Geopolitics & World
International affairs, defense, and regional topics
386 episodes · Page 7 of 17
#3142: Three Legal Pillars of Israeli West Bank Policy
How Israel's government legally justifies military courts, settlements, and the occupation itself under international law.
#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.
#3139: How Arms Embargoes Actually Work (or Don't)
Embargoes sound decisive, but the machinery underneath is full of asterisks. Here's how they really work.
#3138: Countries With No Army: The 23 That Chose Zero
23 UN-recognized countries have no standing army. Here's how they survive — and what happens when the protection fails.
#3137: Credit Scores vs. Israel: Two Ways to Quantify Trust
The US uses a private scoring machine. Israel uses a government data registry. Two radically different answers to the same question.
#3136: 5000 Years of Prisons: From Debt to Mass Incarceration
From Mesopotamia to El Salvador — how prisons evolved from debt collection to the modern punishment system.
#3134: 9,200 Palestinian Detainees: Inside Israel’s Dual Legal System
Over half of Israel’s prison population are Palestinian security detainees—many held without charge.
#3133: How China Built 350+ Nuclear Silos in 5 Years
Satellite imagery reveals China's rapid nuclear buildup—350+ silos since 2021 and a fivefold warhead increase in 16 years.
#3128: The Real Job of a Policy Wonk
What does a policy wonk actually do? It's not just a put-down — it's a real, high-impact job.
#3125: When Democracy Requires Door-Knocking
Why Irish politicians knock on doors while Israeli MKs don't — and what Canada, Japan, and Taiwan do instead.
#3124: Immigrant Strategies: Enclave vs. Full Immersion
Do enclave builders or full immersionists report higher satisfaction? The data reveals a surprising tradeoff.
#3122: When Trust Collapses: Chile, Lebanon, South Korea
Three countries, three outcomes when citizens lost faith in their entire political class.
#3117: Inside the Military's Secret Airline
The U.S. military runs a passenger airline bigger than Delta's international operation. Here's how.
#3116: How the U.S. Army Prepositions Tanks for War
Inside the $30 billion global network of warehouses keeping tanks, Bradleys, and ammo ready to fight in 96 hours.
#3111: The Broken Contract: Trust, Taxes, and Truth in Israel
73% of Israelis rate government performance as poor. The contract between citizens and state has fractured.
#3109: The Shekel's Split Personality
The shekel is simultaneously strong and weak — here's why the real story isn't the dollar rate.
#3102: Fighting at -40°C and +55°C
What happens to soldiers and equipment when the environment is the real enemy.
#3093: Israel’s Undeclared Nuclear Triad: Warheads, Missiles, Subs
How Israel built a nuclear arsenal of ~90 warheads, Jericho missiles, and a submarine fleet — all without ever admitting it.
#3089: How Climate Consensus Actually Formed
The surprising journey from skepticism to scientific certainty — and what the data says about summer 2026.
#3085: Why Jerusalem Feels Unsteered While Its Mayor Keeps Winning
Jerusalem's secular voters are leaving in droves. Why does the mayor keep winning?
#3082: How to Not Get Burned Buying a Used Car in Israel
Annual roadworthiness tests don't guarantee safety. Here's how to avoid the used car trap in Israel.
#3068: The Feral Cat Strategy: Iran Deal Theater Explained
Israel's public opposition to the Iran deal isn't a failure—it's leverage. Here's how the contradiction works.
#3035: The Speeding Ticket That Explains the West Bank
Who writes your ticket in the West Bank depends on who you are, not just where you are.
#3034: The Market That Changed Jerusalem
How a 140-year-old produce market became Jerusalem’s nightlife hub — and a mirror of the city’s transformation.