"Live Players" with Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg

In this episode of Live Players, Erik Torenberg and Samo Burja dive deep into the European Union. They examine the bloc's historical foundation centered on peace and economic prosperity, contrasting its ambitious goals with its current realities. They discuss EU's challenges, including a fragmented digital market, inconsistencies in labor and defense policies, and bureaucratic hurdles. They also e...

In this episode of Live Players, Erik Torenberg and Samo Burja tackle the pressing challenges for the next U.S. president, focusing on bureaucratic inefficiencies and the need for reform. They discuss foreign policy, including managing relations with China, reassessing military strategies, and fostering economic alliances. They also address the inefficiencies in the non-profit sector's handling of...

In this episode, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg talk about why Brazil hasn't lived up to its expectations as a global powerhouse. Despite having immense natural resources, a large population, and a favorable geographic position, Brazil's industrialization has been stymied by high crime rates, severe corruption, and political dysfunction. They dig into Brazil's missed opportunities for industrializa...

In this episode, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss China's energy strategy and its broader geopolitical implications. Contrary to popular belief, China is not aggressively pursuing energy independence but remains reliant on imports despite significant domestic oil production. The conversation delves into China's geopolitical strategy, its military preparedness, and the potential consequences o...

Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss the enduring influence of cities on human civilization, exploring their role as the longest-lived human institutions and their impact on social and political structures. They also examine the common criticisms of modern cities like San Francisco, their political landscape and the legacy of Democratic and Republican policies. 🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders...

Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg talk about the decline of Boeing. They discuss Boeing's recent troubles, including fatal crashes and maintenance problems, and how these issues reflect broader concerns about U.S. industrial and military capabilities. The conversation also covers the impact of globalization on Boeing's manufacturing processes, competition with Airbus and emerging Chinese aerospace com...

In this episode of 'Live Players, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss the intricate dynamics of Mexican drug cartels and their impact on both Mexico's political and economic landscape. The discussion delves deep into how drug revenues sustain elites, non-state actors, and insurgencies worldwide — with notable examples from the Taliban to Chechen rebels. They also discuss the potential threats po...

Today we're publishing a talk Samo Burja gave to The Stoa in 2020 all about how to find and advance uncrystallized fields of knowledge. In this discussion, Samo critiques current academia for its inefficiencies and proposes supporting new intellectual endeavors with proper economic and social incentives. The discussion covers the potential for new academic structures, the role of social scenes in...

In this episode of Live Players, Rudyard Lynch (@whatifalthist on YouTube) interviews Samo Burja and covers a range of topics including why Samo left academia, the current state of education, the impact of bureaucratization and managerial ideology on society, and the state of democracy and legislation in modern Western societies. This conversation was taped in 2023. 🔥 Apply to join over 400 found...

This episode features Erik and Samo's 2nd-ever interview for the Venture Stories podcast, an in-depth discussion of geopolitics, statecraft, and the study of society. It was recorded in 2019. They cover: how might cryptocurrencies increase centralized state power? What do our economic analyses miss when they do not look inside the inner workings of companies? How do media companies drive news narr...

This week Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss India as a live player. They cover: India's demographics and the barriers it faces towards industrialization and wealth. --- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, an...

This is a special re-airing of an episode Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg taped for Venture Stories (Village Global's podcast) in 2019 . Their conversation covers the following: the distinction between invention vs. adoption of technology. What a truly egalitarian society might like, and whether such a society can exist. How individuals’ personal theories of history have influenced outcomes in the p...

Today we're dropping a special episode of History 102 with Rudyard Lynch (@Whatifalthist on YouTube). Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg delve into the critical moments and competing narratives of the fall of the Roman Empire. They compare the classical Greeks and Romans, identify key Roman figures and outsiders who impacted the course of history, and identify the major influences that shaped their...

In this episode Erik Torenberg and Samo Burja discuss the current state and future state of America, China, Russia, Ukraine, energy, the US dollar, AI, Peter Zeihan, Balaji Srinivasan, and more. This episode was recorded in 2023 for the Upstream podcast - before the two started Live Players. Head to https://brave.com/brave-ads / and mention “MoZ” when signing up for a 25% discount on your first ca...

In this conversation, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss Alibaba after Jack Ma's exit and analyze the Chinese Economy. With 1.3 billion users and $135 billion in revenue, Alibaba is like China's version of PayPal, Amazon, and Walmart combined. Head to https://brave.com/brave-ads/  and mention “MoZ” when signing up for a 25% discount on your first campaign. __ RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Autopilot expl...

In this episode, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss how China's technological advancements in space exploration and quantum technology could change things around the world. They cover China's active pursuit of these advancements, not just for economic reasons, but to enhance its global influence and power. Head to https://brave.com/brave-ads/  and mention “MoZ” when signing up for a 25% discoun...

In this episode, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg dive deep into how Xi Jinping is shaping China's society today and its place in the world. They discuss Xi’s firm hold on power, his connections with different political groups, and how his decisions are affecting China's economy, military, and politics. Head to https://brave.com/brave-ads/  and mention “MoZ” when signing up for a 25% discount on your...

In this episode, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss tech stagnation, drawing from Peter Thiel and Tyler Cowen's theories on technological progress rates with energy consumption as a metric. They also delve into Y Combinator and Andreessen Horowitz's influence and potential futures amidst differing views on tech slowdown, and they touch on regulatory, cultural, and economic bottlenecks. Head to...

In this episode Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss Tucker Carlson’s interview with Vladimir Putin, the history behind the Russia-Ukraine war and the media’s war propaganda machine. They also cover Poland's role within Europe, its political economy and emergence as a high-income nation, and nuclear weapons. Head to https://brave.com/brave-ads/  and mention “MoZ” when signing up for a 25% discoun...

In this episode Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, and big pharma's dysfunction despite its enormous economic power, incentives behind scientific breakthroughs and the potential for improvement and changing the FDA's approval processes. Head to  https://brave.com/brave-ads/  and mention “MoZ” when signing up for a 25% discount on your first campaign. Live Players is p...

In this episode, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss Africa as the potential "next China," its corrupt governments, and Botswana's leadership example. They also touch on the Indian Ocean's geopolitical significance, what it means for the global Islamist movements and migration trends towards China, and the need for strong local governance to avoid pitfalls like civil war and kleptocracy. If you...

Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss US government spending, regulation, and the importance of strategic restructuring for improved efficiency. They cover the reasons why DARPA is a model for enhanced focus and efficiency in government teams, and discuss ways the US can address challenges like education and healthcare spending. They also touch on the feasibility and potential drawbacks of impleme...

In this episode, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss China as America’s mirror, how the prestige of American universities is waning while Chinese students are increasingly choosing to study within China, the role of gender in political divergence and what Chinese “woke” looks like, and how China’s leadership is shifting to academia from businessmen. If you need an ecommerce platform, check out o...

On this episode of Live Players, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss the key aspects of succession for the Sulzberger family of the NYTimes, Samsung Lee family, and Sweden’s Wallenberg family. They debate the values of dynastic succession and touch on modern examples like Botswana. If you need an ecommerce platform, check out our sponsor Shopify: https://shopify.com/momentofzen for a $1/month tr...

In this episode of Live Players, Sam Burja and Erik Torenberg delve into an analysis of Singapore's post-colonial rise to power as a city state, how city states are more oriented towards prosperity than other kinds of states, and the transferable strategies of Singapore to other regions. They also discuss ways that Singapore can be diplomatically active in US-China relations, Singapore's successio...