The New Age of Autarky?
BBC
The UK is seeking energy independence. The US wants its microchips to be 'made in America'. China is targeting self-sufficiency in food. India wants technological 'self-reliance'. Is this a new age of autarky?
The concept of autarky originated in...
Location:
United Kingdom
Networks:
BBC
Description:
The UK is seeking energy independence. The US wants its microchips to be 'made in America'. China is targeting self-sufficiency in food. India wants technological 'self-reliance'. Is this a new age of autarky? The concept of autarky originated in ancient Greece, where it was both a philosophical ideal and a practical goal of statecraft in a hostile and treacherous world. The autarkic lure has persisted down the centuries since: in modern times autarky has been adopted as an aspiration by left-wing and right-wing movements, by communist and fascist regimes, and by empires and anti-imperialists. Ben Chu, economics editor of BBC Newsnight, charts the rise of modern autarky while also asking: is there something in our human make-up that keeps drawing us back to autarky's promise of security, control and self-sufficiency?
Language:
English