Why does China crank out subways, high-speed rail, EV factories and drones at breakneck speed while the U.S. hits the brakes? In this Bankless podcast episode, hosts Ryan and David riff with Dan Wang (author of Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future) on China’s “engineers-in-charge” model versus America’s “lawyerly” governance. They bust myths about digital authoritarianism, social credit and imminent collapse, compare U.S. capital-market fireworks to China’s manufacturing juggernaut, and dive into everything from protests and property rights to crypto and global talent flows.
Wang’s parting shot? The U.S. could use about 20% more engineering muscle to speed up big projects, while China needs roughly 50% more legal checks to protect individual rights. Along the way you’ll get an “abundance agenda” blueprint, a peek at why Americans still lead in capital markets, and a debate on who’s poised to win the next era of innovation and manufacturing.
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