The Peter Zeihan Podcast Series

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) set Monday, Aug. 7, as the deadline for the Niger Coup plotters to step down and renounce power. That deadline has come and gone without any change, so what happens now? Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/ecowas-deadline-on-the-niger-coup

Before we dive into today's video, let me start by saying that if you want to defect somewhere...maybe don't choose the same place as Travis King. Now let's look at where things are with North Korea. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/lets-talk-north-korea-and-travis-king

The Ukrainians and Russians had a hectic weekend, so let's get caught up. On Friday, the Ukrainians used a naval drone (a motorboat loaded with a crap ton of explosives) to hit a Russian vessel in the port of Novorossiysk. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/russias-largest-port-comes-under-fire

As the Biden administration piles on more drilling restrictions on public land, will America's energy independence be jeopardized? Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/ask-peter-is-biden-killing-us-energy-independence

Yesterday we covered the key players in the US and Saudi relations. Today we'll look at the strategic implications of this relationship over the past 40 years and what it looks like moving forward. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/us-and-saudi-arabia-relations-part-2

Today we're talking about key players in US - Saudi relations. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan went to Saudi Arabia to lay the framework for a new relationship. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/us-and-saudi-arabia-relations-part-1

Most of the developing world has relatively similar demographics...the defining characteristic being a boatload of kids. And until recently, Mexico was no exception to that. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/mexican-demographics-where-are-all-the-kids

The French have found themselves caught between a rock and a hard place, and a coup in Niger happens to be the catalyst for this predicament. To be clear, we're only talking about Niger because of what it means for the French. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/what-the-coup-in-niger-means-for-france

Russia has pulled out of the grain deal brokered by Turkey and the UN, and the countdown on Ukrainian agriculture has officially started. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/the-end-of-ukrainian-agriculture

***Apologies for the audio today; you can watch with subtitles at this link: https://youtu.be/-rANSHB4q1Y At the start of the Ukraine War, many of the world's advanced central banks placed sanctions and embargos on Russian financial assets. As Putin tries to repatriate gold reserves from these hubs worldwide, what does this mean for the leprechauns who think we should switch to an asset-backed cur...

Today's new factoid is that youth unemployment in China is higher than in Italy (in percentage terms). And if China's unemployment resembles Italy's, it is a very, very bad sign. Let's break this down in the context of manufacturing. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/chinas-labor-problem-youth-unemployment

Over the last few weeks, we've seen Iranian oil hit markets at nearly decade-high volumes...but production has remained relatively flat. So what's really happening here? Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/whats-going-on-with-iran-and-oil-markets

As I was heading out on this trip, a fire broke out in Mexico's Cantarell oil field, which has long been Mexico's largest oil-producing asset. However, even before this fire, oil production from this field was already down to but 1/8 of peak production. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/why-is-the-mexican-energy-sector-collapsing

Unless you've been living under a rock (or stuck in the mountains), you've probably heard that the Kerch Strait Bridge was attacked again. While this attack took Russia's vehicular transport capabilities offline, there's much more at stake here. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/brain-drain-and-capital-issues-plague-indias-tech-industry

Unless you've been living under a rock (or stuck in the mountains), you've probably heard that the Kerch Strait Bridge was attacked again. While this attack took Russia's vehicular transport capabilities offline, there's much more at stake here. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/why-the-kerch-strait-bridge-attack-is-bad-for-russia

There's been a lot of movement in Turkey's neck of the woods, so the Turks have had to change their stance on several issues. Given Turkey's strategic positioning and importance, expect huge regional implications. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/lets-talk-turkey

Russia announced on Monday that the Black Sea grain deal will not be extended. This initiative has enabled Ukraine to export agricultural products through Russia’s blockade of the Black Sea; however, Ukrainian exports are only at a fraction of pre-war levels. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/russia-terminates-the-black-sea-grain-deal

California has been one of the most successful states in the US, primarily because of things outside its control. But all those external factors are flipping on them, so California must reinvent itself. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/lets-talk-california

By the time you see this, the knot should be tied on Sweden joining NATO. There's still a little arm-twisting that will go on behind the scenes, but most of the heavy lifting is done (and Turkey got the bribe they wanted, sooo everyone's happy). Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/sweden-joins-nato

As the NATO summit in Vilnius wraps up, we're left with a result that was more or less expected. Ukraine won't be getting called up to the big leagues anytime soon, but it's not all bad news for Zelensky... Note: This video was recorded back in June, but it helps paint a picture of what is going down at the NATO summit. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/ukraines-waiting-game-zelenskys-que...

With weapon systems moving toward hypersonics, what's the point of holding geographic positions anymore? Theoretically, this works...at the push of a button, you can deliver a precise payload across huge distances...but the Russians have shown us this isn't quite reality. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/ask-peter-will-hypersonics-replace-the-need-for-an-army

More than a few countries out there couldn't walk and chew gum at the same time...but the US isn't one of them. Today's question in the 'Ask Peter Series' looks at whether or not the US has stretched itself too thin in Ukraine to deal with another major conflict. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/ask-peter-has-the-us-overcommitted-itself-to-the-ukraine-war

You know those little 'Made in China' stickers on everything you can buy in the US? Well, don't be surprised when those all say 'Made in America' after the US carries out the greatest reindustrialization process ever... Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/the-greatest-reindustrialization-process-in-us-history

We're continuing our conversation on China's inability to govern itself, and this is the cherry on top of it all...China restricting the export of metals used in greentech and semiconductor tech to the United States. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/china-bans-greentech-metal-exports-to-the-us

The news of the day is that the Chinese have canceled their upcoming summit with EU foreign minister Borrell. You all know I'm less than pessimistic about China's leadership as of late, and this is just icing on the cake...we'll talk about the cherry on top tomorrow. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/china-cancels-summit-with-eus-foreign-affairs-minister-borrell