#geopolitical-strategy
155 episodes · Page 4 of 7
#3162: Sovereign SATCOM: Inside the Military's Orbital Arms Race
Why the US, Russia, and China each build their own military satellite networks — and how WGS, Blagovest, and Tiantong compare.
#3140: How Governments Arm Militias Without Leaving Fingerprints
From direct supply to crypto wallets — the four models governments use to arm proxies and the control mechanisms that try to prevent blowback.
#3110: Saving Jerusalem: 6 Policies to Reverse Decline
What would you do if you ran Jerusalem with a mandate for prosperity? Six concrete policies to fix a city in crisis.
#3085: Why Jerusalem Feels Unsteered While Its Mayor Keeps Winning
Jerusalem's secular voters are leaving in droves. Why does the mayor keep winning?
#3025: The EU's Foreign Policy Paradox: A Conductor Without an Orchestra
The EU has a foreign minister who can't command anyone. How does foreign policy actually get made in Brussels?
#3003: How Texas Became Texas: Empire, Republic, Statehood
From Spanish mission outpost to independent republic to US state — the unique path that shaped Texas governance.
#3000: The 94%: Canada's Empty North
94% of Canadian territory has zero permanent residents. How does a modern state govern the other 97%?
#2983: The Night-Watchman State: Theory vs Reality
Which democracies come closest to the libertarian minimum state? And which lean hardest into state control?
#2951: Herzl's Unbuilt Utopia: The Man Behind the Dream
The secular dandy who founded modern Zionism — and the state he imagined vs. what got built.
#2932: Who Actually Owns Your Home? The Wild World of Nested Leases
How four layers of leases can leave homeowners legally owning nothing when the top lease expires.
#2931: David Ben-Gurion: The Man Behind the Myth
The neurotic insomniac who read Plato at dawn, built a state, and shaped Israel's DNA.
#2927: Housing vs. Financial Assets — The Global Experiment
Jerusalem's ghost towers, Vancouver's empty homes tax, and Singapore's radical approach to separating shelter from speculation.
#2880: Israel-Greece-Cyprus: The Alliance That Outlasted Its Pipeline
How three eastern Mediterranean countries built a durable partnership around gas, electricity, and a shared strategic interest.
#2813: How Jerusalem Day Went From Thanksgiving to Sovereignty Display
The holiday began as a rabbinic day of thanks. Now 70,000 people march through the Muslim Quarter. How did it shift?
#2807: Private Armies as State Proxies: Wagner, Blackwater, and the Deniability Playbook
How states use private military companies to deny involvement while achieving foreign policy goals.
#2797: What's Really Driving the Dollar-Shekel Rate?
How analysts blend geopolitics, technicals, and central bank moves to forecast where the USD-ILS pair goes next.
#2796: How Central Bank Rates Actually Move Your Mortgage
How a 25 basis point rate change ripples from overnight bank loans to your mortgage payment.
#2795: How to Compare Cost of Living Across Countries
Beyond the Big Mac Index: how economists actually compare what money buys in different countries.
#2787: Mapping Israel's Ideological Think Tanks
Van Leer, IDI, INSS, Kohelet, JCPA — what these institutes actually do, who funds them, and how they shape policy.
#2772: Israelis Abroad: Beyond the Stigma of Yerida
Why do Israelis leave? And why does their departure carry such heavy moral baggage? The data tells a surprising story.
#2771: The Hidden Sophistication of Oil Refining
How ancient marine microorganisms become gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel — the complete journey from source rock to pump.
#2745: What Do Urban Planners Actually Do?
The invisible skeleton of cities, from sewers to zoning fights. What breaks if you let cities grow organically?
#2723: Why No Country Has Ever Reached Communism
The real difference between socialism and communism — and whether either has ever produced a successful society.
#2714: How Texas Became the Oil State
Spindletop didn't make Texas synonymous with oil. The real story involves geology, regulation, and a surprising government intervention.