Hamidreza Azizi joins the pod for an emergency episode on the current state of Iran amidst escalating tensions with the United States. Azizi examines the potential for conflict between the two and and offers insights into Iran's internal politics, the role of the IRGC, and the possible repercussions of a U.S. attack.

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Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction

(01:46) - Iran's Domestic Situation

(02:44) - US-Iran Tensions and Military Movements

(04:08) - Iran's Response and Internal Dynamics

(09:41) - Potential Scenarios and Outcomes

(28:31) - Iran's Military Capabilities and Strategies

(41:16) - Regional Implications and Global Reactions

(54:33) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Referenced in the Show:

Hamidreza’s Substack - https://www.irananalytica.org/

Middle East Council - https://mecouncil.org/experts_members/hamidreza-azizi/

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Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

Jacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe

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The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com

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Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.

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Jacob sits down with agricultural economist Dr. David Kohl to unpack what a brutal downturn in farm profitability reveals about globalization, capital concentration, labor shortages, and long-term economic resilience. The two touch on tariffs, debt, and the limits of export-led growth, and then the conversation widens to examine how technology, demographics, and financial fragility are reshaping both rural America and the national economy.

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Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction

(00:56) - Discussion on US Ag Economy

(02:17) - Challenges and Opportunities in Agriculture

(07:09) - Land Values and Institutional Investments

(12:24) - Generational Transition in Farming

(18:02) - Export Markets vs. Domestic Focus

(23:03) - Future Trends and Strategic Insights

(25:55) - Venture Capital in Agriculture

(28:09) - Economic Outlook for 2026

(29:21) - The K-Shaped Economy Explained

(31:39) - Impact of AI and Job Cuts

(34:55) - Global Economic Concerns

(41:05) - Technological Advancements in Farming

(49:39) - Financial Literacy and Life Skills

(51:32) - Closing Remarks and Future Outlook

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Referenced in the Show:

Dave Kohl: https://www.farmprogress.com/author/david-kohl

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Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

Jacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe

--

The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com

--

Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.

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Andrey Sizov, a Black Sea agricultural markets, joins the pod to talk about about why the Russia-Ukraine war has disrupted global grain trade far less than expected - and why that may be changing. Jacob and Sizov examine recent attacks on shipping, the fragile balance keeping Black Sea exports moving, and how escalation could ripple through wheat, corn, energy markets, and global food security. Of course, they also tie in Iran, China’s commodity buying, and what geopolitical risk really means for global agriculture.

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Timestamps:

(00:00) - Intro

(00:24) - Black Sea Geopolitics and Agricultural Markets

(01:09) - Technical Issues and Podcast Logistics

(01:45) - Start of the Interview with Andre Coff

(03:27) - Black Sea's Importance in Global Trade

(04:32) - Market Reactions and Historical Context

(06:09) - Recent Developments and Speculations

(13:52) - Prospects for a Deal and Future Outlook

(17:07) - Impact on U.S. Agriculture and Market Sentiments

(23:00) - Turkey's Role in the Black Sea Region

(24:29) - Turkey's Role in the Black Sea

(26:22) - Turkey's Wheat Imports and Black Sea Stability

(28:22) - Sunflower Market Insights

(30:06) - Iran's Political and Economic Challenges

(33:07) - US and Israeli Involvement in Iran

(38:55) - China's Agricultural Trade with the US

(43:13) - Global Grains Trade and Self-Sufficiency

(50:02) - Conclusion and Future Outlook

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Referenced in the Show:

Andrey Sizov's Reports: https://sizov.report/

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Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

Jacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe

--

The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com

--

Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.

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Economist Mike Konczal joins the show to unpack the escalating pressure campaign against the Federal Reserve, new inflation data, and what all of this means for the U.S. economy. Jacob and Mike discuss whether Trump’s confrontation with Jerome Powell is genuinely dangerous, how tariffs and immigration policy are shaping prices and growth, and why the labor market looks weaker beneath the surface. Mike is more cautiously optimistic than we expected - but the downside risks remain real.

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Timestamps:

(01:26) - Fed and Executive Branch Dynamics

(05:49) - Economic Consequences and Market Reactions

(09:03) - Global Perspective on US Economic Policies

(14:09) - Impact of Tariffs and Trade Policies

(15:12) - Future of Fed Independence and Supreme Court Cases

(17:06) - Economic Theories and Real-World Implications

(27:01) - Economic Data Post-Government Shutdown

(27:14) - Inflation Insights and Core Prices

(28:02) - Trump's Approval Ratings and Economic Perception

(29:03) - Unemployment Rate and Labor Market Analysis

(30:48) - Federal Reserve's Stance on Inflation

(31:34) - Impact of Tariffs on Inflation

(33:13) - Trump's Influence on Federal Reserve Policies

(41:00) - Economic Predictions for Midterms

(45:43) - China's Trade Surplus and Global Impact

(51:32) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Referenced in the Show:

--

Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

Jacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe

--

The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com

--

Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.

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Shock, instability, climate stress, financial panic, political rupture: the question isn’t who avoids disruption, but who absorbs it and keeps moving. Jacob invites on Parag Khanna of AlphaGeo to wrestle with a harder metric than dominance or growth - resilience. What actually allows states, systems, and societies to adapt when the rules keep changing? Shapiro and Khanna explore the events driving this week's headlines (Venezuela, Iran, Greenland) and dive into the underlying systems that actually determine outcomes: resilience, adaptation, and the capacity to recover when shocks pile up.

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Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction

(02:10) - Geopolitical Risks and Resilience

(03:10) - Historical Geopolitics and Current Events

(05:11) - Challenges in Latin America

(12:47) - Asia's Geopolitical Landscape

(20:41) - Technological Impact on Geopolitics

(34:18) - Africa's Geopolitical Future

(38:38) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Referenced in the Show:

AlphaGeo: https://alphageo.ai/

Henley index: https://tinyurl.com/henleyindex

Parag's Site: http://paragkhanna.com/

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Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

Jacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe

--

The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com

--

Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.

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Venezuela has become the flashpoint for a new era of American hard power - not just a regime change, but a raw assertion of dominance over the "backyard." Elohim Monard graces the pod with his presence once more as the U.S. treats a sovereign nation like a criminal organization to secure global oil markets, and the ideological fractures across Latin America deepen. Is this the beginning of a peaceful transition or the birth of ten years of chaos? This moment forces a reckoning: what happens when stability is traded for extraction, when ideology gives way to brute pragmatism, and when Latin America’s future is shaped less by its people than by who controls the valves?

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Timestamps:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:12) - Discussing Recent Events in Venezuela

(02:59) - US Involvement and Imperialism

(06:15) - Historical Context and Comparisons

(08:58) - Reactions from Latin American Leaders

(14:30) - Potential Future Scenarios

(24:56) - Cuba's Situation and US Strategy

(27:29) - Media Critique and Final Thoughts

(28:46) - Stephen Miller's Perspective on Venezuela

(32:36) - US Strategy in Latin America

(34:00) - Future of US Dominance in the Western Hemisphere

(37:14) - Impact of Chinese Investments

(44:25) - Potential Chaos in Venezuela

(54:38) - Implications for Peru

(58:03) - Final Thoughts and Upcoming Discussions

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Referenced in the Show:

--

Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

Jacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe

--

The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com

--

Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.

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Jacob takes on the U.S. seizure of Nicolás Maduro and what it reveals about American power, imperial strategy, and hemispheric priorities. This was less about China or narco-trafficking and more of than a blunt assertion of control over resources and geography. Venezuela is a test case, possibly a rehearsal, for deeper U.S. intervention in the Western Hemisphere, especially Cuba, and a sign of Washington consolidating power closer to home as its global leverage erodes.

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Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction and Emergency Episode Announcement

(00:49) - Background on US-Venezuela Relations

(01:44) - The US Attack on Venezuela

(02:55) - Implications for Venezuela and the Region

(04:16) - Historical Context and US Imperialism

(05:51) - Forecasting Future Geopolitical Moves

(06:33) - Cuba as the Next Geopolitical Target

(15:50) - China's Influence in Latin America

(18:39) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Subscribe to our Substack to hear more of Jacob's thoughts on the US's capture of Maduro and takeover of Venezuela.

Jacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe

--

Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

--

The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com

--

Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.

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What if the money in your pocket wasn’t a tool for freedom, but a mechanism for control? Inflation, surveillance, and financial exclusion actively shape who can save, speak, or participate in the global economy. Alex Gladstein joins the show to examine money as a human-rights issue, exploring how new digital tools are being used in places where traditional financial systems fail or are weaponized. Alex reframes money as a human-rights issue - tracing how digital currencies are reshaping power at the margins: enabling dissidents, protecting savings, and creating escape hatches from broken systems. It’s not about speculation or hype... it’s about sovereignty, repression, and what freedom actually looks like in a digitized global economy.

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Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction

(00:17) - Bitcoin as Freedom Money

(01:46) - The Need for Freedom Money

(04:04) - Global Financial Repression

(10:12) - Bitcoin's Resilience and Privacy

(20:00) - Case Studies and Real-World Impact

(23:03) - Bitcoin and the Future of Nation States

(25:01) - The Cost of War and National Debt

(25:36) - The Role of Banks in Government Spending

(27:06) - Bitcoin's Potential to Empower People

(27:36) - Dictators vs. Bitcoin

(28:51) - The Rise of Stablecoins

(29:43) - Bitcoin vs. Altcoins

(38:13) - Ethereum's Flaws

(40:39) - Bitcoin's Impact on Oppressed Nations

(44:43) - The Future of Bitcoin and Dictatorships

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Referenced in the Show:

Alex Gladstein: https://alexgladstein.com/

Freedom Money Essay – https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/why-bitcoin-is-freedom-money/

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Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

Jacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe

--

The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com

--

Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.

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Elohim Monard joins The Jacob Shapiro Podcast to discuss Latin America.

A massive geopolitical integration in LatAm is quietly underway, fueled by a "Trumpian" rightward shift sweeping from the Southern Cone to the Rio Grande. As traditional alliances fracture, a new "practical ideology" is emerging to unite the hemisphere through hard-fist security tactics and aggressive economic pragmatism.

But beneath this surface-level alignment lies a volatile paradox: a burgeoning "low-intensity war" targeting non-state actors as a pretext for permanent emergency. From the weaponization of fentanyl to state-sanctioned privateers, the line between regional stability and calculated chaos is vanishing. Latin America has suddenly returned to the center of the global board (contrary to major predictions) and the struggle for its future is no longer a civil war... but a high-stakes play for total hemispheric control.

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Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction

(00:52) - Current Geopolitical Climate in Latin America

(02:18) - Upcoming Elections and Political Shifts

(03:36) - The Rise of Right-Wing Politics

(07:20) - Brazil's Political Landscape and Lula's Role

(11:37) - Economic Dependencies and China's Influence

(23:01) - Strategic Infrastructure and Future Developments

(27:59) - US Investment in South America

(28:36) - Venezuela and Letters of Marque

(30:43) - US-Venezuela Tensions Escalate

(32:28) - Trump's Foreign Policy Strategy

(37:16) - Potential War Against Non-State Actors

(46:22) - Future of US-Venezuela Relations

(50:46) - Conclusion

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Referenced in the Show:

Conversando de Pol ítica: https://www.conversandodepolitica.com/

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Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

Jacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe

--

The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com

--

Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.

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Power gets loud when it’s insecure. Strategy becomes theater. And ideology sneaks in wearing policy jargon. The White House's newest U.S. National Security Strategy claims realism while quietly demanding dominance, preaching restraint while laying groundwork for escalation. Civilizational panic collides with imperial muscle, producing a document that wants everything, everywhere, all at once.

Van Jackson, Professor of International Relations at Victoria University of Wellington, sits down with Jacob Shapiro to chat about how culture war thinking seeps into grand strategy, why “prioritization” turns into mission creep, and what this blueprint signals for allies, adversaries, and a world already stretched thin.

If this is restraint, buckle up :)

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Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction

(01:40) - Understanding National Security Strategy

(02:23) - Critique of the Current Administration's Strategy

(07:22) - Historical Context and Comparisons

(13:14) - Primitive Accumulation and Geopolitics

(16:47) - Latin American Policy and Imperialism

(25:33) - Military Strategy and Global Implications

(29:47) - China as a Pacing Threat

(30:47) - Misconceptions in Military Strategy

(31:52) - Potential Conflicts in Latin America

(34:23) - US Military Intervention in Mexico

(35:38) - Challenges of Addressing Drug Cartels

(41:56) - Hegemonic Decline and National Security

(48:24) - Global Reactions to US Strategy

(53:58) - Brazil's Role in Latin America

(56:53) - Concluding Thoughts

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Referenced in the Show:

Van Jackson - https://people.wgtn.ac.nz/van.jackson

National Security Strategy 2025 - https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf

NSS (2002) - https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/nsc/nss/2002/

NSC-68 (1950) - https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/NSC68

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Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

Jacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe

--

The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com

--

Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.

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