Why do nations fight when it's clear how incredibly destructive war is?  Economist and political scientist Chris Blattman joins the show to discuss his new book, Why We Fight.  He discusses how the world is probably more peaceful than it gets credit for, the factors that cause peace to sometimes breaks down, and how we can build a world with less violence and less conflict. Further reading: Is the Taiwan Strait Still a Flash Point? - https://direct.mit.edu/isec/article-abstract/40/3/54/12120/Is-the-Taiwan-Strait-Still-a-Flash-Point 'How to Change the World' course syllabus - https://chrisblattman.com/files/2022/01/Syllabus_HowToChangeTheWorld_Fall_2021.pdf Books that development economists should read - https://chrisblattman.com/blog/2011/06/21/books-development-economists-and-aid-workers-seldom-read-but-should/   To make sure you hear every episode, join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/neoliberalproject. Patrons get access to exclusive bonus episodes, our sticker-of-the-month club, and our insider Slack.  Become a supporter today! Got questions for the Neoliberal Podcast?  Send them to mailbag@neoliberalproject.org Follow us at: https://twitter.com/ne0liberal https://www.instagram.com/neoliberalproject/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/1930401007051265/   Join a local chapter at https://neoliberalproject.org/join