Illicit trafficking's role in urban development

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.

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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

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Referenced in the Show:

Fent is a WMD: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/12/designating-fentanyl-as-a-weapon-of-mass-destruction/

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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: https://www.bcaresearch.com/marketing/geomacro