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Pakistan has spent much of its modern history caught between powerful neighbours, competing foreign powers and an enormously influential military establishment. In this episode of The More Freedom Foundation Podcast, Rob Morris and Ruairi take a deep dive into how Pakistan got here — and why the country remains so politically fragile.
The conversation goes all the way back to British India and Partition, examining how Pakistan inherited a difficult frontier, complicated borders and deep tensions with India and Afghanistan. Rob and Ruairi then explore the rise of military rule, Pakistan's long relationship with the United States, the influence of Saudi Arabia, the Soviet-Afghan War and the radicalisation that followed.
They also look at Pakistan's more recent history: the rise and fall of Imran Khan, his confrontation with the military establishment, his relationship with the United States, China and Russia, and the controversy surrounding his imprisonment and political movement.
Beyond domestic politics, the episode considers Pakistan's increasingly important role in a changing region — from its relationship with China and Iran to the possibility of being drawn into the conflict in Yemen and the wider Middle East.
And there are some surprising developments too, including Pakistan's extraordinary solar boom, which has seen millions of people turn to rooftop solar as the country's traditional energy system struggles.
Is Pakistan doomed by the circumstances of its creation, or does it still have the resources and people to build something very different?
Rob and Ruairi discuss Pakistan's past, present and uncertain future.
Rob and Ruairi take a deep dive into the renewed Saudi-Yemen conflict and the rapidly changing situation on the ground in Yemen.
Why did Saudi Arabia restart its war with the Houthis? What does the Houthis’ recent territorial advance mean for the conflict, and for Saudi Arabia itself? And why has a war that has dragged on for more than a decade suddenly become so important for oil markets and global trade?
The conversation covers the history of Saudi Arabia’s intervention in Yemen, the Houthi movement, the Saudi- and UAE-backed forces, the collapse of the previous ceasefire, and the strategic importance of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. They also discuss the roles of the United States and Israel, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 ambitions, Mohammed bin Salman, and the enormous humanitarian cost of the conflict.
With the fighting once again affecting Saudi oil infrastructure and pushing oil prices higher, Rob and Ruairi ask what happens next — and whether a negotiated peace between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis is still possible.
Why is Western democracy struggling — and is the problem bigger than Donald Trump?
Rob Morris and Ruairi discuss Les Coleman’s Aeon essay Why Western democracy is ailing and how to fix it, examining the legacy of Reaganism and Thatcherism, deregulation, privatisation, inequality, corporate power, rising debt and the weakening of public institutions.
They also get into the 2008 financial crisis, white-collar crime, AI, GDP, campaign finance, democracy vouchers and citizens’ assemblies — and ask whether Western democracies need more than a change of politicians to get back on track.
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Tom Cotton is an unusual figure in American politics. Harvard-educated, a former Army officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, highly disciplined and seemingly determined to succeed, he has built what looks like the perfect résumé for a Republican politician.
So why does Rob Morris think Tom Cotton should never become President?
In this episode of The More Freedom Foundation Podcast, Rob takes a closer look at the ideas behind the increasingly prominent American senator. We discuss Cotton's extraordinary career, his military service, his carefully constructed path into politics, his intelligence and work ethic , and the almost complete absence of charisma that makes it difficult to imagine him winning the White House.
But beneath the jokes about his incredibly boring speeches is a much more serious concern. Cotton is one of America's most committed advocates of military force, and Rob argues that his influence over US foreign policy deserves far more attention. We look at his views on Iran, Yemen and the wider Middle East, his opposition to the Iran nuclear deal, and the consequences of a politician with such a strong appetite for war potentially spending decades in the US Senate.
Is Tom Cotton simply an exceptionally impressive politician whose foreign-policy instincts are deeply troubling? Or is he exactly the kind of politician America should be paying more attention to?
Either way, Rob's conclusion is clear: please don't make this man President.
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In this episode of The More Freedom Foundation Podcast, Rob Morris and Ruairi take a deep dive into the Trump administration's savage approach to Latin America, arguing that U.S. policy has shifted toward a far more confrontational and coercive model than at any point in almost a century.
The conversation explores the historical roots of U.S. involvement in the region, from the Monroe Doctrine and early 20th-century interventions to Franklin D. Roosevelt's Good Neighbor Policy, before examining what some call the "Donroe Doctrine"—a return to overt pressure, military threats, sanctions, and open corruption and political intervention across the Americas.
Rob and Ruairi discuss:
Throughout the discussion, Rob argues that history offers an important warning: policies based on coercion may deliver short-term victories but often undermine America's long-term influence throughout the hemisphere.
If you're interested in U.S. foreign policy, Latin American politics, geopolitics, or the future of the Western Hemisphere, this episode provides a wide-ranging historical perspective on one of the defining regional issues of the Trump era.
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Six months after the outbreak of the Iran war, the conflict has entered a new phase. Initial predictions have given way to a more complex reality, with the United States, Iran, Israel, China, and the global economy all facing consequences that few anticipated. Other than us, that is.
In this episode, Rob Morris provides a comprehensive update on the state of the war, examining why the United States has struggled to achieve its strategic objectives while arguing that Iran has not emerged as the clear victor many commentators claim. Instead, the conflict has settled into an uneasy and costly stalemate with significant geopolitical and economic implications.
Topics include:
If you're interested in geopolitics, international relations, economics, and understanding the deeper forces driving today's headlines, this episode offers an in-depth analysis that goes beyond mainstream coverage.
Hosted by Rob Morris
Subscribe to The More Freedom Foundation Podcast for regular discussions on geopolitics, economics, history, and the changing international order.
In today's episode Rob & Ruairi discuss the rise of Japan at the beginning of the 20th century. We are aided in our discussion by the extraordinary book The Other Great Game: The Opening of Korea and the Birth of Modern East Asia By Sheila Miyoshi Jager.
The Sino -Japanese War (1894-1895) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) are commonly discussed as brief coming out parties for Japanese power. Jager's book makes it clear just how apocalyptic these wars, especially Russia and Japan's fight, were for the region. We argue that they weren't just devastating for Korea, China and Russia, the losers of these wars, but that they ended up being devastating for victorious Japan as well.
In this episode of The More Freedom Foundation Podcast, hosts Rob Morris and Ruairi unpack one of the most overlooked stories in global economics: America's intervention to support the Japanese yen. Was it an act of solidarity with a key ally—or a desperate move to protect the U.S. economy as fears of a global recession continue to grow?
The discussion explores the unique economic relationship between the United States and Japan, the significance of the yen in global financial markets, and why Japan's decades-long economic experiment matters far beyond Tokyo. Rob and Ruairi examine the carry trade, Japan's enormous holdings of U.S. debt, the legacy of Abenomics, and how currency markets have become a critical battleground in an increasingly fragile global economy.
As recession warnings intensify, the episode asks whether Washington's actions were really about saving Japan—or preventing a financial shock that could ripple through the United States and the rest of the world.
If you enjoy deep dives into geopolitics, economics, and the forces shaping the future of the international order, this episode is for you.
We’re celebrating roughly 200 episodes of The More Freedom Foundation Podcast with a special Q&A episode. Rob and Ruairi answer questions sent in by listeners on Discord and Twitter, covering everything from war and geopolitics to travel, politics, the future of the podcast and the differences between the two hosts.
Among the questions discussed:
It’s a wide-ranging, occasionally serious, occasionally ridiculous conversation between two hosts who still haven’t met in person — and a chance to look back at the ideas, disagreements and questions that have kept the podcast going for roughly 200 episodes.
Hello Bottom of the description reader.
Spain is quietly becoming one of Europe's biggest success stories. While much of the continent struggles with political instability and economic stagnation, Spain is enjoying some of the fastest growth in Europe, driven by migration, renewable energy, and a surprisingly resilient political system.
In this episode, Rob and Ruairi explore how Spain has transformed from one of Europe's "poor four" economies into a rising power. They discuss the country's remarkable economic performance, the role immigration has played in sustaining growth, the housing crisis threatening that success, and why Spain's relationship with Latin America and Morocco gives it advantages few other European nations possess.
The conversation also dives into Spain's imperial legacy, the Franco dictatorship, Catalan separatism, renewable energy, and why Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has become one of Europe's most distinctive voices on foreign policy and Palestine.
Can Spain's model offer lessons for the rest of Europe—or will housing shortages and political change slow its momentum?
Topics covered:
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