Why the Cartel Problem Resists Military Fixes

Power gets loud when it’s insecure. Strategy becomes theater. And ideology sneaks in wearing policy jargon. The White House's newest U.S. National Security Strategy claims realism while quietly demanding dominance, preaching restraint while laying groundwork for escalation. Civilizational panic collides with imperial muscle, producing a document that wants everything, everywhere, all at once.

Van Jackson, Professor of International Relations at Victoria University of Wellington, sits down with Jacob Shapiro to chat about how culture war thinking seeps into grand strategy, why “prioritization” turns into mission creep, and what this blueprint signals for allies, adversaries, and a world already stretched thin.

If this is restraint, buckle up :)

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Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction

(01:40) - Understanding National Security Strategy

(02:23) - Critique of the Current Administration's Strategy

(07:22) - Historical Context and Comparisons

(13:14) - Primitive Accumulation and Geopolitics

(16:47) - Latin American Policy and Imperialism

(25:33) - Military Strategy and Global Implications

(29:47) - China as a Pacing Threat

(30:47) - Misconceptions in Military Strategy

(31:52) - Potential Conflicts in Latin America

(34:23) - US Military Intervention in Mexico

(35:38) - Challenges of Addressing Drug Cartels

(41:56) - Hegemonic Decline and National Security

(48:24) - Global Reactions to US Strategy

(53:58) - Brazil's Role in Latin America

(56:53) - Concluding Thoughts

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Referenced in the Show:

Van Jackson - https://people.wgtn.ac.nz/van.jackson

National Security Strategy 2025 - https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf

NSS (2002) - https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/nsc/nss/2002/

NSC-68 (1950) - https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/NSC68

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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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The Jacob Shapiro Show 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.

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