Advertise on podcast: The Western Bubble

Today, we look back at a year defined by one name: Trump. Since taking power in January, the US President claims to have ended eight wars, ranging from the conflict between Israel and Hamas to tensions in the DRC. We analyse whether this is true peace or simply a series of liquidation sales. We also look at where Europe stands in this new order. With a new US National Security Strategy creating another breaking point for the transatlantic alliance, the continent seems to be going nowhere. Neoliberal frameworks are collapsing before our eyes, yet politicians remain focused on keeping Big Tech happy while the social fabric unravels. On a personal note, this episode wraps up a massive year for the podcast. After 37 episodes in 2025, we are taking a slightly longer break than usual to prepare for some major changes next year, including video content and guests. We will see you in the new year. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA, Dario Hasenstab, and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected].

We intended to sit down this week and dismantle the new US National Security Strategy piece by piece. Unfortunately, the sheer weight of American imperial delusion appears to have been too much for Balder’s immune system. In this brief update, Dario explains why we are hitting pause for a few days. The document itself is a fascinating roadmap of where Washington thinks the world is going versus where it is actually heading, and it deserves a proper deep dive rather than a feverish skim. We will be back next week with a full breakdown of the strategy alongside our comprehensive Recap of 2025. It has been a year where the Western Bubble didn't just wobble... This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA, Dario Hasenstab, and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected].

The rumour mill has stopped spinning, and the text is finally out. Donald Trump’s administration has drafted a 28-point "peace plan" for Ukraine, and it reads less like a diplomatic treaty and more like a liquidation sale. In this episode, we sat down and analysed the entire document point by point, so you don’t have to. We unpack the specific clauses that signal a complete collapse of Western strategy, including: The Territorial Concession: Why recognising Donetsk and Luhansk as "de facto Russian" is just the tip of the iceberg.The Profit Clause: The shocking provision where the US claims 50% of the profits from investment ventures using frozen Russian assets.The Cap: The demand to limit Ukraine’s armed forces to 600,000 personnel, effectively crippling its future defence.The Rehabilitation: The proposal to invite Russia back into the G8, signalling the official end of the "rules-based order."We conclude by discussing what this document tells us about the "Western Bubble." The West spent three years talking about sovereignty and democracy, only to end up with a spreadsheet that treats a sovereign nation as a distressed asset. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA, Dario Hasenstab, and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected].

Donald Trump has escalated military pressure on Venezuela at a speed that should alarm everyone. As of mid-November 2025, the United States has carried out at least twenty-one strikes, killing eighty-three people and leaving only two survivors. Furthermore, there are now an estimated fifteen thousand US troops in the region, including marines stationed offshore and thousands of personnel at bases in Puerto Rico. Europe has remained quiet on this particular topic... we wonder why. We also react to a remarkable Fox Business interview with Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar, who casually frames Venezuela as a terrorist organisation, compares Nicolás Maduro to bin Laden, and claims that invading Venezuela would be good for the US economy. The justifications offered include everything from oil, to Hamas, to Hezbollah, to drug cartels, to protecting American children. What is striking is how easily the language of the War on Terror has been repackaged for a Latin American target. Finally, we discuss the confusion on the Left. After years of calling Maduro illegitimate, parts of the Left now feel compelled to defend him simply because Trump is the one threatening him. This reflex says more about Western political tribalism than it does about Venezuela. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA, Dario Hasenstab, and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected].

This week, we look at the growing concerns around the so-called AI bubble and why the panic is beginning to resemble the early 2000s, only multiplied by trillions. Nvidia is now valued higher than Germany’s entire economic output in 2025, which means one single company is worth two and a half times the combined value of all publicly traded firms in Germany. A recent MIT report shows that 95 percent of organisations investing in generative AI see zero return, despite pouring thirty to forty billion dollars into it. Even Google’s own CEO has admitted that parts of the current AI boom look irrational. Still, optimists like Mustafa Suleyman insist this moment is historic and that sceptics simply lack imagination. So, is this genuine technological transformation or a collective fever dream, driven by hype, speculation, and fear of missing out? What is the role of managerial attitudes in this whole situation? This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA, Dario Hasenstab, and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected].

As COP 30 begins in Belém, we look at how the world is heading into another climate summit with rising emissions, crumbling political will, and a system still built on ideas from the 1990s. Global fossil CO2 emissions are expected to increase again in 2025 to a record 38.1 billion metric tons. Western will to climate protection is suffering from populism, which is weakening climate policy across democracies, a trend Dario sees firsthand in his work. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected].

This week, we talk about the surprising rise of Zohran Mamdani and why his victory matters far beyond New York. His proposals are, in reality, standard European centre-left policies. The reaction to him, though, reveals something deeper in American political culture: racism, Islamophobia, and a growing panic about who gets to define the political centre at all. Mamdani is winning over parts of the Trump base by talking about material conditions instead of cultural panic. Meanwhile, the Democratic establishment is telling itself that recent wins in Virginia and New Jersey confirm the safety of staying in the centre. Mamdani is treated as an anomaly, not a blueprint. But this misreads the moment entirely. If the Democrats repeat the mistake of 2016 with Bernie Sanders, by drifting further to the centre (right) out of fear of their own voters, they will continue to inflate the Western Bubble rather than address the real crisis. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA, Dario Hasenstab, and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected].

In this episode, we look at what the world actually looks like after the decline of neoliberalism. The systems that once kept global politics, trade, and humanitarian responses predictable are dissolving, and what is emerging is not a stable alternative but something closer to global anarchy. The United States has pushed tariffs to levels not seen in over a century, and is now carrying out airstrikes on civilian vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific with almost no international consequences. Meanwhile, the humanitarian disaster in Sudan continues without meaningful action from the so-called international community, even as millions are displaced and famine spreads. Multilateralism is not simply weakening. It is disappearing. And when there is no mechanism for cooperation, crisis management, or accountability, what remains is a world where power decides everything and suffering becomes background noise. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA, Dario Hasenstab, and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected].

China has quietly positioned itself as the global gatekeeper of rare-earth metals, now expanding export restrictions as a response to the United States imposing new trade barriers and levies. Meanwhile, the Netherlands caused a geopolitical tug-of-war between the European Union and China over the chip industry that powers modern life. Once again, Western countries seem unprepared for the long game as Western actions against China are hurting domestic industries. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA, Dario Hasenstab, and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected].

Donald Trump has done it again: a dramatic announcement, a deadline, and a deal. His new 20-point peace plan for Gaza was signed between Israel and Hamas, hailed as the beginning of a new era, and even earned him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination from Javier Milei and Bosnia. But is this truly the end of one of the world’s most intractable conflicts, or just another temporary ceasefire dressed up as history? In this episode, we unpack the so-called Trump Peace Plan, how it differs from his earlier proposals, and why nearly everyone, from Western leaders to regional actors, seems eager to believe this time will be different. We also look at the historical record, current statements, and political incentives that suggest the fighting might not be over for long. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA, Dario Hasenstab, and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected].

After Balder called out Generation Z two weeks ago for not engaging enough in activism, we return to the question that lingers beneath everything: what can we actually do in a world where the West keeps declining, institutions are under attack, and everything feels like it is too much? Is the answer to cancel Disney, rage on social media, or take to the streets? Or are we simply too caught up in symbolic gestures while real change slips further away? There are also policy proposals emerging in response to a West in decline. From California’s Proposition 50 (the so-called Election Rigging Response Act) to renewed calls to ban Germany’s AfD, this episode explores what happens when societies start losing faith in their own systems, and how democracies respond when pushed to the edge. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA, Dario Hasenstab, and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected].

In this episode of the Western Bubble, we turn our attention to Israel, where events of the past weeks have revealed a country spiralling out of control. The largest civilian-led convoy in history, with over 40 vessels and 500 participants from more than 44 countries, attempted to break the blockade of Gaza, only to be intercepted by Israeli forces. At the same time, Israel ordered airstrikes against seven different countries in the past two months: Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, Qatar, Iran, and Yemen. We also discuss why more and more Western countries have begun to recognise Palestine since 2023, and why this shift is happening now. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected].

After a two-month break, we return to find the decline of liberal democracy in the United States accelerating at a frightening pace. We look back at the assassination of Charlie Kirk to the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel and the indictment of James Comey. We then take a step aside to talk about Generation Z colliding with reality in today’s job market, reflecting on two recent Harvard studies about boredom, entry-level jobs, and the risks of outsourcing development to artificial intelligence. Finally, we turn back to geopolitics and debate Europe’s role in the face of Trump’s bullying. Should the EU strike out boldly with a new vision for the future, or is a radical break with the transatlantic relationship too dangerous to risk? This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected]

This week, we draw an uncomfortable comparison between ICE in the United States and Frontex in Europe. Whether it’s children in cages or children being handed picture books about their own deportation, the language of “in the child’s best interest” rings hollow. We also challenge the idea that only the US is responsible for enabling Israel. While Washington’s military and political support is undeniable, Europe is also complicit, through inaction and ongoing arms deliveries. The truth is, both the US and Europe share a deeper problem: the erosion of personal responsibility and a neglect of the social contract. Examples range from protests in Epping to a $16 million settlement and cancelling Stephen Colbert between Paramount and Trump, displaying open corruption, to Colombia paying $200 million and revoking 70 degrees over fear of Trump. We highlight examples of institutions and individuals failing in their duties. But we end on a rare positive note before the summer break: a parent who actually took personal responsibility. See you back in September! This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected]. Here are the links we talked about: Good parenting: https://x.com/AlexRothe92/status/1949103538082054435?s=19 Jubilee Video: https://youtu.be/2S-WJN3L5eo?si=m_O7w3x0riTojY2x&t=1322 "Children's Book": https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/6eea0e99-e464-11ef-be2a-01aa75ed71a1#

This week, we dig into the renewed uproar around Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous network and how its resurfacing in 2025 is fueling not just conspiracy theories, but a deeper institutional and psychological crisis. But this story isn’t really about Epstein or Trump. It’s about how simplified moral binaries are hijacking political discourse. We look at how these narratives flatten complex realities, fuel extreme tribalism, and damage the very institutions meant to uphold accountability. If the system can't be trusted and people can’t agree on what’s real, how do we move forward? That’s the real question. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected].