Iran, Venezuela, and Global Freedom

In this episode of The Dollar Auction Show, Shimon and Alex talk through why Bitcoin is lagging despite risk assets ripping, and then pivot hard into geopolitics: Iran’s internal unrest, Venezuela’s Maduro capture, and what these events signal about deterrence, U.S. power projection, and the media ecosystem.

They explore a “power law” framing for Bitcoin’s long-term adoption, argue mainstream media has become incentive-driven content creation, and debate realpolitik vs “procedure-first” foreign policy. The conversation ties together oil flows, Russia/Ukraine funding pressure, China/Taiwan deterrence, and why unconventional leverage (like blockades and tariffs) can move outcomes faster than traditional diplomacy.


0:07 Intro + markets check
0:27 Bitcoin lagging stocks/gold/silver
2:17 Power law optimism for Bitcoin adoption
5:37 Pivot: politics, social strife, “post-truth” era
6:47 Iran background + why the uprising matters
11:57 Media incentives: news as “content for the base”
15:07 U.S. foreign policy split: status quo vs pressure
16:37 Venezuela: “surgical” action + results vs process
23:07 Rules of war + proportionality logic
24:07 Escalation dominance + Iran air defense narrative
27:07 X/Twitter, Grok, and Wikipedia bias claims
33:07 Trump as consequential actor (even if abrasive)
34:07 Oil + geopolitics ripple effects (Russia/China)
42:27 Tariffs as leverage, not just economics
44:07 Critique of economists/models; “common sense” lens
47:47 Outlook: 2026 optimism, volatility caveats



Apple Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/36u8fmbr
Spotify Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/4zv6syfc
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