The New Axis, Neoliberalism, and Germany [Mailbag]

In today’s episode, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg summon their next dream guest and tackle some listener questions, including the role of economists in predicting outcomes, China's industrial strategy, the new axis, the state of Germany and Britain, and the legacy of neoliberalism. -- 🔥 Apply to join over 400 Founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://www.turpentinenetwork.co/ -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST:  🎙️ This Won't Last - Eavesdrop on Keith Rabois, Kevin Ryan, Logan Bartlett, and Zach Weinberg's monthly backchannel. They unpack their hottest takes on the future of tech, business, venture, investing, and politics. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765665937 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HwSNeVLL1MXy0RjFPyOSz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWontLastpodcast -- SPONSORS: WorkOS 🛠️ Building an enterprise-ready SaaS app? WorkOS has got you covered with easy-to-integrate APIs for SAML, SCIM, and more. Join top startups like Vercel, Perplexity, Jasper & Webflow in powering your app with WorkOS. Enjoy a free tier for up to 1M users! Start now at https://bit.ly/WorkOS-Turpentine-Network -- SEND US YOUR Q's FOR NOAH TO ANSWER ON AIR: Econ102@Turpentine.co -- FOLLOW ON X: @noahpinion @eriktorenberg @turpentinemedia -- LINKS: Noahpinion: https://www.noahpinion.blog/ -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (00:26) Noah's trip to Poland (01:31) Summoning dream guests - Sergey come on the pod! (02:43) Mailbag Q: Why listen to economists? (09:18) Corporate income taxes and policy (11:59) Unrealized gains (15:18) China's industrial strategy and global relations (17:37) The New Axis (21:25) Potential for World War III (24:06) Sponsor: WorkOS (25:08) Best industrial policy for small landlocked South Asian nations (25:47) Drug prizes in the US (27:29) Nationalistic standpoint and fiscal rules (31:08) Controversies around national sales tax (33:01) Geothermal energy and the future of oil industry (35:54) Germany's energy and economic policies (38:52) State of Britain and Immigration Issues (47:41) The legacy of Neoliberalism (53:13) Wrap