
The Great Tech Game Podcast: Geopolitics, Technology, Business and Global Affairs, with Anirudh Suri
Interested in geopolitics, technology, business, entrepreneurship and global affairs?
The Great Tech Game Podcast is the perfect podcast for you. Host Anirudh Suri, a tech venture capitalist, policy advisor, and bestselling author of The Great Tech Game, brings you smart, insightful conversations at the intersection of tech and geopolitics.
Listen to the carefully curated line up of the world's best thinkers on these themes. They will help you see the big picture, and in the process, understand how to get ahead in a world thats constantly being upended by technology and geopolitics.
Latest episodes

Jan 6, 2024 • 1h 32min
Ep 6: Looking Back to Look Ahead: The World in 2050, Feat. Hamish McRae
Renowned British journalist and prominent European futurist, Hamish McRae joins host Anirudh Suri as they delve into what the world will look like in 2050, by also examining how history has played out over the last few centuries. This fascinating, big picture discussion revolves around the rapid evolution of technology, particularly artificial intelligence, and its potential impact on the world economies up to 2050, with a focus on countries like the U.S., China, and India. The discussion extends to the dynamics of global geopolitics, including underlying power shifts and possible future U.S. relations with Russia and China. McRae highlights the significant growth of India's services industry and the emergence of middle classes, discussing the importance of shifting global mindsets towards a multipolar world. The conversation also stresses the importance of recognizing and respecting the cultural histories of nations, and celebrating shared economic wins, rather than striving for a singular 'global winner'.#GlobalPolitics #Technology #Geopolitics #ArtificialIntelligence #HamishMcRae #AnirudhSuri #TheGreatTechGame #TheWorldin2050 #India #China #UnitedStates*Book Links:*#AnirudhSuri:*The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri :* https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My#HamishMcRae:*The World in 2050: How to Think About the Future:* https://amzn.eu/d/dJQiDvY*Capital City: London as a Financial Centre:* https://amzn.eu/d/au3KYET*What Works: Success in Stressful Times:* https://amzn.eu/d/hyRTPyE*The World in 2020: Power, Culture and Prosperity:* https://amzn.eu/d/flk7dkt*About Hamish:*Hamish McRae is a principle commentator for The Independent and The Independent on Sunday, and associate editor of The Independent. He is author of The World in 2020, which has been translated into more than a dozen languages. He also co-wrote Capital City: London as A Financial Centre with his wife, Frances Cairncrosse, and broadcasts regularly on the BBC.More information and many of Immerwahr's writings are available at his website : https://hamishmcrae.co.uk/*Follow Anirudh here:*X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/anirudhsuriLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirudhsuri/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anirudh_suriFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnirudhSuri.inWebsite: [www.anirudhsuri.com](http://www.anirudhsuri.com/)Book and Podcast: [www.greattechgame.com](http://www.greattechgame.com/)As always, please do watch, subscribe and share!#TheGreatTechGamePodcast #TheGreatTechGame #geopolitics

Jan 5, 2024 • 5min
What the Russia-Ukraine War Teaches Us About Today's Economic and Military Order ft. Daniel Immer Wahr
Full Episode Link: https://youtu.be/7CL_8jnKBRk?si=S3dgqoeCM6-8ef-p
Anirudh and Daniel engage in a deep dive into the evolving nature of warfare and geopolitical dynamics, with a focus on the unexpected conventional military strategies used by Russia in Ukraine, contrasting with the widely anticipated cyber warfare. They explore the broader global shift away from the optimistic globalization of the 90s towards a re-territorialization of politics, highlighted by Russia's strategic moves to achieve self-sufficiency and leverage over global food supplies. The discussion also covers the critical importance of territorial resources like rare earth materials for technological advancement and the enduring significance of geopolitics in shaping the modern world. Through their analysis, Anirudh and Daniel illuminate the complex interplay between military tactics, economic politics, and the strategic value of resources, underscoring a pivotal moment in international relations that recalls the economic politics of the 1930s and emphasizes the unavoidable link between geopolitics and economics in today's decisions.
00:00 Cyber Warfare vs. Traditional Military Tactics: A New Era of Conflict
00:49 The Geopolitical Shift: From Global Unity to Territorial Politics
02:33 Economic Politics and the Return to Geopolitical Strategies
03:23 The Tech Wars and the Importance of Territory in Modern Conflict
Book Links:
AnirudhSuri:
The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri : https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My
How to Hide an Empire: https://amzn.eu/d/hssq9QF
About Daniel Immerwahr:
Daniel Immerwahr (Ph.D., Berkeley, 2011) is Bergen Evans Professor in the Humanities. His first book, Thinking Small (Harvard, 2015), offers a critical account of grassroots development campaigns launched by the United States at home and abroad. It won the Merle Curti Award in Intellectual History from the Organization of American Historians and the Society for U.S. Intellectual History's annual book award. His second book, How to Hide an Empire (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019), is a narrative history of the United States that brings its overseas territory into the story. It was a national bestseller, a New York Times critic's choice for one of the best books of 2019, and the winner of the Robert H. Ferrell Prize from the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations. Immerwahr's writings have appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, the Washington Post, Harper's, The New Republic, The Nation, and the New York Review of Books, among other places.
More information and many of Immerwahr's writings are available at his website (https://history.northwestern.edu/people/faculty/core-faculty/daniel-immerwahr.html)
#Russia, #Ukraine, #CyberProwess, #MilitaryTactics, #Geopolitical, #WorldHistory, #Territorialization, #LiberalWorldOrder, #EconomicPolitics, #Geopolitics, #TechWars, #RareEarthMaterials, #TerritoryGeography, #ArtificialIntelligence, #MarketPurchasing, #GlobalConflicts, #ModernWarfare, #EconomicManeuvers, #WarfareTactics, #GeopoliticalShifts

Jan 4, 2024 • 3min
What did the US Empire Learn from Earlier Empires? Ft. Daniel Immer Wahr
Full Episode Link: https://youtu.be/7CL_8jnKBRk?si=S3dgqoeCM6-8ef-p
Anirudh and Daniel talks about how the United States evolved into an empire, learning from past empires like the British and Roman. Initially a settler colonial empire displacing indigenous peoples, the US expanded its imperial reach by the late 19th century, acquiring territories such as the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Guam. They explores how the US, despite its anti-imperialist founding principles, sought to emulate British colonial practices, as exemplified by Rudyard Kipling's 'The White Man's Burden,' which offered imperialist guidance to the US. Anirudh and Daniel discuss the US's complex relationship with imperialism, highlighting its transition from a former colony to an empire aspiring to global dominance.
00:00 The Emergence of the US as an Empire: Learning from History
00:41 The Evolution of American Empire: From Settler Colonialism to Overseas Expansion
01:22 Imperial Lessons from the British: The United States' 20th Century Transformation
Book Links:
AnirudhSuri:
The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri : https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My
How to Hide an Empire: https://amzn.eu/d/hssq9QF
About Daniel Immerwahr:
Daniel Immerwahr (Ph.D., Berkeley, 2011) is Bergen Evans Professor in the Humanities. His first book, Thinking Small (Harvard, 2015), offers a critical account of grassroots development campaigns launched by the United States at home and abroad. It won the Merle Curti Award in Intellectual History from the Organization of American Historians and the Society for U.S. Intellectual History's annual book award. His second book, How to Hide an Empire (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019), is a narrative history of the United States that brings its overseas territory into the story. It was a national bestseller, a New York Times critic's choice for one of the best books of 2019, and the winner of the Robert H. Ferrell Prize from the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations. Immerwahr's writings have appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, the Washington Post, Harper's, The New Republic, The Nation, and the New York Review of Books, among other places.
More information and many of Immerwahr's writings are available at his website (https://history.northwestern.edu/people/faculty/core-faculty/daniel-immerwahr.html)
#USHistory, #EmpiresPast, #ImperialLessons, #HistoricalInfluences, #EmpireLegacy, #RomanEmpire, #BritishEmpire, #USImperialIdentity, #ColonialHistory, #WhiteMansBurden, #ImperialAdvice, #EmpireBuilding, #PoliticalEvolution, #EmpiricalKnowledge, #LessonsLearned, #ImperialismToday, #ColonialLegacy, #EmpireStudies, #GlobalInfluence, #HistoryDiscussion

Jan 3, 2024 • 10min
The Tug of War: Big Tech Firms vs States Ft. Daniel Immer Wahr
Full Episode Link: https://youtu.be/7CL_8jnKBRk?si=S3dgqoeCM6-8ef-p
In this engaging conversation, Anirudh and Daniel explore the historical and contemporary tug of war between governments and big tech firms across the globe. They draw parallels with the past, such as the rivalry between the crown and the East India Company, to question if big tech could surpass government power. The discussion spans examples from various countries including the U.S., China, and Russia, highlighting the shift in power dynamics. They debate the potential for tech firms to take over traditional state functions like security and the implications for democracy and citizen rights. Reflecting on historical outcomes, Anirudh posits that governments tend to triumph eventually, but Daniel expresses skepticism, noting the weakening state authority and the rising influence of corporate power in areas like space exploration and security. They conclude by pondering the future of democracy and state functions in the face of expanding corporate influence.
00:00 Opening Thoughts: The Tug of War Between States and Corporations
00:03 Historical Context and the Inevitable Victory of the State
02:47 Skepticism and the Changing Dynamics of State vs. Corporate Power
04:46 The Expanding Role of Corporations in Traditional State Functions
06:40 The Democratic Dilemma: Accountability and Sovereignty in the Age of Big Tech
07:43 The Future of State Sovereignty and Democratic Governance
Book Links:
AnirudhSuri:
The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri : https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My
How to Hide an Empire: https://amzn.eu/d/hssq9QF
About Daniel Immerwahr:
Daniel Immerwahr (Ph.D., Berkeley, 2011) is Bergen Evans Professor in the Humanities. His first book, Thinking Small (Harvard, 2015), offers a critical account of grassroots development campaigns launched by the United States at home and abroad. It won the Merle Curti Award in Intellectual History from the Organization of American Historians and the Society for U.S. Intellectual History's annual book award. His second book, How to Hide an Empire (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019), is a narrative history of the United States that brings its overseas territory into the story. It was a national bestseller, a New York Times critic's choice for one of the best books of 2019, and the winner of the Robert H. Ferrell Prize from the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations. Immerwahr's writings have appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, the Washington Post, Harper's, The New Republic, The Nation, and the New York Review of Books, among other places.
More information and many of Immerwahr's writings are available at his website (https://history.northwestern.edu/people/faculty/core-faculty/daniel-immerwahr.html)
#TugOfWar #BigTech #GovernmentControl #CorporateInfluence #TechVsGovernment #StatePower #HistoricalDebate #GlobalDynamics #PowerStruggles #DigitalGovernance #BalanceOfPower #TechGiants #CorporateVsState #DigitalAge #TechRevolution #PoliticalEconomy #Globalization #CyberSecurity #StateLegitimacy #DemocracyDebate

Jan 2, 2024 • 7min
Are We Really Prisoners of Geography? Ft. Daniel Immer Wahr
Full Episode Link: https://youtu.be/7CL_8jnKBRk?si=S3dgqoeCM6-8ef-p
This discussion focuses on the resurgence of geographical determinism in understanding global politics, as outlined in popular geopolitics books. Highlighting authors like Tim Marshall, Robert Kaplan, and others, the conversation critiques this view as overly pessimistic and historically static, ignoring the dynamic influence of human intervention and technology on geography. Furthermore, it explores how technology reshapes geopolitical strategies, suggesting that the future of geopolitics and warfare will be a hybrid of traditional geographical considerations and technological advancements, as illustrated by the Russia-Ukraine crisis. The conversation advocates for a nuanced understanding that goes beyond geography as the sole determinant in the modern geopolitical landscape.
00:00 Introduction to Political Geography Discourse
00:27 Exploring the 'Prisoners of Geography' Argument
02:05 Critique of Geopolitical Determinism
03:05 The Changing Nature of Geography and Geopolitics
03:53 Technology's Role in Shaping Geopolitics
06:04 Geopolitics Beyond Geography: The Hybrid Future
Book Links:
AnirudhSuri:
The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri : https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My
How to Hide an Empire: https://amzn.eu/d/hssq9QF
About Daniel Immerwahr:
Daniel Immerwahr (Ph.D., Berkeley, 2011) is Bergen Evans Professor in the Humanities. His first book, Thinking Small (Harvard, 2015), offers a critical account of grassroots development campaigns launched by the United States at home and abroad. It won the Merle Curti Award in Intellectual History from the Organization of American Historians and the Society for U.S. Intellectual History's annual book award. His second book, How to Hide an Empire (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019), is a narrative history of the United States that brings its overseas territory into the story. It was a national bestseller, a New York Times critic's choice for one of the best books of 2019, and the winner of the Robert H. Ferrell Prize from the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations. Immerwahr's writings have appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, the Washington Post, Harper's, The New Republic, The Nation, and the New York Review of Books, among other places.
More information and many of Immerwahr's writings are available at his website (https://history.northwestern.edu/people/faculty/core-faculty/daniel-immerwahr.html)
#Geopolitics, #InternationalRelations, #ShapingGeopolitics, #PowerDynamics, #TechGeopolitics, #GlobalRelations, #MapsAndTech, #PoliticalAnalysis, #FutureOfWar, #CyberWarfare, #GeographyMatters, #TechnologyTrends, #WorldOrder, #PoliticalDebates, #BookDiscussion, #CurrentAffairs, #GlobalChallenges, #PoliticalConservatism, #HybridGeopolitics, #ChangingLandscape

Jan 1, 2024 • 6min
US Empire: How Does It Project Power Globally? ft. Daniel Immer Wahr
Full Episode Link: https://youtu.be/7CL_8jnKBRk?si=S3dgqoeCM6-8ef-p
In this conversation, Daniel and Anirudh explore the shape and dynamics of US power over the past 75 years, especially after 1945. They discuss the framework of understanding power through three main buckets—economic, military, and cultural/values-based influence. Anirudh presents an economic-first view of power, positing that economic strength is foundational to military and cultural dominance. The duo reflects on the historical context, examining the shift from direct colonial control towards a network of global military bases and cultural influence, which they term a 'pointillist empire'. This discussion also touches upon how technological advancements, particularly in communication, have facilitated a deterritorialization of power, allowing for a more subtle yet pervasive form of influence that does not rely on territorial annexation. Daniel and Anirudh's dialogue provides a nuanced analysis of the complex interplay between economic capacity, military strategy, and cultural transmission in shaping US global dominance.
00:00 Exploring the Shape of US Power Over 75 Years
00:37 Understanding Power: Economic, Military, and Cultural Dimensions
02:42 The Evolution of Global Power Dynamics
04:21 The Shift from Territorial Empires to Pointillist Military Presence
Book Links:
AnirudhSuri:
The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri : https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My
How to Hide an Empire: https://amzn.eu/d/hssq9QF
About Daniel Immerwahr:
Daniel Immerwahr (Ph.D., Berkeley, 2011) is Bergen Evans Professor in the Humanities. His first book, Thinking Small (Harvard, 2015), offers a critical account of grassroots development campaigns launched by the United States at home and abroad. It won the Merle Curti Award in Intellectual History from the Organization of American Historians and the Society for U.S. Intellectual History's annual book award. His second book, How to Hide an Empire (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019), is a narrative history of the United States that brings its overseas territory into the story. It was a national bestseller, a New York Times critic's choice for one of the best books of 2019, and the winner of the Robert H. Ferrell Prize from the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations. Immerwahr's writings have appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, the Washington Post, Harper's, The New Republic, The Nation, and the New York Review of Books, among other places.
More information and many of Immerwahr's writings are available at his website (https://history.northwestern.edu/people/faculty/core-faculty/daniel-immerwahr.html)
#GlobalPower, #Empire, #Dominate, #TechChanges, #EconomicPower, #MilitaryPower, #SoftPower, #CulturalPower, #Values, #GeopoliticalPower, #USPower, #EconomicInterests, #MilitaryIndustrialComplex, #AmericanValues, #Globalization, #Colonies, #Telegraph, #Decolonization, #CulturalTransmission, #EconomicRelations

Dec 31, 2023 • 7min
How has the US Has Justified Its Global Empire? ft. Daniel
Full Episode Link: https://youtu.be/7CL_8jnKBRk?si=S3dgqoeCM6-8ef-p
The conversation between Anirudh and Daniel discusses the transition of colonial empire methods and justifications from the British Raj to the United States, focusing on the language and ideologies used to justify expansionist tendencies. It reflects on how empires were once sources of pride and the belief in spreading civilization as a justification for imperialism. The conversation includes how the U.S. developed its unique form of global governance, drawing from ancient and modern empires, and compares direct versus indirect control methods used by the British and later by the Americans. The discussion also touches on the post-World War II era, where the U.S. shifted from direct colonialism to a more indirect form of control, influencing global politics, economy, and culture, while examining whether the U.S. can still be considered an empire.
00:00 Exploring the Justifications of Colonial Empires
00:29 The Moral and Ideological Foundations of Empire
02:38 The American Empire: A Unique Global Governance
03:45 Post-World War II: The Evolution of American Power
04:53 Indirect Control: The British Model and American Strategy
05:59 The Shift to Indirect Empire in the Post-War Era
07:03 Concluding Thoughts on Empire and Control
Book Links:
AnirudhSuri:
The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri : https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My
How to Hide an Empire: https://amzn.eu/d/hssq9QF
About Daniel Immerwahr:
Daniel Immerwahr (Ph.D., Berkeley, 2011) is Bergen Evans Professor in the Humanities. His first book, Thinking Small (Harvard, 2015), offers a critical account of grassroots development campaigns launched by the United States at home and abroad. It won the Merle Curti Award in Intellectual History from the Organization of American Historians and the Society for U.S. Intellectual History's annual book award. His second book, How to Hide an Empire (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019), is a narrative history of the United States that brings its overseas territory into the story. It was a national bestseller, a New York Times critic's choice for one of the best books of 2019, and the winner of the Robert H. Ferrell Prize from the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations. Immerwahr's writings have appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, the Washington Post, Harper's, The New Republic, The Nation, and the New York Review of Books, among other places.
More information and many of Immerwahr's writings are available at his website (https://history.northwestern.edu/people/faculty/core-faculty/daniel-immerwahr.html)
#ColonialEmpire #BritishRaj #GlobalGovernance #Imperialism #AmericanEmpire #Expansionism #CivilizationJustification #EmpirePride #CulturalInfluence #EconomicControl #PostWWIIAmerica #IndirectControl #AntiColonialism #TerritorialControl #GlobalDominance #HistoricalPerspective #EmpiricalStudies #ColonialJustifications #ImperialStrategy #CulturalCommerceAlliances

Dec 30, 2023 • 7min
Data Grab the new Land Grab? ft. Daniel Immer Wahr
Full Episode Link: https://youtu.be/7CL_8jnKBRk?si=S3dgqoeCM6-8ef-p
In a thought-provoking conversation between Anirudh and Daniel, the conversation delves into how technological advancements have transformed the dynamics of global power, paralleling the shift with historical forms of imperialism. They discuss the United States' transition away from territorial empire towards a tech-driven influence, highlighting the role of technology in facilitating this shift. The conversation further explores the concept of 'digital' or 'data colonialism', especially in the context of India, where big tech's data practices evoke comparisons to the East India Company's colonial exploits. Anirudh and Daniel reflect on the historical parallels between early corporate ventures and colonization efforts, examining the evolving relationship between state power and corporate influence. Through their dialogue, they raise critical questions about the current era of 'tech empires', comparing them with traditional empires, and consider what lessons modern tech firms might learn from historical forms of imperial control.
00:00 The Evolution of Empire: From Land to Technology
00:41 Global Tech Competition and Its Historical Echoes
01:41 Data Colonialism: The New Age of Empires
02:26 Tech Firms as Modern Empires: A Comparative Analysis
03:29 Historical Parallels: Corporations and Empire Building
05:51 Reflecting on the Shift from State to Corporate Power
Book Links:
AnirudhSuri:
The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri : https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My
How to Hide an Empire: https://amzn.eu/d/hssq9QF
About Daniel Immerwahr:
Daniel Immerwahr (Ph.D., Berkeley, 2011) is Bergen Evans Professor in the Humanities. His first book, Thinking Small (Harvard, 2015), offers a critical account of grassroots development campaigns launched by the United States at home and abroad. It won the Merle Curti Award in Intellectual History from the Organization of American Historians and the Society for U.S. Intellectual History's annual book award. His second book, How to Hide an Empire (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019), is a narrative history of the United States that brings its overseas territory into the story. It was a national bestseller, a New York Times critic's choice for one of the best books of 2019, and the winner of the Robert H. Ferrell Prize from the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations. Immerwahr's writings have appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, the Washington Post, Harper's, The New Republic, The Nation, and the New York Review of Books, among other places.
More information and many of Immerwahr's writings are available at his website (https://history.northwestern.edu/people/faculty/core-faculty/daniel-immerwahr.html)
#TechEmpires, #DigitalColonialism, #DataGrab, #GlobalTechGame, #HistoricalParallels, #EmpireDynamics, #TechInfluence, #USImperialism, #EastIndiaCompany, #ModernColonization, #TechDrivenPower, #CorporateVsState, #DataSovereignty, #TechnologyAndPower, #ImperialHistory, #BigTechInIndia #CulturalInfluence #TechCompetition #CorporateEmpires #StatePowerShift

Dec 29, 2023 • 4min
How Trade drove prosperity in China and the Roman Empire? feat. Joel Mokyr
Joel Mokyr takes a deep dive into history, tracing back from the agricultural revolution to the advent of technology in the modern era, Joel highlight major periods like agriculture, colonization, capitalism, and technology. Special focus is given to the transition from hunter gatherer societies to agriculture driven societies, with the latter catalyzing the emergence and complexity of modern civilization. The roles of specialization and division of labor during periods like the Roman Empire and the Song and Tang Dynasties in China are also explored, emphasize how regional and individual specializations, along with trade, led to the prosperity of these regions and increased agricultural productivity, making a point that trade is a positive sum game that makes both sides richer.
Full Episode Link
(Part 1): https://youtu.be/iV21apDujg8
(Part 2): https://youtu.be/j-EtfjGJbV0
00:00 Introduction: A Journey Back in Time
00:16 The Advent of Agriculture: The Birth of Modern Society
01:33 The Role of Specialization and Division of Labor in Pre-Industrial Societies
01:51 Case Studies: The Roman Empire and China's Tang and Song Dynasties
03:09 The Power of Trade: How it Shapes Nations
03:38 The Positive Sum Game: The Mutual Benefits of Trade
In this two-part episode of The Great Tech Game podcast, host Anirudh Suri is joined by Joel Mokyr to dig deep into why some societies get rich, creative and successful while others don't.
Mokyr and Suri discuss examples of countries that have unshackled themselves from their past, such as 19th century Japan during the Meiji Restoration and the East Asian tigers. They also explore how India can reverse its brain drain and become a tech nation, and not remain just a talent nation.
Mokyr highlights the high levels of inequality being driven by the tech economy today, and both draw parallels with pre-WWI Europe and its experience with vast inequality driven by industrial capitalism. Jumping to the modern era, they discuss whether AI represents a new revolution in knowledge, or whether it is just hype.
About Joel Mokyr:
Joel Mokyr is Professor of Economics and History at Northwestern University. Joel Mokyr conducts research on the economic history of Europe, and specializes in the period 1750-1914. His current research is focused on the understanding of the economic and intellectual roots of technological progress and the growth of useful knowledge in European societies, as well as the impact that industrialization and economic progress have had on economic welfare.
#History#Agriculture#IndustrialRevolution#GlobalTrade #Specialization #Colonization#Capitalism#Technology#Economics#DivisionOfLabor#Prosperity#AncientCivilizations#TradeRoutes#CulturalExchange#Innovation

Dec 29, 2023 • 1h 6min
Ep. 5 From America to Meta: The Geopolitics of Empires, Old and New, feat. Daniel Immerwahr
In this episode of #TheGreatTechGame podcast, host Anirudh Suri is joined by Prof. Daniel Immerwahr to discuss the geopolitics of empires. From America to Meta, empires, old and new, have often learnt from previous empires, yet incorporated new characteristics and narratives to justify their existence with the times.What did the US learn from the empires that came before it? Are tech firms also empires in hiding? Is data grab the new land grab? Who will win the tug of war between states and tech firms? How is technology shaping geopolitics today? And are we still really prisoners of geography?Chapters:01:06 - welcome, and intro abt geopolitics and empires02:47 - the US Empire: what did it learn from its predecessor empires, esp the British?05:47 - How did the US justify its imperialist or expansionist tendencies? Civilizing mission.08:22 - Alfred McCoy, and the Post WWII Empire of the US11:07 - The US as an Indirect, Informal Empire?15:37 - Is the US imperial?17:17 - How will an emerging power like China envision its version of Empire? What lessons will it draw from the US Empire?19:17- what are the contours of power post 1945? The virtuous cycle of US economic, military and cultural power22:10 - The Case of the Telegraph Cables and the British All Red Network23:53 - The De-territorialization of Empire, and the US Pointillist Empire25:07 - The New Empires: The Tech Empires and parallels with East India Company27:02 - Data grab is the new land grab28:15 - Are tech Empires also empires in hiding?31:17 The History of Corporations vs States (The Ebb and Flow)33:07 - Who Will Win the Tug of war between State and Corporations? will the States Bat Last?34:52 - The hollowing out of the State (eg Nasa and space exploration)37:17 - The Private Armies of Big Tech Firms38:00 - An Unholy Nexus between Tech Firms and States?41:05 - Geopolitics : Are We Really Prisoners of Geography?44:50 - How is technology shaping geopolitics? 47:50 - The Two Wars that Changed Our View of Technology vs Geography in Geopolitics51:35 - The Element of Surprise in Military Strategy52:20 - The Re-Territorialization of Geopolitics, Despite The Impact of Technology 56:36 - Is Economics Driving Geopolitics or is Geopolitics Trumping Economics today?Are we Heading towards another Cold War?1:01:00 - Daniels book and podcast recommendations 1:02:15 - Closing Thoughts: Was the US playing the Great Tech Game well pre-WW2? How did it get its R&D strategy right?Book Links:Anirudh Suri:The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri : https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38MyDaniel Immerwahr:How to Hide an Empire: https://amzn.eu/d/hssq9QFFollow Anirudh here: X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/anirudhsuriLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirudhsuri/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anirudh_suriFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnirudhSuri.in Website: www.anirudhsuri.comBook and Podcast: www.greattechgame.com As always, please do watch, subscribe and share!#TheGreatTechGamePodcast