Balaji Srinivasan on Fiat Crisis, Russia, and China

[@Just21Million]

I absolutely love Balaji. I could listen to this show 10 times and learn something new each time. He has such a brilliant mind.

[@agrxdrowflow958]

The only guy on KZbin I watch at normal speed. Because I can't keep up at 1.5x.

[@ericloh4871]

I like and support Balaji not because he is smart, but he is objective and able to reflect on wide range of info to root out as much of personal bias or to reinforce his key points. Keep up the good work.

[@astroNexx]

balaji the eminem of finance podcasts

[@fiatnomo2874]

This has to be the BIGGEST HIDDEN GEM on all of the internet right now. Balaji breaks it ALL the way down with such ease. Never stop telling the people what’s really going on. Pleasssse don’t put Upstream behind a paywall 🥺🙏 Love what you’re doing Erik!

[@pulse3554]

Hidden to western consumers of media… widely known and anticipated everywhere else for a long time

[@aaad3552]

He just call ppl like serpentza unrealistic lmao what a hidden gem

[@dubeya01]

Balaji is so incredibly smart! Thanks for this podcast Erik.

[@UpstreamwithErikTorenberg]

Timestamps for this episode are below! (00:00) Episode Preview (01:40) What is happening with the Fiat Crisis? (08:52) Balaji’s equivalent premises (11:07) God, State, Network (12:45) Irrational adherence to principles (15:12) Sponsors: Secureframe (16:16) Hyperpower wars 1991-2021 (20:05) Economic conclusions (23:12) Blue America is at war with the world (28:30) Cancellation is a weak form of warfare (32:35) Red vs Blue vs Grey America (38:00) Make America states again (39:47) America and India parallels in reverse (43:10) Can America turn around after the next election? (44:25) America and China and Russia | Microsoft and Facebook and Google (46:55) How people react to Balaji’s China stance (52:00) History between Russia and Japan (57:25) Conspiracies (01:04:35) Balaji’s predictions for 2024 & the Fed (01:11:41) Replacing the Dollar network

[@HouseOfGreyy]

More balaji episodes is the way!

[@baraka3476]

thanks for the great episode, erik. really appreciate the fact that you just let your guests state their thoughts and views - although sometimes it would be great to hear more from you!

[@jollyneuron]

Cutting out the awkward silence after Balajis infamous "do you know why?" At 3:58 😂

[@jasonweishaupt1828]

“There is more money to be made fighting a war than winning one.” Major General Smedley Butler. Two time Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.

[@JeffNeubauerJesus24365]

THANK GOD FOR BITCOIN. Many thanks Erik and Balaji. God bless you both.

[@jakejake7289]

It takes 100% of my attention to capture everything Balaji says. He is a savant.

[@davidanalyst671]

Two years ago Balaji Srinivasan went on Lex Fridman's podcast, and I read the book he recommended, Lee Kwan Yu's autobiography, and now I have to listen to everything Balaji says. This guy is really smart, he doesn't approach the world from the dominant USA attitude, and says some really smart stuff except when he talks about republicans in the USA. other than that, this guy is a genius, partly because he uses a rational perspective to cut throuogh the media crap. Balaji's tweets are the closest thing you will get to actual news from a smart person.

[@agrxdrowflow958]

What does he get wrong about republicans?

[@jakejake7289]

​@@agrxdrowflow958What I was also wondering.

[@lastleaffallen1006]

he is soooo smart it's actually troubling....but I keep living my life, because whatever

[@Dedicated_.1]

47:00 Totally agree on Zeihan. Everything he says about China I find cringe because it’s just laced with a severe pretentious attitude and arrogance. What’s worse that arrogance leads him to overly emphasise the negatives and ignore any of their actual capability. It’s not fun to watch and shame a smart guy gets trapped in that, but they do often do.

[@tuckerbugeater]

He's constructing a narrative for the new cold war they manufactured.

[@wasdwasdedsf]

hes not smart

[@agrxdrowflow958]

Zeihan is a ne-con shill.

[@beerman204]

​@@wasdwasdedsfhow it all plays out remains to be seen...

[@wasdwasdedsf]

@@beerman204 huh? it doesnt remain to see if hes smart or not

[@sebastianaguiarbrunemeier9192]

I'm a simple man. When I see Balaji, I click.

[@charliecheng3340]

You are Brilliant Sir!

[@kikolatulipe]

After bitcoin all tech bros become expert in currency and geopolitics!

[@jacknaneek1681]

Balaji is Always interesting !

[@awolgeordie9926]

Balaji is a great listen.

[@n1kb0t]

From Russia with love ❤

[@casteretpollux]

Some very useful points on the banking crisis. On the question "Is the American military undefeatable" - it hasn't been tested. And testing it could be fatal to us all - but will very likely be unavoidable.

[@Scorch428]

I cant wait for the reckoning! Billionaires will face justice!

[@foju9365]

Balaji's a great mind, makes incisive points as he has been doing for several years. Having said that, what I find problematic with the crypto maximalist view he holds is that is is unhelpful for solving real world problems.

[@balapillai]

What’s a better alternative? #SpiceTradeAsia_Prompts

[@KAUKASUSREISEN]

The government should hire Balaji as a consultant🎉❤😅

[@BatmanBoss]

Thanks buddy

[@flock221]

I like Balajis ability to string concepts together. My one critique would be that he seems too confident in the demise of “blue America”. If you just think demographically, aren’t things going to continue to move left??

[@nunoalexandre6408]

Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@circlelabs]

Balaji is the goat of goats!

[@genechorney]

Everyone expected interest rate increases. Why didn't the bond buyers?

[@jimuren2388]

1) they made mistakes 2) they were "strongly encouraged" after losing a crap ton of money giving bad housing loans pre-2008 as reparations for red-lining. The assumption was housing loans sketchy; govt bonds rock solid.

[@IdontWannaThink456]

Can anyone link the part where he talks about tom cruise movies ?

[@pablopeniche9194]

You guys really did Balaji dirty with that thumbnail

[@danjunk3029]

very hegelian. good talk.

[@4nxy]

curious what he's drinking, looks like one of those modern high-tech energy drinks

[@up255]

Balaji sipping Celcius 👀 ??

[@4nxy]

@@up255 It's not Celsius, can design and logo is different

[@beerman204]

Kool aid

[@4nxy]

@@beerman204 oooo burrrrn

[@atulshukla9163]

India

[@breadandcircuses321]

“Make America States again”

[@MB-tz7by]

Balaji is great but come on man comparing India to US...they're not even in the same book economically or political wise.

[@tritiumenergyconsulting]

Balaji is the f'n man.

[@rogeradi]

Only blue guys have an old candidate? What about Trum who you worship? He is very young indeed.

[@shahramtorki560]

Damn 😮😮

[@TJCMN]

43:30 - I was raised my entire life until 2015 in New York and have been living in Florida for the last eight years. You had some interesting points that I think have elements of truth in the beginning but you lost me when you claimed Blue States like NY are "Communist" / "Socialist." Can you seriously define either label and then say that NY / CA / any other Democrat stronghold is really somehow Marxist? Not even saying they're run ideally by any stretch but this is just not the case. It might make for a good sound bite or podcast clip but it just isn't really true and makes me further question your actual experience / understanding beyond this discussion. I also profoundly disagree with the idea of "decentralizing" or balkanizing America. The idea that we can just return to how the country operated in a world as interconnected and different from 1861 or before also screams at best an idealist and at worst someone who is naive to how badly things would be for the world as a whole if America was more inwards and divided. America is at its best when we actively pursues a foreign policy such as further consolidating its alliance networks such as NATO and stands with countries like Britain, Korea, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, and to some degree even India (a little more complicated, as I'm sure you'd agree on the latter given the historical context). If we think we can just retreat from all the problems in the world and become an island unto ourselves in the realm of international relations - China, Russia, and whatever potential future threat rears its head will have free reign to do as they wish. That is not a world that I personally would want to live in. We're far from perfect but the Union is still alive and can do well if it can overcome the present challenges, some of which you highlighted. Hopefully you reconsider some of what you're saying and its implications

[@draymond5067]

There's a fiat crisis?

[@xushenxin]

What the hell is blue America???

[@up255]

Whyyy does Balaji still try to shill ETH 😂😂

[@itssteve6018]

Nobody is perfect

[@aaad3552]

U just call ppl like serpentza unrealistic...

[@Ryanrobi]

He doesn't really address Zeihan's core argument. China may make the most ships and have the most steel blah blah blah but they need global access and shipping at low cost to get the raw materials to make that and they need access to Western markets to consume the end products just like America did world war II the US in its allies could cut off China from oil and iron ore pretty easily. China does not have any history of being a naval power, sure they could learn how and build a lot of ships but the more important part is the know-how and experience. Not to mention on the rest of the industrial capacity China is number one in the world on all those things but the United States is number two and then Japan South Korea Germany in the rest of our allies all collectively produce more than China. In Chinas demographics are very bad. None of that means I can't be a military superpower just they have a lot of head winds.

[@casteretpollux]

Why does capitalism need to operate via competing hostile land masses?

[@naeaf]

You don't have Capitalism. You have Corporatism. That's the extreme form of Capitalism.

[@braggfamily1123]

Jesus Christ is Lord

[@bradleythompson8833]

Does he address how embarrassing his prediction was? If not I refuse to listen 😂

[@tahangrant]

Yes, he has on another podcast at least 1. Obviously he did not actually think we'd get 1M BTC, it was simply a move to draw attention to all this/these points/issues.

[@itssteve6018]

He made it clear early on that he did it as a PR stunt

[@1ntrcnnctr608]

a bit monologuey

[@telluwide5553]

What happened to his bitcoin/dollar bet? Seems like that's been quickly forgotten...so much for another tech bro turned self-proclaimed guru....

[@Edge_Of_Thorns]

504

[@rainbowsky119]

China has “looking good” but very weak situation because not like Russia, China imports energy, food, technology, so on. It’s can’t stand it’s own.

[@hectorjelly]

Its pretty funny to market this podcast as the world's greatest thinkers, and then just have all the tech guys who have been on other tech podcasts spouting the same stuff as before. If anyone is interested in what balaji is thinking they can check any number of podcasts from the last few months.

[@Dedicated_.1]

I just came across him, I’m grateful for the podcast. Thanks Erik.

[@pulse3554]

Solid point lol

[@rogeradi]

India does not have religious and sectarian conflicts? LOL

[@TheXV22]

I think the host did a pretty bad job

[@seanwisdom6268]

Balaji go take a nap. We’ll be fine.

[@kaidshajrah]

Is India unified? Hasn't the Hindu-Muslim conflict been accelerating over recent years?

[@naeaf]

As long as it doesn't lead to violence, this country needed this confrontation. Even without this confrontation, the situation of Muslims and lower wasn't that good. Now, this confrontation can fix the flaws within the country.

[@hankroest6836]

Ya lost me at "...premisseeze..."

[@jimmyjimmy5574]

The funniest thing about Balaji is that every time he has put a timeline on something, he has been WRONG.

[@jam-lm1sz]

India is no way becoming reverse parallel. Show us proofs what its doing. Balaji doesn't provide important details. No people can survive being 1.2 bill with 2 trillion 3 production. Immense inequality.

[@LifeLess1999]

bro obviously has no idea how powerful the US military actually is

[@itssteve6018]

The Soviet Union had an unbelievably powerful military. And then they couldn't pay their soldiers. And then it collapsed. The US military power ends overnight the millisecond it can't pay its soldiers.

[@indigenousnorwegianeuropa4145]

The currency of freedom - is blood🫵

[@negochristian1]

BiTcoIN aT 1 MilLiOn june 17 2023! 😆

[@wasdwasdedsf]

theres no conceiveable way he was serious. he cant be that dumb. though it was also dumb to, if he really didnt believe it to be probable, to talk about it the way he did, either

[@Scorch428]

more like 100k or 120k by jun 17 2025