In this episode, we take a deep dive into the looming economic crisis in Egypt. With inflation on the rise, foreign investment declining, and a mounting debt burden, the country's economy is facing significant challenges. We discuss the roots of the crisis, its impact on Egypt's people, and the potential for social unrest. We'll also look at the role of the government and the military in responding to this crisis and ask what the future holds for Egypt's economy. Is this the first domino of the ...
Apr 30, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we explore the intensifying arms race between the US, Russia, and China in orbital satellite surveillance technology. Delving into the advanced capabilities of these countries' satellite systems and how they are changing the landscape of modern warfare. From enhanced intelligence gathering to the potential for preemptive strikes, we discuss the implications of this technological race on the future battlefield. Will this theater become more aggressive, will more and more players ...
Apr 16, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we delve into the complex and lucrative world of the Mexican cartel drug trade and explore the economic factors that drive it. From the production and transportation of drugs to the money laundering schemes used to hide profits, we examine the various stages of the drug trade and the key players involved. We also discuss the impact of the drug trade on the Mexican economy and society, as well as the efforts being made to combat this illicit industry. Is there a way to blunt the ...
Apr 03, 2023•2 hr 49 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Bulgaria currently stands at a crossroads, with one group pulling the country toward the West, and an alliance of corruption, crime, and capture tethering the country toward Russia. These already high tensions are now also widening further, with the Bulgarian population heading to the polls for the fifth time in 2 years, and increasingly fringe candidates skewing internal discourse. Will Bulgaria be able to finally divest itself away from Moscow, or will it continue to act as a backdoor for Russ...
Mar 19, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast China appears to be sleepwalking toward a conflict over Taiwan, and in response, East Asia has begun to prepare for a war that could start as early as 2026. Whilst some like Japan are buying up unnamed vehicles to adapt to their growing demographic crises, other nations like South Korea have become leading arms exporters across the globe. Is the war in Taiwan inevitable, is Japan's rearmament strategy likely to come to fruition in time, and how is the US readying itself for the conflict that wil...
Mar 05, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast The war in Ukraine completely changed how Europe saw its own defence, and once against the continent is beginning to scramble to hastily rearm and modernise its defence industries. The question being asked by several analysts though, is whether Europe is rearming for the right war? Whilst the tanks the UK, France and Germany are fast-tracking are optimal for the battlefields of Eastern Ukraine, they are of little use for future conflicts in the jungles of Mali, the foothills of the Balkans or ev...
Feb 19, 2023•2 hr 41 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast With demand for oil skyrocketing, the US are now reconsidering the usefulness of Venezuela's massive natural oil reserves. To meet the demand in the market, some in Washington are now even going as far as to propose the beginning of the normalisation of relations between Washington and Venezuela, with oil company Chevron already beginning operations inside the country as a test case. If the process goes ahead, it may signal an end to the US policy of "maximum pressure" throughout the region and ...
Feb 05, 2023•1 hr 24 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast There are major faultlines appearing within the Chinese economy, particularly within many of the state government's budgets. Large debts are now all coming due, and the leadership in Beijing will be faced with several tough decisions within the next few months. Will Xi choose the plunge the country into a self-imposed, but managed downtown, or will the bubble burst on its own, throwing the country into economic chaos? We sit down with our panel of experts to find out. On the panel this week: - J...
Jan 22, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Numerous analysts failed to correctly predict the outcome of a war between Russia and Ukraine, with many anticipating Russia would conquer Ukraine within a matter of weeks. Some analysts, though, the ones watching Syria closely, could see the fractures in the Russian army beforehand, and these analysts are now watching Syria closely again. With Russia's position inside the country shifting quickly, will the Kremlin continue to pilot the country's decade-long civil war, or are other players begin...
Jan 08, 2023•2 hr 37 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast North Korea, a nation whose GDP is equivalent to that of the small island of Jamaica, has tested a record amount of missiles this year. With these increasing tests, there is a worry that they will build upon this momentum, and in the future, pose a credible threat to the United States itself. In response to this, several prominent figures have been calling for the US to preempt this event, and carry out an invasion of the DPRK, solving the issue once and for all. But how difficult would an invas...
Dec 26, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Ep 31•Transcript available on Metacast This year Russia has watched their geopolitical position within the region sink from bad to worse, and now there is a brand new issue facing Moscow, with the Russian version of NATO, the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organisation), facing a crisis of confidence. After Azerbaijan called Russia's bluff in the Caucasus, the world now knows the core of the CSTO treaty is worthless. So what happens now, will the organisation disband, will an outside power like China take over the reins, or will it...
Dec 11, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast There is no greater challenge when it comes to Climate Change than that of the energy transition. For some countries, it will mean investing billions into the modernisation of their power grids, and for other countries, it will mean abandoning the source of revenue responsible for around 80% of thier national GDP. The prominent question in front of these countries now though is will these countries begin preparing for the transition now, or will they be blindsided when the market does it for the...
Dec 04, 2022•2 hr 45 min•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast Billions of dollars worth of aid have been sent over the recent decades in hopes of building up the developing world, but whether the aid is achieving its stated goals is still up for debate. So this week, we look at how aid is being spent in Africa, how it compares to private funding and foreign loans, and what would need to be changed to make the impact on the ground? On the panel this week: - Max Lawson (Oxfam) - Daron Acemoglu (MIT) - Alex Vines (Chatham House) Follow the show on @TheRedLine...
Nov 27, 2022•1 hr 29 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast The world is on the precipice of the new revolution in Green Technology, but where do the materials for this Green Tech come from? One of the primary materials required for everything from smartphones to electric vehicle batteries is Cobalt, and silvery-gold looking mineral found primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The DRC holds the vast majority of the world's Cobalt, and the country has become a vital part of the global supply chain, but how safe is that? Are we betting the entire f...
Nov 20, 2022•2 hr 43 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast Saudi Arabia is experiencing numerous simultaneous challenges at the moment, ranging from royal infighting, a rearming Yemen, a diverging population, and a growing threat from Iran. Tasked with guiding the Saudis through this storm is MBS, a leader whose track record leaves a bit to be desired. What is troubling most regional analysts though, is that the global reliance on Saudi oil means that if Saudi Arabia were to falter here, it might take down several Western Economies with it. On the panel...
Nov 13, 2022•2 hr 40 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast Water is the most precious resource known to man, but some countries are currently preparing to wield it as a weapon. Through the building of hydroelectric dams, the shrinking of water supplies, or plain geography, water is set to reshape the balance of power in many of the world's geopolitical flashpoints. So where are these flashpoints, who is set to gain the upper hand, and how will climate craft a new reality for these nations? To answer that, we sat down with a panel of geopolitical experts...
Nov 06, 2022•2 hr 39 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast The Biden administration has just dealt a massive blow to the trajectory of the Chinese military, placing a ban on high-end microchips and semiconductors entering China. This is a virtually unprecedented move, and will almost certainly anchor down any growth for China's next generation of warfighting technology, but was this the right time? This is the most prominent card the US could have possibly played. Should they have played it now and given Beijing a chance to recover before a possible war...
Oct 30, 2022•2 hr 30 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast Beijing now plays a crucial part in the global supply chain, and with it, the global CO2 output. However, even though China only recently reached this level of industrialisation, climate change is hitting them at the same time as everywhere else. These changes in the environment are pushing China to fish in potentially war-starting waters, dam potentially drought-causing rivers, and force the state to attempt to achieve 60 years of energy development in the space of 5. Can they do it, or will Ch...
Oct 23, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast Mozambique has been struggling with an insurgency in its North for a number of years now, but events now appear to be moving from bad to worse. The area known as Cabo Delgado has chewed up and spat out PMCs and soldiers ranging from Russia's Wagner Group to South Africa's special forces, so will the EU or Rwanda finally be able to finally secure the contagious revolution in the North, or will this instability continue to deter international investors from entering Mozambique? On the panel this w...
Oct 16, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast Whilst debates around Climate Change still rage on US TV, the US Military has been quietly preparing for the now inevitable. Planners are now acutely aware of just how quick Climate Change is coming down upon us, and how dramatically it will change the geopolitics of the planet. What wargames are the military running in preparation for this? Which theatres do they project to be the most impacted? and is the US ready for a worst-case scenario? We ask our panel of experts. On the panel this week: ...
Oct 09, 2022•2 hr 33 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast After a landslide democratic victory the military siezed power with a coup in February 2021. To prevent democracy from slipping away once again, the people of Myanmar stood up against the military junta. These protests began what would spiral into a 19-month war that has shattered the country, and broken the economy. Now the war is entering a new stage, with the Junta retreating across the country. As the Junta retreat back to the major cities though, the opposition has begun to fracture and tur...
Oct 02, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast Turkey is attempting to reassert itself back onto the world stage but stands at a crossroads as to which direction to extend its influence. Europe has blocked Turkey's entry into the EU for decades now, and Central Asia remains a little out of reach, so should Ankara turn toward the Middle East for adventurism. With this question in mind, we ask our experts what are Turkey's short and long-term goals here in the Middle East, and whether we will see Turkey once again use its geography to dominate...
Sep 18, 2022•2 hr 41 min•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast We are now entering the sixth month of Russia's major offensive into Ukraine, and whilst reporters are fixed on the number of tank and infantry battles occurring across the country, many are missing the heated struggles taking place in within Ukraine's cyberspace. In this theatre, where many expected Russia to simply trample over Ukraine, the defenders have not only held their ground but are now taking the fight to Russia. So did we overestimate the Russian cyber capabilities, or is there more t...
Sep 04, 2022•2 hr 38 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast The aircraft carrier has been the crown jewel of national fleets for nearly 80 years, with these steel giants being the decisive factor in many of the last centuries' pivotal battles. With their growth in importance though, came a growth in ship size, and the new supercarrier class has become such a monolith that the production of just one unit costs more than the entire military budget of most of the US's adversaries combined. Is this a wise move, to build the greatest mobile fortress to every ...
Aug 21, 2022•1 hr 28 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast Human trafficking has become the third largest industry in the black market, but unlike guns or drugs, which see millions of convictions per year, human trafficking sees less than 0.5% of cases prosecuted. So why is an industry that is so awful allowed to get away with so much, and what is preventing national governments from properly pursuing some of the world's most appalling perpetrators? We sit down with an expert panel to figure out why. On the panel this week - John Coyne (ASPI) - Gaby DeB...
Aug 07, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast The collapse of the USSR brought about a period within Russia of unbridled chaos, devolving into a free-for-all amongst citizens unsure where their next meal might be coming from. Everything that could have been stolen, was stolen, and included in that were up to 400 nuclear weapons. But where did all of these weapons end up, and how secure is the rest of Russia's apocalyptic arsenal today? Will the nuclear black market be responsible for the next major terrorist attack? On the panel this week -...
Jul 24, 2022•2 hr 39 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast As the Baloch separatists continue to build pressure on Islamabad with several clashes in the country's south, many in the region are beginning to unsettle that this movement may destabilise the entire regional balance of power. Iran and Afghanistan worry that the successes here may inspire Baloch in their respective territories as well, the Chinese fear the additional attacks on its Pakistani infrastructure may be the nail in the coffin for the China-Pakistan corridor, and others in the neighbo...
Jul 10, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast Decades of interweaving between Europe and the Russian gas industry came crashing down upon Russia's recent invasion of Ukraine, and now Europe has been thrown into a no-win situation. The EU can stand with Ukraine, but it will mean tying an economic anchor around the continent's neck. Is the EU unified enough to travel down the more challenging roads, or will economic expediency win the day? Joining us this week: - Colby Connelly (Energy Intel) - Luca Anceschi (Uni of Glasgow) - Hari Seshasayee...
Jun 26, 2022•1 hr 26 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast 80% of the world's trade will pass through the Indian Ocean at some point on its journey, yet the importance of this crucial theatre seems lost on many observers at the moment. With Beijing, Washington and New Dehli all making moves to capitalise on this crucial waterway which one of these nations has the momentum behind them? And which nation is beginning to fall behind? On the show this week - - Michael Kugelman (Wilson Centre) - Michael Wesley (Uni of Melbourne) - Dhruva Jaishankar (ORF) Foll...
Jun 12, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast When Lukashenko released the now infamous Russian war plans map he raised alarm bells throughout Europe, signalling that Russia may be looking to conquer Ukraine first and Moldova second. The war has taken a drastic turn since that point, but the question of Moldovan security still looms over the Northern Balkans. Could reunification with Romania be a back door entry into EU membership and protection under the NATO umbrella, or will Transnistria continue to be the thorn in Chisinau's side? On th...
May 29, 2022•1 hr 22 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast 
