Balder Hageraats & Dario Hasenstab

The Western Bubble

News EN ↓ 181 episodes

The West is suffering from the "Western Bubble" and as a result, the world suffers from it as well. In this podcast, Balder Hageraats and Dario Hasenstab examine how Western countries are increasingly lost in their own delusions on the world stage and what must be done to bring them back to reality. Understanding and acknowledging this phenomenon is crucial. It allows both Western and non-Western actors to much better navigate the current era of global uncertainty. 🎙️ What we analyse: • Geopolitics & Global Power Shifts • Human Rights & Development Aid • Institutional Decline & Foreign Policy...

Author

Balder Hageraats & Dario Hasenstab

Episodes

The Rise of US FP #006 09.08.2022 1:09:40

Today we analyse the rise of US foreign policy. This is the first half of the overall analysis on “The Rise and Fall of US Foreign Policy” through the lens of the Western Bubble. We will be answering the questions: What are the facts and What is the bubble while describing the rise of US foreign policy from its independence in 1776 to its peak after the first world war to its demise after the seco...

Monthly Review #005 03.08.2022 49:29

Every fifth episode of this podcast we go through the news of the past month and relate a selection of articles and events to our analysis of past recordings. Today we focus on the political situation in Ukraine and Zelensky’s liberal credential, Biden’s visit to the Middle East, the parallels between the UK Tories and Donald Trump, Mario Draghi’s resignation, as well as the (mis)use of the word t...

Terrorism and the West #004 27.07.2022 54:27

Today we analyse terrorism and the way it has been used as an external enemy and to justify destructive actions by Western states. As always we do this through the lens of the Western Bubble in our continued endeavour to burst it. The need to fight outsiders is a way of distracting our attention away from internal problems and further weakens the sustainability of the Western model. This podcast i...

The hollowing out of institutions #003 20.07.2022

Today we analyse the internal weakness the West experiences and how that influences its external actions. As always we do this through the lens of the Western Bubble in our continued endeavour to burst it. The US Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade or Boris Johnson clinging on to power in the United Kingdom are both examples of the hollowing out of Western institutions. This has far-reaching con...

The Iran Nuclear Deal #002 13.07.2022 55:51

Today we analyse the Iran Nuclear Deal through the lens of the Western bubble. Negotiations to reinstate the agreement between Iran and the permanent 5 UN security council members have stalled for quite some time now. As always we do this through the lens of the Western Bubble in our continued endeavour to burst it. During this episode we reference Kenneth Waltz’s article for Foreign Affairs “Why...

The War in Ukraine #001 07.07.2022 1:01:41

Today we analyse how the Western Bubble explains the West's attitudes and involvement regarding the war in Ukraine, and what we can expect further down the line. As always we do this through the lens of the Western Bubble in our continued endeavour to burst it. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA and edited by RAIA associate Usama Ghanem but is an individual project between Director of...