Hard Liquor, Soft Power: The Death of Proportionality
11 February 2025 - 38 minsDonald Trump has always been blunt about his transactional view of global politics but has he just accelerated the decline of American soft power? We unpack his latest moves, from tariffs on Canada to his surreal vision for a 'Gaza Riviera,' and explore why his worldview could redefine America's role on the global stage. With USAID shutting down, longtime allies turning away, and economic isolationism on the rise, is the U.S. shifting from a nation of influence to one of brute force? What does this mean for global power dynamics? Is Trump simply playing for attention, or are we witnessing a true transformation in America's foreign policy? We dive into it all with Evan Solomon, examining how...
Series Episodes
Inside the World Cup's Narco State
We head down Mexico way to unpack the country hosting the World Cup, a $1.8 trillion economy living side by side with one of the most powerful criminal networks on earth. Drugs, guns, avocados, and the politics tying Trump and Sheinbaum together whether they like it or not. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
40 mins
11 June Finished
Why Social Democracies Win World Cups
The FT's Simon Kuper joins us to kick off our World Cup series, on why tiny social democracies keep producing the best football teams, why FIFA is laundering reputations for dictators, and why this tournament will say more about geopolitics than any leaders' summit this year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
40 mins
9 June Finished
Why Social Democracies Win World Cups
The FT's Simon Kuper joins us to kick off our World Cup series, on why tiny social democracies keep producing the best football teams, why FIFA is laundering reputations for dictators, and why this tournament will say more about geopolitics than any leaders' summit this year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
40 mins
9 June Finished
The Coming Water Crisis
Forget oil. The real fight is over the world's most precious and least understood commodity; water. We're joined by Paul O'Callaghan of BlueTech Research to explain why two billion people still can't get safe drinking water, why Saudi Arabia is quietly draining Colorado, and why Ireland's biggest strategic advantage might just be the rain we love to complain about. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
29 mins
4 June Finished
Why Trump Is About to Come for Ireland
Made in Kinsale, sold in America, the Ozempic boom is making Ireland rich and dangerously exposed. We unpack how three companies now pay nearly half our corporate tax, and what happens when Trump finally notices. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
41 mins
2 June Finished
How Trump Could Kill the Dollar
Monetary historian Brendan Greeley explains why the dollar's power has nothing to do with the Fed, why crypto is just a bank in disguise, and why politicising the dollar might be the fastest way to end its reign as the world's reserve currency. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
48 mins
28 May Finished
