The country’s leader is in a mad rush to transform his country into an upper-middle-income powerhouse before geopolitical forces stall its rise. America’s army is being thinned out; we examine the risks of putting both weapons and generals on the chopping block (10:12). And remembering Ed Smylie, who saved the crew of Apollo 13 with a delightfully low-tech plan (17:47). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.