Is China the Winner of the Iran War?
4/3/202652 min
The 1970s oil crisis changed the world in ways that many people forget today, from the transformation of American politics to the rise of the Japanese electronics industry. The Iran war of 2026 could have similarly global consequences, from the rise of China to changes in the future of war to the acceleration of the global renewables transition. Today, Australian investor and writer Alex Turnbull joins the show to discuss the most important and most surprising second-order effects of the war. Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@PlainEnglishwithDerekThompson If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com. Host: Derek Thompson Guest: Alex Turnbull Producer: Devon Baroldi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
[upbeat music] Protein is now at Starbucks, and it's never tasted so good. You can add protein cold foam to your favorite drink or try one of our new protein lattes or matcha. Try it today at Starbucks.
Speaker 10:17
America leads the world in medicine development. It matters. We get new medicines first, nearly three years faster. Five million Americans go to work because we make medicines here at home, and not relying on other countries keeps us safe. But China is racing to overtake us. Will we let them, or will we choose to stay ahead? When America leads, America cures. Let's tell Washington to keep us in the lead.
Speaker 20:46
Learn how at AmericaCures.com. Paid for by PhRMA.
Derek Thompson· Host0:51
Today, thinking about the long-term consequences of the Iran war, what do the following things have in common? The death of the Soviet Union, the rise of the modern Republican Party, and Nintendo. The answer is an energy crisis. In October 1973, Arab members of OPEC launched an oil embargo against the US and its allies. Within months, the price of a barrel of crude quadrupled. In the US, the immediate effects that you surely know from looking at photographs or having lived through it were gas lines and a national speed limit. A second shock followed during the Iranian Revolution of 1979,