In this episode of the Portico Podcast I speak with Viktor Shvets, a global strategist at Macquarie, and the author of the deeply thought-provoking book The Great Rupture, which investigates the past and interrogates current trends to probe the question: do we need to be free to be innovative, prosperous, or even happy?
You know, when I started this company, I laid out three philosophical principles for its ethos: intergenerational equity; value creation > value extraction; and intellectual curiosity — particularly a belief in the importance of contextual and interdisciplinary thinking and open exchange.
As you’ll hear, Viktor’s comments deftly navigate these three principles.
You may want to grab a pen and some paper to take notes for this episode because Viktor is a polymath who will engage your brain in some important — and at times, unsettling — thought experiments.
In today’s conversation, Viktor and I discuss:
- Why he wrote a book that looks for lessons in the 12th to 15th Centuries to guide us through the next two decades;
- Whether the ‘operating system’ of open markets, property rights, and open minds that generated prosperity in the past is in retreat — and even if it were, would it matter;
- The confluence of the information revolution and financial revolution, and how these two forces are hollowing out the core frameworks of society;
- The state’s usurpation of the free market and what it means for capitalism and commercial banking;
- The prospects for emerging markets in an era of de-globalization and the importance of non-tradable sectors across EM;
- We even talk about Andrew Yang and the possibility that universal basic income might liberate people from scarcity, and empower them to live lives of their choosing.
But there is so, so much more.
This is a good companion to my interview with Tom Burgis in Episode 4 on The Rise of Kleptocracy, and the topic of corruption comes up a couple times in this episode, so you should check out Episode 4 if you haven’t already.
And I’ve also included links in the show notes that will point you to a few additional readings that Viktor and I discuss, including some of my own writings over the last decade that have marinated over some similar themes.
I hope you enjoy the conversation.
This podcast was recorded in February 2021.
Learn more about Viktor and the book.
Buy The Great Rupture at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, Waterstones.
Books and articles referenced include:
- Peter Drucker, Post-Capitalist Society
- Paul Kennedy, The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers
- John Maynard Keynes, “Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren”
- Dani Rodrik, “Premature De-Industrialization”
- Dani Rodrik, The Globalization Paradox
Some of Mike’s writings on the themes discussed include: