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The Jacob Shapiro Podcast

Hard Times in the 21st Century w/ Helen Thompson

Nov 6, 2023
Helen Thompson, Professor of Cambridge University, discusses her book on global disorder and predicts hard times ahead. Topics include changing geopolitical landscape, understanding Putin's motivations, Suez Crisis, future of Germany and EU, Turkey's role, economic nationhood, inflation, efficiency of democratic vs authoritarian regimes, and future of the UK.
01:04:11

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Professor Helen Thompson's book 'Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century' explores three interconnected stories: a geopolitical origin story, an economic origin story, and a story about democratic politics, highlighting the global fault lines that put pressure on democratic politics and the geopolitical order.
  • The historical relationship between Germany and energy resources is examined, with a focus on the challenges faced by Germany due to its lack of domestic supply and historical disruptions during the two World Wars. The discussion raises questions about Germany's future energy choices and their potential impact on the European Union.

Deep dives

The 2010s: A Global Upheaval

The podcast episode discusses the book 'Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century' by Professor Helen Thompson, which analyzes the various shocks and geopolitical changes that occurred in the 2010s. The author presents three interconnected stories: a geopolitical origin story, an economic origin story, and a story about democratic politics. These stories highlight the global fault lines that put pressure on democratic politics and the geopolitical order. The author argues that energy, particularly the United States becoming the largest oil producer and China becoming the largest energy importer, played a significant role in shaping the geopolitical consequences of the 2010s.

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