Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago

---

In today's special episode, we're sharing a conversation between Noah Smith and Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recorded back in June for the @Bankless podcast. They discuss whether authoritarian regimes could outcompete liberal democracies in the 21st century, exploring the impact of technological advancements, the internet, and decentralized technologies like crypto on information dynamics and the preservation of liberal values. For full show notes, visit: highlightai.com/share/e7dc596f-bc8e-4574-aebd-c6f579a76175

--
📰Be notified early when Turpentine drops new publication: turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess

--
SPONSORS:

GiveWell
GiveWell has now spent over 17 years researching charitable organizations and only directs funding to a few of the HIGHEST-IMPACT opportunities they’ve found. Make informed decisions about high-impact giving. If you’ve never donated through GiveWell before, you can have your donation matched up to $100 before the end of the year, or as long as matching funds last. To claim your match, go to givewell.org and select PODCAST and enter Econ 102 at checkout to make sure they know you heard about them from us.

Incogni
Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code ECON102 at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: incogni.com/econ102

--
SEND US YOUR Q's FOR NOAH TO ANSWER ON AIR: Econ102@Turpentine.co

--
FOLLOW ON X:
@BanklessHQ
@noahpinion
@eriktorenberg
@turpentinemedia

--
LINKS:
Bankless: bankless.com
Noahpinion: https://www.noahpinion.blog/
How liberal democracy might lose the 21st century: https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/how-liberal-democracy-might-lose

--
TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro to Econ 102 and episode overview
(00:30) Introduction of Noah Smith and Vitalik Buterin
(02:00) Framing the episode: Can authoritarianism win the 21st century?
(03:10) Noah Smith explains liberalism and its historical dominance
(08:00) How the internet shifts the balance between democracy and authoritarianism
(13:00) The rise of authoritarian states leveraging technology
(16:50) Disinformation and the cost of information tournaments
(22:00) The inefficiencies of liberal democracies in the digital age
(31:00) Vitalik's perspective on meme wars and information ecosystems
(37:00) The role of blockchain and decentralized technologies in preserving freedom
(44:00) Counterarguments: Why authoritarianism might still fail
(52:00) Historical parallels: The printing press and liberalism
(01:03:00) Info hegemony and the risks of global monopolies
(01:15:00) Russia, China, and cross-border information warfare
(01:22:00) Tools for resisting authoritarian information control
(01:32:00) Freedom Tool: A blockchain-based solution for anonymous voting
(01:34:00) Closing thoughts: Fighting for liberal democracy