This Is The Way The World Ends (w/ Zeihan & Gertken) - Geopolitical Cousins

The global geopolitical order faces imminent collapse over the next decade, driven by the convergence of deglobalization and severe demographic decline. The American-led security paradigm, which historically underpinned global trade and supply chains, is no longer sustainable, leaving the world vulnerable to cascading systemic failures. Military power is being democratized through autonomous, low-cost drone technology, which complicates territorial occupation and shifts the advantage toward area-denial strategies. Russia’s internal instability presents a critical power vacuum, potentially triggering a broader conflict as regional powers scramble to absorb territory. Meanwhile, the traditional nation-state model is hollowing out, as states struggle to maintain control over populations increasingly detached from national institutions. This transition toward a post-industrial, less interconnected world threatens to dismantle the modern economic loop of perpetual growth, forcing societies to adapt to a future of reduced production and consumption.