I have Viktor Shvets on the show today. He not only runs Macquarie Bank’s office in Hong Kong, but he’s also written a book.

It’s called “The Great Rupture: Three Empires, Four Turning Points, and the Future of Humanity”, it’s an impressive read, it pulls together history, economics, geo-politics and psychology to try and map how the mis-steps of key empires, in the past, can help us prepare for a very uncertain future.

Viktor doesn’t shy away from the big issues in his book, and we cover it all in this episode. He offers one of the best explanations I’ve heard for the origins and the impacts of the debt-bomb that’s been building ever since Alan Greenspan’s infamous Put, that began pumping money into the financial system, in response to the 1987 stock market crash.

And while the debt continues to grow today, of course the big question is, when will the music stop?

We go deep on this episode. We look at the History of China, it’s missed opportunities to globalize many centuries ago, and its rapid rise in the new information age.

And, I quiz Viktor about whether our addiction to economic growth is compatible with a healthy environment. It seems clear that the financialisation of our world means we’ve pushed beyond the carrying capacity of our eco-system. So, can we step away from the brink, before it’s too late?

All the show notes are on my website at www.johntreadgold.com, plus, a long list of book recommendations from Viktor.

Enjoy!