The Economist

Afghanistan: why the Taliban can't be defeated

Marking the longest war in American history, the nearly two-decade conflict in Afghanistan has left the nation in ruin with the Taliban controlling significant territory despite decades of US military intervention and diplomatic efforts. While previous administrations deployed varying troop levels and fostered temporary democratic gains, the insurgency remains resilient, fueled by local grievances, Pakistani support, and a booming opium trade that funds 90% of the world's heroin. Ultimately, the transcript concludes that sustainable peace requires a genuine power-sharing agreement among Afghan factions rather than rushed withdrawals or fragile deals, as the international community must prioritize patient diplomacy to prevent a Taliban takeover.

How to do the most good possible

Katie Acosta, Professor MacAskill

The Effective Altruism movement, co-founded by Oxford professor William MacAskill, is shifting charitable paradigms from traditional monetary donations to high-risk physical acts like living organ donation and career changes driven by data. This scientific approach has mobilized thousands of individuals to pledge at least 10% of their income and redirect millions of work hours toward critical sectors such as artificial intelligence and pandemic prevention. By prioritizing inter-temporal equality, the movement focuses on mitigating existential threats to future generations, arguing that protecting trillions of potential lives outweighs immediate moral intuitions.

Vaping: what people are getting wrong | The Economist

Sarah

Discussions regarding e-cigarette regulation address the 2019 EVALI outbreak caused by Vitamin E acetate and the subsequent federal bans on flavored products while weighing these measures against the World Health Organization's data on annual tobacco-related deaths. While the FDA declared youth vaping an epidemic due to a sharp rise in high school usage, scientific testimony argues that combustible cigarettes remain significantly more addictive and harmful than vaping products containing glycerol or propylene glycol. Experts ultimately advocate for a European-style regulatory framework that prioritizes device quality and marketing restrictions over total prohibition to facilitate smoking cessation without discouraging adult users from switching to safer alternatives.

Charity: how effective is giving?

Hilton Douglas, Paul Tudor Jones, Anand Giridharadas, Michael Bloomberg, Charles Koch, David, Rufus, Danny Chivers, Jennifer Johnston, Sarah

Record levels of wealth concentration have driven a surge in modern philanthropy where donors like Mark Zuckerberg and Michael Bloomberg demand immediate, tangible results from their multi-billion dollar pledges. While this trend has fueled record-breaking foundation spending and specific successes like the retirement of 289 coal plants, it simultaneously faces criticism for allowing billionaires to influence social policy while potentially perpetuating the economic inequalities they aim to fix. Alternative models such as effective altruism and the Funding Network seek to democratize giving through data-driven efficiency and live auctions, yet they struggle against declining donor participation and accusations that such structures undermine democratic principles.

How an obsession with home ownership can ruin the economy

Tim, Deanna, Diana, Christian Hilber, Anna

A comprehensive analysis challenges the traditional link between home ownership and the American Dream, arguing that high ownership rates distort housing markets and contribute to financial instability, as evidenced by Switzerland's competitive economy despite its low 38% ownership rate versus Britain's 66%. The report identifies post-WWII government subsidies and NIMBY behaviors as primary drivers of inflated prices and reduced labor mobility, ultimately linking these policies to the 2008 Global Financial Crisis and higher unemployment. While countries like Switzerland demonstrate that robust renter protections can offer economic alternatives, the speaker concludes that the West's obsession with ownership constitutes a significant policy error that requires redirecting public funds toward education, transport, and healthcare.

Inside Iran: what's next?

Following the U.S. assassination of General Qassam Soleimani, Iran's missile strikes on U.S. forces in Iraq escalated regional tensions while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' accidental downing of a Ukrainian airliner ignited widespread domestic unrest. The government's initial cover-up of the 176 fatalities, including 82 Iranians, combined with severe economic collapse, has triggered unprecedented protests involving the middle class, athletes, and parliamentarians who are demanding leadership accountability. Despite this internal fracturing and the defection of public figures, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remains committed to maintaining power through force, paving the way for continued uranium enrichment and potential retaliatory covert operations against Western interests.

How science is changing the nature of families

Mike, Crystal Travis, Dr Danielle Lane, Dr Michelle Perugini, Dawn Hallett

Dawn and Mike Hallett, a Nova Scotia couple facing decades of infertility, overcame strict Canadian guidelines by securing a successful surrogacy in the unregulated market of Georgia, resulting in the birth of their daughter Audrey when the mother was 65. This personal milestone occurs amidst a rapidly expanding global fertility industry where egg freezing and advanced technologies, such as Dr. Michelle Paragini's AI-embryo selector, are increasingly enabling women to delay childbirth while improving success rates and reducing costs. Despite these medical and technological advancements, ethical debates persist among specialists like Dr. Danielle Lane, who maintain that pregnancy risks for women over 50 outweigh the benefits of such late-life conception.

What does gun violence in America look like?

Idris Kalloun, Maj Touré, Brea Smith

In 2017, U.S. gun deaths peaked at nearly 40,000 with suicides comprising 60% of the total, while stark racial disparities saw Black Americans face homicide rates ten times higher than white counterparts. Amidst rising Democratic proposals for assault weapon bans and universal background checks, activists urge the gun violence prevention movement to prioritize inner-city realities over media-centric mass shootings. Despite 67% public support for stricter regulations, congressional resistance persists ahead of the 2020 election even as states with robust laws, like California, report significantly lower suicide rates.

What will be the biggest stories of 2020?

In 2020, global markets confront recession risks from the US-China trade war while the US presidential election pivots on Wisconsin's swing status and Germany faces potential debt rule breaches. Simultaneously, cultural and institutional milestones include Beethoven's 250th birth anniversary, a WHO campaign for nurses amid a projected global shortage, and the Tokyo Olympics' controversial new transgender inclusion guidelines. These divergent themes highlight a year defined by economic instability, political realignment, and complex debates over human rights and biological definition.

How kidnapping became a big business

Shane Anderson

Kidnap-for-ransom insurance has become a critical risk mitigation tool for over 75% of Fortune 500 companies, achieving a 98% safe retrieval rate while using strategic confidentiality to suppress ransom demands. The threat landscape in Mexico has evolved from targeting wealthy individuals to randomizing attacks against middle-class citizens due to gang fragmentation and a 99% impunity rate. Professional negotiators leverage local expertise to lower initial demands by approximately 10%, though most victims outside of corporate insurance policies remain vulnerable without such crisis intervention.

UK Election: live Q&A with The Economist

Zanny Minton Beddoes, Adrian Wooldridge, Sarah Collinson

The Conservative Party secured a decisive majority with 364 seats, marking its largest electoral victory since the Margaret Thatcher era and triggering a dramatic realignment that collapsed the traditional Labour "Red Wall" in northern England. Led by Boris Johnson, the government now holds a clear mandate to finalize Brexit by January 31st while navigating the economic challenges of negotiating a permanent trade deal and balancing the conflicting interests of its new working-class and traditional southern voters. The outcome has stabilized financial markets and reshaped the UK's international relations by removing the threat of a Labour-led anti-NATO policy, positioning the nation for a renewed focus on the Anglosphere despite lingering uncertainties regarding long-term political durability.

Why Britain's election won't end the political chaos

Facing the fourth general election in five years, the UK's political landscape is defined by a collapse of the traditional consensus following the Iraq War and 2008 financial crisis, which drove both the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn and the Conservatives under Boris Johnson toward extreme polarities. This polarization eliminates a viable center ground, creating a precarious environment where election outcomes may result in fragile coalitions or minority governments incapable of resolving economic stagnation or preventing constitutional fragmentation across Scotland and Northern Ireland. Ultimately, the nation confronts a future of sustained instability with no immediate prospect of returning to the moderate political center or addressing decade-long wage stagnation.

How America politicised abortion

Driven by a surging political reliance on abortion as a defining issue, the conversation analyzes Missouri's impending status as the first U.S. state without legal clinics and the broader strategy by thirty-five Republican states to provoke a Supreme Court challenge. This legislative pressure targets the overturning of *Roe v. Wade* following the appointment of two conservative justices, a shift predicted to dismantle nationwide protections and return abortion regulation to individual states. As a result, cross-state safety nets are forming in refuge locations like Illinois while experts warn that dismantling legal frameworks will force patients toward dangerous illegal procedures and alter the demographic voting landscape permanently.

How migration could make the world richer

Asher, Anna, Beth, Michael Clemens, Giovanni Perri

Recent analysis indicates that removing global migration barriers could increase worldwide GDP by 50% to 150%, an economic gain far exceeding the potential from eliminating trade restrictions. Despite evidence that immigrants complement native workers and drive innovation without depressing wages, public overestimation of migrant populations continues to fuel restrictive policies that stifle global wealth creation. Experts now advocate for implementing regulated pathways similar to Australia's model, a shift projected to unlock trillions in economic value while fostering greater prosperity for developing nations.

How to get migration right

Anna, Madeleine Sumption

This analysis contrasts Australia's points-based immigration system, which facilitated a 22-fold economic expansion alongside a 33% foreign-born population, with the United States' reliance on family reunification and rigid caps. While public discourse often polarizes around economic threats and cultural disruption, the Australian model demonstrates that strict border control combined with selective skilled migration can sustain high intake levels without recession. The discussion concludes by proposing policy mechanisms like earmarked migrant taxes or welfare restrictions to alleviate voter apprehension and prove the net economic benefit of unrestricted labor mobility.