The Western Bubble

In today’s episode, we delve into South Korea, where President Yoon’s declaration of martial law raises critical questions about the Western Bubble. Are Western factions quietly observing what to avoid—or adopt—when consolidating control? We also examine the shocking murder of a healthcare CEO and what it reveals about the growing disconnect between economic and political elites and the public the...

From Biden pardoning Hunter Biden to Trump’s influence on global diplomacy, this episode dives into the intricate web of U.S. domestic politics and its global ripple effects. We explore Trump’s role in Biden mediating a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, analyse the chaos in Georgia, and assess the resurging instability in Syria. How do these events connect, and what does it reveal abou...

As the Arctic transforms into a region of strategic importance due to climate change, new opportunities and tensions emerge. Trade routes, resource access, and geopolitical ambitions converge in a competition that involves Russia, NATO, and other global players. In this episode, we unpack the power dynamics and the stakes shaping the future of the Arctic. This podcast is produced with the support...

Over the past year, the dynamics in Gaza have shifted significantly, yet Western policy towards Israel remains largely unchanged. This episode explores the reasons behind this disconnect, analyzing the factors that keep Western governments entrenched in their existing approaches. We dive into a recent incident in Amsterdam, where tensions flared between supporters of an Israeli football club and l...

Donald Trump is President-elect of the United States of America and Dario does not want to talk about it. Why are people so afraid to seek discomfort in these times? We found out today why that is the case. Oh, and the German government imploded, so Dario's job in the political scene of Berlin has become a lot more intense... This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an indivi...

The US election results are coming out as we are publishing this episode. Still, we already spoke on Sunday discussing the crazy campaigning period and the foreign policy ideals of both candidates. Also, the Western Bubble is proud to announce that we are not endorsing either candidate, we believe you can make that endorsement personally. ;) We also look into the role of the media and their endors...

The 2024 BRICS Summit in Russia just ended and did we hear about it in Western Media? Mostly when Putin spoke (or didn't) about North Korean soldiers in Ukraine, but apart from that ... it was "controversial" ... nothing else? If we look outside the Western Bubble we find that this summit was a glimpse into a world without the West! This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an...

This time we talk about the death of Sinwar in Gaza and what this means for the conflict from a Western Bubble perspective. Then we swiftly think about Elon Musk and what trauma he must have been through to say what he is saying about Trump and the US. And lastly, we discuss migration in the EU and look into why Canada and India are disliking each other lately! This podcast is published with the h...

We are back from our summer break and what a summer break that was. Joe Biden drops out of the US elections and Kamala Harris takes his place. In the meantime, Israel has been invading Lebanon while the Western Media is still waiting for Iran to throw the Middle East into a large-scale conflict. Time for us to analyse the world again, through the lens of the Western Bubble! This podcast is publish...

After weeks of hyping it up we are finally delivering on our promise to deliver some broad solutions to the problems of the Western Bubble. Can you think of any others? Feel free to share them with us! This podcast is published with the help of RAIA and edited by RAIA member Julia Ohm but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. This episode was s...

Our 4th season is coming to an end, which provides us with an opportunity to look back at some of the topics we have discussed in the past months and see how they have developed. Is there still war in Ukraine and Gaza? How close is Iran this time to the nuclear bomb? How can Labour win two-thirds of the seats in the UK elections with only one-third of the voted? And finally, is Joe Biden too old t...

The US Supreme Court has been the talk of the town this week. There are plenty of impactful cases to look at from the past weeks. Donald Trump basically reveiving imunity from his actions as President, bribery being legalised and the courts centralising power around itself. Plenty of actions that are in line with a further decay of institutions in the West, and plenty of matters to analyse for us!...

Can we blame the average voters for their votes for destructive policies? To what extend are they victims or the establishment? To what extend should voters see through false promises? Today we are discussing a disagreement between us to what extend individuals in the West can be held accountable for their decisions. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA and edited by RAIA member Julia O...

This June, US President Biden said that “Russia will not stop at Ukraine, and “All of Europe will be threataned”. Where is this fear of war coming from? Why is the West so afraid of it? How does this influence our foreign policy thinking? This podcast is published with the help of RAIA and edited by RAIA member Julia Ohm but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and...

The European Parliament Elections just took place and they took us for a ride. But unlike the European establishment we do not call anyone who voted for the extreme right idiots, but actually analyse what elements of the Western Bubble have created an environment in which more and more Europeans vote for right wing populist parties. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA and edited by RAI...

The third part of our three part episode series on institutional decline with today's focus of who still wants to come tonthe West? People who need money or flee violence, but is the West still the "shining light on a hill"? If not, why is this the case? Analyse this with us in this episode. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA and edited by RAIA member Julia Ohm but is an individual pr...

In our second part of our three parter on institutional decline in the West we focus on foreign policy. Continuity and the resulting accountability are key to any foreign policy! The West has been lacking that continuity since the end of the Cold War now ... with incredibly destructive consequences. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA and edited by RAIA member Julia Ohm but is an indiv...

Universities all over the globe are experiencing encampments of students demanding action against Israel. This is representing an increasing trend of frustrations of the younger generations with institutions managing rather than leading society with its visions. This episode is the first part of a three part series on institutional decline. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA and edite...

Over the weekend all of Europe went crazy over the European Song Contest - Eurovision. As a weekend full of scandals comes to an end, the biggest of which is "obviously" France not winning, we analyse Eurovision as a case study for the Western Bubble and particularly the role of Israel. Oh, and as you can imagine, Balder is "furious" that the Netherlands were disqualified... This podcast is publis...

Today we analyse the United Kingdom's agreement with Rwanda to fly asylum seekers and migrants to Rwanda to process them. We talk about how this is a perfect example of Western decay and also rant a little. Here is the video of Chris Philp https://youtu.be/Olk61SGPb-o?si=bmojFxSL_L0I0zYx This podcast is published with the help of RAIA and edited by RAIA member Julia Ohm but is an individual projec...

Haiti is always in the news for negative reports, the country is governed by a failed state. Today we discuss failed states from the Western Bubble perspective and use Haiti as a case study of destructive Western behaviour. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA and edited by RAIA member Julia Ohm but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraa...

Multinational corporations undermine and harm the West in various ways. But why does the West not do anything to control their power and influence? Because these MNCs are inherently Western and a Western product - find out how exactly in this episode! This podcast is published with the help of RAIA and edited by RAIA member Julia Ohm but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario...

To discuss the Easter-West or non-Nato Western Bubble we invited someone from the Eastern-West. In this episode, we are talking to Daniel Bloch from Australia about Australia and to what extend we can or cannot apply the concept of the Western Bubble to Australia. Oh, ... and we also discuss how big Australia actually is, very big. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA and edited by RAIA...

As a special Easter-Ramadan-Purim Episode, we had an informal talk about religion. What's the role of religion in the Western Bubble? How do we personally see and interpret religion? What is the role of religion in societies? And is the Western Bubble a substitute religion for people living in the West? This podcast is published with the help of RAIA and edited by RAIA member Julia Ohm but is an i...

Almost six months after the 7th of October Attacks, Israel is largely isolated on the world stage and in the West - driving it further into the arms of the West. We examine why this is the case and to what extend the West is to blame? This podcast is published with the help of RAIA and edited by RAIA member Julia Ohm but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Bal...