What America failed to learn from the Iraq war | The Economist

2026-03-21

Why haven’t MAGA brands taken off? The Economist’s Business writer, Shera Avi-Yonah, and co-host of The Intelligence podcast, Jason Palmer, discuss the rise of a conservative parallel economy, why explicitly political brands struggle to scale, and how boycotts have become the most powerful tool of consumers.

00:00 – What are MAGA brands and who are they for?
00:30 – What is the “parallel economy”?
01:33 – Why are these brands struggling financially?
02:02 – Do consumers actually want politics in their purchases?
02:59 – Why are boycotts more effective than new brands?
04:49 – Can brands really stay out of politics?

Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/3PPCHvh
Why MAGA brands have been a flop:https://econ.st/4anVqWN
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2026-03-20

Tucker Carlson is one of the most attention-grabbing figures in American politics. For years he was an ardent supporter of Donald Trump, but since the outbreak of the war in Iran he has become one of the president’s most vocal critics. In a conversation with The Economist’s editor-in-chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes, Tucker Carlson discusses the fallout of the Iran war and whether Trump betrayed America First over the Iran war.

#Trump #Israel #Iran #maga

00:00 Should President Trump have pushed back against Israel over the Iran war?
02:20 How will the Iran war change the politics of Israel in America
03:50 How is the Iran war affecting support for MAGA?
04:41 Has Donald Trump betrayed America First?
06:30 Does Carlson consider himself a Zionist?

Watch the full show:

2026-03-13

The Gulf war has brought traffic in the Strait of Hormuz almost to a halt, sparking an energy shock that will reverberate around the world. Our editors analyse the impact on this week’s Insider episode.

2026-01-29

Is civil war brewing in Iran? Nicolas Pelham, our Middle East correspondent, and Jason Palmer, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, discuss internal tensions in the country and why some protesters seem to be turning their backs on peaceful demonstrations.

00:50 – What are Iran’s two opposing camps?
02:56 – What does this deepening divide mean for politics?
03:57 – Why has Iran shifted from protest to civil conflict?
06:16 – Is there any way to stop a civil war?

Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/3NKjsm1
Is America about to attack Iran?: https://econ.st/4qKVKEC
Sign up to our weekly newsletter: https://econ.st/3J0xzBr

#TheEconomist #Iran #Protests

2025-12-12

It has been a good year for China. The country is winning its trade war with America. China is mastering new technologies and becoming an even more fearsome competitor in global markets.

Zanny Minton Beddoes, our editor-in-chief, and deputy editor Edward Carr sit down with our top China experts to assess what—if anything—could halt China’s rise.

00:00 – How strong are China’s armed forces?
03:02 – What could undermine the Chinese economy?
05:07 – The threat from China’s population
08:41 – Will China be the new superpower?

Watch the full show: https://econ.st/4oMaxxe

Why China is winning the trade war: https://econ.st/4iVifDY

How America could end up making China great again: https://econ.st/4awcf2r

China knows how to punish countries that offend it: https://econ.st/48B9YS8

2025-12-01

Plagued by corruption and weakened on the battlefield, Ukraine now risks being beaten at the negotiating table, too. If it does not show that it is willing to talk peace, it risks losing American support. Zanny Minton Beddoes, our editor-in-chief, and Edward Carr, deputy editor, and a panel of our experts dissect the latest peace plan and what it means for Ukraine.

00:00 – What we know about the negotiations
03:30 – Who leaked the Steve Witkoff-Yuri Ushakov call?
04:48 – The details of the “peace plan”
06:35 – What the deal could mean for Ukraine

Watch the full show: https://econ.st/4indiU2

Read our coverage of the war: https://econ.st/48sr43i

Ukraine may be a step closer to peace, or to destruction: https://econ.st/4rqtCaB

If the fighting ends in Ukraine, the infighting in

2025-10-23

Steve Bannon insists that Donald Trump will be president again for a third term in 2028 — and that America needs him to.

Bannon, one of the chief architects of the MAGA movement, spoke to Zanny Minton Beddoes, our editor-in-chief, and Ed Carr, our deputy editor, in Washington, DC.

At The Economist, we believe it is important to engage seriously with people whose ideas challenge our own. The ideas Mr Bannon champions are gaining traction across America and beyond.

Watch the full interview on Thursday, October 23rd at 6pm London time at www.economist.com/insider

2025-10-15

Looking for your next book to read this autumn? Rachel Lloyd, our deputy culture editor, shares five of our favourite novels that have been published recently. To see the rest of our top picks, click the link: https://econ.st/4q8uwrG