Welcome to KAOS THEORY — a podcast collaboration between Grant Williams and me that focuses on the intersection of Macroeconomics and Geopolitics in an increasingly disorderly world.
4/1/25: Episode 9 — Michael Every
Joining Grant Williams and me for this episode of Kaos Theory is Rabobank’s Michael Every as we chronicle the decline of the post-WWII Liberal World Order (LWO) and the rise of Economic Statecraft (vs. Economic Policy) as the new paradigm in global affairs.
We trace the historical context of previous such LWOs – Pax Britannica and Pax Americana – and examine how the current LWO is unraveling as the emergence of China as a rival power, the weakening of American hegemony, and the prioritization of economic interests over the liberal rulebook combine to upend everything to which we’ve become accustomed since WWII.
Michael explains the challenges facing China’s rise as a potential hegemon, including Demographic shifts and the need to pivot towards domestic consumption rather than exports and outlines how the United States is leveraging economic tools like Tariffs and Trade Barriers as part of its new “Economic Statecraft” approach to counter China’s influence and reshape the current LWO to better serve its own interests.
Where you can find Michael Every:
X: https://x.com/TheMichaelEvery
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-strauss-8848702/
Recent Research Pieces:
11/7/24: Macrostrategy vs. "‘Grand Macro Strategy’
2/2/25: US Economic Statecraft: Days of Future Past
3/12/2025: EU Economic Statecraft Update: It's For Real
Show Notes for the TLDR (Too Long Didn’t Read) folks:
ICYMI, here is my own explanation of Trump 2.0’s pivot to Economic Statecraft:
Re: Mental Models - Navigating The Asteroid Field With Trump 2.0.
Recall this scene from one of my favorite movies, “The Empire Strikes Back”:
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