The Western Bubble

Europe's Stockholm Syndrome during Trump's War #139

23 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In Episode 139 of The Western Bubble, Dario and Balder analyse the global fallout as the US-Iran conflict enters its third week. With the Strait of Ho...

Autopsy #2: Did Francis Fukuyama Invent the Western Bubble?

20 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's Autopsy episode, Dario and Balder put the foundational text of the Western Bubble under the microscope: Francis Fukuyama’s 1992 decla...

How Spain Became the "Odd One Out" in the Western Bubble #138

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran enters its second week, we are turning our focus to a topic we can no longer avoid: the thoroughly em...

The Spaghetti Tactic: Trump's Chaotic Narratives on Iran #137

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It has been just over a week since the United States and Israel launched a massive military campaign against Iran, and the justifications coming out o...

Autopsy #1: The Illusion of Victory (George W. Bush's Iraq Speech)

07 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to our very first Autopsy episode, a new format where we step back to analyse a specific piece of media, speech, or historical moment that per...

Trump's War On Iran #136

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The United States and Israel have launched a massive military campaign against Iran, creating a devastating geopolitical earthquake. In this urgent ep...

Why the Western Bubble #000.2

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this new trailer episode, we reintroduce the show with video and reflect on our journey from a university professor and International Relations stu...

The End of the World as We Knew It: A Liquidation Sale #135

22 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we look back at a year defined by one name: Trump. Since taking power in January, the US President claims to have ended eight wars, ranging fro...

The US National Security Strategy Made us Sick, Literally!

14 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We intended to sit down this week and dismantle the new US National Security Strategy piece by piece. Unfortunately, the sheer weight of American impe...

The Art of the Surrender: Trump’s 28-Point Plan for Ukraine #134

07 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The rumour mill has stopped spinning, and the text is finally out. Donald Trump’s administration has drafted a 28-point "peace plan" for Ukraine, an...

Trump + Venezuela = Iraq in 2003? #133

30 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump has escalated military pressure on Venezuela at a speed that should alarm everyone. As of mid-November 2025, the United States has carrie...

The AI-Bubble vs. the Western Bubble #132

23 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we look at the growing concerns around the so-called AI bubble and why the panic is beginning to resemble the early 2000s, only multiplied ...

The West Cancelled Climate Change #131

16 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As COP 30 begins in Belém, we look at how the world is heading into another climate summit with rising emissions, crumbling political will, and a sys...

The Mamdani Mystery #130

09 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we talk about the surprising rise of Zohran Mamdani and why his victory matters far beyond New York. His proposals are, in reality, standar...

The Post-Neoliberal Void #129

02 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we look at what the world actually looks like after the decline of neoliberalism. The systems that once kept global politics, trade, ...

Chips, China, and Control #128

26 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

China has quietly positioned itself as the global gatekeeper of rare-earth metals, now expanding export restrictions as a response to the United State...

Trump’s Peace in Pieces #127

19 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump has done it again: a dramatic announcement, a deadline, and a deal. His new 20-point peace plan for Gaza was signed between Israel and Ha...

Cancel Disney, to Save the West? #126

12 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After Balder called out Generation Z two weeks ago for not engaging enough in activism, we return to the question that lingers beneath everything: wha...

Flotilla Makes Israel Sink to New Depths #125

05 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Western Bubble, we turn our attention to Israel, where events of the past weeks have revealed a country spiralling out of contr...

Charlie Kirk, Gen Z, and the Future of the West #124

28 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After a two-month break, we return to find the decline of liberal democracy in the United States accelerating at a frightening pace. We look back at t...

FRONTEX: Like ICE, but with children's books #123

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we draw an uncomfortable comparison between ICE in the United States and Frontex in Europe. Whether it’s children in cages or children be...

Epstein Files, Trump, and the Decline of Complexity #122

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we dig into the renewed uproar around Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous network and how its resurfacing in 2025 is fueling not just conspiracy t...

Western Institutional Erosion Accelerates #121

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we return to a theme we first explored three years ago: the steady hollowing out of institutions. Recently, the decline has accelerat...

Trump's Brutal Budget Bomb #120

09 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we unpack the newly passed Big Beautiful Bill and what it says about the state of Western democracy. Despite two Republican defection...

Efficiency or Delusion? AI and the Western Bubble #119

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we take a step back from geopolitics to explore how artificial intelligence is already reshaping our societies and our minds. From efficien...

Flooding the Zone and Bombing Iran #118

24 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we navigate the chaos of the past week: as Trump launches airstrikes using bunker-buster bombs, supposedly to “bring peace,” we a...

Israel, Iran, and the Bomb: Strategic Brilliance or Dangerous Escalation? #117

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After the latest escalation between Israel and Iran, we take a step back to assess what just happened and what it means moving forward. With hundreds ...

Israel Strikes Iran: Who Decides What Counts as War? EXTRA Episode

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this extra episode, we unpack the dramatic events of the early morning Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory. Around 3 AM CEST, hundreds of missi...

Trump vs Los Angeles (and Elon Musk) #116

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As protests in Los Angeles against ICE turn violent, Trump responds by sending in the National Guard—only to be publicly rebuked by California’s l...

The quasi-Trumps lose in Canada, Australia and Romania #115

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Elections have taken place in Canada, Australia and Romania; in each of these countries, the quasi-Trump candidate lost. However, the wins of centre p...

Trump’s New Playbook: Reward, Punish, Repeat #114

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From quiet UK streets under constant surveillance to the chaos of global power politics, this week we cover a whirlwind of developments.Dario shares h...

Violence & Ceasefires: India, Ukraine & the DRC #113

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week's episode is a little different from our usual format as Dario is travelling and therefore unable to record. Balder is still bringing you th...

Lights out for the West? 2025 Iberian Peninsula blackout #112

07 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when the lights go out across an entire region?This week, we talk about the massive blackout that plunged the Iberian Peninsula into dark...

The West is preparing for WAR #111

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As global tensions continue to rise, the West appears to be entering a psychological phase of preparing for war. From escalating rhetoric in Europe to...

Holy Alliances: Religion’s Role in Foreign Policy Today #110

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Just hours after the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, we take a step back to examine the enduring role of religion in shaping global politics. ...

Reasonable Answers to the Trump Tariffs? #109

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trump’s 90-day tariff pause might sound like an opening for diplomacy—but the real reason behind it lies in bond markets, not international goodwi...

Tariffs, Tantrums and Transactions: The Art of Understanding Trumpenomics. #108

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump’s latest tariff plan is as bold as it is baffling. A 60% tax on Chinese imports, arbitrary surcharges on trade deficits, and even tarif...

Signal failure: the Trump administration going off the rails #107

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Western Bubble has been added to the chatIn this episode, we delve into the recent security breach where U.S. national security leaders used the S...

The West Is Fading—Who Will Rule the World in 2050? #106

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The transatlantic alliance is broken—so what happens next? In this episode, we strip away the hype and look at the deep trends shaping our world: th...

History’s Biggest Mistakes: Are We About to Repeat Them? #105

18 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

History is full of moments when people misjudged the future—either by being too pessimistic or not pessimistic enough. In the 1930s, optimism blinde...

Breaking Free: What Europe Must Do in a Post-Atlantic World #104

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With the transatlantic relationship in crisis, Europe faces a choice: continue clinging to a U.S. that no longer sees it as a true partner, or chart i...

Oval Office Fallout – The End of Transatlantic Illusions #103

05 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As promised, we’re back this week to unpack the aftermath of the now-infamous Oval Office incident between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian...

Middle East at Boiling Point: Israel, Syria, and the Shadow of Iran #102

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we return to the ever-escalating tensions in the Middle East. From the latest prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas—where each...

Uncertain Alliances: Europe’s Shift and Trump’s Diplomatic Risks #101

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we focus on two key developments shaking the Western order. JD Vance at MSC says Europe's gravest threat isn’t external—it’s th...

100 Episodes, One Western Bubble – A Retrospective #100

18 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As we celebrate our 100th episode, we take a reflective journey through our past discussions—from early debates on institutional decline and the evo...

The Cracks Are Showing: Power, Dysfunction, and the Road to Episode 100 #099

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As we approach our 100th episode, we take a step back to examine the chaos of the past two months. From the latest developments in the U.S. to the gro...

Trump's Foreign Policy #098

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year! We’re back, and so is the geopolitical madness we’ve come to expect. With President Trump now inaugurated, he has wasted no time m...

End of Year (and the world as we know it) #097

31 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As 2024 draws to a close, the cracks in the global order have become impossible to ignore. From Ukraine’s waning prospects in its war against Russia...

Immigration in the Western Bubble #96

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Immigration is one of the most polarizing topics in Western politics today, consistently topping voter priorities and shaping political campaigns. But...

Martial Law in South Korea and the US Health Care System #095

10 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, we delve into South Korea, where President Yoon’s declaration of martial law raises critical questions about the Western Bubbl...

The Global Dominoes: Syria, Lebanon, and Georgia #094

04 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From Biden pardoning Hunter Biden to Trump’s influence on global diplomacy, this episode dives into the intricate web of U.S. domestic politics and ...

Geopolitics of the Arctic #093

26 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the Arctic transforms into a region of strategic importance due to climate change, new opportunities and tensions emerge. Trade routes, resource ac...

From Gaza to Amsterdam: The Stubborn Western Lens #092

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past year, the dynamics in Gaza have shifted significantly, yet Western policy towards Israel remains largely unchanged. This episode explore...

Emotional Comfort post and pre Election Drama #091

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump is President-elect of the United States of America and Dario does not want to talk about it. Why are people so afraid to seek discomfort ...

US (UK) Elections and the Media #090

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The US election results are coming out as we are publishing this episode. Still, we already spoke on Sunday discussing the crazy campaigning period an...

The World without the West #089

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The 2024 BRICS Summit in Russia just ended and did we hear about it in Western Media? Mostly when Putin spoke (or didn't) about North Korean soldiers ...

The Death of Sinwar, Elon Musk and India vs. Canada

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This time we talk about the death of Sinwar in Gaza and what this means for the conflict from a Western Bubble perspective. Then we swiftly think abou...

#087 US Elections, Israel & Iran

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are back from our summer break and what a summer break that was. Joe Biden drops out of the US elections and Kamala Harris takes his place. In the ...

Solutions to the Western Bubble #086

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After weeks of hyping it up we are finally delivering on our promise to deliver some broad solutions to the problems of the Western Bubble. Can you th...

Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, the UK & Biden #085

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our 4th season is coming to an end, which provides us with an opportunity to look back at some of the topics we have discussed in the past months and ...

The US Supreme Court #084

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The US Supreme Court has been the talk of the town this week. There are plenty of impactful cases to look at from the past weeks. Donald Trump basical...

Individual Responsibility #083

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Can we blame the average voters for their votes for destructive policies? To what extend are they victims or the establishment? To what extend should ...

The Fear of War #082

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This June, US President Biden said that “Russia will not stop at Ukraine, and “All of Europe will be threataned”. Where is this fear of war comi...

European Parliament Elections #081

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The European Parliament Elections just took place and they took us for a ride. But unlike the European establishment we do not call anyone who voted f...

Institutional Decline Part III: Who wants to come to the West? #080

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The third part of our three part episode series on institutional decline with today's focus of who still wants to come tonthe West? People who need mo...

Institutional Decline Part II: Foreign Policy #079

28 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In our second part of our three parter on institutional decline in the West we focus on foreign policy. Continuity and the resulting accountability ar...

Institutional Decline Part I: University #078

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Universities all over the globe are experiencing encampments of students demanding action against Israel. This is representing an increasing trend of ...

Eurovision Israel Scandal #077

15 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Over the weekend all of Europe went crazy over the European Song Contest - Eurovision. As a weekend full of scandals comes to an end, the biggest of w...

The UK's Rwanda Policy #076

09 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today we analyse the United Kingdom's agreement with Rwanda to fly asylum seekers and migrants to Rwanda to process them. We talk about how this is a ...

Haiti failed by the West #75

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Haiti is always in the news for negative reports, the country is governed by a failed state. Today we discuss failed states from the Western Bubble pe...

Multinational Corporations in the West #074

25 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Multinational corporations undermine and harm the West in various ways. But why does the West not do anything to control their power and influence? Be...

The Eastern-West #073

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To discuss the Easter-West or non-Nato Western Bubble we invited someone from the Eastern-West. In this episode, we are talking to Daniel Bloch from A...

Is the Western Bubble a substitute religion? #072

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As a special Easter-Ramadan-Purim Episode, we had an informal talk about religion. What's the role of religion in the Western Bubble? How do we person...

Israel's increasing Isolation #071

22 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Almost six months after the 7th of October Attacks, Israel is largely isolated on the world stage and in the West - driving it further into the arms o...

The Role of the Military #070

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What is the role of the military in the Western Bubble? Does it add to it? Does it intensify it? How come NATO has a military budget many times the on...

North vs South Europe #069

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"Northern European arrogance vs Southern European ingratitude" ... Europeans have their stereotypes for each other. But what does this have to do with...

EXTRA: Macron sending troops to Ukraine?

01 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Two days after we recorded our episode on the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine Denmark dropped its investigation into the Nordstr...

Two years Ukraine #068

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Two years ago Russia invaded Ukraine, since then a lot has happened in the Western Bubble, but basically very little has changed on the battle fronts,...

Donald Trump's Foreign Policy #067

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump has very good chances to become US President once again. Today we analyse what the Foreign Policy of a second Trump term would look like,...

The US Republican Party #066

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Republican Party in the US is a great case study of Western behaviour in the past decades. Particularly recently, the Party has provided us with m...

The ICJ's Ruling on Israel #65

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The International Court of Justice issued an emergency ruling on a case of South Africa brought forward against Israel over Israel's military actions ...

Cancel Culture #064

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today we discuss Cancel Culture! Where does it come from? And where is it going? Also, why is this unique to the Western World? Join us as we kick off...

The Bubble Awards #63

22 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It is the end of 2023 and we are awarding the bubble awards once again! Who will win the bubble blooper, bubble booster, bubble burster, bubble blower...

EXTRA Why do young people vote for right-wing populists?

16 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

During the recording of our last episode, right-wing populism, Dario went on a rant about society’s treatment of the youth during the Covid-19 pande...

Right-Wing Populism #62

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Geert Wilders, Javier Milei, Donald Trump, Boris Johnson! Crazy hair populists are on our minds and we want to understand why the West is so vulnerabl...

The Roman Empire #61

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How many times per week do we think about the Roman Empire? Balder thinks about it twice a week, Dario prefers the Egyptians… But what does this mea...

David Cameron is back! #60

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

David Cameron is back in the politics of the United Kingdom and so is our need to talk about the UK. The last time we did so was one year ago and the ...

Global Conflicts we forget about #59

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Contrary to popular belief or media attention, the Israel-Hamas and the Russia-Ukraine conflicts are not the only ones in the world. Lives are also lo...

Israel vs. Hamas 3 #58

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After popular demand, we are back with this topic and the situation on the ground still has not improved. Since our last episode, the West has further...

Reconnecting with Venezuela #57

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For years now the West has put Venezuela in the naughty corner, only to realise that in the meantime the country has moved closer to Russia and China....

Global Realignment #56

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What do the United States and China have in common with Adidas and Nike? According to Dario they are an analogy for global realignment, but you let us...

Israel vs Hamas 2 #55

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One week later and the tragic situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip is still on everybody's mind. Since last week a lot of things have happened and a...

Israel vs Hamas #54

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The tragic situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip also needs to be analysed from the Western Bubble perspective. What lessons can be learned from our ...

Sovereignty Trumps Self-determination #53

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The news of Azerbaijan taking over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh primarily inhabited by ethnic Armenians sparked a debate about self-determination. W...

Interview with Usama Ghanem #52

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is our first interview episode of season three and we could not have started it with a better guest but our editor Usama Ghanem. We talk to him a...

BRICS and G20 Summits # 51

23 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With the BRICS and G20 summit taking place last week, Western countries and media are panicking over new members to the BRICS and interpreting China’...

Trailer Season 3

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are Balder Hageraats and Dario Hasenstab, a professor and his former student of international relations. Together we examine how Western countries ...

Sweden vs the UN #49

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we analyse the United Nations Human Rights Council issuing a report on Quran Burnings in Sweden and Denmark. This shows how the West has lost co...

Hope for the West? #48

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we analyse the coverage of a press team in Iraq that gives us hope that the Western Bubble is not impenetrable. As a basis of today's episodes s...

The Coup in Niger #47

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For the month of August, we decided to record four episodes that show signs of the Western Bubble bursting. And we are starting with the development s...