Multipolarity
Multipolarity
Charting The Rise Of A Multipolar World Order
Philip Pilkington is an unorthodox macroeconomist.
Andrew Collingwood is an equally skeptical journalist.
Lately, both have realised that - post-Ukraine, post-Afghanistan withdrawal - the old, unipolar, US-led world order is in its death throes.
In its wake, something new is being born. But what shape will that take? That will depend on a combustible combination of economics and geopolitics; trade and military muscle.
Each week, our duo take three off-radar news stories and explain how each is shaping our multipolar reality.
Philip Pilkington is an unorthodox macroeconomist.
Andrew Collingwood is an equally skeptical journalist.
Lately, both have realised that - post-Ukraine, post-Afghanistan withdrawal - the old, unipolar, US-led world order is in its death throes.
In its wake, something new is being born. But what shape will that take? That will depend on a combustible combination of economics and geopolitics; trade and military muscle.
Each week, our duo take three off-radar news stories and explain how each is shaping our multipolar reality.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 22, 2026 • 1h 3min
Europe's Weirdest Country Is On Fire (Not France)
Albania erupts as protests, corruption scandals, and factional power struggles threaten to topple its long-standing political order. Meanwhile, unrest spreads through France and Spain, exposing Europe’s deeper economic and social fractures. The discussion explores Washington’s rival influence networks, Balkan destabilization, imperial decline, and why riots could reshape Europe’s political future.
20 snips
Oct 15, 2026 • 1h 2min
The Saudis Are About To Pay The Price For Trump's Oil Market Fix
Suspicious oil trades tied to Trump’s Iran-war statements prompt questions about market manipulation, corruption, and America’s fading financial credibility. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s confrontation with the Houthis exposes military weaknesses and threatens oil exports, the riyal peg, and US Treasury holdings. Why did Mohammed bin Salman choose such a risky war, and who pushed him toward it?
8 snips
Oct 8, 2026 • 15min
Twelve Tankers Hit: The End of The Hormuz Narrative and the Start Of The Bond Wars
Twelve oil tankers are hit near Hormuz as crude prices break $100 and another US carrier heads toward the region. The discussion examines the unraveling “open Strait” narrative, wartime propaganda, unreliable shipping data, and why analysts confuse Iran’s tactics with its strategic aims. Attention then turns to Treasury yields and the financial fault lines threatening to amplify the crisis.
11 snips
Oct 1, 2026 • 55min
Surfing the 'Oil Glut': Satellites, Transponders, and the Commodities Info War
Oil prices refuse to follow the official Strait of Hormuz story. The discussion examines Kpler’s pivotal role in tracking global crude, shadow-fleet tankers, satellite blind spots, and competing claims about restored exports. It also explores the SPR release, diesel shortages, bond-market anxiety, inflation, fiscal deficits, and the financial stakes of an apparent “oil glut.”
Sep 24, 2026 • 52min
Call Time At The Casino: Europe's Bad Bets Come Due
Europe’s earlier confidence is giving way to a perfect storm of fiscal strain, energy shortages, military danger, and political instability. The discussion examines how a harsh winter, depleted gas reserves, diesel disruptions, and rising tensions with Russia and China could reshape the continent. It also explores emergency powers, coercive integration, cyberattacks, and the risk of direct escalation.
25 snips
Sep 17, 2026 • 1h 24min
The Irish Kraken Awakens: British Interests After American Power
Trump’s endorsement of Irish reunification puts Britain’s territorial integrity and the “Special Relationship” under strain. The discussion explores Northern Ireland’s unresolved tensions, Britain’s imperial succession strategy, Blair-era interventionism, and informal influence in Washington. It also considers Scottish independence, rising English nationalism, and how a multipolar world could reshape Britain’s power and identity.
Sep 10, 2026 • 1h 9min
Super Size Me II: Malcom Kyeyune on The Burger Theory of History, Revisited
Malcolm Kyeyune, a writer and political-economic commentator, returns to revisit his Burger Theory of History. They explore shrinking portions, soaring costs, deteriorating everyday standards, and MAGA’s retreat from promises of normal prosperity. The conversation then turns to exhausted alliances, military readiness, recruitment struggles, America’s strained social contract, and the growing vulnerability of its aircraft carriers.
11 snips
Sep 3, 2026 • 45min
Special Edition: The Horizons
A sweeping tour of the crises set to shape the world through 2026. The discussion probes cracks in Treasury markets, hidden leverage and the risk of financial meltdown, while examining the dangerous standoff around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. It also explores drone warfare, Pentagon upheaval, Trump’s political vulnerability, and the collision between promised restraint and expanding foreign-policy ambitions.
9 snips
Aug 27, 2026 • 11min
Two Audio Essays: A Japanese Unwinding vs An Iranian Tightening
A deep dive into a Japanese bond meltdown and how reserve sales could threaten US Treasury markets. A look at Treasury interventions, carry-trade pressures, and why Japan cannot raise rates without sparking recession. An analysis of rising oil prices and how US-Iran tensions could destabilize the Strait of Hormuz and prompt escalation through US domestic politics.
24 snips
Aug 20, 2026 • 1h 6min
Multipolarity Dialogues: AI and the future of warfare with Steve Hsu
Steve Hsu, an academic polymath in physics and computational genomics turned entrepreneur and AI commentator. He discusses the US–China AI race, contrasting hyperscalers with low‑cost, open approaches. He explores separate software and hardware competitions, pricing and standards dynamics, and how cheap drones and missiles reshape modern warfare and maritime power.
