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

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Helen Thompson

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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.

The podcast discusses the concept of economic nationhood and its relationship with democracy and globalization, highlighting the link between nationhood and representative democracy, as well as the challenges posed by rising prices, de-globalization, and the collision between national corporations and geopolitical interests.

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.

Introduction

2min

Understanding the Interconnectedness of Geopolitics, Economics, and Democratic Government in the 2010s

5min

Writing, Pandemic, and Incorporating Current Events

2min

Russia's Invasion and the Geopolitics of Energy

10min

The Geopolitics of Energy in Europe

20min

Economic Nationhood and Globalization

24min

Conversation with Helen and Sponsor Ad

2min

Professor Helen Thompson of Cambridge University joins the podcast to talk about her recent book. She traces three histories – geopolitical, economic, and democratic – to explain how the world reached its current level of disorder and why she sees hard times on the horizon.

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Intro

(02:55) - Book Summary

(06:30) - Dealing with a changing landscape

(12:09) - Understanding Putin's motivations/US Energy

(17:30) - Suez Crisis and Germany and Energy

(25:11) - What's next for Germany and the EU?

(33:24) - Turkey

(39:08) - Economic nationhood

(43:54) - Inflation and monetary policy

(54:37) - Are democratic or authoritarian regimes more efficient?

(59:00) - Future of the UK

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The Jacob Shapiro Podcast

Hard Times in the 21st Century w/ Helen Thompson

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The 2010s: A Global Upheaval

Germany, Energy, and Geopolitics

Economic Nationhood and the Challenge of Globalization

Challenges with Energy and Unity in the European Union

The Complexities of Ukraine's Potential Entry into the European Union

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts