Geopolitical Cousins throws together analysts Jacob Shapiro and Marko Papic for some of the most in-depth, off-the-wall geopolitical analysis in the world.
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Look, France has had a riot in the streets every few years this century. Pensions in '95. The banlieues in 2005. Students in 2006, pensions again in 2010, the Yellow Vests, pensions again in 2023. In May '68 the president flew to Baden-Baden and nobody could find him. This is not the end of France, because it's the most French thing ever. Try: data centers eating the world's capital, energy eating paychecks, two wars nobody voted for. Something has to give.
Jacob thinks it's your grandmother's pension.
Marko thinks it's guns.
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Timestamps:
(00:00) - Intro/Welcome
(01:25) - The movies somebody should make
(17:09) - Geopolitical video games
(18:57) - Is this France's 1968?
(19:52) - A century of French protests
(25:45) - Giscard techno and the Le Pen scenario
(29:47) - Workers, AI and why geopolitics isn't a trade
Geopolitical Cousins 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.
Marko Papic is a macro and geopolitical expert at BCA Research, a global investment research firm. He provides in-depth analysis that combines geopolitics and markets in a framework called GeoMacro. He is also the author of Geopolitical Alpha: An Investment Framework for Predicting the Future.
Three hundred thousand tons of diesel (tons, not barrels) is what Trump says he extracted from Putin. The deal is easy to mock, but it’s worth understanding why it happened. Diesel is at record highs, and every European leader publicly condemning the move is privately relieved somebody finally told Zelenskyy to stop hitting Russian refineries. What the 5D-chess crowd misses is simpler: Ukraine and Iran are now the same war, because diesel trades globally and two kinetic conflicts are squeezing the same supply. From there, the harder question- what comes after Trump? America still wins gold, but it needed a Cameroonian center to beat a team of pudgy Serbs. The games are tighter now.
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Timestamps:
(00:00) - Welcome
(01:02) - Paris Market Fire
(02:27) - Trump Diesel Deal Readout
(03:55) - Energy War and Hormuz
(08:39) - Zelensky Leverage and Midterms
(21:14) - After Trump and Multipolarity
(37:53) - Limited Force Iran
(38:50) - Trump Strategy Document
(39:48) - Neocons Versus Deals
(42:24) - America Behind Curtain
(43:54) - Regime Change Values
(50:53) - After Trump Realism
(52:46) - Houthis Scenario Menu
(54:05) - Trump Houthi Deal
(56:58) - Regional Wildcards
(01:00:28) - Houthi Strategy Shift
(01:01:14) - US Reacts Not Leads
(01:02:16) - Voters And Israel Test
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Geopolitical Cousins is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at
Trust the Process!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Season 1 · Episode 81
Saturday, October 10, 2026 • Duration 01:20:18
Scott Bessent really said “trust the process.”
Bub, do you know the process? It's the Philadelphia 76ers deliberately being the worst team in basketball for half a decade. Pick a better sports metaphor. Anyway, here’s a conspiracy theory nobody on Wall Street will touch - - - - - The Fed isn’t hiking because of inflation - actual inflation is coming down. It’s hiking because economic agents have started expecting American incoherence as a permanent condition, and that’s the macroeconomic AIDS. They’re targeting oil prices. They’re targeting the war. Also: France might just be Illinois, and why Marine Le Pen in power is better for France than Marine Le Pen in opposition.
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Timestamps:
(00:00) - Show Intro
(00:31) - Hegseth Basketball Challenge
(02:09) - Trust the Process Joke
(07:25) - Bond Market Basics
(14:26) - Is the Economy Really Hot
(19:46) - Debt Service and Thin Ice
(25:54) - Fed Conspiracy Theory
(38:58) - Fed Tool Too Blunt
(39:37) - Inflation Hits Real Life
(40:13) - ECB vs Fed Mandates
(42:59) - Yield Curve Warning Signs
(45:32) - Gridlock and Market Risk
(46:59) - France Bonds and Le Pen
(01:16:06) - Middle East Shipping Shift
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Referenced in the Show:
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Geopolitical Cousins is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at
The Warning Label Is The Pitch
Season 1 · Episode 80
Monday, October 5, 2026 • Duration 01:18:59
OpenAI burned $15 million in three days to beat Anthropic to a Millennium Prize problem. Nobody's quite sure whose work they trained on to do it. This week the cousins bring in their science cousin - physicist Dan Green, Marko's college roommate - to explain what AI is actually doing to math, and why the whole thing smells less like a real breakthrough and more like an elaborate flex.
And... when a company tells you that their product might end humanity, is that a warning or a pitch deck? Marko has thoughts. Plus: why the dangerous scenario isn't the robot, it's the idiot who trusts it.
is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at
Flies to Poop
Season 1 · Episode 79
Friday, September 18, 2026 • Duration 51:03
The Houthis have an email address. You send them your ship's name, your transponder number, and they send you back a bank account. It's all very cultured. And the Iranians could have taken oil to $200 back in March but... They didn't. The Houthis could have flattened the East-West Pipeline seven years ago but... They didn't. So when everybody on Twitter is losing their toupees over Brent at 110, ask the better question: not what could happen, but why it hasn't. This is piracy, not jihad. These guys want to get P - A - I - D.
Plus: Brussels quietly builds a fake 28th country, and Sam Altman melting GPUs is just regulatory capture in a hoodie.
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Timestamps:
(00:00) - Travel-Mode Quick Intro
(00:44) - Pipelines Hit and Houthis Return
(02:24) - Piracy Logic and Getting Paid
(03:18) - Targeting Precision and IRGC Help
(05:15) - China Rumors and BRICS Diplomacy
(06:50) - Backchannel Talks and US Pullback
(09:57) - Oil Prices and Gulf Infighting
(12:04) - Midterms Leverage Debate
(19:16) - Capabilities Aren't New
(23:13) - Energy Diversification Reality Check
(24:26) - World Adapts to Tanker Wars
(25:07) - EU Speech Reality Check
(25:59) - EU Inc and Tax Plans
(28:04) - Single Market Stalled
(30:19) - Two Speed Europe Shift
(31:24) - Telecom Scale Problem
(33:45) - Will Europe Execute
(34:58) - Why This Time Different
The Fourth Reich
Season 1 · Episode 78
Thursday, September 10, 2026 • Duration 01:12:34
AfD won 44% in Saxony-Anhalt, and the Twittersphere (x-sphere just doesn't hit, sorry) immediately projected Panzer divisions massing on the Polish border. Is AfD kinda scary right-wing populist? For sure. But every right-wing populist party in Europe has faced this same test over the last decade, and 17 out of 17 came to Jesus on the Euro once they had to actually govern. So is Germany becoming the Fourth Reich?? Unlikely. This is just what happens to a country where too much remains unsayable - about immigration, about Ukraine, about energy - and who fills that vacuum.
Also: Greek shippers, making a killing.
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Timestamps:
(00:00) - Cold Open and Timing
(00:29) - AfD Shock Headlines
(02:16) - Europe Media Myths
(05:12) - AfD Strategy and Taboos
(09:29) - EU Integration Is Settled
(12:21) - Not Nazis but Risks
(14:18) - East Germany Roots
(17:47) - Ukraine and Russia Realism
(21:05) - Coalitions and Overton Window
(23:58) - Migration and Integration Crunch
(32:26) - Long Trend Not Flash
(34:42) - East West Guilt Divide
(36:53) - Guilt Politics Backfire
(37:46) - Teaching History Without Dwelling
(39:34) - Sons And Fathers Debate
(41:07) - Statues And Memory Wars
(42:12) - Germany Flags And Expert Skepticism
(43:29) - Why Parliaments Tame Extremes
(45:05) - Let AfD Govern Locally
Rabies-infested beavers
Season 1 · Episode 77
Monday, September 7, 2026 • Duration 01:22:58
Rabies-infested beavers. Not an insult - a fiscal strategy. Canadians have stopped buying bourbon, started flying maple leaf flags in grocery stores, and ~ most importantly ~ handed Mark Carney the political cover to build infrastructure needed since the OG Trudeau. This week: why "size of the fight in the dog" beats a trade balance sheet, why 5% tariff coverage is somehow triggering a national identity crisis, and why America might be the Uncle Dennis of North America - took free money, overstayed the welcome, and is now shocked nobody wants him at Thanksgiving.
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Timestamps:
(00:00) - Welcome and Housekeeping
(00:35) - Canada Episode Setup
(01:05) - Trade War Rupture
(02:25) - Why Tariffs Now
(04:18) - States at Risk
(05:38) - Carney Strikes Back
(06:40) - Risk Tolerance Matters
(08:29) - Canada Consumer Backlash
(10:20) - Carney Fiscal Space Plan
(12:20) - Infrastructure Reality Check
(15:26) - Quebec and Unity Messaging
(17:22) - Economic Pain and Polls
(20:49) - What Exports Really Are
(24:00) - China Veto Red Line
(27:01) - Maple 8 Pension Power
(29:12) - Canada Defense Mythbusting
(37:41) - Is America the Threat
(42:00) - Imperialism and History
(44:03) - WWII Alliance Origins
(44:42) - Peace Dividend Border
(46:03) - Risk Logic Defense Costs
Scotty Doesn't Know
Season 1 · Episode 76
Saturday, August 22, 2026 • Duration 01:26:25
Scott Bessent says he doesn't understand why oil prices are spiking. The guy standing between America and the River Styx is confused :) The cousins crack open a few cold ones this week and break down why the 30-year just hit a 20-year high - not debt, not deficits, just vibes. Atrocious ones. The lads cover the war in Iran, tweets about North Korea, and a bond market that's done playing along. Plus... are hyperscalers minting money or building the next great overbuild? And what does the Lakers sale have to do with any of this? Everything, obviously.
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Timestamps:
(00:00) - Beer And Banter
(01:02) - Treasury Buyback Shock
(04:15) - Why Yields Matter
(05:44) - Growth And Data Center Debt
(09:34) - War In Iran And Bad Vibes
(10:27) - Three Bond Selloffs Explained
(18:16) - Debt Deficits And AI Debate
(26:23) - China Models And AI Capex
(43:06) - Dollar Multipolarity Risks
(46:03) - Reserve Currency Reliability
(47:40) - South Korea Tweet Fallout
(48:48) - Pound vs Dollar Inertia
(51:57) - Trump 1 vs Trump 2
(54:04) - Iran War Limits Debate
(59:14) - Multipolar Reality Sets In
(01:01:56) - Backlash Against Data Centers
(01:05:10) - Why AI Fear Spreads
(01:11:26) - Populism and Tax Future
(01:19:39) - Lakers Sale Conspiracies
(01:22:34) - Private Equity in Sports
(01:25:52) - Closing Banter and Wrap
The King of Israel
Season 1 · Episode 75
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 • Duration 01:22:42
It's been a minute. Marko and Jacob are back after a long gap, and not much has changed: the Hormuz standoff drags on, the war in Ukraine grinds forward, and the stock market shrugged it all off. Marko argues freedom of navigation was always empire's marketing slogan. Jacob pushes back on why Israel keeps mattering more than his own theory allows. The cousins disagree about Russia's next move, but what's new?
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Timestamps:
(00:00) - Welcome Back Cousins!
(00:53) - Same Old Geopolitics
(01:43) - Hormuz Deal Rumors
(02:26) - Markets Ignore War
(03:34) - No Total War Thesis
(08:12) - Kinetic Activity Debate
(09:56) - Pipelines Undercut Iran
(13:45) - AI Bubble vs Oil Risk
(18:24) - Tolls and China Advantage
(22:44) - Freedom of Navigation Rant
(30:05) - Geography vs Technology
(36:54) - Pivot to Russia Ukraine
(39:07) - Wars Find Equilibrium
(41:04) - Ukraine War Normalized
(41:55) - Drones Hit Russia Home
43:46) - NATO Targets Warning
(45:08) - Black Sea Price Shock
(46:57) - Iran US New Equilibrium
(49:25) - Ukraine Breaks Stalemate
(52:35) - Putin Leverage Options
(55:48) - Spice Alliance Limits
(58:22) - Why West Hates Iran
(01:00:43) - Cold War Origins
Lessons Learned
Season 1 · Episode 74
Friday, July 31, 2026 • Duration 01:27:33
Round two. Same four analysts, a lot more whiskey, and a lot less structure.
Peter Zeihan, Marko Papic, and Matt Gertken sit back down with Jacob - a man who cut his teeth pestering all three of them for their pieces as a Stratfor intern - for an unfiltered conversation about how they actually became geopolitical strategists. They trade formative-moment stories from Stratfor's early-2000s "golden age" (including the Egypt/Mubarak call that made Jacob's career), debate whether corporate America can ever hire real geopolitical talent, and each name the one book that shaped how they see the world - from World War Z to Aristotle to The Ingenuity Gap.
Along the way: George Friedman lore, the DC Comics-vs-Marvel theory of geopolitical shops, and a genuinely moving closing tribute to the mentor who built this whole coaching tree. Part reunion, part masterclass in how to think about the world - and part roast session.
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Timestamps:
(00:00) - Welcome Back Round Two
(00:52) - Whiskey And Loose Format
(01:34) - Formative Stratfor Moments
(02:24) - Arab Spring Cred Test
(04:17) - Stratfor Coaching Tree
(07:50) - Pipeline After Cold War
(14:17) - Academia Versus Geopolitics
(17:14) - Analyst Craft And Courage
(20:22) - Chief Geopolitical Officer Debate
(22:55) - Training Gap And Time Horizons
(25:29) - Universities And MBA Reform
(27:39) - Ideology And Groupthink
(30:02) - Theory Versus Practice
(30:57) - Frameworks Beat Facts
(31:44) - Operationalizing Geopolitics
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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.
Marko Papic is a macro and geopolitical expert at BCA Research, a global investment research firm. He provides in-depth analysis that combines geopolitics and markets in a framework called GeoMacro. He is also the author of Geopolitical Alpha: An Investment Framework for Predicting the Future.
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.
Marko Papic is a macro and geopolitical expert at BCA Research, a global investment research firm. He provides in-depth analysis that combines geopolitics and markets in a framework called GeoMacro. He is also the author of Geopolitical Alpha: An Investment Framework for Predicting the Future.
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.
Marko Papic is a macro and geopolitical expert at BCA Research, a global investment research firm. He provides in-depth analysis that combines geopolitics and markets in a framework called GeoMacro. He is also the author of Geopolitical Alpha: An Investment Framework for Predicting the Future.
Geopolitical Cousins 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.
Marko Papic is a macro and geopolitical expert at BCA Research, a global investment research firm. He provides in-depth analysis that combines geopolitics and markets in a framework called GeoMacro. He is also the author of Geopolitical Alpha: An Investment Framework for Predicting the Future.
Geopolitical Cousins 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.
Marko Papic is a macro and geopolitical expert at BCA Research, a global investment research firm. He provides in-depth analysis that combines geopolitics and markets in a framework called GeoMacro. He is also the author of Geopolitical Alpha: An Investment Framework for Predicting the Future.
Geopolitical Cousins 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.
Marko Papic is a macro and geopolitical expert at BCA Research, a global investment research firm. He provides in-depth analysis that combines geopolitics and markets in a framework called GeoMacro. He is also the author of Geopolitical Alpha: An Investment Framework for Predicting the Future.
Geopolitical Cousins 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.
Marko Papic is a macro and geopolitical expert at BCA Research, a global investment research firm. He provides in-depth analysis that combines geopolitics and markets in a framework called GeoMacro. He is also the author of Geopolitical Alpha: An Investment Framework for Predicting the Future.
Geopolitical Cousins 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.
Marko Papic is a macro and geopolitical expert at BCA Research, a global investment research firm. He provides in-depth analysis that combines geopolitics and markets in a framework called GeoMacro. He is also the author of Geopolitical Alpha: An Investment Framework for Predicting the Future.
Geopolitical Cousins 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.
Marko Papic is a macro and geopolitical expert at BCA Research, a global investment research firm. He provides in-depth analysis that combines geopolitics and markets in a framework called GeoMacro. He is also the author of Geopolitical Alpha: An Investment Framework for Predicting the Future.
