Bernard-Henri Lévy has spent his life creating a brand of intellectualism and adventure. This contrasts with the liberal fear of personalist politics in favor of regulated institutions. Lévy’s comfortable position in the establishment depends on his role as a safety valve for the romantic storytelling which drives politics.

This week, Jonah Bennett, Ash Milton, Wolf Tivy, and Miguel Morel discuss Miguel’s on-the-ground Venezuela article and the Palladium team’s experiences in Caracas, Bogotá, and Buenos Aires. The panel also delves into Luka Jukic’s piece on the post-Soviet sphere and Sonya Mann’s piece on cypherpunk culture and gun printing.

Venezuela, plagued by an incompetent and corrupt ruling class, doesn’t have what it takes to be a socialist state. The Palladium team visited Venezuela and Colombia for an up-close look at a country in free fall and harrowing stories from refugees who have fled.

Cypherpunks and gun advocates are trying to make gun control impossible by using one part of the state against itself.

During Britain’s early industrial revolution, wages stagnated as productivity accelerated, resulting in radical movements and social conflicts. As technology reshapes industries today, the lessons of this period can help us navigate modern political tumult.

After the Soviet collapse, several countries in the bloc ended up under Western influence. Russia has developed an economic and military toolkit to consolidate its position. However, these same tactics have caused key allies to seek alternative ties in order to balance power in the post-Soviet sphere.

This week, Jonah Bennett, Ash Milton, and Wolf Tivy review Stephen Borthwick’s article on China and Pasha Kamyshev’s piece on Facebook and how the state is supposed to grapple with the phenomenon of centralized social media and rival power centers.

The state faces the challenge of grappling with centralized social media companies as distinctly political entities. These companies may need to be replaced by decentralized social infrastructure that is less politically and socially problematic.

Welcome to the first episode of the Palladium Podcast, where we explore the future of governance and society. This week, Jonah Bennett, Ash Milton, and Wolf Tivy review the magazine’s opening article, discuss Jonah’s adventures in Davos, and expand on the recent piece about geoengineering.

China’s global influence has largely expanded through economic mega-projects. However, the role of culture and soft power was essential to its historic prominence. Its growing economic strength must be understood through this lens.

The global image of Davos is as a network of elite interests, social agendas, and competing ambitions. Those who make the trip are confronted by a gathering full of social grifters, boring grinders, and a few interesting people.

The current ice age is a geologically rare event, threatened by human activity. Emissions reduction won’t be enough to resolve climate change. Instead, we must learn from the ancient past to stabilize and geoengineer our environment.

A scientific and technocratic philosophy of management was developed in the 20th century. With many of its most-prized skills now being automated, a return to human judgment will be central to the fourth industrial revolution.

Kazakhstan emerged from the Soviet Union as a poor country under Russian domination. Today, its new capital rises from the steppe and its living standards are improving. Behind this lie both a Eurasianist politics and an authoritarian development model.

Indonesia’s rising working and middle classes have demonstrated a commitment to its traditional religious values. In response, formerly neoliberal leaders are jettisoning their Western influences and renewing alliances with the country’s major Islamic organizations.

Retired military generals financially entangled in the defense industry structurally bias the media towards war. These networks have legitimized many of the U.S. military interventions which continue to define foreign policy.

Non-Western universities are rising in reputation and research capability as Western universities become increasingly consumed with social politics. As more global decision-makers are trained by non-liberal institutions, liberalism will cede a key historical vector of influence.