This week, Jonah Bennett, Wolf Tivy, and Ash Milton discuss the recent coup in Venezuela and Luka Jukic’s article on how the Balkans are hanging by an American thread.

Critics see Viktor Orbán’s semi-illiberal Christian democracy as a new opponent of liberalism. But Hungary has always stood on the edge of the Western order. Rather than destroying European institutions, Orbán is attempting to change the terms of their political deal.

This week, Jonah Bennett, Wolf Tivy, and Ash Milton interview Matt Ellison, author of the recent Palladium piece on Gustav Hilger, the German strategic mastermind behind the American post-war order.

For decades, stability in the Balkans has depended on American support. A new Kosovo deal is set to have ripple effects across the region’s ambitious nationalist governments. With the Trump administration desiring withdrawal, the region is on the brink of renewed conflict.

Middle Eastern Christians have been decimated by years of conflict. Now, they are participating in broad and unusual coalitions, even with Bashar al-Assad and groups like Hezbollah. These alliances will define politics for a generation.

This week, Wolf Tivy interviews Nick Pinkston, founder of Plethora, a rapid manufacturing company in San Francisco, to talk about manufacturing and industrial policy.

Gustav Hilger, a German strategic mastermind during World War II, remains almost totally unknown. But he exerted enormous influence on the U.S. architects of the post-war liberal international order, who proclaimed liberal values, but operated in a much more pragmatic manner behind the scenes.

Japan is anxious over China’s rise and America’s decline. It is reinventing itself to maintain autonomy, but the nationalist Japanese government is having to make do without a cooperative emperor. It may be too little, too late.

Forget about AI. There is a much more alarming type of intelligence arising in the oceans beneath us. Most people don’t even know about it. Without a solution, humanity will be overwhelmed.

Machine learning in the judicial system doesn’t have issues with bias. But it can barely keep up with Mechanical Turk workers, suffers from data pollution feedback loops, and distorts the incentives around crime.

This week, Jonah Bennett, Wolf Tivy, and Ash Milton discuss the role of romantic adventurism at the end of history and also Daniel Weissman’s fantastic piece on post-globalization Istanbul.

Over the last decade, Turkey has decisively pulled out of the Western order, which has come at significant financial cost. Palladium explored Istanbul to see what life looks like in the post-globalization era.

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.