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  1. Economist Podcasts
  2. Bust a vessel: NATO v dark fleets
Bust a vessel: NATO v dark fleets

Bust a vessel: NATO v dark fleets

Economist Podcasts · Oct 28, 2025

Investigating the rise of maritime shadow fleets, China's precarious gig economy, and the evolving definition of anti-Semitism.

The Term "Anti-Semitism" Was Invented as a Political Rebellion Against Modernity

Coined in 1879, "anti-Semitism" was not just a new word for old hatred. It was a modern political tool framing Jews as a foreign race ("Semites") to specifically oppose their emancipation and the Enlightenment values that enabled it.

Bust a vessel: NATO v dark fleets thumbnail

Bust a vessel: NATO v dark fleets

Economist Podcasts·4 months ago

Shadow Fleets Operate as Freelance Services, Not Just State Proxies

Illicit maritime operations are increasingly run by opportunistic, international middlemen serving multiple clients, not just Russia or China. This for-profit model, motivated by money rather than ideology, complicates attribution and enforcement efforts by Western governments.

Bust a vessel: NATO v dark fleets thumbnail

Bust a vessel: NATO v dark fleets

Economist Podcasts·4 months ago

Illicit Ships Exploit Maritime Law via Fake Online "Flag" Registries

The core vulnerability enabling shadow fleets is the international "flag state" system. Opportunists create fake online registries for non-existent or uninhabited territories, such as a rock in the Pacific, allowing vessels to operate with impunity in international waters.

Bust a vessel: NATO v dark fleets thumbnail

Bust a vessel: NATO v dark fleets

Economist Podcasts·4 months ago

China's 200M Gig Workers Pose a Demographic and Economic Time Bomb

Dubbed the "make-or-break generation," this cohort's future is pivotal. If they cannot afford homes or integrate into cities, they could cripple the housing market and depress birth rates, threatening China's long-term economic and social stability.

Bust a vessel: NATO v dark fleets thumbnail

Bust a vessel: NATO v dark fleets

Economist Podcasts·4 months ago

China's Manufacturing Sector Now Relies on a Precarious Gig Workforce

Contrary to the image of a stable labor force, up to 80% of workers in China's largest factories during peak seasons are short-term gig workers. This systemic reliance on a transient workforce marks a significant and risky departure from the previous generation of stable migrant labor.

Bust a vessel: NATO v dark fleets thumbnail

Bust a vessel: NATO v dark fleets

Economist Podcasts·4 months ago