The Western Bubble

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, standard European centre-left policies. The reaction to him, though, reveals something deeper in American political culture: racism, Islamophobia, and a growing panic about who gets to define the political centre at all.Mamdani is winning over parts of the Trump base by talking about material conditions instead of cultural panic. Meanwhile, the Democratic establishment is telling itself that recent wins in Virginia and New Jersey confirm the safety of staying in the centre. Mamdani is treated as an anomaly, not a blueprint. But this misreads the moment entirely. If the Democrats repeat the mistake of 2016 with Bernie Sanders, by drifting further to the centre (right) out of fear of their own voters, they will continue to inflate the Western Bubble rather than address the real crisis.This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA, Dario Hasenstab, and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.

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, and humanitarian responses predictable are dissolving, and what is emerging is not a stable alternative but something closer to global anarchy.The United States has pushed tariffs to levels not seen in over a century, and is now carrying out airstrikes on civilian vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific with almost no international consequences. Meanwhile, the humanitarian disaster in Sudan continues without meaningful action from the so-called international community, even as millions are displaced and famine spreads.Multilateralism is not simply weakening. It is disappearing. And when there is no mechanism for cooperation, crisis management, or accountability, what remains is a world where power decides everything and suffering becomes background noise.This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA, Dario Hasenstab, and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.

China has quietly positioned itself as the global gatekeeper of rare-earth metals, now expanding export restrictions as a response to the United States imposing new trade barriers and levies. Meanwhile, the Netherlands caused a geopolitical tug-of-war between the European Union and China over the chip industry that powers modern life. Once again, Western countries seem unprepared for the long game as Western actions against China are hurting domestic industries.This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA, Dario Hasenstab, and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.

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 Hamas, hailed as the beginning of a new era, and even earned him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination from Javier Milei and Bosnia.But is this truly the end of one of the world’s most intractable conflicts, or just another temporary ceasefire dressed up as history?In this episode, we unpack the so-called Trump Peace Plan, how it differs from his earlier proposals, and why nearly everyone, from Western leaders to regional actors, seems eager to believe this time will be different. We also look at the historical record, current statements, and political incentives that suggest the fighting might not be over for long.This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA, Dario Hasenstab, and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.

After Balder called out Generation Z two weeks ago for not engaging enough in activism, we return to the question that lingers beneath everything: what can we actually do in a world where the West keeps declining, institutions are under attack, and everything feels like it is too much?Is the answer to cancel Disney, rage on social media, or take to the streets? Or are we simply too caught up in symbolic gestures while real change slips further away?There are also policy proposals emerging in response to a West in decline. From California’s Proposition 50 (the so-called Election Rigging Response Act) to renewed calls to ban Germany’s AfD, this episode explores what happens when societies start losing faith in their own systems, and how democracies respond when pushed to the edge.This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA, Dario Hasenstab, and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.

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 control. The largest civilian-led convoy in history, with over 40 vessels and 500 participants from more than 44 countries, attempted to break the blockade of Gaza, only to be intercepted by Israeli forces. At the same time, Israel ordered airstrikes against seven different countries in the past two months: Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, Qatar, Iran, and Yemen.We also discuss why more and more Western countries have begun to recognise Palestine since 2023, and why this shift is happening now.This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.

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 the assassination of Charlie Kirk to the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel and the indictment of James Comey.We then take a step aside to talk about Generation Z colliding with reality in today’s job market, reflecting on two recent Harvard studies about boredom, entry-level jobs, and the risks of outsourcing development to artificial intelligence.Finally, we turn back to geopolitics and debate Europe’s role in the face of Trump’s bullying. Should the EU strike out boldly with a new vision for the future, or is a radical break with the transatlantic relationship too dangerous to risk?This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com

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 being handed picture books about their own deportation, the language of “in the child’s best interest” rings hollow. We also challenge the idea that only the US is responsible for enabling Israel. While Washington’s military and political support is undeniable, Europe is also complicit, through inaction and ongoing arms deliveries. The truth is, both the US and Europe share a deeper problem: the erosion of personal responsibility and a neglect of the social contract.Examples range from protests in Epping to a $16 million settlement and cancelling Stephen Colbert between Paramount and Trump, displaying open corruption, to Colombia paying $200 million and revoking 70 degrees over fear of Trump. We highlight examples of institutions and individuals failing in their duties.But we end on a rare positive note before the summer break: a parent who actually took personal responsibility. See you back in September!This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.Here are the links we talked about: Good parenting: https://x.com/AlexRothe92/status/1949103538082054435?s=19Jubilee Video: https://youtu.be/2S-WJN3L5eo?si=m_O7w3x0riTojY2x&t=1322"Children's Book": https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/6eea0e99-e464-11ef-be2a-01aa75ed71a1#

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 theories, but a deeper institutional and psychological crisis.But this story isn’t really about Epstein or Trump. It’s about how simplified moral binaries are hijacking political discourse. We look at how these narratives flatten complex realities, fuel extreme tribalism, and damage the very institutions meant to uphold accountability.If the system can't be trusted and people can’t agree on what’s real, how do we move forward? That’s the real question.This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.

In this episode, we return to a theme we first explored three years ago: the steady hollowing out of institutions. Recently, the decline has accelerated further, eroding both credibility and effectiveness.We look at the wave of NATO and EU countries, including Finland and Lithuania, pulling out of the Vancouver landmine ban treaty, citing Russian threats. At the same time, the United States shows open hostility toward international institutions it created: from imposing sanctions on ICC judges investigating Israel to citing the “Hague Invasion Act” to undermine accountability when it is useful. At the same time, still relying on it to criticise those it sees as adversaries. Elsewhere, Trump uses tariffs as a blunt instrument to reward allies and punish enemies. This time targeting Brazil over the indictment of Bolsonaro, and pressuring Israel to pardon Netanyahu altogether.This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.

In this episode, we unpack the newly passed Big Beautiful Bill and what it says about the state of Western democracy. Despite two Republican defections, the bill sailed through Congress, bringing with it massive increases in military and immigration enforcement spending, the extension of unsustainable tax cuts, and the likely loss of health coverage for millions of Americans.But the real story goes deeper. How is it possible that legislation this harmful still passes? From weak parliamentarians to increasingly executive-dominated legislatures, to parties enforcing strict conformity, we explore how Western democracies are drifting toward top-down governance. We draw parallels from the U.S. to Germany, the Netherlands, and the U.K., all facing their own versions of this political decay.Has democracy become too slow and inconvenient for the modern voter? Tune in as we explore what this latest bill really reveals about the Western Bubble.This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.

This week, we take a step back from geopolitics to explore how artificial intelligence is already reshaping our societies and our minds. From efficiency gains to cognitive decline, we reflect on how we personally use AI and why it’s so easy to fall into the traps of convenience and illusion.Drawing lessons from the social media age, we look at how AI accelerates the collapse of shared reality, fuels parasocial relationships, and chips away at our ability to think critically. With tools like Grok and Google Veo 3 making privacy a memory and manipulation effortless, the question isn’t whether AI will turn evil, but whether we’re prepared for what it’s doing to us right now.This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.

In this episode, we navigate the chaos of the past week: as Trump launches airstrikes using bunker-buster bombs, supposedly to “bring peace,” we ask: what does the U.S. gain from this? And why is Europe so eager to look the other way?We also offer two public service announcements, one on the myths surrounding Iran’s nuclear program, and one on the absurdity of the West’s new 5% defence spending target. Because sometimes, cutting through the noise is more important than adding to it.This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA, Dario Hasenstab, and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.

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 of Israeli missiles striking targets deep inside Iran, many are asking whether this constitutes an official act of war. But in an age where no one seems to declare war anymore, what does that even mean?We unpack the short-, medium-, and long-term logic behind Israel’s actions, and ask whether strategic brilliance is really at play—or whether the current approach is sowing the seeds for even more instability within the Israeli government. We explore how global perceptions of Israel’s military success might be masking the damage being done, both regionally and internationally. And in the background, the question looms: does this kind of attack now justify Iran seeking a nuclear weapon, even if it shouldn’t?This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.

In this extra episode, we unpack the dramatic events of the early morning Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory. Around 3 AM CEST, hundreds of missiles struck multiple locations in a long-prepared operation involving cyberwarfare and ground operatives. As the attacks continue, we ask: Was this an act of war?We explore the immediate reactions—Western allies balancing carefully worded responses like “Israel has a right to defend itself,” while distancing themselves from involvement. Meanwhile, Trump ominously warns this is “just a warm-up.”As Benjamin Netanyahu calls it a decisive moment, we question the glaring imbalance in how military actions are perceived, depending on who launches them. Is the world’s focus on Iran’s possible response proof that some actions are simply more tolerated than others?This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, please email us at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.

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 leadership. Is this an escalation of authoritarian tendencies or just another display of political incompetence? Meanwhile, a bizarre feud between Trump and Elon Musk unfolds, adding a layer of personal drama to an already volatile political landscape. Was the deployment of the National Guard just a smokescreen to distract from Trump’s embarrassing fallout with Musk?We also briefly touch on the latest developments in the Netherlands, where domestic political chaos adds yet another data point to a growing transatlantic trend.This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.

Elections have taken place in Canada, Australia and Romania; in each of these countries, the quasi-Trump candidate lost. However, the wins of centre parties can only slightly mask the need for each of these countries to redefine their identity on the world stage. What do these elections tell us about the Western world’s evolving self-image, and what lessons, if any, can be drawn?This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.

From quiet UK streets under constant surveillance to the chaos of global power politics, this week we cover a whirlwind of developments.Dario shares his impressions from a tightly monitored Britain, where the comfort of order comes at the cost of privacy. Meanwhile, Trump continues dismantling democratic norms: using federal money to reward friends and punish critics, tightening control over universities like Harvard. His recent treatment of South Africa’s leadership adds yet another layer to the humiliation tactics we’ve seen before. Is Trump a fascist by now?In this episode, Eurovision even makes an appearance, as a strange cultural mirror to our geopolitical moment.This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.

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 the most important foreign policy updates within the Western Bubble context. Next week, we will take a break from recording and return afterwards. This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.

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 darkness and the strange psychological aftermath that followed. Balder shares his experience from the ground in Madrid, while we reflect on how quickly panic and rumors—especially of World War III and our last episode on the fear of war—spread through a society gripped by fear. From people raiding grocery stores to others flocking to parks, the reactions say as much about our modern mindset as they do about the incident itself.We also look at how the blackout is already being politicised, reigniting old debates about renewables, nuclear energy, and infrastructure security, despite the fact that, as of recording day, we still don’t know what really happened.This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.