Geopolitical Economy Report

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent challenges the notion of cheap goods as part of the American dream. The podcast dives into rising inflation and its link to tariffs as the U.S. seeks to decouple from China. It discusses stagnant wages, the concentration of wealth among the richest, and the erosion of income mobility. Exploring the impact on working-class families and the broader economy, the talk critiques the relationship between billionaires and political narratives, exposing the risks of recession and an increasingly unaffordable housing market.

Dimitri Lascaris, a lawyer and journalist hosting Reason2Resist, dives deep into the Canadian political landscape influenced by U.S. actions. He discusses the unsettling threats posed by Trump, from tariffs to annexation. The conversation critiques the elite disconnect in Canada, particularly regarding outdated policies amidst rising global tensions. Lascaris underscores the superficiality of political discourse and calls for informed voting. He also reviews tax proposals from the NDP and Green Party, pushing for a focus on reducing income inequality.

The discussion reveals how Trump's policies favor billionaires while hurting the working class. His administration is packed with wealthy elites, raising questions about true populism. Tax cuts disproportionately benefit the rich, while tariffs impose additional burdens on the poor. The podcast highlights the growing wealth gap and stagnant wages, examining how economic despair fuels voter dissatisfaction. It underscores the need for a more equitable tax structure and critiques the lack of effective alternatives from the Democratic Party.

JD Vance, U.S. Vice President and notable figure in Silicon Valley debates, dives into his recent speech on globalization. He inadvertently uncovers the U.S. imperial agenda and the troubling objectives of a new cold war on China. The conversation highlights the deindustrialization crisis, the partnership between billionaires and populists, and the scapegoating of China for America's economic woes. Vance also critiques Trump's alignment with Big Tech, emphasizing how neoliberal policies benefit the elite while neglecting the working class.

Discover the controversial reasons behind Trump's interest in Greenland that most Greenlanders strongly oppose. The discussion highlights U.S. ambitions to dominate the Arctic and secure valuable natural resources, especially critical minerals. Explore the geo-political struggle with China and Russia and the implications of NATO's involvement. The podcast sheds light on the historical context of these colonial aspirations and the Greenlandic quest for independence amidst rising tensions and imperialistic politics.

The United States is the biggest arms dealer on Earth, responsible for 43% of the world’s weapons exports from 2020 to 2024. The US transferred seven times more than China, and five times more than Russia. Ben Norton explains how the military-industrial complex profits from war. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVFvEmhey_k Sources and links here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2025/03/13/us-top-weapons-exports-china-russia/ Credit to Stephen Semler for some charts: https://www.stephensemler.com Topics 0:00 China "threat" claims 0:43 US military spending 1:34 US foreign interventions 2:40 USA is no. 1 arms dealer 3:57 Top weapons exporters 5:08 Growth in arms exports 5:56 Israel's suppliers 6:23 Top weapons importers 7:16 Europe doubles arms imports 8:32 Trump demands more NATO spending 10:47 Replacing welfare with warfare 12:56 Top military spenders 14:39 Real US military budget 15:40 DOGE ignores Pentagon fraud 17:00 Outro

Can the Donald Trump administration really end the Ukraine war? What is Russia's view? Why did the US fuel the conflict in the first place? These issues are discussed by political economist Radhika Desai, Russia expert Richard Sakwa, and China-based economic geographer Mick Dunford. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR3_KKf6kUY This is part of the program Geopolitical Economy Hour. You can watch other episodes of the show here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDAi0NdlN8hMl9DkPLikDDGccibhYHnDP Topics 0:00 Intro 7:08 Historical moment 9:39 NATO 13:30 Multipolarity 15:00 Imperialism & rent extraction 19:03 West lost Ukraine war 20:12 Can Trump end the war? 22:50 Russian view 26:03 Divide Russia and China 28:44 Trump's strategy 32:22 Isolationism 34:39 Russia-China alignment 37:16 Reverse Nixon 38:16 Root causes 40:07 Geopolitical shift 43:37 Trump is symbol of crisis 45:14 Dollar system 46:01 European politics 46:42 Trump's vision 47:44 US-Russia relations 48:29 ASEAN spirit 50:02 Europe's warfare state 54:18 Europe's deindustrialization 58:56 Western double standards 1:00:31 Russia's perspective 1:03:18 Russia's demands 1:06:12 Ukraine's civil war 1:07:40 Outro

Donald Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is a self-declared “crusader” who believes the USA is in a “holy war” against China, the left, and Islam. “Communist China will fall”, he vowed in his 2020 book “American Crusade”, promising, “Israel and America will form an even tighter bond, fighting the scourge of Islamism and international leftism that will never fully abate”. Ben Norton reports on his extremist record. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOg-dqGd6Jk Sources and links here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2025/03/07/us-defense-secretary-hegseth-overthrow-china-crusade/ Topics 0:00 Trump's cabinet of hawks 0:42 Pete Hegseth's "American Crusade" 2:02 Hegseth: "Communist China will fall" 3:26 Make the Crusades Great Again 4:38 Fox News 6:10 (CLIP) US "prepared" for war with China 7:02 Fearmongering about China 7:29 (CLIP) Trump on China "threat" 7:37 Fearmongering about China 8:42 (CLIP) CIA lies, cheats, & steals 8:58 Fearmongering about China 11:31 US military is "most lethal" 12:04 (CLIP) Hegseth: "most lethal" military 12:10 Culture war 13:23 (CLIP) Hegseth on "lethality" 13:28 Conservative identity politics 13:45 (CLIP) Hegseth's "warfighters" 13:59 Media pundit criticizes media 14:20 (CLIP) Hegseth on the media 14:36 (CLIP) Hegseth on Fox News 15:14 Israel 18:17 Hegseth wants war on Iran 18:44 (CLIP) Hegseth calls to bomb Iran 19:55 War with Iran? 20:39 (CLIP) Trump: US will "own" Gaza 20:46 War with Iran? 21:03 Pete Hegseth's elite background 21:41 (CLIP) Hegseth Harvard diploma stunt 22:30 Wall Street 22:55 Neocon 23:35 Guantanamo Bay 24:43 Book "American Crusade" 25:45 Hegseth declares "holy war" 26:33 US Civil War II? 31:05 War on secularism 33:18 (CLIP) Trump on the Bible 33:53 War on secularism 34:16 Hegseth's war on Islam 37:44 Extremist loses friends 38:52 Outro

The discussion dives into BlackRock's purchase of ports near the Panama Canal, a move facilitated by Trump's pressure on Panama to counter China's influence. Insights from U.S. officials frame the geopolitical landscape as a new Cold War against China. The podcast reflects on the strategic goals of U.S. foreign policy, echoing the Monroe Doctrine while highlighting the growing power of corporate oligarchs. There’s a critical look at how this reflects broader economic inequalities and the intertwining of government actions with corporate interests.

Donald Trump's contentious relationship with Ukraine is explored, revealing the U.S. perspective that treats the nation as a colony. The discussion centers on Trump's demands for control over Ukraine's crucial minerals, highlighting how Washington leverages economic colonialism. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham’s comments about enriching America through the war paint a stark picture of the conflict's financial motivations. The podcast also touches upon the broader implications of U.S. strategies aimed at weakening rivals like China, while exploiting Ukraine's resources.