North Korea, the most closed-off country on earth. This Asian nation is often the center of intense scrutiny for its aggressive displays of militarism, its internationally condemned nuclear program, and of course its oppressive government dictatorship. A 2014 report by the united nations concluded that the gravity, scale, and nature of these human rights violations does not have any parallel In the contemporary world. What they are ashamed of though, is something that all these media spectacles help to distract from and that is their incredibly small and pathetic economy. Beyond the dramatic chest-beating and despite all of the opportunities this country has been given it has dwindled into complete economic obscurity and in this video we are going to explore why.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Multi-Level-Marketing (MLM) companies are big businesses around the world and they have rightfully attracted much criticism for questionable business practice. Many have called them illegal pyramid schemes, but today these companies continue to operate in most developed countries around the world and rake in billions of dollars in profit in any given year all with the blessing of local trade authorities. So, what are these businesses? Let's park personal opinions on how annoying it is to be roped into one of these MLM meetings for the moment and assess the fundamental economics behind this business model.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Japan became the first of the modern Asian countries to experience massive sustained economic growth. Japan had a lot going for it after the end of the war, it was able to rebuild with the help of the allies and go through its own modern industrial revolution. In the 1960s, Japan was growing at a rate of 10% a year which for a national economy was unheard of at the time, this economic growth continued and japan was able to ride the wave of globalization as the world's low-cost manufacturer. Japan developed a huge car industry, it was at the forefront of consumer electronics and was working meticulously to make sure that this newfound wealth was being invested wisely into infrastructure like high-speed rail, airports and metro systems that would make their economy even more efficient. At its peak, there was so much wealth in japan that the real estate market of Tokyo had some pretty crazy anomalies. In the late 80’s it was estimated that the imperial palace covering an area of 3.4 square kilometers in central Tokyo had a real estate land value greater than all of the real estate in California. Of course, the imperial palace was never for sale and this was based on the cost per square feet in the area but it still should give a good idea of just how much money was washing around in Japan. In this video, we will look at how this all went so wrong and what it can tell us about countries that are today where japan was 40 years ago.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill Benter, is a reserved unassuming and media-shy Pittsburg resident who made almost 1 billion dollars by gambling on horse races. The man was a mathematical genius who was on the cutting edge of both computer science and statistical modeling so it is widely assumed with his business knowledge that he could have made money just about anywhere, in a rare interview when asked about his success in horse racing he said: “I was driven only partly by money, I believe I probably could have made more money in finance, but that didn’t interest me, I didn’t get into professional horse racing because it was hard, but because it was said to be impossible”

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the world's poorest country, with a large majority of its 70 million citizens living in absolute poverty. For a long time, poverty in Africa has been seen as a purely humanitarian issue. But could the answer just be good economic management? Unfortunately, this situation has an obvious solution that is impossible to attain. Poverty is a thorny issue to deal with. Still, in this video, we'll attempt to explore some of the fundamental causes of this poverty and see how they impact the Congo's fragile economy.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

India is soon to be home to the largest population of citizens on the planet. And as of 2014, the nation will also hold the title of the fastest-growing major economy in the world (stealing the title from the slower-growing economy of China). This country has had an amazing journey to get to where it is today. And with the right political governance, it's very likely to become one of the world's most powerful economies very soon. But, it's not quite there yet. And in GDP terms, India's collective economy is still smaller than that of California. And while poverty is a very prevalent problem, India's certainly on the up and up. Throughout the past two decades, it has seen unbelievable levels of growth that has, among other things, pulled hundreds of millions of its citizens out of poverty

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monaco is the wealthiest nation in the world per capita. It's also the country with by far the highest average age of citizens. It has the highest cost of land of any country in the world, it pretty much breaks any kind of list you want to make ranking countries cause you can pretty much bet that this 2 square kilometer spit of land off the south of France is going to win any economic top ten list out there. So, what is really going on with the economy of Monaco? Most people know it as a playground for the rich and famous, a parking garage for superyachts, a glorified formula 1 track, a country built around a casino, and above all else, a tax haven. But is this criticism really fair? ... let's explore in today's video!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As of this writing, there are between 186 and 192 countries worldwide (depending on who you ask). In this less-than-serious video, we look at the 50 largest nations and see what makes their economies tick.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The automation economy is here and it's essential to understand what our future will look like in a world where we may not have the ability to work in order to provide for ourselves. We will look at what reputable economists have hypothesized our future and the underlying economics behind these realities.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite geographical challenges, hostile neighbors, and limited resources, Israel has become one of the world's wealthiest and most advanced economies. This video explores how Israel overcame economic failure, what drives its growth, if its success can be replicated, and its future prospects.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices