between Israel and Hamas raises profound moral questions, especially regarding civilian safety and the ideological divides on supporting Palestine. With Iran's growing influence and America's waning power, the geopolitical landscape in the Middle East is evolving rapidly. The podcast dives into historical parallels and current events, analyzing the crisis in Gaza and the West Bank amid discussions of potential new Saudi-Israeli alliances. The shift toward a multipolar world order also signals critical changes for global stability.

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ANECDOTE

Music Festival Attack

Hamas paratroopers attacked a music festival, killing many.
This act, comparable to a hypothetical attack on Coachella, raises questions about its effectiveness in furthering Palestinian liberation.

INSIGHT

Moral Implications of Prisoner Taking

Taking prisoners, especially for potential rape, eliminates goodwill and portrays a barbaric image.
This discredits leftist supporters of Palestinian liberation, highlighting moral problems within their ideology.

INSIGHT

Scale of the Attack

The attack's scale is significant, possibly the largest since Israel's wars, causing hundreds of deaths.
Given Israel's population of 10 million, this is proportionally a massive attack.

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Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg record an episode to discuss the war between Israel and Hamas, the moral problems with the leftist ideological response, the complicated geopolitical power dynamics in the Arab world, and how this conflict marks the waning of American power. Daffy is offering Econ 102 listeners a free $25 for the charity of their choice when they join: https://www.daffy.org/econ102

We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com.

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Unpacking the events that led to war in Israel

(05:18)Moral problems of the new leftist ideology

(11:00) Power dynamics of the Middle East and investment in the conflict

(21:29) Sponsors: Daffy | NetSuite

(23:30) Reacting to Sam Harris' statement about moral equivalence

(33:20) Is apartheid a fair analogy?

(41:00) Where the Saudi Arabia alliance goes from here

(46:30)The three-state solution?

(47:00) Taking stock of technological advancement

(52:00) Israel's military advantage is not guaranteed here

(54:55) This war is downstream of the waning of American power

(57:30) America is reserving most of our weapons

(01:01:15) What does it mean for the Pax Americana to be over?

(01:05:30) The Middle East is stuck in a mindset of war

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Music License: ZSFI0EY7UP5YYXI2

This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.