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經濟學人2026.10.10《歐洲英國版Podcast》中國出口潮引爆歐盟反擊！德法提出二次打擊機制；西伯利亞實驗室研究員猝死引發鼠疫恐慌；英國綠黨極左化爭議與退休金共產主義瓦解！ — Transcript

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0:00Welcome everyone to the Hai Reading
0:02Club podcast. Today, we will share the
0:04six articles from the Europe section
0:06and seven from the Britain section of
0:08the October 10th issue of The Economist
0:10. Let’s start with the Europe section
0:12first.
0:13>> Yes, alright.
0:14>> We will quickly introduce the six
0:16fascinating stories from the Europe
0:18section today; let me list the titles
0:20first. First, Germany and France join
0:22forces to build an EU shield against
0:24China's trade surge. Second, Spanish
0:26Prime Minister Sánchez's early
0:28election gamble and populist policies.
0:30>> Right.
0:30>> Third, arson outside French schools and
0:32tear gas in the streets. Fourth,
0:34explosive leak allegations that have
0:36shocked German intelligence agencies.
0:38Fifth, rumors of a suspected leak at a
0:40Siberian laboratory. Finally, the sixth
0:42article: Europe’s stagnant "paralysis
0:44year," with timing that couldn't be
0:46worse.
0:47>> The content is very rich. That’s
0:48right. If you want to quickly find a
0:50specific article, there are timestamps
0:52in the description box below so you can
0:53jump straight to what you want to
0:55engage with. I hope you like this setup
0:56.
0:57>> Making good use of time is indeed very
0:58convenient.
0:59>> Exactly. Before we begin, I want you to
1:02imagine this scene. A giant cruise ship
1:04that is currently leaking. Outside,
1:06there are pirates watching like hawks.
1:08But the captain and the first mate
1:10aren't fixing the holes; instead, they
1:12are busy on the deck campaigning for
1:13the position of student body president.
1:15This metaphor, this metaphor is
1:17actually very precise.
1:18>> Right? That is Europe today.
1:20>> The six articles we are exploring today
1:22piece together a panoramic view of a
1:24challenging 2026 for contemporary
1:26Europe. Look: from the intense external
1:30trade friction to internal social rifts
1:32, all the way to high-level
1:33intelligence breaches.
1:35>> It's all connected.
1:36>> Exactly. None of these events are
1:38happening in isolation; the logic
1:40behind them is completely intertwined.
1:42>> Right, so for today's first article, we
1:44will start by cutting into Europe's
1:46overall external strategic anxiety.
1:48>> Let’s break this down briefly: on
1:50October 5th, the French President and
1:52the German Chancellor sent a very
1:54startling joint letter to the European
1:56Commission.
1:57>> That’s a big move.
1:58>> Yes, the background is this: in China's
2:00eyes, Europe is currently a weak and
2:02divided market.
2:03>> True.
2:04>> Whether it's AI technology, where they
2:06can't compete, insufficient military
2:07defense, or a high dependency on
2:09Chinese supply chains.
2:10>> And with such frequent elections, they
2:11can't unite at all. Right. And for the
2:13EU side, they have been complaining
2:15that Chinese companies rely on unfair
2:16subsidies and currency undervaluation
2:18to continuously dump low-priced,
2:20high-quality products into Europe.
2:21>> Yeah, it's a serious threat to local
2:23European industry.
2:24>> Right, plus China's reluctance to share
2:26technology, weaponizing rare earth
2:27minerals for defense, and even
2:29supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine.
2:31>> These have all been long-standing pain
2:32points. Exactly, so the final round of
2:34trade talks on October 8th and the
2:36joint statement were basically just
2:38about gaining more leverage.
2:40>> Actually, what’s most worth examining
2:42here is the dramatic U-turn in
2:44Germany’s attitude.
2:45>> What do you mean?
2:46>> Well, looking back at the last decade
2:48or so, the German political
2:49establishment has always tried to avoid
2:51direct trade conflicts with China.
2:53>> Because China is their biggest export
2:55market.
2:55>> Right, but the situation has completely
2:57reversed now; China’s aggressive
2:59exports are severely hitting the
3:00foundations of German industry.
3:02There’s a staggering figure: Germany
3:04is currently losing 15,000 industrial
3:06jobs every month.
3:07>> Whoa, wait a second—15,000 jobs
3:09vanishing every single month?
3:11>> Yes, 15,000.
3:13>> That’s basically an industrial
3:14hemorrhage.
3:15>> Exactly, so this number is fatal for
3:16any incumbent government, as they are
3:18terrified that the anger from this wave
3:20of unemployment will turn directly into
3:22votes for the right-wing AfD party. No
3:24wonder, no wonder on October 7th, the
3:26German government took a hardline
3:28stance to block a Chinese state-owned
3:30shipping giant from acquiring an 80%
3:31stake in a German logistics group.
3:33>> That’s a defense mechanism kicking in
3:35.
3:36>> It’s like realizing your yard is
3:37already half-flooded and then rushing
3:39to build a storm gate.
3:41>> That’s exactly what it is.
3:42>> And the joint statement even mentioned
3:44a few intense-sounding strategic terms.
3:46For example, giving Brussels "
3:48second-strike capability."
3:50>> Hmm, that’s a very interesting term.
3:52What does that actually mean? It means
3:53that if the EU implements trade
3:55protection measures and gets hit with
3:56retaliation, they won't have to wait
3:58for meetings with every member state;
3:59they can strike back quickly and
4:01directly.
4:01>> Right, speeding up the reaction time.
4:03>> They also proposed setting up
4:04diversification tools to reduce supply
4:06chain reliance. But I have to challenge
4:09this logic here. Go ahead.
4:11>> It sounds tough, sure, but can this
4:13defensive protectionism really mask
4:15Europe’s own lack of innovation
4:17momentum? That is the core of the issue
4:19, and as you mentioned, that "
4:21second-strike capability" is actually a
4:23double-edged sword.
4:24>> How so?
4:25>> It certainly increases the leverage for
4:27negotiations, but it could easily
4:28trigger a full-blown trade war that
4:30spirals out of control. As for the
4:32diversification tool, scholars from the
4:33University of Hong Kong have pointedly
4:35warned that it’s likely unfeasible in
4:37real-world supply chains. Why is it
4:39unfeasible?
4:40>> Because think about it, if European
4:42companies ask Chinese firms to move
4:43parts assembly to other countries, like
4:45in Southeast Asia, to avoid tariffs.
4:47>> Mm-hmm.
4:48>> European companies not only fail to
4:50truly break their reliance on key
4:51Chinese components, but they also face
4:53the original China risk plus new
4:55country risks.
4:56>> Wow, that's like a double blow.
4:58>> Exactly, and furthermore, achieving
4:59this level of supply chain
5:01diversification requires companies to
5:02share highly sensitive commercial data
5:04with the government, yet the joint
5:06letter ignores this. It’s basically
5:08deliberate neglect. Besides, the letter
5:10also mentions expanding defensive
5:11measures, extending anti-subsidy
5:12tariffs from targeting single companies
5:14to entire industries.
5:15>> Yes, the scope has become very broad.
5:17>> It even includes consumer safety
5:18regulations targeting massive volumes
5:20of small Chinese packages, as well as
5:21vague "Buy European" clauses.
5:22>> These will only make trade friction
5:24increasingly severe. China's reaction
5:26has been equally unambiguous; the
5:27Ministry of Commerce directly warned
5:28Europe that this is "shooting oneself
5:30in the foot." Even after Europe
5:31launched three investigations into
5:33China, on October 3rd, they struck back
5:35, initiating an anti-dumping
5:36investigation into European chemical
5:38exports.
5:39>> Both sides are playing their cards.
5:40>> However, Europe has its own confidence;
5:42their resilience in weathering the
5:44energy crisis exceeded expectations,
5:46and China is now rolling out
5:47large-scale stimulus packages to boost
5:49its sluggish economy. The EU is
5:51actually hoping to use this to deter
5:53China from escalating the trade war. In
5:55this psychological battle where neither
5:57side gives an inch, it remains to be
5:58seen who will have the last laugh. But
6:00when facing such immense external
6:02economic pressure, life within each
6:04country is certainly not easy.
6:06>> That's right, and that leads us to
6:08today's second topic.
6:09>> Mm.
6:10>> We are shifting our focus from the
6:12EU-level trade war back to internal
6:14survival pressures within nations. On
6:16November 5th, the Spanish Prime
6:17Minister suddenly announced snap
6:19elections to be held on November 29th
6:21of this year. This move was very sudden
6:23; the Spanish Prime Minister is
6:24currently arguably the last remaining
6:26heavyweight left-wing leader in power
6:28within the EU.
6:29>> That's true.
6:30>> This early election is definitely a
6:31desperate, all-or-nothing gamble in his
6:33political career.
6:34>> It’s no exaggeration to say he is
6:36going "all-in." And he has extremely
6:38cleverly utilized a social tragedy to
6:40open the door.
6:41>> You mean the matter regarding that
6:42grandmother?
6:43>> Yes, on September 23rd, an 87-year-old
6:45grandmother was forced to leave the
6:47home she had lived in for 71 years. She
6:49subsequently passed away in the
6:51hospital on October 7th.
6:52>> It’s really heartbreaking to see.
6:54>> This incident instantly ignited public
6:56anger, becoming a poignant symbol of
6:58Spain's housing crisis.
6:59>> Exactly.
7:00>> The Prime Minister immediately seized
7:01this opportunity, framing this campaign
7:03as a showdown between affordable
7:05housing and elite privilege.
7:06>> A manipulation of class conflict.
7:08>> But he's actually just shifting the
7:10focus, right? Because his recent
7:11political position has been terrible.
7:13He mishandled the influx of Moroccan
7:15refugees into Ceuta in July, and
7:17corruption broke out among senior
7:18Socialist party officials, with even
7:20his wife facing a probe, though they
7:22claimed innocence.
7:23>> Yeah, mired in scandals, so I'm very
7:25curious if that emergency housing
7:26decree he introduced is actually
7:28effective.
7:29>> The core of his decree is rent control,
7:31attempting to ban evictions of
7:33so-called vulnerable groups, extending
7:35leases, and even preventing corporate
7:37landlords from raising prices.
7:39>> Sounds like it really takes care of
7:41tenants. As a political slogan, it's
7:43very appealing, but if we go back to
7:45the underlying logic of economics, the
7:47historical lessons of rent control are
7:49usually disastrous.
7:50>> Why?
7:50>> Because when the government forces
7:52rents down, potential landlords find it
7:54unprofitable; they would rather leave
7:56the properties vacant or sell them than
7:58rent them out.
7:59>> Right, that's very realistic. This may
8:01protect existing tenants in the short
8:03term, but the medium-to-long-term cost
8:05is a sharp drop in the overall rental
8:07supply. Sure enough, this controversial
8:09decree was defeated on October 2nd when
8:11the Catalan nationalist party defected.
8:13>> They joined forces with the opposition
8:15to veto it, and the Prime Minister thus
8:17lost his fragile majority.
8:18>> Yes, that's the reality of politics.
8:20>> But wait, I have to ask a
8:21counter-question here. Go ahead.
8:23>> From an economic standpoint, a decrease
8:25in supply is certainly bad, but when
8:26faced with the tragedy of an 87-
8:28year-old grandmother being kicked out
8:29of her home, shouldn't the government
8:31put protecting the vulnerable ahead of
8:33market supply-demand logic?
8:34>> Uh, that's a very good question. This
8:36is actually the moral and economic
8:38dilemma faced by every modern society.
8:40>> Mhm.
8:41>> Protecting the grandmother is
8:42absolutely the morally correct thing to
8:44do. But if the policy merely punishes
8:45landlords, the consequence is that
8:47thousands of young people in the future
8:49won't be able to find any housing at
8:50all. It becomes a different kind of
8:52disaster.
8:53>> Let's look at some brutal supply and
8:54demand data. Spain actually only builds
8:56about 80,000 new units each year.
8:58>> 80,000 units.
8:59>> Yes, but the number of households has
9:01increased by at least 700,000 since
9:032023.
9:04>> Wow, wait, an increase of 700,000
9:05households, but only 80,000 units built
9:07?
9:07>> Right, this massive supply-demand gap
9:09of hundreds of thousands of units is
9:10the real culprit behind the
9:11skyrocketing housing prices and rents,
9:13and it absolutely cannot be solved by
9:14rent control alone.
9:15>> A gap of hundreds of thousands of units
9:17; that is truly outrageous. However,
9:19this Prime Minister is very good at
9:20campaigning; he manipulates class
9:22sentiment while going around claiming
9:24he successfully stood up to Trump.
9:25>> Oh right, the defense budget thing.
9:27>> Right, refusing Trump's pressure to
9:29increase defense spending to 5%of GDP.
9:31Also emphasizing an estimated economic
9:33growth rate of 2.5%this year.
9:35>> Polling numbers like these are quite
9:36honest.
9:37>> That’s right. The People's Party is
9:38currently leading with 33%, while the
9:40Prime Minister's Socialist Party has
9:42fallen to 26%. That’s a five
9:44percentage point drop since 2023, and
9:46what’s most alarming is that the
9:48biggest winner is actually the
9:50far-right populist party VOX, with
9:52support soaring from 12%last year to 18
9:54%.
9:54>> Rising very fast; this is actually an
9:56important entry point for us to observe
9:58European politics.
9:59>> How so?
10:00>> Elections in Spain, to some extent, are
10:02no longer about mildly courting
10:03centrist voters.
10:04>> It's about base mobilization.
10:06>> Yes, in a highly polarized society,
10:07parties are competing to stir their
10:09base to the highest level of emotional
10:11intensity to force them to the polls.
10:12Look at how the right-wing opposition
10:14attacks the Prime Minister for being
10:16unconstitutional by pardoning Catalan
10:17separatists.
10:18>> And the populist party VOX directly
10:20blames the housing crisis on immigrants
10:22.
10:22>> Exactly. If the left-wing Prime
10:23Minister loses this time, it won't just
10:25be a change of power in Spain, but a
10:27historical indicator of the further
10:28shrinking of the left-wing map across
10:30the European political spectrum.
10:32>> Far-reaching consequences indeed. Since
10:34we’ve touched upon the left, populism
10:36, and domestic unrest, let’s move to
10:37the third topic.
10:38>> Mm.
10:39>> Let’s see how this microcosm of
10:40domestic turmoil in Spain is playing
10:42out in neighboring countries. Let’s
10:44turn our attention to France.
10:45>> France is not peaceful right now either
10:47.
10:47>> That’s right. Young people there are
10:49moving their battlefield to the streets
10:51due to budget cuts and extreme anxiety
10:52about the future.
10:53>> Student protests in France are
10:55practically a traditional national
10:56sport.
10:57>> True, they’ve hardly stopped since
10:591968. But the intensity this time is
11:01extraordinary. On October 6th, over
11:03250,000 people across France
11:04participated in single-day
11:05demonstrations.
11:06>> 250,000 people—that's a huge scale.
11:09>> The spark of protest ignited in a high
11:11school in the Paris suburbs in
11:12mid-September and quickly spread to
11:143,700 high schools nationwide,
11:15involving over a quarter of all schools
11:17.
11:18>> It spread that fast?
11:19>> And the escalation of violence this
11:20time is worryingly rapid.
11:22>> Yes.
11:22>> Looking at the data as of October 7th,
11:25as many as 6,629 people have been
11:27arrested nationwide. Most shockingly,
11:2985%of them are minors under the age of
11:3218.
11:32>> Wow, they’re all high school students
11:34.
11:34>> Yes. Meanwhile, 215 students, 89 school
11:37staff members, and 761 police officers
11:40were injured in the clashes. In the
11:42town of Lens, there was even a tragedy
11:44where a 15-year-old boy lost a hand due
11:47to a police flashbang.
11:48>> Losing a hand is a heavy price to pay,
11:50but objectively speaking, the students
11:52'anger does have a traceable context.
11:55>> What do you mean?
11:55>> They complain that since the exam
11:57reforms a few years ago, the curriculum
11:58has become extremely heavy, the school
12:00facilities are dilapidated, and most
12:02crucially, per-student education
12:03spending in France has effectively
12:05stagnated over the last decade, with
12:06teacher salaries falling below the
12:08average for wealthy nations.
12:09>> Resources simply haven't increased. Yes
12:11, and it’s worse now. To bring down
12:13this year's budget deficit of 5.4%, the
12:15French government plans to cut 1,588
12:18teaching positions in the 2027 budget,
12:20claiming it's because the number of
12:22students is decreasing.
12:23>> But that doesn't sit well with the
12:25students at all.
12:25>> Of course not. Education funding is
12:27being slashed, yet defense spending
12:28remains protected, so we see students
12:30holding signs protesting against
12:31defense budgets crowding out education,
12:32and even protesting the rise of the
12:34far-right.
12:34>> Hmm, the demands have become quite
12:36politicized. That's also where I'm
12:38confused. Do these teenage high school
12:40students really understand what the
12:41crowding-out effect of the defense
12:43budget is?
12:43>> That’s a good question.
12:44>> Or are they just unknowingly becoming
12:46street proxies for politicians to
12:48wrestle for power, caught in a wave of
12:50collective social anxiety just six
12:52months before the 2027 spring
12:53presidential election?
12:54>> Hmm, you’ve hit on a very profound
12:56observation. Actually, France is only
12:58half a year away from the presidential
13:00election.
13:00>> That's right. After Macron's ten years
13:02of centrist rule, society has actually
13:04accumulated a massive sense of
13:05powerlessness and frustration. Now it
13:07faces immense pressure from the bond
13:08market and financial distress.
13:10>> Everyone is very anxious.
13:11>> Yes, exactly. The public is extremely
13:14pessimistic about the economy; one poll
13:16shows that only 10%of people are
13:18confident in the country's economic
13:19future.
13:20>> Only 10%. Yes, so when the national
13:23budget pie shrinks and can no longer
13:25meet social expectations, the most
13:27vulnerable and easily agitated group is
13:29usually young students. They often feel
13:31the pressure the most. So, if the
13:33parliament within the system fails,
13:35political maneuvering naturally spills
13:37over into the streets.
13:38>> No wonder government officials like the
13:40Prime Minister and the Interior
13:41Minister jumped out to directly accuse
13:43the far-left "France Unbowed" leader
13:44Mélenchon of inciting this chaos
13:46behind the scenes for his own electoral
13:47gain. As a result, Mélenchon bit back,
13:49claiming the government is engaging in
13:51violent repression.
13:52>> And then Marine Le Pen of the far-right
13:53National Rally stands by watching the
13:55show, seizing the opportunity to accuse
13:56the government of being unable to
13:58maintain order and demanding stricter
13:59anti-riot laws.
14:00>> These three sides are basically getting
14:02what they want.
14:02>> Yes, stepping on the students' blood
14:04and sweat to boost their own political
14:05standing.
14:06>> Exactly right; this is a textbook
14:07example of political opportunism. When
14:09the streets become chaotic, the
14:11far-left gains anti-establishment
14:13energy.
14:13>> And what about the far-right?
14:14>> The far-right reaps votes from the
14:16public's desire for order, while those
14:18sacrificed are always the young people
14:19on the front lines and the rational
14:21fiscal reforms the nation should have
14:23pursued.
14:23>> Speaking of state dysfunction and chaos
14:25, let’s move on to the fourth article
14:27.
14:27>> Yes, this one is quite outrageous as
14:29well.
14:29>> The chaos in France is playing out on
14:31the streets, but in Germany, a crisis
14:33capable of shaking the foundations of
14:35the state is quietly erupting at the
14:37highest levels of the intelligence
14:38agency.
14:39>> This is truly a scandal.
14:41>> This is a true story that feels like a
14:43bad Hollywood spy thriller. On October
14:455th, the head of Germany’s Federal
14:46Intelligence Service (BND), Bruno Kahl,
14:49was in parliament confidently
14:50emphasizing the importance of trust
14:52between intelligence agencies to
14:54lawmakers.
14:54>> And he was slapped in the face the very
14:56next day.
14:57>> Exactly, less than 24 hours later, on
14:59October 6th, the scandal hit him hard.
15:02Former BND director August Hanning and
15:04former chief of staff Manfred K. were
15:06both arrested.
15:06>> They are facing extremely serious
15:08charges of treason and espionage. The
15:12most absurd aspects of this case are
15:13its duration and the way it was
15:15uncovered. Prosecutors allege that over
15:18a 12-year period from 2010 to 2022,
15:21Chief of Staff Manfred K. secretly
15:23handed nearly 2,000 highly classified
15:26documents to former director Hanning,
15:28who had left office back in 2005.
15:31>> 2,000 classified documents.
15:33>> Yes. It is said that Hanning used this
15:35information, including sensitive
15:36details about Iran’s nuclear program
15:38that could trigger international
15:39turmoil. To conduct strategic analysis
15:41for foreign intelligence services.
15:43German media says it was Azerbaijan.
15:45Although Hanning has denied it himself,
15:47it gets even more ridiculous.
15:49>> That's right. The reason this
15:51decade-long security breach was finally
15:53exposed was because Hamburg police were
15:55investigating a completely unrelated
15:57case last year.
15:58>> That cross-border kidnapping case.
16:00>> Yes. The international custody battle
16:02and kidnapping case involving Christina
16:04Block, heiress to a steakhouse chain.
16:06Police searched Hanning's property for
16:08leads and accidentally unearthed these
16:10classified documents.
16:11>> Hanning was also accused of helping
16:13contact Israeli private security
16:14personnel for the kidnapping, though he
16:16wasn't charged for that part.
16:17>> How loose could the security possibly
16:19be? This makes one wonder—the
16:21Bundestag is preparing to grant this
16:23agency broader new powers and
16:24significantly increase its budget;
16:26should we really be giving money to an
16:28organization like this?
16:30>> Your skepticism is very reasonable;
16:31this incident actually exposes a
16:33long-standing gray area in the
16:34intelligence world. What gray area?
16:36>> The "revolving door" effect for
16:37high-ranking intelligence officials
16:39after they leave office; these people
16:41hold the nation’s deepest secrets,
16:42but turn into private consultants once
16:44they retire.
16:44>> Using those secrets to make money.
16:46>> Yes, Henning even joined the board of a
16:48Latvian bank owned by Russian
16:50financiers back in 2017.
16:52>> With Russian backing.
16:53>> Exactly. Later, the bank went bankrupt,
16:55he was sued by the bankruptcy trustee
16:57for millions, and his assets were
16:58seized by the court. The conflict of
17:00interest here is simply unimaginable.
17:02>> No wonder something went wrong. And
17:03returning to the issue of trust you
17:05mentioned, in the network of
17:06international intelligence exchange,
17:08absolute trust is the only currency.
17:10>> That's right. Why do the US CIA and UK
17:12MI6 share intelligence with Germany?
17:15Because they trust that Germany can
17:17keep their secrets.
17:18>> But now, a mole case spanning over a
17:19decade has been exposed.
17:21>> This will completely destroy other
17:22countries 'trust in the BND. When other
17:24nations no longer dare to share
17:26critical early-warning intelligence
17:28with Germany, its de facto national
17:29security defense has already collapsed.
17:31The price of a breakdown in trust is
17:33truly incalculable. Speaking of
17:35national security threats, let's move
17:36on to our fifth topic.
17:37>> This threat is terrifying.
17:39>> Yes. If what Germany leaked were
17:41classified documents, the rumors Russia
17:43is currently facing suggest the leak
17:44could be biological pathogens capable
17:46of triggering a global catastrophe.
17:48>> That is what is truly hair-raising.
17:51Rumors suggest that in a laboratory in
17:53Siberia, a young female researcher
17:55accidentally broke a test tube
17:57containing deadly plague pathogens, and
17:59died within 48 hours.
18:01>> The confirmed fact regarding this rumor
18:04is that a 28-year-old researcher, Daria
18:06, did indeed die at a regional hospital
18:08on October 2nd.
18:09>> Hmm.
18:10>> Subsequently, about 200 people who had
18:12contact with her were placed under
18:14emergency quarantine, and the incident
18:16occurred at Russia’s Anti-Plague
18:18Research Institute in Irkutsk.
18:20>> A broken test tube, death within 48
18:22hours, and then 200 people immediately
18:24placed under mass quarantine—this
18:25imagery immediately awakens memories of
18:27the fears from the early days of the
18:29COVID-19 pandemic.
18:30>> It really does.
18:31>> Russian officials naturally denied it
18:33immediately, claiming the cause of
18:35death was pneumonia of unknown origin
18:36and unrelated to laboratory work. The
18:38WHO also stated the cause has not been
18:40officially confirmed, and even US
18:42Secretary of State Marco Rubio said
18:44they are closely monitoring the
18:45situation.
18:46>> Because this pathogen is no small
18:48matter.
18:48>> Right, the plague bacterium. If it's
18:50the natural bubonic plague, it can be
18:52treated with antibiotics, but if it
18:54develops into pneumonic plague
18:55transmitted through droplets, the
18:57mortality rate is extremely high.
18:59>> And it's extremely difficult to treat.
19:00>> This pathogen spreads very easily and
19:02can even be genetically modified to
19:04resist antibiotics, which is why it has
19:06always been a top choice for biological
19:08weapons.
19:09>> Exactly. But let me be fair here and
19:12ask: every major power conducts
19:14defensive research on pathogens, so can
19:16we really just slap the label of "
19:18secret biochemical weapons development"
19:20on Russia because of one laboratory
19:22accident?
19:24>> That question hits the nail on the head
19:25. Objectively speaking, there is indeed
19:27no evidence currently linking the lab
19:29to biochemical weapons, and the WHO
19:31also considers the risk to the public
19:33to be low. Then why is everyone so
19:34nervous?
19:35>> The reason it has sparked such high
19:37international tension is a core
19:39geopolitical issue: the "boy who cried
19:41wolf" effect caused by a lack of
19:42transparency.
19:43>> The boy who cried wolf.
19:45>> Looking back at history, the Soviet
19:46Union signed the Biological Weapons
19:48Convention in 1975, yet privately
19:50continued a massive secret biochemical
19:52weapons program until Yeltsin
19:54reluctantly admitted to it and agreed
19:56to dismantle it in 1992.
19:57>> So there is a track record.
19:58>> Exactly, Angie. Look at the current
20:00situation: satellite imagery shows that
20:02since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in
20:042022, military biological research
20:05facilities on the outskirts of Moscow
20:07have been significantly expanded.
20:09>> The US State Department's 2023 report
20:11also concluded that Russia still
20:12maintains an offensive biological
20:14weapons program to this day.
20:15>> This is the result of a total
20:17bankruptcy of trust. Do you remember
20:192018? Russia used a military-grade
20:21nerve agent to assassinate the defector
20:23Skripal.
20:24>> Of course I remember. And before that
20:25incident, Russia also swore up and down
20:27that their military facilities only
20:29conducted defensive research.
20:31>> But that wasn't the case at all.
20:32>> Right, because Russia has had so many
20:34poor records of deceiving the
20:35international community regarding
20:37chemical and biological weapons in the
20:39past, that when this tragedy involving
20:41the 28-year-old researcher occurred,
20:42the international community simply
20:44could not accept Moscow's official
20:45explanation; this state of affairs
20:47itself is a huge geopolitical risk.
20:49From trade wars to snap elections, from
20:51street riots to spy scandals, and now
20:53to a potential biochemical crisis. This
20:55brings us to the final part of
20:56today’s show. Finally, we come to
20:59today’s sixth article.
21:00>> Hmm, summarizing the current state of
21:02Europe.
21:02>> Right, faced with so many internal and
21:04external challenges, is Europe's
21:06decision-making mechanism ready to cope
21:08? This article gives a depressing
21:10answer: the situation is very grim.
21:12Europe is facing a state of paralysis
21:14and inaction. That’s correct, it is
21:17an extremely lethal period of political
21:19paralysis for Europe.
21:20>> How so?
21:21>> Between now and the end of 2027, more
21:23than half of all EU citizens will elect
21:25new national leaders, including those
21:28in heavyweight nations like Spain,
21:30France, Finland, Greece, Poland, and
21:32Italy.
21:32>> Everyone is busy with elections. Yes,
21:34this leads to a political phenomenon
21:36known as stalling tactics. Whenever the
21:39EU needs to make difficult compromises
21:41on deepening the single market or
21:42strengthening external defense,
21:44politicians choose to wait until after
21:46the elections.
21:47>> This brings us back to the metaphor we
21:48used at the beginning of the show: the
21:50entire European cruise ship is leaking,
21:52but everyone is busy campaigning for
21:54votes.
21:54>> Completely at a standstill.
21:56>> Let’s take stock of the multiple
21:57leaks this ship is currently facing.
21:59The first is energy; affected by the
22:01escalation of the Iran war, Europe's
22:03natural gas reserves have hit their
22:05lowest point since 2022.
22:06>> Crisis everywhere.
22:07>> Second is economy and trade. The era of
22:10cheap goods is over, France is facing
22:12recessionary pressure, and cheap
22:13Chinese imports are seen as a predatory
22:15threat. EU leaders are set to meet on
22:17October 15 to discuss this.
22:19>> Then there is the issue of falling
22:20behind in technology.
22:21>> Right, the U.S. and China are battling
22:22for AI hegemony, and Europe can’t
22:24even get a foot in the door. Even more
22:25urgent is the fourth point: the war in
22:27Ukraine. Funding is running dry.
22:29>> Exactly. The 90 billion euros—about
22:32101 billion dollars—in aid finally
22:34approved by the end of 2025 was
22:36intended to last two years, but it now
22:38looks like it will run out very soon.
22:40>> Not to mention the U.S. factor.
22:41>> Yes, the U.S. is now governed by Trump,
22:43who has clearly stated that the U.S. is
22:45no longer a reliable security guarantor
22:47, forcing Europe to build its own
22:49collective defense. Yet, politicians
22:50like the Spanish Prime Minister
22:52mentioned earlier refuse to increase
22:53defense spending for the sake of
22:55elections.
22:55>> This is the price of paralysis. In such
22:58a critical moment of life and death,
22:59should we sacrifice democratic
23:01processes for the sake of so-called
23:03decision-making efficiency?
23:04>> This is a very painful structural
23:06dilemma.
23:06>> The core values of democratic alliances
23:09expose massive vulnerabilities during
23:11moments of geopolitical crisis.
23:12>> Because democracy requires time for
23:14compromise.
23:15>> Yes, but time is exactly what Europe
23:17lacks the most. This leads to a serious
23:19consequence: the difference between
23:20reactive decision-making and proactive,
23:22transformative decision-making. How do
23:24you explain that?
23:25>> Europe is currently only able to make
23:27passive, reactive decisions—putting
23:29out fires wherever they start—and is
23:31completely unable to make major,
23:33transformative decisions regarding
23:34defense competitiveness and trade.
23:36>> What about extremism?
23:38>> That’s another threat. Elections
23:39don’t just cause paralysis; they
23:41produce new leaders. For example, if
23:43France actually elects Marine Le Pen,
23:45who is currently leading in the polls,
23:47she wants to cut EU funding and stop
23:48supporting Ukraine, which could
23:50effectively tear up the EU’s
23:51blueprint. Putin must be watching and
23:53laughing.
23:54>> Absolutely. Intelligence agencies
23:55predict that hybrid attacks against
23:57NATO will increase; Putin will
23:58certainly not stop his operations while
24:00Europe is busy dealing with internal
24:02issues.
24:02>> Wow, looking back at everything we
24:04discussed today, from the trade
24:05barriers Germany and France are using
24:06to fend off external shocks and
24:07domestic turmoil in various countries,
24:09to the overall decision-making
24:10paralysis in Europe. It really makes
24:12one wonder, and I'll leave this for
24:13everyone to ponder.
24:14>> Hmm. Will this long election year
24:16finally push the EU through a painful
24:18transformation toward true political
24:20unity, or will it fully expose that it
24:22can never become a strong, agile global
24:24player? This is definitely something
24:26worth watching.
24:28>> That wraps up all the content from our
24:30Europe section. Right, next we’ll
24:32move on to share articles from the
24:33Britain section.
24:35>> Exactly, this deep dive today is truly
24:37packed with content.
24:38>> Yes, we will cover seven articles from
24:40this week’s Britain section of The
24:42Economist in one go. Follow along as I
24:45quickly go through today's headlines.
24:47First, Conservative leadership
24:48candidate Kemi Badenoch’s pitch for
24:51power lacks coherence. Second,
24:53conservationists are building highways
24:55for insects. Third, the UK Green Party
24:58is now a far-left, antisemitic party.
25:00>> Wow, that third one sounds incredibly
25:03controversial. It really does. Then the
25:05fourth one: Are exams evil? Fifth, will
25:08light aircraft become Britain’s next
25:10small-boat crisis? Sixth, US bombers
25:13depart from a British base, and finally
25:15, the seventh: the impending collapse
25:18of gerontocracy.
25:19>> The scope covered by these seven
25:21articles is truly vast.
25:22>> Right? Just imagine, a $ 300 million US
25:24B-2 bomber having to urgently evacuate
25:27a British military base because of a
25:30few punks with gasoline canisters. That
25:32sounds just like a movie plot.
25:34>> Or think about this: a country whose
25:36political system is designed almost
25:38entirely to transfer money from the
25:40young to the old. These seven articles
25:42may appear to span politics, ecology,
25:44education, and defense, but we are
25:46actually witnessing the same phenomenon
25:48: the accelerated collapse of Britain's
25:49established systems and boundaries
25:51right before our eyes.
25:52>> That is indeed the case; it feels like
25:54the entire social structure is
25:55experiencing a massive earthquake.
25:56>> Then let’s start right away with the
25:58restructuring of the political sphere.
25:59Listeners, this is today’s first
26:01article, exploring Conservative Party
26:03leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch’s
26:05bid for power.
26:05>> Hmm, this one is very interesting.
26:07>> Here’s the thing: on October 7th, at
26:09the party’s annual conference, she
26:11vowed to wage what she calls an "
26:13intellectual battle" against the ruling
26:15Labour Party led by current Prime
26:16Minister Starmer.
26:17>> True, and you’ll find that the
26:18internal atmosphere within the
26:19Conservative Party is actually quite
26:21optimistic right now.
26:21>> Why are they optimistic? Didn't they
26:23just go through a low point?
26:24>> Because they seem to have survived the
26:26existential threat posed by the
26:28far-right Reform Party. This optimism
26:29isn't just about the mood; in fact, the
26:32data strongly supports this as well.
26:34>> What does the data say?
26:35>> Think back to this time last year,
26:37Reform UK was leading the Conservatives
26:39in the polls by a massive 13 points.
26:41>> Wow, 13 points. Everyone thought back
26:44then that the Conservatives were truly
26:45going to be replaced.
26:46>> Exactly. But guess how much of a gap
26:48remains between them now? The gap has
26:50narrowed down to just a few points now.
26:53>> Only a few points? That change has been
26:55way too fast.
26:56>> Yes, and what's more critical is that
26:58Reform UK originally anticipated a wave
27:00of Conservative MPs defecting this May.
27:02>> Meaning they expected many to jump ship
27:04? Yes, but in the end, only four
27:06Conservative MPs actually crossed over,
27:09so the Conservatives remain steady in
27:11Parliament with 118 seats, while Reform
27:13remains marginalized with only eight.
27:16>> So, it means the Conservatives'
27:17foundation and base are actually still
27:19there.
27:20>> That's right. But the right-wing vote
27:22is still split after all. What strategy
27:24can Badenoch possibly use to win back
27:27the lost voters? I saw in the documents
27:29that she refused to form an alliance
27:31with Reform. Is this a risky move?
27:33>> It’s actually a calculated move; her
27:35strategy could be described as running
27:37on two parallel tracks.
27:38>> How so?
27:39>> On one hand, she is taking a very
27:41hardline stance on cultural issues like
27:43immigration, which is essentially
27:45signaling to Reform voters that she
27:47understands their concerns. Right,
27:49trying to win back the far-right votes.
27:52>> Yes, but on the other hand, she
27:53emphasizes a truly viable blueprint for
27:56economic growth to hold onto the
27:57moderate voters scared off by
27:59Reform’s extreme rhetoric.
28:01>> That sounds quite clever. What about
28:04the hot potato that is Brexit?
28:05>> On the issue of Brexit, you can see her
28:07restraint even more. Remember when
28:09Prime Minister Andy Burnham proposed
28:10reopening the debate on the UK
28:12rejoining the EU in September?
28:13>> Yes, that caused quite a stir back then
28:15. Reform leader Nigel Farage
28:17immediately and excitedly shouted, "
28:18Bring it on!" He wanted to turn it into
28:20a referendum battle to boost his own
28:22profile.
28:23>> So how did Badenoch react?
28:24>> Badenoch simply gave it the cold
28:26shoulder, saying it was merely a
28:27distraction and a false issue, refusing
28:29to follow suit.
28:30>> Wow, that certainly takes some resolve.
28:33But if you look closely at the 100-page
28:35pamphlet she released, "The Correct
28:37Path." There are a lot of policies in
28:39there that simply conflict with each
28:40other.
28:41>> Uh, there are indeed quite a few
28:42contradictions. For instance, she
28:44proposes completely abolishing
28:46inheritance tax on primary residences.
28:48You have to realize that currently, the
28:50UK imposes a 40%tax on properties
28:52valued over £ 1 million.
28:53>> That is a very significant amount of
28:55tax revenue.
28:56>> Right, I really don't understand it.
28:57Doesn't this essentially give the
28:59elderly living in luxury homes a "get
29:00out of jail free" card?
29:02>> It’s basically a disguised incentive
29:03for them not to sell their houses.
29:04>> Exactly, if they don't have to pay
29:06property tax, they have no incentive to
29:08downsize from large homes. This will
29:10just completely choke the liquidity of
29:12the entire real estate market. This is
29:14completely at odds with his constant
29:16claims about boosting economic growth.
29:18>> You’ve hit on the core contradiction
29:20of this manifesto; it's precisely these
29:22blind spots that lead The Economist to
29:24say his platform lacks coherence.
29:25>> Are there other contradictions? Of
29:27course, not just in real estate; he is
29:29caught in a dilemma on fiscal policy
29:31too. He promised to slash government
29:33spending significantly, right?
29:34>> Yes, that’s the consistent position
29:36of the Conservative Party.
29:37>> But he’s too afraid to offend the
29:39elderly, claiming he’ll keep the very
29:41expensive "triple lock" pension system.
29:43Wait, just how expensive is the triple
29:45lock?
29:46>> It guarantees pensions must rise
29:48annually by the highest of three
29:50metrics: inflation, average earnings,
29:53or 2.5%. That is a massive fiscal black
29:55hole for the country.
29:56>> Then they aren't really cutting any
29:58spending at all.
29:58>> Right, and it doesn't end there; he
30:00yells about cutting red tape, yet
30:02defends the "green belt" policies that
30:04block urban expansion.
30:05>> The green belt is that green space
30:07around cities where development is
30:09prohibited. Exactly, which makes it
30:11impossible for developers to build new
30:13houses, so his platform is more like a
30:15wish list of wanting everything rather
30:17than a coherent logic.
30:19>> If his policies are riddled with holes,
30:21what makes him think he can win?
30:22>> Uh, he’s actually banking on the
30:24voters 'fear of the other side.
30:26>> Fear?
30:27>> Yes, the data reveals a very
30:29interesting situation. Although the
30:31Reform party’s core base accounts for
30:3311%, higher than the Conservatives' 6%.
30:35>> So the extremists are more hardcore.
30:37Right, but a staggering 53%of voters
30:39explicitly state they would never vote
30:41for the Reform party with its extreme
30:43leanings.
30:44>> 53%—that’s more than half!
30:46>> Yes, and among potential voters, nearly
30:4840%are willing to consider the
30:50Conservative Party. But the potential
30:52market for Reform is only 30%.
30:54>> Oh, I get it now. This means as long as
30:57enough voters cast tactical ballots to
30:59block the rise of the extremists, the
31:01Conservatives have a chance to regain
31:03dominance.
31:04>> Exactly. Now, we’ve talked about the
31:06fragmentation of the political
31:07landscape, where contradictory policies
31:09leave the electorate feeling isolated,
31:11but did you know? Shifting our
31:13perspective to nature, habitat
31:14fragmentation is the true lethal threat
31:16.
31:16>> That’s a pretty heavy topic.
31:18>> That brings us to our second article of
31:20the day: conservationists are building
31:22highways for insects. Listeners, this
31:24is our second piece.
31:25>> It is actually a silent collapse
31:26happening right beneath our feet, and
31:28the article specifically mentions Coast
31:30Hill in Surrey. What is so special
31:32about that place?
31:33>> This grassland was once designated a
31:35Site of Special Scientific Interest,
31:38filled with rare herbs, wildflowers,
31:40butterflies, mice, and kestrels
31:42hovering in the air.
31:43>> Sounds like a paradise rich in
31:44biodiversity.
31:45>> Yes, but now, such biodiverse
31:47grasslands have almost vanished from
31:50the UK.
31:50>> Just how fast are they disappearing?
31:52>> Since the 1930s, the UK has lost over
31:5597%of its species-rich grasslands. 97%?
31:59That is practically total destruction.
32:01>> Yes, most have been leveled and turned
32:03into monoculture pastures meant only to
32:05fatten livestock, holding no
32:06nutritional value for insects.
32:08>> Wow, that must be a huge blow to the
32:09insect population.
32:10>> Exactly, and a more terrifying chain
32:12reaction is that since 2021, in just a
32:14few short years, the number of flying
32:16insects in the UK has dropped by 63%.
32:19>> 63%? That is just absurd.
32:21>> Insects are the foundation of the
32:22entire ecosystem; they are responsible
32:24for pollination, decomposing organic
32:26matter, and pest control. Without
32:27insects...Birds would starve, and human
32:29agriculture would face a catastrophe.
32:32>> In the data I read, expert Paul
32:33Hetherington from the charity Buglife
32:35used a very vivid term called the "
32:37spiral of extinction."
32:38>> Mhm, that term describes it perfectly.
32:41>> My understanding is that because
32:42habitats are developed by humans and
32:44cut into isolated green islands,
32:46insects get trapped inside. Their
32:47flight range is limited, and they
32:49cannot cross vast concrete cities or
32:51pesticide-sprayed farmland. Correct.
32:53Once the environment of that island
32:54degrades, they cannot escape, and
32:56eventually, the entire population goes
32:58extinct right there. This is the spiral
33:00of extinction.
33:01>> So they proposed a solution called "
33:03B-Lines," which are essentially insect
33:05highways. How exactly does that work?
33:07It can't be that they are paving
33:09asphalt roads for insects.
33:10>> Certainly not asphalt. You can think of
33:13it as stepping stones for the ecosystem
33:15.
33:15>> Stepping stones. Because insects can't
33:18fly far, the B-Lines plan maps out a
33:20virtual corridor across the country,
33:23planting a patch of native wildflowers
33:25and herbs every few hundred meters
33:27along this corridor.
33:29>> Oh, so insects can hop along these to
33:31migrate and reproduce.
33:32>> Exactly. The goal of B-Lines is to
33:35create a nationwide network covering
33:37150,000 hectares.
33:38>> 150,000 hectares? That is an massive
33:40scale. Yes, and they have currently
33:42completed over 5,300 hectares of
33:44planting, with very significant results
33:47.
33:47>> Are there any specific achievements?
33:49>> For instance, they have rediscovered
33:51the shrill carder bee in Essex, which
33:53was previously thought to have
33:54disappeared from the area.
33:56>> Wow, that is really exciting. But that
33:59sounds like a massive project, finding
34:00the best locations for stepping stones
34:02across the whole country. That must be
34:04very costly, right?
34:06>> That is why they needed to introduce
34:07cutting-edge technology. In a
34:09three-year project called
34:10SpaceforNature, Buglife partnered with
34:12the University of Surrey and local
34:14Wildlife Trusts.
34:15>> Combining university resources, what
34:17technology did they use?
34:19>> They didn't just rely on citizen
34:20scientists for field observations;
34:22researchers also extracted
34:23ultra-high-resolution satellite imagery
34:25.
34:25>> Satellite imagery to look at grasslands
34:27?
34:27>> Yes. Then they used machine learning
34:29models—that is, AI—to let the AI
34:31predict where suitable grassland soil
34:33is hidden by analyzing subtle spectral
34:35differences in the images. So it’s
34:36basically letting AI help find the land
34:38.
34:38>> Exactly. This way, AI can accurately
34:40tell conservationists where planting
34:42connection points will be cheapest and
34:44have the highest survival rate. It's
34:46like using technology to navigate for
34:48insects; how cool is that?
34:49>> This high-tech conservation model has
34:51now expanded to France and is even
34:53preparing to roll out across all of
34:54Europe.
34:55>> When it comes to protecting ecology and
34:57grasslands, we intuitively think of the
34:59Green Party. But the next source
35:00document might shatter many people's
35:02preconceived notions. Yes, this one
35:04will really surprise a lot of people.
35:06>> This is our third article: The UK Green
35:09Party is now a far-left, antisemitic
35:11party. The focus of the UK Green Party
35:13has undergone a drastic shift.
35:15>> The article vividly describes the Green
35:17Party's conference held in Brighton.
35:20The style of the speeches on stage was
35:23almost tailor-made for social media
35:25platforms like TikTok.
35:27>> It’s just to edit into eye-catching
35:29short videos.
35:30>> Exactly. But what really shocked the
35:32outside world was the vote that
35:34followed, where they officially defined
35:36Zionism as racism and even called for
35:38the abolition of Israel.
35:40>> This is a very extreme political
35:42transformation.
35:43>> Wait, to make sure the audience is on
35:45the same page, let me explain. Zionism,
35:47simply put, is the movement supporting
35:49the establishment and maintenance of a
35:51Jewish national state in the land of
35:53Israel. But wasn't the Green Party
35:54previously called the Ecology Party?
35:56>> That's correct; in the early years, it
35:57was called the Ecology Party. These
35:59people used to only care about planting
36:00trees and reducing carbon, so why are
36:01they now on the front lines of Middle
36:03Eastern geopolitics?
36:03>> The key to this actually lies in a
36:05complete reshuffling of the party's
36:06demographic structure.
36:07>> Does a reshuffling of the demographic
36:08structure mean they have a whole new
36:10group of people?
36:10>> Yes, exactly. The traditional
36:12conservationists who used to wear tweed
36:14jackets and actually understood plants
36:16have practically vanished from the
36:17party assembly. So who is left there
36:20now?
36:21>> They've been replaced by a large number
36:23of young socialists and old-school
36:25leftists who are deeply disappointed by
36:26the moderate path of the former Labour
36:28leader, now the Prime Minister.
36:30>> So, this group of newcomers is using
36:32the Green Party as a ready-made shell
36:34for the far-left. Exactly right. They
36:36don't care about ecology; they care
36:38about how to force the ruling party to
36:39shift further left. The article
36:41mentions this is related to the Green
36:43Party's highly decentralized structure,
36:45where almost all decisions are made by
36:46direct vote from rank-and-file members,
36:48right?
36:49>> Right. That’s the core of the problem
36:51. After PLK took over as party leader,
36:53the number of members tripled.
36:55>> Tripled? That means they were
36:56completely overwhelmed by the influx of
36:58new people.
36:59>> Exactly, which effectively allowed
37:00radical factions to hijack the entire
37:02party. I heard there's an internal
37:04faction called "Palestine Greens"
37:06calling all the shots now.
37:08>> What exactly has this faction done?
37:09>> They didn't just aggressively push the
37:12aforementioned anti-Zionist motions;
37:13most shockingly, when the assembly
37:15discussed whether to add an amendment
37:17to protect Jewish members from
37:19discrimination...
37:20>> That sounds like the bare minimum.
37:21>> Yes. Yet, this faction actually voted
37:24it down.
37:25>> Voted it down? That’s incredibly
37:27ironic, especially since the party
37:29leader, Pens, is Jewish himself.
37:32>> Yes. Even though he holds anti-Zionist
37:34views as well.
37:35>> Regardless, he is still being viciously
37:37attacked by more radical factions
37:38within the party and even accused of
37:40being a genocide denier. If even the
37:43party leader can't pass this purity
37:44test regarding the Palestinian issue,
37:46isn't this just an endless purity
37:48spiral?
37:49>> This is a classic case of internal
37:51infighting.
37:52>> Will the Green Party end up driving
37:53everyone away and becoming leaderless?
37:55>> In fact, many veteran party members are
37:56already feeling a profound sense of
37:58helplessness. The article interviewed
38:00Judy, a veteran member with 20 years of
38:01experience. What did she say?
38:03>> Her lament was very poignant; she said
38:05these newcomers and radicals have never
38:07even planted a single potato.
38:09>> That’s a vivid image; it's a jab at
38:10the fact that they don't understand
38:12true environmental conservation at all.
38:13>> Right, they just treat the Green Party
38:15as a pressure group to force the ruling
38:17party's hand. And this radicalization
38:19drama has also cost the Green Party a
38:21heavy political price.
38:22>> Have the polls dropped?
38:23>> Dropped significantly. Earlier this
38:25year, the Green Party's poll numbers
38:27hit 21%, which is a very high figure
38:29for them. And now?
38:31>> It’s already been cut in half.
38:32>> One reason is that the Labour Party
38:34brought in Andy Burnham, who leans
38:35slightly left, as Prime Minister. Many
38:37voters felt Labour wasn't so bad after
38:39all and flocked back, causing the
38:40appeal of these fringe parties to
38:42collapse instantly.
38:42>> True. I even saw that outside the
38:44conference venue, things were so
38:46chaotic that police had to form a human
38:48wall to separate the "from the river to
38:49the sea" protesters from pro-Israel
38:51demonstrators. Is this still the Green
38:53Party we once knew?
38:54>> It hasn't been for a long time. However
38:56, we must clarify to our listeners that
38:58we are absolutely not picking sides; we
39:00are simply reporting on The Economist's
39:01coverage of the Green Party's internal
39:03situation and geopolitical
39:04controversies.
39:05>> Exactly, we’re talking about the
39:07almost pathological ideological purity
39:09tests within the Green Party. Speaking
39:11of testing the limits of the brain, All
39:13Souls College at Oxford University has
39:14what is recognized as the world's most
39:16difficult and controversial
39:17intelligence test. Listeners, let's
39:19move on to our fourth article: the
39:21examination. Is it an evil one?
39:23>> This exam at All Souls College is truly
39:25legendary in academia; it’s jokingly
39:27referred to as the SAS of the academic
39:29world—the Special Air Service.
39:31>> Wow, using a special forces unit as a
39:33comparison—just how brutal is this
39:35test?
39:35>> Each year, only about 100 of the top
39:37graduates from Oxford are eligible to
39:39apply, and the exam lasts for two full
39:41days.
39:42>> How many subjects do they test in two
39:43days?
39:44>> You have to write a total of four
39:45papers, with each paper lasting three
39:47hours. My God, a 12-hour exam—what is
39:50this even for?
39:51>> Everyone racks their brains, just to
39:53compete for those two spots.
39:54>> Only two spots?
39:55>> Yes, those two prestigious research
39:57fellowships at All Souls College that
39:59come with a salary.
40:00>> That return on investment sounds
40:02incredibly low. And what this exam is
40:04most famous for are its bizarre,
40:05single-word essay prompts.
40:07>> Yeah, the questions back in the day
40:08were really quite eccentric.
40:09>> Can you imagine? In 1928, the entire
40:11exam paper consisted of only one word:
40:14"Time."
40:14>> So, where are you even supposed to
40:16start writing?
40:16>> Exactly. Then there was 1948, which
40:19tested "Style." 1952 was even more
40:21absurd; the topic was just "Oxford."
40:24>> This is basically testing your ability
40:25to think on your feet. Although these
40:28single-word prompts were abolished in
40:302010, the current questions are still
40:32so tricky that they make you question
40:34reality—for instance, the 2024 prompt
40:36was "What book would Satan write?"
40:38>> Is this exam trying to test academic
40:40ability or metaphysics?
40:42>> I really don’t understand why such an
40:44exam was designed in the first place.
40:46>> Actually, if you look back at the
40:48historical context. The original
40:50intention of this elite exam was
40:51actually very progressive.
40:53>> Progressive? How so?
40:56>> It originated from mid-Victorian ideals
40:59, where reformers believed the British
41:01Empire should be governed by an
41:03intellectual aristocracy chosen through
41:05open competition.
41:06>> Instead of hereditary aristocrats who
41:08inherit their titles.
41:09>> Exactly. This logic is identical to
41:11that of establishing the Indian Civil
41:13Service examination system at the time.
41:15Essentially, it was an attempt at
41:17egalitarianism to break down class
41:18barriers. The intent was egalitarian,
41:21but looking at past exam questions, one
41:23from 1866 actually asked about
41:24governing conquered races. The lines
41:27are dripping with imperialist arrogance
41:29and prejudice; how is that egalitarian?
41:31>> The context of that era certainly had
41:33significant limitations.
41:34>> And even if you pass the written exam
41:36and make it to the interview, I heard
41:38you have to face about 70 senior
41:39fellows dressed in black academic robes
41:41.
41:41>> Yes, they circle around you and take
41:43turns questioning you. The article
41:45describes them like vampire bats. Can a
41:48stress test filled with such
41:49intimidation really select the best
41:51talent? Your skepticism is very
41:53reasonable. All Souls College has
41:55indeed produced historical luminaries
41:57like the master architect Christopher
41:59Wren and the thinker Isaiah Berlin.
42:01>> Mhm, those are certainly big names. But
42:04what if we compare it to the slightly
42:06more worldly Balliol College next door?
42:08>> Who has Balliol College produced?
42:11>> Balliol fostered heavyweights like Adam
42:14Smith, who truly changed the way the
42:16world works.
42:18>> So, it seems those selected by All
42:20Souls are slightly less influential in
42:22comparison. Yes, historian A.N. Wilson
42:24even sharply criticized that giving
42:26these top minds in their twenties up to
42:28seven years of almost unrestricted
42:30leisure time is less of a blessing...
42:32...and more of a curse.
42:34>> A curse? Why say that?
42:37>> Because it turns the smartest minds
42:39into a complacent, closed-off club. He
42:41describes it like being pickled in
42:43alcohol; it actually causes them to
42:45lose their influence on the real world.
42:48>> Wow, pickled in alcohol. That metaphor
42:51is truly biting. Scholars at All Souls
42:53are searching for the limits of the
42:55mind in ancient buildings, while modern
42:57smuggling syndicates are searching for
42:59the limits of border security. This
43:01transition is quite brutal, but it is
43:03what is truly happening.
43:05>> Everyone is staring at the small boats
43:07crossing the English Channel, but
43:09looking up at the sky, there is a huge
43:11national security blind spot that is
43:13almost completely undefended. This is
43:15our fifth article: will small aircraft
43:17become Britain's next "small boat"
43:19crisis?
43:20>> According to the latest report released
43:22by expert Kathy Helwing of the British
43:23defense think tank RUSI, general
43:25aviation has now become a dream
43:26paradise for smugglers and
43:28transnational criminal groups. General
43:30aviation—what kind of aircraft does
43:31that include?
43:32>> It covers a wide range, from hot air
43:34balloons, gliders, and helicopters, all
43:36the way to high-end private jets.
43:38>> Let's look at a set of data that will
43:40make you break into a cold sweat. About
43:4277,000 of these light aircraft flights
43:44arrive in the UK every year.
43:46>> The number is truly staggering.
43:48>> With 538 airports and private runways
43:50across the country capable of accepting
43:52international flights, what exactly are
43:55law enforcement agencies missing with
43:57such massive traffic?
43:58>> The core loophole lies in a system
44:00called the General Aviation Report, or
44:02GAR.
44:03>> What is this GAR system for?
44:06>> It's used to declare passenger
44:07information, but the system is
44:09basically on the honor code; pilots
44:11only need to submit this report online
44:13at least two hours before takeoff.
44:15>> Only two hours? That's not enough time
44:17to verify anything, right? Exactly.
44:19Think about it: if customs officers are
44:21short-staffed and can't review it in
44:23time, or if a pilot claims bad weather
44:25after takeoff and suddenly changes
44:26their flight path.
44:27>> Changing where they land elsewhere.
44:29>> Exactly, landing at an unstaffed,
44:31remote private grass strip, where there
44:33won't be any customs officers waiting
44:35for them at all.
44:36>> In other words, if you have a private
44:38plane, you can transport almost
44:40anything across the UK with virtually
44:42no obstacles. That sounds way too
44:44extreme. Does the report mention any
44:46actual criminal cases?
44:47>> Quite a few. The most famous case was
44:50in 2018 when police seized 500
44:52kilograms of cocaine from a private
44:54plane that landed in Hampshire.
44:56>> 500 kilograms? How much is that worth?
44:59>> The market value is as high as 41
45:01million pounds, or about 55 million US
45:03dollars. Wow, a small plane carrying 55
45:06million dollars in drugs. Anything else
45:09?
45:10>> Europol warned years ago that light
45:12aircraft are frequently used to smuggle
45:14high-value diamonds.
45:16>> Diamonds are smaller and even easier to
45:18hide.
45:19>> That's right, and even more chilling is
45:21that police are still investigating
45:23whether the late sex offender Jeffrey
45:25Epstein used this private jet loophole
45:27to traffic women within the UK. My
45:29goodness, this isn't just about
45:31smuggling goods; it involves human
45:33trafficking. Faced with such a massive
45:34national security loophole, the
45:36authorities can't just ignore it, right
45:37?
45:38>> The Home Office officially claims they
45:39have a comprehensive intelligence
45:41system and asserts that all high-risk
45:42flights are inspected.
45:44>> That sounds like a very official
45:45statement, but what's the reality?
45:47>> The reality is a slap in the face; the
45:49report directly points out that even
45:50London City Airport, with the most
45:52resources and strictest management,
45:54failed to meet the government's
45:55inspection standards in 2024. If even
45:57London City Airport can't meet the
45:59standards, let alone those small rural
46:01runways.
46:01>> True, but civilian pilots have
46:03something to say as well. David White
46:05from the Light Aircraft Association
46:06says they are actually promoting a
46:08mechanism called Project Pegasus.
46:10>> Project Pegasus sounds like something
46:12to catch spies.
46:13>> This project encourages people around
46:14airports to report suspicious activity,
46:16and David White jokingly said the
46:18private pilot community is actually
46:19very gossipy. What’s the word on the
46:21street?
46:21>> Because it’s a tight-knit community,
46:23if any strange aircraft or suspicious
46:24people appear, everyone spreads the
46:26word immediately, and they know
46:27something’s up right away.
46:28>> Oh, so they help keep an eye on things
46:30themselves.
46:31>> Yes, they are very willing to cooperate
46:33to weed out these troublemakers,
46:34because what they fear most is the
46:36government using this as an excuse to
46:37impose overly strict regulations that
46:39would hinder their freedom to fly.
46:41>> I see. We mentioned small planes in the
46:44sky being a concern, but what if even a
46:46U.S. strategic bomber, costing over $
46:49300 million, had to urgently flee the
46:51UK due to security concerns? That would
46:53be a huge deal.
46:54>> This is our sixth story today, and the
46:56situation is very serious: U.S. bombers
46:58are evacuating from a British base.
47:00>> This is indeed an extraordinary event
47:02that has shocked NATO. Just on October
47:044th, about a dozen U.S. B-1 Lancer
47:06strategic bombers suddenly left the RAF
47:09Fairford forward operating base all at
47:11once. Why the sudden withdrawal? What
47:13does the U.S. official stance say?
47:14>> U.S. Vice President JDV tried to
47:16downplay the incident in an interview,
47:17saying it was just out of an abundance
47:19of caution. But that sounds quite
47:20unusual.
47:21>> It is, and U.S. President Donald Trump
47:23went on camera and stated directly that
47:25they had intelligence on a specific
47:26threat against that base.
47:28>> A specific threat—is this threat
47:29coming from Iran?
47:30>> It’s highly likely. Since this new
47:32Iran war broke out in February 2026,
47:34the British government has allowed the
47:36U.S. to conduct various defensive
47:38missions from that base. Have there
47:40been any moves from the Iranian side?
47:41>> By July, Iran had openly issued death
47:43threats, declaring that any European
47:45base used to attack Iran would be a
47:47legitimate target.
47:48>> Wow, that was very blunt.
47:50>> Yes, and at the same time, British
47:51intelligence services have frequently
47:53warned of a sharp increase in Iranian
47:55attempts to recruit proxies within the
47:56UK to plot hybrid attacks.
47:57>> The article mentions a keyword called "
47:59Operation Spiderweb." Is that the main
48:01reason the U.S. military was scared
48:03enough to evacuate overnight?
48:04>> Absolutely. The U.S. military’s fear
48:06is rooted in recent historical memory.
48:08What exactly is "Operation Spiderweb"?
48:10>> In June 2025, Ukraine launched an
48:12operation code-named "Spiderweb," using
48:14over 100 low-cost suicide drones to
48:16strike deep inside Russian territory.
48:18>> And the result?
48:19>> They destroyed 14 Russian bombers
48:21parked on the ground in a single stroke
48:22.
48:22>> 14? That’s a massive loss.
48:25>> Exactly. That battle completely changed
48:27the rules of war, making air forces
48:29worldwide realize just how vulnerable
48:31multi-million-dollar heavy bombers are
48:33to a few-thousand-dollar drone. I see,
48:35no wonder the U.S. military is so
48:38nervous. But let’s take a look at
48:39what strange things were actually
48:41happening outside the UK's Fairford
48:43base. On September 28, a local farmer
48:45reported suspicious activity to the
48:47police, leading to the arrest of five
48:49local British men in their 20s near the
48:51base.
48:51>> Yeah, the actions of these suspects
48:53were truly absurd.
48:54>> They were loitering nearby in three
48:56vans, but police searches revealed no
48:59high-tech drones, just a bunch of
49:01gasoline canisters.
49:02>> Gasoline canisters? That seems way too
49:04primitive. Exactly. Later, police
49:06arrested a sixth suspect with dual
49:08British-Iranian nationality, and a
49:10seventh suspect, but they were all
49:12released on bail shortly after.
49:14>> Released on bail? How did the Prime
49:16Minister react?
49:16>> The current British Prime Minister
49:18claimed there are strong indications
49:20that Iran is pulling the strings behind
49:21the scenes. But I really don't think
49:23the logic holds up at all. Where does
49:25it not make sense?
49:26>> Think about it: if Iran really wanted
49:28to carry out a devastating high-tech
49:30drone attack like the ones in Ukraine,
49:32why would they send amateur thugs with
49:34gas cans who get reported by farmers to
49:36stir up trouble? Could this be a "feint
49:38to the east, strike to the west" kind
49:40of test?
49:40>> You've hit the nail on the head; that
49:42is the most cunning part of this whole
49:43incident. This might not have been for
49:45actual destruction at all, but a
49:47carefully designed stress test.
49:48>> A stress test? To test the U.S.
49:50military's reaction?
49:51>> Exactly. Let’s look at it from the
49:53perspective of U.S. military
49:54decision-makers. A B-1 bomber costs as
49:56much as $ 300 million, and Fairford Air
49:57Base is different from other
49:59fully-equipped bases like Lakenheath.
50:00>> How is it different?
50:01>> It lacks reinforced concrete bunkers;
50:03the aircraft are parked out in the open
50:05, completely exposed. When intelligence
50:07suggests abnormal activity nearby,
50:09evacuation is absolutely the most
50:10rational choice.
50:11>> So, even if it’s just a few thugs
50:13with gasoline canisters, the U.S.
50:14military can't afford to take the risk.
50:16Yes, and we must also consider the
50:18strategic level; the campaign against
50:19Iran may have entered a new phase where
50:21these heavy bombers no longer need to
50:23take off from the UK as frequently.
50:25>> So, whether it was testing reactions or
50:28a genuine attempt at an attack, Iran
50:30achieved its goal either way.
50:32>> Expert Charlie Edwards from the
50:33International Institute for Strategic
50:35Studies issued a stern warning. What
50:37did he say?
50:38>> He said this incident taught Iran and
50:40Russia a priceless lesson: they
50:42discovered that by spending very little
50:44money to recruit local amateur
50:45criminals in Europe to cause minor
50:47disruptions, they could keep the U.S.
50:49and its European allies on edge.
50:51>> That is essentially the ultimate form
50:53of asymmetric warfare.
50:54>> Yes. This not only forced the U.S.
50:56military to relocate high-value assets
50:58but also imposed a massive strategic
51:00and domestic political cost on the UK.
51:03Geopolitical turmoil is indeed
51:04unsettling, but a greater social
51:06earthquake that could destroy the
51:08economic structure is happening within
51:10the UK. This is our seventh and final
51:13topic for today.
51:14>> The imminent collapse of gerontocratic
51:16communism.
51:17>> The Economist's Bagehot column used a
51:20very sharp and provocative headline.
51:22>> That title is really quite aggressive.
51:25The columnist borrowed that famous,
51:27soul-searching question from Soviet
51:30leader Lenin: "Who, whom?" Applied to
51:32British politics since 2010, the answer
51:35is blunt: pensioners have been ruling
51:37over everyone else.
51:38>> Exactly. Marx’s idealized "from each
51:41according to his ability, to each
51:42according to his needs" has been
51:44completely twisted in Britain over the
51:46last decade into "from each according
51:48to his age." What does that mean? Does
51:50it mean that the allocation of
51:51resources in the UK is completely
51:52tilted toward the elderly?
51:54>> Completely tilted. Over the past decade
51:55, the Conservative Party has become the
51:57political vanguard for protecting the
51:59interests of the elderly.
52:00>> What policies did they push to protect
52:02the elderly?
52:02>> What policies did they push to protect
52:04the elderly? From guaranteeing free TV
52:06licenses to cater to elderly tastes, to
52:08pushing for a disastrous Brexit, the
52:09cost of these policies has been a
52:11massive squeeze on the resources
52:12available to the working-age population
52:14. Does the article also cite an example
52:16regarding taxes?
52:17>> Yes, that example is very stark: an
52:19elderly person working part-time while
52:21already collecting a pension faces a
52:23marginal tax rate of only 20%.
52:26>> 20%doesn't sound too bad; what about
52:28young people?
52:29>> But for a fresh graduate who worries
52:31every day that their job will be
52:33replaced by AI, the government takes up
52:35to 37%of their salary in taxes and
52:37various fees.
52:38>> 37%? That's almost double. This
52:41essentially means young people are
52:43paying for the comfort of the elderly.
52:44>> Exactly, so this structure is unfair to
52:46the younger generation.
52:48>> Then how did this seemingly impregnable
52:50interest structure begin to
52:51disintegrate?
52:52>> The flashpoint was a key speech
52:54delivered by Prime Minister Andy
52:56Burnham in Liverpool in September 2026.
52:58>> That was just last month. What did he
53:00say?
53:00>> Under immense political pressure, he
53:02announced that by 2030, after the next
53:04general election, he would completely
53:06abolish the pension triple lock system,
53:08which had been treated as sacrosanct.
53:10Is that the fiscal black hole we
53:11mentioned in the first article?
53:13>> Yes, this reform has profound
53:15implications, and it is expected to
53:17save the country £ 20 billion annually
53:19by 2040.
53:19>> £ 20 billion—that's about $ 26
53:22billion in expenses. What is that money
53:24going to be used for?
53:26>> These funds will be diverted into a
53:27brand-new National Care Service. The
53:29Economist described Andy Burnham as
53:31being like Gorbachev, pushing for
53:33economic reforms that target the vested
53:35interests of the elderly. But I have to
53:37raise a question here: this system
53:39favoring the elderly has existed for so
53:41long, why can it suddenly no longer be
53:42sustained now? Is it just because the
53:44government has run out of money? Or is
53:46it because the elderly are actually no
53:48longer the most vulnerable and poorest
53:49group in society?
53:50>> That is a very sharp observation.
53:52>> I recall historical data showing that
53:54when Margaret Thatcher left office in
53:561990, about 40%of the elderly were
53:58living below the poverty line.
53:59>> Yes, the elderly were indeed vulnerable
54:01back then. But now, elderly households
54:04that own property often have a higher
54:05actual income than working families
54:07struggling to pay off their mortgages
54:09while raising children.
54:10>> You’ve pointed out the economic
54:12reality, but what is truly fatal to
54:14this "gerontocratic communism" system
54:16is cold, hard demographics.
54:18>> Does demographics refer to birth rates
54:20and death rates?
54:20>> We are witnessing a historic
54:22generational flip; in 2020, the
54:24millennial population officially
54:26surpassed the baby boomer generation,
54:28becoming the largest demographic group
54:30in the UK. Oh, so young people have
54:32more votes now.
54:33>> Exactly, and the 2024 general election
54:35served as a watershed moment.
54:37>> What happened?
54:38>> It was the first time in British
54:40history that even if every single baby
54:41boomer born in the 1950s voted for the
54:43same party, they could no longer
54:45single-handedly determine the election
54:47result.
54:47>> Meaning the elderly vote is no longer a
54:49guaranteed lock for success.
54:51>> Yes, this demographic reversal means
54:53politicians no longer have to blindly
54:55cater to the elderly just to win votes.
54:57No wonder things are shifting, but does
54:59this political pivot often come with
55:01extreme phenomena? Are there even
55:03crazier voices within the Labour Party?
55:05>> There certainly are; for example,
55:07Labour MP Zarah Sultana once made an
55:09extreme demand.
55:10>> What did she demand?
55:11>> She argued that the state's basic
55:12pension should be significantly raised
55:14to match the minimum wage. What? A
55:16basic pension as high as the minimum
55:18wage? How could the government possibly
55:20afford that?
55:21>> Do you know what that would mean? If
55:22they actually did that, the expenditure
55:24would consume an amount equal to the
55:26entire combined budget of the UK's
55:28education, defense, transport, police,
55:30courts, and prisons.
55:31>> Wow, that is truly ridiculous. It would
55:33mean the country does nothing but pay
55:35out pensions.
55:36>> That is the absurd phenomenon seen
55:37right before a system collapses. So,
55:39when this seemingly invincible "
55:40gerontocratic communism" system
55:42collapses completely, much like the
55:43Soviet Union back in the day, what will
55:45happen?
55:46>> The resulting massive political vacuum
55:47could bring unimaginable changes to the
55:49UK.
55:50>> For instance?
55:51>> Freed from being held hostage by the
55:53elderly vote, the UK might, within the
55:55next decade, rejoin the EU without
55:57hesitation, completely overhaul the
55:59current electoral system, and even
56:01break past social taboos regarding
56:03certain racist discourse.
56:05>> This really is the end of an old era.
56:07Just as the quote at the end of the
56:09article says, referencing the fall of
56:11the Soviet Union: "Everything was
56:13forever, until it was no more." Today
56:15we are witnessing a realignment of the
56:17political landscape, the fragmentation
56:19of ecosystems, the evolution of Green
56:21parties, and even the collapse of
56:22pension systems. When established
56:24systems—whether for protecting nature
56:26, maintaining national security, or
56:28caring for the elderly—reach their
56:30limits, who will define the social
56:32formula for the next decade? This is
56:35something we must all ponder. That
56:39concludes today’s Heidegger Reading
56:41Group. Thank you all for watching.

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This page contains the full transcript of 經濟學人2026.10.10《歐洲英國版Podcast》中國出口潮引爆歐盟反擊！德法提出二次打擊機制；西伯利亞實驗室研究員猝死引發鼠疫恐慌；英國綠黨極左化爭議與退休金共產主義瓦解！ by 海格讀書會(每周更新)專注財經及經濟學人分享 , generated from the public captions YouTube serves with the video. The transcript has 10,989 words across 1,964 segments, with the original timestamps preserved so you can click any line to jump to that moment in the embedded player.

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