Diane Ring may not actually be here from the future, but it would help to explain how she has remained one step ahead of the rest of the world for decades. She recognized the importance of power in international tax law early on, mapping the politics of states and international organizations long before anyone else realized it mattered. Today, international tax law seems to be nothing but politics. Ring shows us how we got here and what it may mean for our future. We also discuss her new research with Shu-Yi Oei that grapples with the challenges of regulating a rapidly changing world.

The pencil question is about tax policy in ancient Athens.