
Disorder
Gone are the days of coherent international coordination. Rather than working together to solve pressing crises, many of the world’s most powerful states are actively making those crises worse. The result? We’re living through a novel historical era: The Global Enduring Disorder. The Disorder podcast, in partnership with RUSI, teases out the key principles that connect seemingly disparate challenges: from Climate Change to Tax Havens, to Unregulated Cyberspace, to the Wars in Ukraine, Syria, and Libya. Jason Pack, Associate Fellow at RUSI, and returning cohosts, discuss with world-leading experts, senior diplomats and cultural icons, the fundamental principles lurking behind today’s global issues. At the conclusion of each episode, they will proposing inventive, win-win solutions to the globe’s most pressing challenges aka, ‘Ordering the Disorder’. Website: https://disordershow.com/
Latest episodes

4 snips
Jun 3, 2025 • 60min
Ep 121. Could Project Russia Destroy the West? with David Troy
In this discussion, David Troy, an investigative journalist and editor of America 2.0, sheds light on the ideology fueling Putin's ambitions. He emphasizes the overlooked significance of 'Project Russia' as a manifesto reflecting deep-rooted Russian motives. The conversation traverses the evolution of Soviet tactics into today's geopolitical strategies, the complexities of Russian cosmism, and the urgent need for Western leaders to grasp these realities. Troy advocates for a paradigm shift in foreign policy to better navigate the challenges posed by authoritarian regimes.

May 27, 2025 • 47min
Ep 120. Could Nationalism Save Germany? With Will Wilkes
With Friedrich Merz officially at the helm, Germany is entering a new era. But with the AfD breathing down his neck – the country is actually more internally Disordered than outsiders may realise. We ask: could the answer be a new – inclusive – brand of nationalism?To find out, Jane Kinninmont is joined by Will Wilkes: Bloomberg News correspondent in Germany and co-author of ‘Broken Republik: The Inside Story of Germany's Descent into Crisis’. The pair discuss the current state of Germany, discussing how Germany's historical context – not just WWII but also the impact of the financial crisis and the refugee influx – has shaped its present situation. Plus: Germany's role in European security and the challenges posed by the rise of the far-right party, AFD.And as Jane and Will Order the Disorder – they discuss how to create a cohesive German national identity – could it be fostering unity by creating new community celebrations?
Producer: George McDonagh
Subscribe to our Substack - https://natoandtheged.substack.com/
Disorder on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DisorderShow
Check out our recent YouTube ‘The DC Jewish Museum shooting: The Disorderly illogic of it’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BaWtQ5bH-Q&t=2s
Show Notes Links:
Broken Republik (English edition): https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/broken-republik-9781526679161/
Totally Kaputt (German edition): https://www.piper.de/buecher/totally-kaputt-isbn-978-3-492-07328-8
Friedrich Merz is no unifier – he may deepen Germany’s divides (The Guardian): https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/may/05/germany-unifier-chancellor-divide-friedrich-merz
Germany’s identity crisis is 80 years in the making (Bloomberg): https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-10/germany-s-political-center-challenged-by-afd-russia-china-and-trump?sref=ttOZ5TVM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

6 snips
May 20, 2025 • 58min
Ep 119. The Danger of Complete Anarchy with Robert Kaplan
Robert Kaplan, a New York Times bestselling author known for his influential views on global crises, joins the conversation. He examines the rise of populism and the decline of institutions, drawing eerie parallels between historical events and today's political landscape. Kaplan highlights the significance of constitutional monarchies for stability and critiques military readiness in Europe. He shares insights on how societal disorder can lead to extreme tyranny, urging a return to expert guidance for navigating current global challenges.

May 15, 2025 • 1h 29min
Ep 118. Ordering the Global Financial Disorder
To best Order the Disorder, we love hosting live shows with our partners at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and showcasing the great range of talent that they have on staff. Jane and Jason were joined for a live recording on May 14 by TOM KEATINGE, DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRE FOR FINANCE AND SECURITY AT RUSI.
The trio started off tackling Sanctions: the role and use of Western Sanctions before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022; how the use of sanctions has changed since Russia’s full-scale invasion, particularly on this side of the Atlantic; what does this mean for the rest of the world; and how this expansive use of sanctions is reordering global finance.
And then moved on to the question of Markets…. and how they hold governments to account. Jason genuinely believes that the markets may be our last hope to save American democracy and that they can do what the supreme court and congress are supposed to do but cannot. Finally, we couldn’t discuss finance and security without mentioning the Donald’s favourite word in the English language that word that he seems not to realize comes directly from Arabic, *Tariffs*. We tried to unpack what really are tarriffs; how we know they didn’t work with Smoot Hawley; what does Donald Trump think tarriffs are.
The main take away of the discussion overall was: The failure of economic tools of coercion such as sanctions and tariffs to achieve their stated aims and the power of 'markets' to reassert order.
It was a well attended live show with over 75 guests in RUSI’s beautiful library… pls come join us for the next one in the Autumn. And more importantly right now! Pls pls join our paid for substack to hear all the beautiful listener questions!
Producer: George McDonagh
Subscribe to our Substack and become a paid member to support our work and to listen to the listener questions which are cut from this free episode - https://natoandtheged.substack.com/
Show Notes Links:
We are trying to grow our YouTube channel. Pls check out this rather racy video and subscribe to the channel, Is Gary Lineker an Anti-Semite? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdi4vVGyCkM
Relevant RUSI sanctions work can be found here: https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/projects/sanctions-and-illicit-finance-monitoring-and-analysis-network-sifmanet
A recent article challenging the Russia maritime sanctions status quo can be found here: https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/tapped-out-it-time-revisit-oil-sanctions-russia
A recent article arguing for action on the Russian central bank assets can be found here: https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-central-bank-assets-ukraine/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 13, 2025 • 1h 3min
Ep 117. Ukraine’s Resilience in the Face of War
FIRSTLY, PLS COME TO OUR LIVE SHOW. NOW OPEN TO ALL DISORDER LISTENERS Wednesday MAY 14, 17:30 AT RUSI. You can sign up here: https://my.rusi.org/events/disorder-podcast-live-ordering-the-global-financial-disorder.html
NOW TO THIS EPISODE:
In Trump’s first 100 days he has disordered almost everything: from freedom of speech on campus to global trade to affairs of war and peace. And yet, despite his threats to abandon Ukraine, and actual denials of provision of certain forms of intelligence and anti-aircraft equipment, the frontlines have largely held. In fact, it now appears that Trump lacks the ability to force Ukraine to make concessions that it doesn’t want to make, namely over Crimea. So, is there more Order and hope to be found in Ukraine than is immediately apparent?
To find out, Jason Pack is joined by Mark McNamee. Mark moved to Kyiv in October 2023 in order to start the Ukraine Business News (UBN) Network, with the mission to aid foreign investors in navigating the business environment of Ukraine and drive Ukraine’s economic recovery and reconstruction. He is also host of the podcast "History in the Making: The War in Ukraine”.
Mark and Jason discuss: the current state of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, with a particular focus on the resilience of Ukraine's economy, its innovative use of drone technology and how Ukraine could become a global leader in defense technology going forward.
Plus: the implications of the U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal as truly game changing, the role of Europe in supporting Ukraine, and whether Ukraine's potential EU membership can offset lack of potential for it to become a NATO member. And as they look to Order the Disorder, Mark proposes the creation of a European Defense Tech Fund to support Ukraine's recovery and defense capabilities.
Producer: George McDonagh
Executive Producer: Neil Fearn
Subscribe to our Substack and become a paid member to support our work - https://natoandtheged.substack.com/
Show Notes Links:
Read this new report, just published by international human rights foundation Global Rights Compliance, exposing Russia’s disinformation campaign - https://globalrightscompliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Manufacturing-Impunity.pdf
Read more about the minerals deal https://www.politico.eu/article/us-donald-trump-volodymyr-zelenskyy-ukraine-parliament-minerals-deal-approved/
Ukraine Business News - https://ubn.news
UBN Network - https://ubn.network/
Podcast History in the Making: The War in Ukraine - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/history-in-the-making-the-war-in-ukraine/id1752915858
The Ukrainian Action Heroes Rehabilitation Program teaches Ukrainian veterans with PTSD to ski and provides psychological support: You can support their work with Ukrainian veterans at: www.UkrainianAction.com
Arthur Snell in conversation with Romeo Kokriatski: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ukraine-and-america-the-great-betrayal/id1704344656?i=1000706415200
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

14 snips
May 6, 2025 • 55min
Ep116. Do Russia's Domestic Politics make it a Disorderer?
Emily Ferris, a Senior Research Fellow at RUSI, shares her expertise on Russian domestic politics. She discusses the Kremlin's grip on power and how loyalty shapes political careers. The conversation delves into Russia's role as a disordering force globally, its internal dynamics, and repression of opposition. Emily also explores the implications of a war-focused economy, the demographic shifts within Russia, and Putin's negotiation tactics, leading to important insights about the future of Russia post-Putin.

May 1, 2025 • 47min
Ep115. Is the American Dream Dead?
For a special edition of the podcast, we hear a conversation between Jason and Andrew Keen on his KeenOn podcast.
They discuss: is the American Dream Dead? Can you truly reinvent yourself in the US compared to Europe? And is there still hope for America going forward?
Producer: George McDonagh
Executive Producer: Neil Fearn
Subscribe to our Substack - https://natoandtheged.substack.com/
Show Notes Links:
To get tickets to our RUSI event on 14th May visit: https://my.rusi.org/events/disorder-podcast-live-ordering-the-global-financial-disorder.html
Get the KeenOn podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keen-on-america/id1448694012 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 29, 2025 • 1h
Ep114. Trump’s True Goals and Trench Warfare in the Courts
Join an engaging discussion on Trump's real ambitions and the geopolitical chaos he stirs. The conversation dives into the clash between US and European political methods. It questions the role of legal accountability and public discourse in democracy. Thoughts on the fringes of extremism and its roots in economic distress are explored. Moreover, the evolving landscape of loyalty oaths and alliances is analyzed, raising concerns about the future of international relations. Tune in for listener-driven insights and intriguing political debates!

20 snips
Apr 22, 2025 • 41min
Ep113. What’s America Without Allies? With Kori Schake
As Trump’s trade war heats up and his anti-NATO rhetoric continues, America’s allies are having to face a new reality: the global superpower can no longer be relied upon. As core allies like the EU, UK and Canada recalibrate, what does that mean for America? And what does that mean for America’s traditional European allies who rely on the U.S. for their defence? To discuss the future of NATO and Five Eyes, Jason is joined by longtime friend of the Pod, Kori Schake. She has lived her entire professional life advocating for the Transatlantic Alliance and American global leadership. She started her career as NATO desk officer at DoD under GHW Bush and is now Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Kori and Jason look at what might happen if America further withdraws from the world and abandons its traditional allies; what happens next in Ukraine; if Trump has a real peace plan; and how his cabinet members are acting like a megaphone rather than as genuine advisors. The duo look at scary scenerios: like what happens if the US tried to kick Canada out of the Five Eyes Intelligence sharing partnership and why Trump’s allies drive his policy choices towards the extremes. Producer: George McDonagh Executive Producer: Neil Fearn Pls Subscribe to our Substack and become a paid member to support us as we try to support NATO and Five Eyes - https://natoandtheged.substack.com/ Show Notes Links: Hear Kori previously on Episode 6 NATO: A Model for Ordering the Disorder? - https://pod.link/1706818264/episode/9472a8b7d262dd9fb0cd9827e8947964 Read Kori’s piece in The Atlantic - https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2025/02/intelligence-agencies-weakened/681711/ Check out her views on Signalgate: https://www.aei.org/foreign-and-defense-policy/the-wrong-signals-the-proper-role-of-a-defense-secretary/ And hear her on AEI’s ‘What the Hell’ Podcast talking US Defence policy: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/wth-a-european-supreme-allied-commander-of-nato/id1467993804?i=1000701043889 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 15, 2025 • 1h 4min
Ep112. Tariffs and The Divergence of US and Europe
The podcast dives deep into the diverging paths of the US and Europe on key issues like democracy, tariffs, and misinformation. Personal anecdotes bring the political landscape in Washington DC to life while examining trust in government. They discuss the potential rise of civil disobedience in the US and the influence of non-experts on policy. The intriguing contrasts in judicial accountability, particularly highlighted by the Le Pen case, add depth to the conversation. Can new leaders like Keir Starmer bring order to the ongoing global disorder?