Neutrality Studies

Originally published on 20 Sept 2025.While European leaders claim their support for Ukraine is a rational defense of democracy, their policies appear increasingly self-destructive. Is this a coherent strategy, or the result of a sophisticated propaganda campaign targeting their own citizens? And is the human mind becoming NATO’s next official battlefield?To discuss all this, today I’m talking again to Dr. Jonas Tögel, a German propaganda researcher working for the institute for psychology at the University of Regensburg. He is the author of the German-langauge books "War Games: How NATO and the Pentagon Simulate the Destruction of Europe” and “Cognitive Warfare: The Latest Manipulation Techniques as a NATO Weapon Category”.We explore NATO's official doctrine of "cognitive warfare" and its aim to make every citizen "resilient" to unapproved narratives. We break down the specific propaganda techniques used in mainstream German media, the dangerous irrationality driving European foreign policy, and why simply trying to understand an adversary is now treated as a thought crime. Finally, Jonas provides practical tools for citizens to identify and resist these pervasive manipulation campaigns.Links Jonas:Website: https://www.jonastoegel.de/Channel: ‪@DrJonasToegel‬X (Twitter): https://x.com/JonasToegelNeutrality Studies:Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Goods Store: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 2 Oct 2025.While the West paints Hamas as an irrational terrorist group that must be eradicated, its leaders consistently call for adherence to international law. Is this deliberate refusal to understand Hamas as a political actor the biggest obstacle to peace and the key enabler of the genocide in Gaza?To discuss this and more, today I’m talking to Eugene Doyle, a New Zealand based Journalist, and Helena Cobban, a British-American writer and researcher on international relations. She has written four books on West Asia and recently published the work “Understanding Hamas and why that matters”.We explore why understanding Hamas is crucial for any ceasefire negotiation and to end the two-year-long genocide. We also break down the Western hypocrisy of labeling peace activists on aid flotillas as "terrorists," the complicity of European and American governments in the ongoing atrocities, and the failure of the United Nations to uphold its own charter. We delve into the historical context often ignored by mainstream media, from the Great March of Return to the complex realities of October 7th, to reveal why the current path only leads to more destruction.Links:Link to books: https://orbooks.com/catalog/understan...https://bit.ly/HamasMattersNeutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Goods Store: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 21 Sept 2025 Donald Trump ran on ending "stupid wars," but his administration is now seen as the most chaotic and war-prone in modern history. Is this incompetence pushing the American empire over the edge, and is a catastrophic conflict with Iran the inevitable result?To discuss this and more, today I’m talking again to Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, a retired US army officer, former Chief of Staff of the Secretary of State, and a member of the activist group “Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity.”We explore his stark assessment of the "unbelievable incompetence" and lack of coordinated policy in the White House, and why Trump, despite his rhetoric, "relishes killing people" through proxies. Col. Wilkerson also breaks down the historical decline of the American empire, the unstoppable shift of power back to the East, and how Israel could drag the US into a disastrous, decade-long war with Iran before Thanksgiving.Links:Eisenhower Media Network: https://eisenhowermedianetwork.org/Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Goods Store: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 1 Oct 2025.While Trump publicly berates Putin and threatens sanctions, back channels are buzzing with talk of a negotiated settlement in Ukraine. Is the whole spectacle just "lipstick on a pig" to disguise a historic defeat for the US and NATO? And as one fire seems to be dying down, could a desperate Israel be about to ignite a catastrophic war with Iran?To discuss this and more, today I’m talking again to Ray McGovern, a former CIA analyst responsible for preparing the US President’s Daily Briefs.We break down Trump's unprecedented address to his top generals and what it reveals about loyalty versus the military oath to the Constitution. We also explore the "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" nature of his foreign policy: seeking a deal in Ukraine while enabling genocide in the Middle East. We discuss the sinking of civilian vessels as a desperate show of force, the history of Western betrayals that brought us here, and the looming threat of an Israeli strike on Iran that could drag the world into a wider conflict.Links:Ray's website: https://raymcgovern.com/X (Twitter): https://x.com/raymcgovernJudge Nepolitano's podcast: https://art19.com/shows/judging-freedomNeutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Goods Store: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 23 Sept 2025. Why does the West insist on viewing China through a simplistic "democracy vs. autocracy" lens? Is it possible that China's political system is not a failed version of our own, but something fundamentally different—a unique "political meritocracy" with deep historical and cultural roots?To discuss this and more, today I’m talking to Dr. Daniel Bell, a Professor and Chair of Political Theory with the Faculty of Law at the University of Hong Kong. Professor Bell has written many important works on China, including “The China Model: Political Meritocracy and the Limits of Democracy”. The political system of China and popular misconceptions about it in the West is what we want to discuss today.Drawing on his decades of experience living and teaching in China, we explore the nuanced reality of its three-tiered political system, where different methods of selecting leaders—from local elections to meritocratic promotion—are applied at different levels. We also break down profound cultural misunderstandings, such as the true meaning of 'harmony' (diversity) versus 'sameness,' why China lacks the 'missionary impulse' to export its political model, and how the core legitimacy of its government rests on delivering material well-being to its people.Links:Daniel Bell's recent books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/...Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Goods Store: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 30 Sept 2025.The president of peace is preparing yet another war, this time in South America. A legacy foe of Trump's first term, Mr. Nicolos Maduro is in the cross hairs (again) and the ground is being readied for an all-out intervention in Venezuela. This is not even new, the playbook is an old one—a mix of 2019 and 1989 the Trump administration is currently reading the legal grounds for claiming an Anti-Drug operation when in fact we are seeing nothing short of preparations for war with a foreign government.Support our work here:https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 29 Sept 2025.The international aid flotilla is creating an impossible nightmare for Israel: either let the 47 ships loaded with humanitarian aid reach Gaza and thereby break the illusion of Israel's limitless power over the strip, or attack the ships and risk killing activists that then will only increase the international outrage against Israel's impunity. International Law is very clear on who has the moral and legal high ground in this affair.Godspeed to the Sumut Flotilla.Link to our shop:https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 28 Sept 2025. While the West champions a "rules-based order," it consistently bypasses the UN Charter it helped create. Is this selective application of international law the real driver of the new Cold War? And could a return to the universal principles of 1945 be the only way to avoid global conflict?To discuss this and more, today I’m talking to Dr. Richard Sakwa, an Emeritus Professor at the University of Kent. Professor Sakwa studies among other issues political developments in Russia, international politics, and multipolarity. He is the author of the very insightful book “The Lost Peace: How the West Failed to Prevent a Second Cold War”.We explore his analysis of the "political West" and how its post-Cold War expansion squandered a historic chance for peace. We also break down the two faces of Donald Trump's foreign policy, why European elites have become more hawkish than their American counterparts, and the dangerous suppression of intellectual debate that is silencing critical voices across the continent.Links:Richard's books (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/stores/Richard...Richard's publications (Kent Uni): https://kar.kent.ac.uk/view/email/r=2...Support our work here:https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 24 Sept 2025 Why has Europe abandoned its own interests to become a pawn in a larger geopolitical game? Has its talk of "strategic autonomy" become a hollow slogan, covering a dangerous dependency? And how has a childish "good vs. evil" narrative replaced pragmatic statecraft, pushing the continent towards a crisis it is ill-equipped to handle?To discuss this and more, today I’m talking to Dr. Caroline Galactéros. Dr. Galactéros is a former french reservist Colonel and geostrategist who taught strategy and ethics at the “Écoel de Guerre” in Paris, and she is currently running her own YouTube Channel in french called “Paix et Guerre” - “Peace and War”.We explore the deep political paralysis gripping France and how it drives President Macron's foreign policy. We also break down Europe's historical shift from a potential bridge-builder to a compliant follower of confrontational policies, the cynical failure of the Minsk Accords, and the vast disconnect between the continent's self-deceiving elites and a public hungry for truth.Links:Caroline's channel: ‪@cgalacteros‬ Geopragma: https://geopragma.fr/caroline-galacte...Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.comGoods Store: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Arnaud Bertrand, a French geopolitical analyst and influential Twitter voice, delves into shifting alliances and tensions in global politics. He discusses America's surprising pivot towards China, leaving European leaders on edge about their security dependence. Bertrand explores the chaotic political landscape in France, the burgeoning Saudi-Pakistan alliance, and its implications for Iran. He also weighs in on the genuine nature of Nepal's protests, dismissing claims of external manipulation while highlighting domestic grievances.