Geopolitics and Security
International affairs, wars, militaries, intelligence, and diplomacy, including Israel's wars and external security.
#5035: The Map That Lied: Africa vs. Mercator
The UN just voted 164-1 to correct a 450-year-old map distortion. Here's why Mercator still shapes how we see the world.
#5012: Masked Safety: How Post-Training Changes AI Behavior
Safety mechanisms aren't erased in post-trained models—they're masked. Here's how that changes everything for military AI.
#5011: Claude Gov: The Military's Forked AI
What the Pentagon actually got from Anthropic — and why post-training changes everything about AI alignment.
#5006: How Undercover Units Vanish in Plain Sight
Why a vegetable truck works better than a spy car — and the razor-thin margin between success and disaster.
#5005: How Hamas Lost Its Own Security Chief
The raid that captured Hamas's internal security chief reveals a brutal system that failed at its core mission.
#4998: What Happens at Passport Control in 15 Seconds
How officers decide in seconds whether to wave you through or pull you aside.
#4993: Cross-Cloud Failover: Can You Actually Survive an AWS Outage?
Real teams are running cross-cloud failover drills — and the first attempt usually fails. Here's what they learned.
#4987: The Ultimate Disappointment Tour: 17 Cities to Skip
A globe-trotting itinerary of the most overpriced, overcrowded, and disappointing cities on Earth.
#4983: Crash Landing on You: Romance vs. North Korean Reality
A defector co-writer shaped K-drama's most realistic—and most fictional—portrait of North Korea.
#4968: North Korea Today: Life Beyond the Famine Era
What does ordinary life actually look like in North Korea right now? Smartphones, markets, and K-dramas in Pyongyang vs. survival in the provinces.
#4963: How Companies Pay Triple to Lose Court Cases on Purpose
Why some companies spend more to lose in court than they would to settle — and call it a win.
#4956: Settlements Under Law: Israel, the West Bank, and the ICJ
The ICJ says settlements are illegal. Israel says the land is disputed. Here's both legal arguments.
#4952: How Safe Is Israel Really? Homicide, Policing, and Perception
Israel feels safe to walk around despite headlines. We compare crime data, policing, and what safety actually means.
#4951: Hostage Situations: Hollywood vs. Reality
Are hostage situations as common as movies make them seem? The surprising numbers and what they actually look like.
#4948: Why Mercenaries Keep Wars Going
How for-profit armies become stakeholders in endless war.
#4947: Israel's Instant Political Parties: Serious or Startup?
Can a general with no political infrastructure win Knesset seats? A deep dive on Israel's startup party culture.
#4946: When Settler Violence Became a Pattern
How a 90% closure rate on complaints reveals a system designed for impunity.
#4945: What Actually Counts as a War Crime?
A ground-up look at IHL, the Geneva Conventions, and where the law leaves room for genuine disagreement.
#4942: How Israeli Politics Became a Permanent Fire Drill
How security fears swallowed every other issue in Israeli politics — and why domestic problems rarely get solved.
#4941: Can a Former General Topple Netanyahu?
Gadi Eisenkot launched a new party in August 2026. Here's why his military credentials might actually threaten Netanyahu's coalition.