2025年1月25日（土）に第22回The Decipher（旧: Economist Reading Club）を開催しました。
今回のテーマは「トランプ2.0と米国の経済」。『The fight over America’s economy』（The Economist）を取り上げました。
The Decipher（旧: Economist Reading Club）とは？
英国の高級紙『The Economist』などの記事を読み解き、英語を使いながら世界のトレンドを知るためのクラブ。2023年5月にスタート。東京都小平市の「勉強カフェ」で定期的に開催中（頻度は1-2回／月）。
狙い
- Improve English reading, comprehension and speaking skills
- Foster critical thinking through analysis of the article
- Engage participants with gamified activities
内容
- Analysis:
- What’s the main argument? Summarize in 2-3 sentences.
- What tone does the writer use—neutral, critical or optimistic?
- How does this reflect broader issues in America’s economy?
- Debate game. The issue: Tech’s influence on politics is more positive than negative.
- Wrap-Up & Reflection
Findings
*この勉強会では英語で要約したりコメントしたりしています。英語の文章力を向上させるため、このセクションは英語で記録します
Key argument: The Economist argues that tech’s arrival in a second Trump administration could accelerate deregulation, drive innovation and stimulate economic growth. It takes an optimistic tone to see the good sides of the clash of values among tech, the Republican mainstreamers and MAGA.
Purpose: To explore the effects of President Trump appointing tech billionaires to key posts in his administration.
Evidence/Reason: Tech and the Republican mainstreamers may limit populist ideas such as protectionism and anti-immigration policies. Financial markets may serve as a moderating force, pressuring the Trump administration to adopt more pragmatic policies.
Strength of the argument: The analysis of disparities between tech and MAGA sounds compelling. It is important to highlight that “America First” means different things for the two fractions. For example, The Economist claims that the second Trump administration is a “technocracy”. It also claims that “the tech sees the shrinking state as an engineering problem”. Both technocracy and engineering-oriented governance prioritize efficiency and problem-solving over democratic engagement or public sentiment. The implication is not so fun for MAGA supporters.
Weakness of the argument: This optimism, however, overlooks a broader issue of America’s capitalism: inequality. The Economist dismisses protectionism and anti-immigration policies as “MAGA’s worst instincts”, contrasting them with “tech’s clever ideas”. But the tech’s clever ideas are vague. Does the article underestimate the economic anxieties that fuel MAGA?
Comparison/contrast with other sources: Additional perspectives to consider:
- Britannica and Easy Sociology provide some historical background to technocracy, helping us clarify historical patterns of economic and political dynamics.
- Greg Epstein, humanist chaplain at Harvard and MIT, critiques technocracy from the perspective of humanism. He argues technologists like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel will not save people (TIME). This raises the question: Does The Economist overestimate the potential of a tech-led administration to deliver tangible benefits to the broader population?
