No notes, just two geopolitical degenerates (Jacob and Marko) running a full-court press on the week’s chaos. The lads spar over Trump’s “Board of Peace,” ask whether a U.S. strike on Iran is strategy or pure domestic theater, and map out what escalation could really look like - from drones in the Strait of Hormuz to oil shocks and asymmetric retaliation.

Then... they zoom out: nuclear proliferation in a multipolar world, Europe’s slow strategic awakening in Munich, and whether America’s foreign policy is performance art or hard power. It’s unscripted, blunt, and - annoyingly - extremely serious.

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Timestamps:

(00:00) - Beginning

(02:29) - Who Showed Up to the Beijing Parade & “Board of Peace”?

(04:24) - What Even Is the “Board of Peace”?

(07:32) - Iran Time!

(11:14) - Iran Capabilities & Asymmetry

(14:54) - Worst-Case Escalation

(25:36) - Trump’s “Punch-Then-Deal” Strategy

(33:06) - Did the US Miss the Protest Window?

(36:27) - So What Happens Next?

(39:26) - Why Airstrikes Became America’s Default

(40:45) - Geopolitics vs. US Domestic Politics

(42:35) - Nuclear Proliferation Returns

(48:18) - The Real Proliferation Risks

(54:20) - Clean Energy, Cartels, and Why States Control Nukes

(58:18) - Munich Security Conference Check-In

(01:06:20) - Europe’s Next Security Umbrella

(01:11:48) - Europe’s Demographics & Integration Debate

(01:15:57) - The Multi‑Ethnic Europe That Might Return

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Geopolitical Cousins is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com

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Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.

Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

Jacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe

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Marko Papic is a macro and geopolitical expert at BCA Research, a global investment research firm. He provides in-depth analysis that combines geopolitics and markets in a framework called GeoMacro. He is also the author of Geopolitical Alpha: An Investment Framework for Predicting the Future.

Marko’s Book & Newsletter: www.geopoliticalalpha.com/marko-papic

Marko’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marko-papic-geopolitics/

Marko’s Twitter: https://x.com/Geo_papic

Marko’s Macro & Geopolitical Research at BCA:

You've been writing us questions, thoughts, prayers, and lambasting criticism for months - so today we're finally taking a dive into the inbox. Holy crap there's a lot here. Y'all mentioned The Wire, TDSDS, starting careers in geopolitical analysis, tech nationalism, the balkanization of the internet, and sooooo much more. Tune in to hear it all :) Thanks y'all.

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Timestamps:

(00:00) - Intro

(02:33) - The Wire

(05:25) - Media Consumption and Bias

(06:46) - Trump Derangement Syndrome and Strategic Thinking

(16:16) - Effective Media Consumption Strategies

(28:23) - Balancing Realism and Idealism in Humanitarian Work

(35:28) - Navigating Career Dissonance

(35:56) - Breaking into Geopolitical Analysis

(37:16) - The Value of Mentorship

(39:39) - Building Expertise in Geopolitics

(41:27) - Creating and Sharing Content

(43:18) - The Importance of Learning and Adaptability

(44:59) - Geopolitical Decisions in Various Careers

(53:53) - Shadow Fleets and Oil Markets

(01:00:28) - Multipolar vs. Unipolar World Conflicts

(01:06:42) - Balkanization of the Internet

(01:09:25) - The Rise of Nationalism in Software

(01:10:36) - The Tension Between Tech Companies and Governments

(01:12:46) - The Impact of Snowden's Leak on American Tech

(01:13:26) - Trump's Influence on Tech Nationalism

(01:18:30) - Trump's Strategy for the Midterms

(01:29:53) - The Geopolitical Importance of the Midwest

(01:37:12) - The Future of Geopolitically Mundane Places

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Referenced in the Show:

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Geopolitical Cousins is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com

--

Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.

Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

Jacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe

--

Marko Papic is a macro and geopolitical expert at BCA Research, a global investment research firm. He provides in-depth analysis that combines geopolitics and markets in a framework called GeoMacro. He is also the author of Geopolitical Alpha: An Investment Framework for Predicting the Future.

Marko’s Book & Newsletter: www.geopoliticalalpha.com/marko-papic

Marko’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marko-papic-geopolitics/

Marko’s Twitter: https://x.com/Geo_papic

Marko’s Macro...

The old playbook is dead. Iran isn’t collapsing quietly, Europe is finally admitting unanimity is a fantasy, Japan may be waking up politically and financially, and the UN is drifting toward irrelevance. Macro is no longer about central banks and spreadsheets... it’s about power, coercion, and political risk. If you’re still reading FOMC minutes to understand the world, you’re missing the point entirely.

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Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction

(00:47) - Current Events

(02:00) - US-India Trade Deal Analysis

(04:58) - Iran-US Tensions and Potential Conflict

(38:45) - Germany's Push for a Two-Speed Europe

(49:04) - The Strategic Importance of Spain

(49:42) - Immigration and Economic Growth in Europe

(53:05) - Hungary and Serbia's Political Dynamics

(55:04) - Debunking Demographic Myths

(01:01:14) - The Decline of the United Nations

(01:07:29) - Japan's Political and Economic Future

(01:26:22) - The Role of the Federal Reserve

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Referenced in the Show:

--

Geopolitical Cousins is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com

--

Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.

Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

Jacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe

--

Marko Papic is a macro and geopolitical expert at BCA Research, a global investment research firm. He provides in-depth analysis that combines geopolitics and markets in a framework called GeoMacro. He is also the author of Geopolitical Alpha: An Investment Framework for Predicting the Future.

Marko’s Book & Newsletter: www.geopoliticalalpha.com/marko-papic

Marko’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marko-papic-geopolitics/

Marko’s Twitter: https://x.com/Geo_papic

Marko’s Macro & Geopolitical Research at BCA: https://www.bcaresearch.com/marketing/geomacro