Neutrality Studies

The most fragile moment in 500 years of Western imperial dominance is also its most dangerous. As power slips away, the masses are forming into a new and frightening way. And it all has to do with psychology. Kyoto University Symposium 2026: "Geopolitics in the Time of Monsters"Presentation 3: Prof. Mattias DesmetWhy do even intelligent people fall for the most ridiculous narratives? At the Kyoto Symposium, Mattias Desmet presents his theory of mass formation, linking loneliness, anxiety and collective identification to propaganda and intolerance. He argues that sincere speech can rebuild human connections and resist destructive conformity. The discussion tests his account against history, modernity, class, racism and contemporary geopolitical conflict. Audience members challenge his assumptions and explore whether psychological explanations can complement structural analysis when diagnosing the dangers facing societies today.Mattias's Links:Official website: https://mattiasdesmet....Substack: https://words.mattiasd...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Introduction: diagnosing the patient04:56 Intelligence, conformity and mass formation08:31 Loneliness and the appeal of collective narratives15:56 Intolerance, propaganda and conflict19:39 Sincere speech and rebuilding human connections24:10 Q&A: anxiety and propaganda38:17 History, class and the limits of mass psychology56:40 Belief, experience and the final audience questions

Former Maltese foreign minister Evarist Bartolo explains from experience how the US manages its extended empire and how even fellow EU members work as enforcers of the transatlantic (dis)order.Kyoto University Symposium 2026: "Geopolitics in the Time of Monsters"Keynote 1: Evarist BartoloEvarist examines how small states can defend their sovereignty in an increasingly militarized world. Drawing on Malta’s experience of independence, neutrality and the removal of foreign bases, he argues that diplomacy offers alternatives to dependence on powerful allies. He also critiques Europe’s leadership and foreign policy. The audience discussion explores NATO, nuclear risks, relations with Africa, economic power, corruption and the practical limits of independence. Recorded at the Kyoto Symposium 2026, with questions and answers.Evarist’s Links:Official website: https://evaristbartolo...Kyoto Symposium programme: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Introduction: power and the “time of monsters”02:13 Malta’s road to sovereignty08:20 Support Neutrality Studies10:22 NATO bases and nuclear risk18:04 Europe’s leadership and lost alternatives29:49 Q&A: Europe, NATO and diplomacy40:05 Europe, media and political influence56:46 Capital, sovereignty and small states

Historian David Gibbs argues that today’s international disorder grew from decisions made after the Cold War, when Western policymakers sought to preserve military dominance despite the disappearance of the Soviet threat. Kyoto University Symposium 2026: "Geopolitics in the Time of Monsters"Presentation 2: Prof. David GibbsDrawing on declassified documents and Gibbs' research, he examines military spending, NATO, Yugoslavia and the politics of intervention. The audience discussion considers oil, capitalism, humanitarian arguments, China and public opposition to war. Recorded at the Kyoto Symposium 2026, this session includes the presentation and the full questions and answers.David’s Links:University profile: https://history.arizon...Research and publications: https://dgibbs.arizona...Kyoto Symposium programme: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Introduction: the search for new enemies03:02 Military spending and the lost peace dividend07:43 Support Neutrality Studies08:39 The strategy of permanent dominance14:44 Yugoslavia, NATO and European independence24:46 Arms manufacturers, PNAC and NATO expansion31:36 Q&A: oil, capitalism and intervention46:17 Ideology, humanitarian claims and public resistance

Commodore Steve Jermy joins Pascal to warn that Europe is courting a war it cannot sustain. They examine Kaliningrad escalation scenarios, Russian military capabilities, Western political groupthink, and the gulf between public narratives and battlefield realities. Jermy explains his support for a petition to pause British military assistance to Ukraine and demand public debate. The conversation also explores failed diplomacy, NATO’s readiness, American commitments, and why ordinary Europeans must have a say before their leaders risk a wider conflict.Steve's Links:Substack article: https://stevejermy.sub...UK Parliament petition: https://petition.parli...Steve Jermy's Substack: https://stevejermy.sub...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Steve Jermy and the petition to pause military support05:09 Escalation risks and Europe’s military vulnerability08:38 Political narratives and “cult thinking”14:26 Kaliningrad and the danger of miscalculation20:38 Ignored warnings and failed diplomacy27:24 America, Ukraine and the battlefield32:17 The human cost of a NATO–Russia war43:47 Defensive security and how to support the petition

Alex Krainer returns to discuss his argument that British imperial power survives through international banking networks. With Pascal Lottaz, he examines Yugoslavia’s breakup, Bosnia’s political tensions, and competing British and American interests. Their conversation traces debt, oil concessions, and corporate finance as mechanisms of wealth extraction, including the case of Enrico Mattei. They also debate technological control, artificial intelligence, and public attitudes toward Russia, before considering whether independent media and growing public awareness offer grounds for optimism and renewed sovereignty.Alex's Links:Alex Krainer’s Substack: https://alexkrainer.su...I-System TrendCompass: https://trendcompass.s...X: https://x.com/NakedHedgieYouTube:    / @kraineralex  The Naked Hedgie: https://thenakedhedgie...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Alex Krainer and the “undead empire”05:07 Yugoslavia and British influence15:31 Bosnia and competing Western interests30:33 Banking networks and the American divide38:44 Debt, oil and wealth extraction50:51 Corporate power and Enrico Mattei58:02 Technological control, AI and the future01:02:42 Public awareness and the case for optimism

At the East-West Forum in Istanbul, Professor Zhang Weiwei presents China's vision of a multipolar world. He explains the civilizational state, contrasts Chinese and Western approaches to governance, and argues for peace, development and regional cooperation. Addressing fellow panellists, Zhang discusses the United Nations, ASEAN, the Belt and Road Initiative, relations with India, and Donald Trump's diplomacy. He challenges Western definitions of democracy and concludes that Asia's future depends on integration, strategic patience and shared prosperity rather than military confrontation.Zhang Weiwei's Links:Fudan University profile: https://cifu.fudan.edu...China Institute, Fudan University: https://www.fudan.edu....East-West Forum: https://east-west-foru...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Pascal's introduction00:20 China as a civilizational state04:45 Unite and prosper: China's strategic philosophy06:51 Shared development, the SCO and ASEAN10:27 Public order, regional security and India12:34 Peace, common values and the UN Charter15:06 UN reform, development and Trump's diplomacy20:26 Democracy, border disputes and Asia's future

Mattias Forsgren joins Pascal to examine Sweden’s shift from neutrality to NATO and the risks of nuclear escalation in Europe. Drawing on his essay “Hegemonic Logic,” Forsgren argues that American power combines military pressure, financial influence and energy dependence. They discuss Nordic defence agreements, public debate, Cold War history and the limits of dissent. The conversation also explores Europe’s economic vulnerabilities, relations with Russia and China, and whether diplomacy can offer an alternative to confrontation and growing strategic dependence.Mattias's Links:Mattias Forsgren’s Substack: https://mattiasforsgre...Hegemonic Logic: https://mattiasforsgre...Dissidentpodden / Dissident Club: https://dissidentpodde...Michael Hudson conversation shared by Mattias: https://www.youtube.co...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Mattias Forsgren and the Dissident Club02:25 Hegemonic logic and nuclear coercion09:19 Sweden, NATO and the nuclear umbrella14:03 How Sweden’s security debate changed19:52 Neutrality, US bases and European autonomy32:42 Energy dependence and American leverage40:34 Dissent and Europe’s “Stockholm syndrome”43:42 China, diplomacy and possible alternatives

The US Regime-Change Industrial Complex is currently working in over-drive when it comes to consolidating Washington's power over the Western Hemisphere: The next country on the chopping block is Brazil and its only the latest in many regime change operations the USA has been conducting over the past 70 years in Latin America.Economist Mark Weisbrot joins me to discuss Brazil’s election and Washington’s influence across Latin America. He examines household debt, central bank policy, Argentina’s dependence on international lending, and the political power of dollar sanctions. Their conversation explores Venezuela, Bolivia, Haiti and Ecuador, contrasting economic sovereignty with external intervention. Weisbrot also distinguishes humanitarian aid from political interference, challenges prevailing accounts of Bolivia’s election crisis, and considers whether the region’s current rightward shift can deliver lasting improvements in ordinary people’s lives.Mark's Links:Center for Economic and Policy Research: https://cepr.netMark Weisbrot’s research and articles: https://cepr.net/peopl...Article on Brazil’s election: https://cepr.net/publi...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Introducing Dr. Mark Weisbrot03:11 Brazil: Lula, Bolsonaro and household debt07:58 Trump’s pressure on Brazil and the courts14:41 Argentina, dollar debt and sanctions27:38 NGOs, USAID and humanitarian aid33:44 IMF policies and Bolivia’s election crisis47:00 Haiti, Ecuador and economic sovereignty57:52 Brazil’s prospects and Latin America’s future

The Proxy War in Ukraine and the War of Aggression against Iran are not shaping up the way they are supposed to, and the Washington establishment is in panic mode. Ambassador Chas Freeman—a former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Undersecretary of Defence—does not think that these errors are part of a deeper strategy to weaken China, but the outcome of many individual failures.American power is, in fact, retreating as wars, sanctions and depleted arsenals expose the limits of dominance. He examines Iran, Yemen, Saudi Arabia’s growing autonomy and China’s gains from the energy crisis. With Pascal Lottaz, he discusses Israel’s eroding support, Switzerland’s neutrality debate and NATO’s failures. Their conversation explores whether cooperative security, regional partnerships and greater freedom for middle powers can replace confrontation, drawing lessons from ASEAN and considering the prospects for diplomacy in a changing world.Chas's Links:Chas Freeman's Substack: https://chasfreeman.su...Books and Publications: https://chasfreeman.ne...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Iran, Yemen and the widening regional crisis09:21 America in retreat: military and economic costs16:48 China’s gains and Saudi Arabia’s autonomy24:07 Israel’s eroding support30:31 Switzerland’s neutrality debate35:12 Can neutrality replace confrontation?39:09 NATO’s failure and Ukraine’s future44:14 A changing world: ASEAN and regional cooperation

There is a psychological explanation for why Europe and North America is governed by kakistocratic elites. Psychiatrist Niall McLaren joins Pascal to explore how the urge to dominate shapes politics and international conflict. Drawing on his book Narcisso-Fascism, McLaren argues that hierarchy and entitlement help explain elite behavior, imperial expansion, and resistance to oppression. They debate individual psychology versus structural explanations, challenge assumptions about human nature, and examine propaganda, group loyalty, and Western decline. The conversation also considers democratic reform, intellectual conformity, and McLaren’s distinction between socially reinforced beliefs and delusions in the clinical sense.Niall's Links:Critical Psychiatry and Narcisso-Fascism Substack: https://www.niallmclar...Narcisso-Fascism (book): https://www.lhpress.co...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Niall McLaren and Narcisso-Fascism03:16 Dominance and the paradox of hierarchy11:51 Entitlement, wealth, and imperial expansion15:46 Human nature versus offensive realism25:17 Can democratic reform restrain power?31:53 Western decline and enemies within44:28 Elite rivalry, group loyalty, and social delusions53:26 Questioning orthodoxy and explaining human nature