Spoils of war: money flows into defence tech
5/4/202622 min
In Iran, America is using expensive weaponry against cheap local drones. Can upstart tech companies change the economics – and nature — of conflict? As part of our ongoing series on the US at 250, we examine the impact of the two world wars. And should you ever use an emoji at work?
Listen to “Money Talks” on defence tech upstarts.
Guests and host:
- Henry Tricks, US technology editor
- Annie Crabill, a senior digital editor
- Andrew Palmer, host of “Boss Class” podcast
- Rosie Blau, host of “The intelligence”
Topics covered:
- Pentagon, Palantir, SpaceX, Anduril
- America 250, Woodrow Wilson, FDR
- Emojis, aubergines
Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+
For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
[gentle music] Finding mental health support shouldn't leave you feeling more lost. This Mental Health Week, your donation to CAMH will be doubled. From May 4th to May 10th, every dollar you contribute will go twice as far to provide double the hope and double the impact for Canadians facing mental illness and addiction. Let's build a future where everyone can get the care they need when they need it. You can help us build better mental healthcare for everyone. Donate today at camh.ca/double. That's camh.ca/double.
Speaker 10:30
[The Economist audio signature] The Economist.
Rosie Blau· Host0:37
[upbeat music] Hello, and welcome to The Intelligence from The Economist. I'm Rosie Bloor. Today on the show, a chapter in our series on America's history, how war created a superpower. And should you ever use emojis at work? [somber music] But first. [upbeat music] War has changed, so have the economics of war. Think of all those cheap drones that have proliferated in Ukraine. They're now an established feature of the battlefield. You don't really want to spend a million dollars on a missile