The Intelligence: Land of the rising sums

<p>Look past short-term stumbles: there are <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/11/16/will-japan-rediscover-its-dynamism?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">plenty of reasons</a> to think Japan may spin out of its decades-long deflationary spiral. But how to avoid another false dawn? A visit to a mine in Zimbabwe reveals <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/11/09/china-is-winning-africas-white-gold-rush-for-lithium?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how valuable lithium is becoming</a> to the continent—and China’s role in securing it (13:09). And remembering a “Rosie the Riveter” who kept riveting <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2023/11/22/elinor-otto-did-not-realise-what-giant-strides-she-was-making-for-women?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">until age 95</a> (21:38).</p><br /><p><em>Until Monday November 27th you can sign up to </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em> for half price in our Black Friday sale. For just two dollars, pounds or euros a month you’ll get access to get all our award-winning podcasts. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><hr /><p style="color: grey; font-size: 0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>