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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Sponsors: GIVEWELL | DAFFY | NETSUITE 

Have you ever wondered where your donation could have the most impact? GiveWell has now spent over 15 years researching charitable organizations and only directs funding to the highest impact opportunities they’ve found in global health and poverty alleviation. Make informed decisions about high-impact giving. If you’ve never donated through GiveWell before, you can have your donation matched up to $100 before the end of the year, or as long as matching funds last. To claim your match, go to givewell.org and pick “Podcast” and enter Econ 102 at checkout. 

Daffy is the most modern and accessible donor-advised fund, making it easier to put money aside for charity. You can make your tax-deductible contributions all at once or set aside a little each week or month. And you don’t just have to donate cash, you can easily contribute stocks, ETFs, or crypto. Plus, you never have to track receipts from your donations again. It’s free to get started and Econ 102 listeners get $25 towards the charity of their choice. Daffy is offering Econ 102 listeners a free $25 for the charity of their choice when they join Daffy https://www.daffy.org/econ102 

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Econ 102 is a part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: www.turpentine.co

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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.