Geopolitical Cousins

Look, the world is decoupling, and everyone is making their bet. Mexico just threw their chips on the table with 50% tariffs, effectively divorcing China to marry the U.S. in a desperate play for North American relevance. Meanwhile, the Andes are swinging hard right, betting that nationalism and market-pro policies are the only way to survive a multipolar free-for-all.... But here's the truth: tariffs are just a consumption tax in a MAGA hat, and if the Supreme Court kills them, the bond market is going to riot. Forget the politics; follow the robots and the revenue.--Timestamps:(00:00) - Welcome :)(01:41) - Mexico's Tariff Decision(07:44) - The Impact of Robotics on Manufacturing(23:42) - Chile's Shift to the Right(24:56) - Right-Wing Movements in Latin America(31:22) - Crime and Immigration in Latin America(38:13) - Montreal and Miami: Cities Built on Illicit Trafficking(38:55) - The Godfather: An American Story of Crime and Legitimization(40:14) - Fentanyl: Declared a Weapon of Mass Destruction(42:38) - US Foreign Policy: Lessons from the 1980s(46:05) - The Trump Administration's Controversial Policies(56:44) - Supreme Court and Tariffs: A Critical Decision(01:10:54) - Concluding Thoughts on US Policy and Economics--Referenced in the Show:Fent is a WMD: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/12/designating-fentanyl-as-a-weapon-of-mass-destruction/--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.comJacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapJacob 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:

The global discourse has hit a new low: political commentators are creating content out of a YouTube moron’s mean-spirited quest for clicks. Nick Fuentes, please, for the love of god, do better. Marko and Jacob drill past the outrage to ask why "mean" has become the default setting for public life.Then, Marko takes on the herculean task of defending the US' new National Security Strategy - which correctly identifies the need for a vital Europe, even if its authors got their core immigration data from clickbait white-woke channels. Finally, the real game: the US-Mexico-China trade triangle, where the path to American greatness may involve Chinese-built factories in Ohio.It’s nihilism, baby.--Timestamps:(00:00) - Introduction and Setting the Scene(00:43) - Late Night Recording and Personal Updates(01:40) - Controversial Discussion on Hitler and Nick Fuentes(05:44) - Media's Role and Public Perception(26:39) - National Security Strategy Debate(34:28) - European Support for the Euro(35:15) - American Perception of the EU(38:27) - France and the Euro(42:14) - Misdiagnosing Europe's Problems(48:51) - US Seizes Venezuelan Oil Tanker(56:54) - Mexico's Tariffs on Chinese Imports(58:57) - US-China Relations and Manufacturing(01:05:32) - Podcast Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts--Referenced in the Show:National Security Strategy 2025 - https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf--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.comJacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapJacob 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:

Let's talk about the National Security Strategy! American policy is entering its “choose-your-own-adventure” era, where fiscal dreams meet bond-market reality, and every global problem looks oddly like a mortgage-rate issue. What happens when primacy of nations collides with actual nations... some of which are run by people you wouldn’t trust with your lawnmower? Marko and Jacob step up to trade pitches on Trump’s “peace,” Venezuela’s theatrics, Honduras’ magical disappearing red lines, and whether geopolitics is now basically just offshore balancing with better PR. Enjoy!--Timestamps:(00:00) - Geopolitical Cousins(01:14) - Raccoon Story and Algorithm Talk(02:40) - Basketball and Leadership Analogies(05:54) - Geopolitics Starts lol(06:10) - Trump Accounts and Economic Policies(21:17) - National Security Strategy Discussion(47:04) - Critique of US Foreign Policy Rigidity(47:18) - Pragmatism in US Foreign Policy(47:35) - US Stance on Iran and Social Issues(48:33) - Historical Context and Containment Policy(49:24) - Flexible Foreign Policy and Realism(50:37) - US Actions in Venezuela and Honduras(56:38) - Venezuela's Oil and US Interests(58:44) - Honduras' Strategic Importance(01:01:55) - US Hypocrisy in Foreign Policy(01:03:19) - National Security Strategy and Global Military Presence(01:08:11) - Debate on Multipolar World and US Strategy(01:23:14) - AI, Crypto, and National Security(01:29:32) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts--Referenced in the Show:National Security Strategy Document - https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf--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.comJacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapJacob 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:

Rising political extremes, shifting alliances, and competing visions of global order collide as leaders improvise their way through economic anxiety and geopolitical recalibration. Matt Gertken hops into the fray to help the cousins probe the uncomfortable overlap between left-wing populism and right-wing nationalism, the strategic ambiguity surrounding Taiwan, and the high-stakes bargaining shaping the future of Ukraine. What happens when power politics, domestic fragility, and global insecurity all peak at the same time?--Timestamps:(00:00) - Introduction and Episode Setup(00:40) - Trump and Momani's Unlikely Friendship(02:17) - Analyzing Trump's Political Moves(13:05) - Japan-China Tensions Escalate(17:54) - Geopolitical Implications for Taiwan(30:20) - Russia-Ukraine Peace Plan Discussion(37:19) - Europe's Commitment to Ukraine(38:34) - Ukraine's Strategic Calculations(39:21) - Ukrainian Public Sentiment(40:43) - Debating Russia's Military Competence(43:10) - The 28-Point Plan and Zelensky's Political Future(43:34) - Economic Interests and Rebuilding Ukraine(44:38) - Security Guarantees and Diplomatic Challenges(56:50) - Trump's Role and Strategic Ambitions(01:01:39) - Conspiracy Theories and Speculations(01:02:40) - Debating China's Role in the Russia-Ukraine Conflict(01:03:50) - Speculating on Ukraine's Future and European Dynamics(01:05:36) - Potential Outcomes of a Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal(01:11:16) - Historical Analogies and Russia's Political Future(01:21:06) - Geopolitical Shifts and the Role of China(01:26:49) - Thanksgiving Anecdotes and Closing Remarks--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.comJacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapJacob 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...

Jacob and Marko finally caved to the mob on X and did what everyone (one guy who asked nicely) keeps yelling at them to do - rank the top five geopolitical U.S. presidents and the bottom five disasters. Not the best presidents. Not the most “inspirational.” The most geopolitically competent… and the ones who should never have been allowed within 500 feet of foreign policy.It gets spicy. Lincoln shows up with ruthless brilliance, Polk rolls in like the ultimate expansionist psychopath, Teddy swings a big stick (and probably breaks a few ribs), and then we get to the bottom five - where the real chaos lives.Why do some leaders bend history while others trip over it? And what happens when the world’s biggest superpower forgets the stakes?--Timestamps:(00:00) - Best Intro Ever(00:42) - Listener Reactions and Content Expectations(01:43) - Current Events and Personal Opinions(02:37) - Coffee Rant and Personal Preferences(05:07) - Geopolitical Anecdotes and Personal Stories(09:58) - Top Five Geopolitical US Presidents(14:10) - Debating Presidential Competence(46:05) - Reagan's Foreign Policy and the Gulf War(46:56) - George HW Bush's Strategic Decisions(48:29) - Bush's Approach to China and Tiananmen Square(49:54) - Theodore Roosevelt's Foreign Policy Legacy(50:58) - Comparing Presidential Foreign Policies(54:50) - Honorable Mentions and Controversial Picks(01:10:17) - Worst Foreign Policy Presidents(01:20:14) - LBJ's Economic and War Policies((01:21:14 George W. Bush's Foreign Policy Failures(01:22:12) - The Impact of Al-Qaeda and the War on Terror(01:26:07) - Truman's Geopolitical Blunders(01:32:26) - Bill Clinton's Missed Opportunities(01:39:36) - Eisenhower's Domino Theory and CIA Operations(01:48:39) - Biden's Foreign Policy Critique(01:59:18) - Final Thoughts and Reflections--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.comJacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapJacob 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: