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Can a Nation Plunder Its Way to Wealth (with Noah Smith)
Episode 928

Can a Nation Plunder Its Way to Wealth (with Noah Smith)

Did nations get rich on the backs of other nations? Did the West get rich from imperialism? Noah Smith says no. But why not? If you can steal stuff, isn't that better than having to make it yourself? Listen as Noah Smith and EconTalk's Russ Roberts discuss the impact of imperialism and industrialization on growth and wealth. Smith argues that understanding plunder and where wealth comes from is more than an exercise in economic history--it matters for today's world, too.

EconTalk · EconTalk: Russ Roberts

January 15, 20241h 9m

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Show Notes

Did nations get rich on the backs of other nations? Did the West get rich from imperialism? Noah Smith says no. But why not? If you can steal stuff, isn't that better than having to make it yourself? Listen as Noah Smith and EconTalk's Russ Roberts discuss the impact of imperialism and industrialization on growth and wealth. Smith argues that understanding plunder and where wealth comes from is more than an exercise in economic history--it matters for today's world, too.

Topics

economicslaborslaveryindustrializationcolonializationinternationaleconlibhistorynatural resourcesglobalizationnoah smith