Neutrality Studies

Episoder

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  The REAL Reason USA Freaks-Out Over Iran | S. M. Marandi 04.10.2026 50min

  The USA is preparing the next phase of the Irna War. But it won't help. The defense of the country has only increased over the past 8 months and now the USA is running out of time and options in a disaster of their own making.Professor Mohammad Marandi warns that renewed war against Iran is highly likely, though not inevitable. Speaking with Pascal after visiting Russia, he discusses sanctions, medical supplies, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran’s preparations for escalation. Marandi argues that attacks on Iranian infrastructure could trigger devastating retaliation across the Gulf and a global economic crisis. They also examine American military limitations, Yemen and Iraq, China’s exposure to an energy shock, Israeli politics, and the importance of understanding Iran.Mohammad's Links:X: https://x.com/s_m_marandiGoing to Tehran, by Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett: https://us.macmillan.c...Resistance, by Alastair Crooke: https://www.plutobooks...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Marandi’s warning and impressions from Russia05:57 Sanctions, civilian suffering and Europe’s role12:45 Hormuz, oil flows and the risk of economic catastrophe19:14 The blockade and Iran’s response to a new assault23:04 US military limits and the China argument30:07 Yemen, Saudi Arabia and US withdrawal from Iraq37:07 Israeli elections and Iran’s strategy42:22 The next round of war: timing, risks and retaliation
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  Europe's Industrial Collapse: Companies Are Fleeing | Dr. S. Ebner & R. Landgraf 04.10.2026 47min

  The economic downturn of the EU heart-land (Germany, France, Italy) is progressing with an incredible speed. SME's are dying or are being sold off to US and Chinese investors who are after the intellectual property of formerly competitive enterprises. Dr. Stephan Ebner and Rolf Landgraf, two German lawyers working directly with companies that are going through this period join Pascal to discuss this spiral of doom. Drawing on their work advising corporate transactions, they examine bureaucracy, energy costs, succession problems, foreign acquisitions, and the loss of industrial expertise. They debate whether defence production can offset automotive decline, assess Europe’s dependence on the United States, and discuss political paralysis. Despite their concerns, the conversation closes with opportunities in international expansion, vertical farming, and artificial intelligence.Stephan and Rolf's Links:Maclaw: https://maclaw.legalMaclaw team: https://maclaw.legal/t...Rolf Landgraf’s profile: https://www.landgraf-s...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Stephan Ebner and Rolf Landgraf: Europe’s business exodus05:54 Energy costs and the pressure to sell11:37 Financialization and the loss of industrial knowledge15:50 From automotive suppliers to defence production22:55 Economic decline and political deadlock across Europe28:38 Brussels, regulation and the limits of reform36:23 Which industries are leaving—and can America help?41:53 International expansion and reasons for optimism
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  China, Russia and the Battle for Eurasia | Ryan Perkins 03.10.2026 1t 2min

  The great powers are leaving Europe behind. The USA, China and Russia are all focusing on the new heartland of the 21st century: Central Asia.Ryan Perkins joins Pascal to examine competing transport corridors across Eurasia, from the US-backed TRIPP route to Russia’s proposed Eurasia Canal. They discuss Chinese infrastructure financing, the evolution of the Belt and Road Initiative, and the strategic partnership between Moscow and Beijing. The conversation explores financialization, industrial capacity, digital sovereignty, and China’s approach to international relations. Perkins also presents his interpretation of the Iran conflict and argues that disruption around Hormuz can serve as economic pressure on China’s development.Ryan Perkins GeopoliticsSubstack: Ryan Perkins GeopoliticsX: @ChinaIndicator Telegram: https://t.me/chinaecon...Anti-Imperialist History Economics and Geopolitics (historical analysis)X: @prisonerroom101Telegram: https://t.me/ryanperkinsAnti-Imperialist: https://ryanperkins.su...Industrial Value-Added Report: https://globaleconomic...Visualizing China’s Economic Data: www.globaleconomicindicator.comNeutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Ryan Perkins and the contest for the Caucasus07:06 Building the Eurasia Canal: engineering and trade17:04 China’s Belt and Road and reserve strategy24:35 China and Russia: partnership without alliance33:05 Financialization and the loss of industrial capacity40:46 Digital sovereignty and China’s global approach46:46 China, the Philippines and regional tensions50:13 Iran, Hormuz and economic pressure on China
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  Looting Russia: Why the British Empire Never Died | Alex Krainer 30.09.2026 1t 5min

  Alex Krainer joins Pascal to discuss the financial interests behind geopolitical conflict. Drawing on his hedge fund background and research for Grand Deception, Krainer challenges Bill Browder’s account of Russia and examines post-Soviet privatization, debt and oligarchic power. They explore Russia’s relations with the West, diplomacy and historical ties between Russia and nineteenth-century America. Krainer argues that British imperial influence persists through financial networks, connecting his “undead empire” thesis to sovereignty, contemporary wars and the mechanics of wealth extraction.Alex's Links:Alex Krainer’s Substack: https://alexkrainer.su...I-System TrendCompass: https://trendcompass.s...X: https://x.com/NakedHedgieYouTube:    / @kraineralex  The Naked Hedgie: https://thenakedhedgie...Policy Exchange report discussed — The Iran Question and British Strategy: https://policyexchange...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Alex Krainer, Bill Browder and Grand Deception12:04 Russia’s privatization and the oligarchs19:33 Resources, debt and financial power27:30 Jeffrey Sachs and Russia’s economic transition33:16 Russian diplomacy: naivety or strategy?41:15 Russia, America and the Civil War46:15 The “undead empire” and British influence01:00:04 Empire as a system and the struggle for sovereignty
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  The West's Response to Scholasticide: Gaza’s Fight for a Future | Abdullah W. 30.09.2026 54min

  There are many layers to the West’s brutality in its 21st century colonial quest for total dominance. One of them is the eradication of an academic future for the populations it targets for destruction. Support Abdullah here:Abdullah’s Fundraising: https://chuffed.org/pr...Instagram:   / abdullhabuwarda  Abdullah, a 21-year-old English literature student from Jabalia, describes continuing his education amid displacement, destruction, loss, hunger, and unstable infrastructure in Gaza. He discusses his unsuccessful attempt to reach a journalism program in London, the financial and visa barriers facing Palestinian students, why journalism matters to him, and the need for meaningful educational opportunities at a scale matching the crisis.Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Merch: https://neutralitystud...Donation: https://neutralitystud...Timestamps:00:00:00 Introducing Abdullah from Gaza00:01:40 Abdullah’s life and education before the war00:07:22 Continuing education amid destruction00:11:42 Displacement, loss, and daily survival00:18:05 The barriers to studying in London00:28:27 Education as hope amid systemic obstacles00:35:05 Exchange programs and evacuation pathways00:37:08 Why London and the fundraising struggle00:46:10 Why journalism matters to Abdullah00:50:54 Daily life, Gaza’s institutions, and final message
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  Neocons In Defeat Denial, Trump Schizophrenia Getting Worse | Daniel Davis 30.09.2026 26min

  The Ukraine Proxy-War is going from bad to worse for the NATO war coalition and the leadership knows it. Panik is setting but at the same time there is no strategy on how to confront the failing project, just Donald Trump's erratic way of saying one thing today, another tomorrow and a third one in the time between. How will Russia and China deal with this situation?In Istanbul, Daniel Davis joins Pascal Lottaz to examine what they describe as the contradictions driving American foreign policy. They discuss Trump’s diplomacy with Iran, Russia and China, loyalty inside his administration, and competing influences on White House decisions. Davis challenges the idea that intelligence agencies independently control policy, while warning that NATO lacks the air defenses and industrial capacity for war with Russia. The conversation explores European escalation, diplomatic credibility, and the danger of a conventional conflict turning nuclear.Daniel’s Links:YouTube:    / @danieldavisdeepdive  X: https://x.com/DanielLD...German:    / @danieldavisdeepdivege...  French:    / @danieldavisdeepdivefr...  Italian:    / @danieldavisdeepdiveit...  Spanish:    / @danieldavisdeepdivesp...  Russian:    / @danieldavisdeepdiveru...  Portuguese:    / @danieldavisdeepdivepo...  Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 An Istanbul conversation with Daniel Davis00:40 Trump’s contradictory Iran policy02:20 Diplomacy, trust and broken agreements06:38 Loyalty and the people around Trump11:53 Who shapes American foreign policy?15:58 Russia, the CIA and diplomatic channels19:34 Europe and the risk of escalation22:45 Why Davis says NATO cannot win
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  How To Defeat an Empire: The Post-Hegemonic World Is Shaping Up | Dr. Jeff Rich 27.09.2026 51min

  In Istanbul, historian Jeff Rich joins Pascal to discuss what a peaceful multipolar world could look like. They debate civilisation states, China–India relations, and the tension between sovereignty and global interdependence. Rich argues that states must challenge US unilateralism while strengthening practical cooperation under the UN Charter. The conversation explores BRICS, regional diplomacy around the Strait of Hormuz, Ukraine’s reconstruction, and the limits of military power, ending with reflections on Václav Havel and ordinary people’s capacity to create change.Jeff's Links:The Burning Archive Substack: https://jeffrich.subst...The Burning Archive YouTube:    / @theburningarchive  Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Istanbul: Imagining a multipolar future04:10 China, India and civilisation states13:01 Interdependence, sovereignty and globalism20:07 A new order rooted in the UN Charter29:21 BRICS and regional alternatives34:53 Ukraine: Reconstruction and reconciliation42:26 Empire and the limits of US power48:53 Building peace and the power of the powerless
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  Why the West Can’t Make Peace | Prof. Richard Sakwa 27.09.2026 21min

  The warmongering is not a bug. It's a feature of the system the Political West has build to dominate the world. How can we change that?At the East-West Forum in Istanbul, Professor Richard Sakwa joins Pascal to examine the political West, European sovereignty, and the persistence of Cold War thinking. Sakwa argues that Western triumphalism has weakened diplomacy and narrowed political imagination. They discuss competing visions of modernity, the risks of confrontation, and whether China offers an alternative to bloc politics. The conversation concludes with Sakwa’s proposal for a Charter Order grounded in international law, pluralism, and the unfulfilled promise of the United Nations.Richard's Links:University of Kent profile: https://www.kent.ac.uk...East-West Forum: https://east-west-foru...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 At the East-West Forum in Istanbul00:39 The political, imperial, and philosophical West03:22 One West and Europe’s lost sovereignty07:10 Cold War victory and the lost peace08:46 From the postwar era to a prewar world12:28 Fukuyama and the ideological trap15:38 China and an alternative to bloc politics18:57 A Charter Order: the promise of 1945Chapters
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  The USA Is DESTROYING Europe from Within | Prof. Glenn Diesen 27.09.2026 44min

  The war-mania in Europe is heating up. People are starting to see drones everywhere, and all of them must be the product of Russian "hybrid warfare". What does this irrational psychosis mean for the future of the continent?Today I'm talking (in person) to my friend and colleague, Glenn Diesen. We examine Europe’s confrontation with Russia and the dangers of uncontrolled escalation. Diesen argues that European leaders are struggling to accept a changing balance of power, while questioning Washington’s willingness to end the Ukraine war. They discuss nuclear deterrence, NATO, Iran, economic dependence and America’s emerging spheres of influence. The conversation also explores whether transatlantic elites serve national interests, and how liberalism, democracy and multipolarity are reshaping the international order today.Glenn's Links:Glenn Diesen on YouTube:    / @gdiesen1  Glenn Diesen on Substack: https://glenndiesen.su...East-West Forum: https://east-west-foru...Harici: https://harici.com.tr/en/Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 An in-person conversation in Istanbul02:53 Europe’s leaders and American influence07:59 Drone incidents and the rhetoric of war12:52 Russia, nuclear risks and uncontrolled escalation26:10 Trump, Anchorage and outsourcing the war31:48 Why the unipolar order resists change36:59 Spheres of influence and Europe’s dependence39:58 Transatlantic elites, liberalism and democracy
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  How We Lost the Peace After the Cold War | Amb. Jack Matlock 26.09.2026 46min

  Ambassador Jack Matlock reflects on the diplomacy that ended the Cold War and argues that Western leaders misunderstood its outcome. He discusses NATO expansion, Ukraine’s neutrality, sanctions, and the dangers of treating international relations as a contest for dominance. Drawing on his work with Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, Matlock contrasts negotiated security with attempts to impose political systems abroad. He also warns about nuclear weapons and emerging technologies, and explains why cooperation remains essential to preventing further global conflict.Jack's Links:Jack Matlock’s website: https://jackmatlock.comLooking Back to Look Ahead (free book): https://jackmatlock.co...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Welcome and Matlock’s diplomatic service01:33 The lost peace after the Cold War05:20 Nuclear weapons and new technological risks10:22 How the Cold War actually ended19:17 Reagan’s approach to diplomacy24:33 NATO expansion and Ukraine’s neutrality35:54 Rebuilding mutual security44:15 Matlock’s books and lessons for today
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  Europe's War-Hysteria Getting CRAZY | Stas Krapivnik 26.09.2026 45min

  With every passing week, the Europeans are talking themselves deeper and deeper into a war-psychosis. And now, the Russians are starting to believe them. Stanislav Krapivnik joins Pascal to discuss drone strikes, Russian public opinion, and the danger of a wider European war. He assesses attacks on refineries, warehouses, ports, and transport networks, arguing that economic escalation carries consequences beyond Ukraine. Their conversation also examines military readiness, demographic pressures, sanctions, diesel supplies, and food distribution. Krapivnik offers a bleak outlook for the coming winter, while Lottaz questions how economic hardship and political decisions could affect the prospects for peace across Europe and beyond.Stas's Links:YouTube:    / @mrslavikman  X: https://x.com/STANISKR...Substack: https://zmeigarinich.s...Telegram (English): https://t.me/staswasth...Telegram (Russian): https://t.me/stastydai...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Introduction and Russia’s elections03:06 Drone strikes, refineries and air defenses08:20 Warehouses, ports and economic escalation16:20 Europe, Russia and the risk of wider war22:20 Military readiness and a possible NATO conflict29:49 Europe’s winter: diesel, energy and food34:38 Sanctions and the global oil market37:42 Shipping bottlenecks and political consequences
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  Why Washington Keeps Choosing War | D. Klein & C. Coyne 23.09.2026 54min

  We want peace and multipolarity! And we want it now! That's what every sensible politician SHOULD be striving for. But well, as usually, the West does not follow what makes good sense.Profs. Daniel Klein and Christopher Coyne join Pascal to discuss their statement for peace and multipolarity. They challenge American primacy, examine the incentives behind militarism and regime change, and explore how trade, diplomacy, and everyday cooperation can sustain peace. The conversation considers corporate interests, government power, Adam Smith, and Western and non-Western intellectual traditions. Rather than demanding ideological agreement, the guests call for a broad coalition committed to sovereignty, restraint, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence among different societies and political orders.Daniel and Chris's Links:Daniel Klein's website: https://cjdjej.org/Christopher Coyne's website: https://www.ccoyne.com/For the Peace and Multipolarity statement: https://neutralitystud...Signatures so far: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 A statement for peace and multipolarity04:33 US primacy and the multipolar world11:04 The incentives behind the war machine15:31 The regime-change playbook18:37 Building peace through everyday cooperation24:13 Capitalism, corporate interests, and state power36:58 Grotius, Adam Smith, and traditions of peace48:00 Tolerance, coexistence, and a broad peace coalition
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  NATO's Next "Wonder Weapon" FAILS. Ukraine Nears Collapse | Rainer Rupp 23.09.2026 1t 7min

  The Ukraine Proxy-War is turning now so decisively against Ukraine that the Europeans have no more other option than to escalate the war into their own territories—and they are preparing just that after also the last "Wunderwaffe" is failing.Rainer Rupp, former high-level NATO officer and East German spy, discusses the limits of AI and Palantir-style systems in Ukraine, the importance of intelligence gathering and industrial capacity, Iran’s independent military capabilities, the vulnerability of US bases, shrinking Western weapons stocks, and the political crises unfolding in Europe and Ukraine.Links:Rainer Rupp Substack: https://rainerrupp.sub...Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Merch: https://neutralitystud...Donation: https://neutralitystud...Timestamps:00:00:00 AI Hype and Ukraine’s Data Systems00:08:40 Data Gathering and AI Force Multipliers00:16:47 Why Drones Cannot Decide Wars00:18:49 Iran Versus Ukraine’s Capabilities00:26:08 Intelligence, Human Networks, and Targeting00:32:53 Why US Bases Become Liabilities00:45:11 Air Defense Costs and Western Capacity00:52:35 The Future of Warfare and Iran01:00:04 Political Breakdown in Europe and Ukraine01:06:33 Closing and Rainer Rupp’s Work
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  The Real History of the Forever Wars | Prof. D. Gibbs & Col. L. Wilkerson 22.09.2026 57min

  Col. Lawrence Wilkerson joins Prof. David Gibbs and Pascal Lottaz to examine major American decisions after the Cold War. Drawing on his work with Colin Powell, Wilkerson recalls the Gulf War, George H. W. Bush’s diplomacy, and proposals to integrate Russia into European security. Gibbs questions the motives behind NATO expansion and intervention in Yugoslavia. Their discussion explores competing interpretations, the rise of neoconservative strategy, institutional rivalries, and the military industry’s influence over the direction of United States foreign policy.David and Lawrence's Links: David Gibbs — University of Arizona: https://dgibbs.arizona...Lawrence Wilkerson — Quincy Institute: https://quincyinst.org...Neutrality Studies Links: Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps 00:00 An oral history of American power 01:51 The Gulf War and April Glaspie’s meeting 05:02 Powell, sanctions, and the decision for war 11:36 Bush’s motives and the United Nations 16:36 Russia, NATO, and a lost security partnership 32:10 Wolfowitz and the strategy of global dominance 43:56 Yugoslavia and European peace efforts 56:02 NATO expansion and the arms industry
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  Report from Moscow: Europe Is SCREWED | Larry C. Johnson 21.09.2026 57min

  Reporting from Moscow, Larry Johnson describes his dinner with Sergei Lavrov and explains why he believes Russia has lost faith in negotiations with Washington. He and Pascal discuss Ukraine, Europe’s confrontation with Russia, and the danger of wider war. Johnson assesses American weapons production, missile shortages, Iran and Yemen, and the economic consequences of energy disruption. They debate whether Western strategy reflects deliberate attrition or an overestimation of American power, and consider the prospects for prolonged conflict and diplomatic stalemate.Larry's Links:Sonar21: https://sonar21.comLarry C. Johnson’s Substack: https://larrycjohnson....Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Larry Johnson reports from Moscow02:48 Dinner with Lavrov and the Ukraine negotiations08:38 Why Johnson distrusts Washington’s diplomacy18:16 Russia, Europe and the danger of wider war23:40 Weapons production and military preparedness30:40 Iran, Yemen and the limits of American air power38:40 Debt, fuel shortages and economic pressure45:52 Attrition strategy and the limits of US powerChapters
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  US-Saudi Alliance Is SCREWED. Yemen Destroys US Middle-East Strategy | Laith Marouf 21.09.2026 53min

  And suddenly, the underdog flips the table: Yemen is destroying US Middle-East Strategy and there is nothing the US can do about it.Laith Marouf, a Canadian-Syrian journalist based in Lebanon, discusses Yemen’s advancing front lines, Saudi Arabia’s strategy, Ansar Allah’s goals, Oman’s mediating role, US involvement, Saudi internal pressures, the wider regional war, nuclear risks, and Egypt’s decision to remain outside the conflict.Links:https://freepalestine....Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Merch: https://neutralitystud...Donation: https://neutralitystud...Timestamps:00:00:00 Yemen’s Front Lines Are Moving00:02:57 The Trigger Behind the New Offensive00:06:11 Saudi Strategy and Yemen’s History00:09:03 Territory, Population and Ansar Allah00:12:08 The Strategy Around Ma’rib and Aden00:15:20 Aden’s Geostrategic Importance00:21:20 Oman’s Role in Yemen00:26:53 US Support for Saudi Arabia00:30:17 Saudi Arabia’s Internal Crisis00:38:42 Regional War and Nuclear Risks00:47:30 Egypt’s Position and the Regional Shif
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  NATO is Working on a New Finnish-Russian War | Sakari Linden 20.09.2026 51min

  Neocons never give up. As project Ukraine is faltering, the forces of war are working on the next battlefield with Finland in their cross-hairs. Sakari Linden, a board member of Finland’s Freedom Alliance Party and its foreign policy board, discusses Finland’s abandonment of neutrality, NATO membership, growing military tensions, economic consequences, media pressure, and the prospects for an independent and neutral Finnish foreign policy.Links:https://vapaudenliitto.fihttps://x.com/Vapauden...  / vapaudenliitto  Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Merch: https://neutralitystud...Donation: https://neutralitystud...Timestamps:00:00:00 Finland’s NATO path and security risks00:02:35 Freedom Alliance and Finnish neutrality00:05:25 Finland’s postwar neutrality success00:08:55 The Western pivot and media influence00:14:45 NATO accession and great-power politics00:18:45 Finland as a potential frontline state00:23:44 Russia hysteria and shifting public opinion00:30:39 Sanctions, welfare, and economic decline00:36:28 Party backlash and the new political divide00:42:04 Stubb, peace diplomacy, and Russia’s defeat00:48:24 The future of Finland’s neutralist movement
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  REVEALED: The Sick TRICK to Make You Support Evil | Jay Shapiro 17.09.2026 59min

  If you kill someone, they call you a murderer. If you kill a few people, they call you a mass-murderer. If you kill millions, they call you a great statesman. But how are we constantly tricked into supporting mass-murder AND applaud the sick monsters that lead us to do it? Well, turns out, there are some tricks.Jay Shapiro, filmmaker, writer, and host of The Dilemma Podcast, discusses his book Insufficient Rewards and its critique of consequentialist morality. The conversation explores cognitive dissonance, moral integrity, political systems, propaganda, objective reality, justice, peace, and how people rationalize participation in violence and injustice.Links:What Jay Thinks: https://whatjaythinks.comInsufficient Rewards: https://www.simonandschuster.net/book...Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.comMerch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shopDonation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donateTimestamps:00:00:00 Introducing Jay Shapiro and the book00:01:02 Why Jay wrote Insufficient Rewards00:04:32 History, morality, and consequentialism00:08:06 The flexibility of consequentialist thinking00:09:15 The actor’s moral dilemma00:12:06 Moral integrity and unjust systems00:16:30 Ukraine, sanctions, and moral certainty00:18:12 Cognitive dissonance and insufficient rewards00:27:07 Moral integrity, self-deception, and complicity00:32:11 First-order and second-order desires00:43:06 Objective reality and moral truth00:49:09 Justice, peace, and international violence00:57:34 Where to find Jay’s work
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  BRICS Moves to 'Competitive Coexistence', Leaves West Behind | Prof. Anuradha Chenoy 16.09.2026 47min

  Professor Anuradha Chenoy joins Pascal Lottaz to examine BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and their evolving role in a multipolar world. They discuss India’s relations with Russia, diplomatic engagement between rivals, and the legacy of Bandung and nonalignment. Chenoy explains proposals for national currency trade, alternative payment systems, and financial reform. The conversation explores sanctions, strategic autonomy, and the differences between military alliances and cooperative forums, asking how diverse countries can pursue competitive coexistence while maintaining engagement with the West.Anuradha's Links:Articles at Scroll: https://scroll.in/author/27251India’s Foreign Policy and the Luxury of Strategic Autonomy: https://www.epw.in/journal/strategic-...The BRICS Plan for a New Financial Architecture (article record): https://pure.jgu.edu.in/id/eprint/8836/Transnational Institute profile: https://www.tni.org/en/profile/anurad...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.comSupport Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystudies.com/donateNeutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystudies.com/shopTime Stamps00:00 BRICS and the SCO in a changing world06:52 India, Russia and Western pressure10:13 The BRICS declaration and diplomacy17:00 Bandung and the legacy of nonalignment23:25 Sanctions, tariffs and financial reform25:27 National currencies and alternative payments28:40 Coexistence beyond military alliances40:29 Iran, sanctions and international law
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  Israel’s Hidden Victory: The ‘Defeat’ Of The West Is a Myth | Yakov Rabkin 16.09.2026 58min

  Yakov Rabkin discusses Artyom Kirpichenok’s reported detention in Israel, stressing the scarcity of confirmed information. He examines unequal legal protections, Western support for Israel, and the relationship between Zionism, colonialism, and Christian Zionism. Rabkin challenges claims of inevitable Western decline, arguing that regional fragmentation may serve strategic objectives. The conversation also explores Israeli education, surveillance exports, restrictions on dissent, and the limits of electoral change, before considering public pressure, diplomatic assistance, and Jewish opposition to Zionism through his published books.Yakov's Links:Yakov Rabkin’s website: https://yakovrabkin.ca/Yakov Rabkin’s Substack: https://yakovrabkin.substack.com/Zionism Decoded in 101 Quotes: https://www.ipgbook.com/zionism-decod...Israel in Palestine: Jewish Rejection of Zionism: https://israelpalestinebook.com/Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.comSupport Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystudies.com/donateNeutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystudies.com/shopTime Stamps00:00 Artyom Kirpichenok’s detention05:29 Security courts and unequal justice17:06 Western support and double standards28:30 Colonial pride and the “new Hebrew”35:44 Britain and Christian Zionism39:42 Israel’s hidden victory and Western decline46:56 Security laws and shrinking civil liberties53:36 Helping Kirpichenok and finding Rabkin’s work