S4 | E9 - Geopolitical Economy of the Iran War

Is the war over Iran's nuclear program about global security or the hidden collapse of Western economic power?In this episode of Real Talk, Daizy Gedeon sits down with Radhika Desai, Professor of Political Studies at the University of Manitoba and Director of the Geopolitical Economy Research Group, to examine the deeper economic drivers behind today's Middle East conflicts.Within a single nine-day span, the U.S. signed a major nuclear cooperation deal with Saudi Arabia while simultaneously launching airstrikes against Iranian nuclear targets. Two opposite responses to the exact same technology. To make sense of this contradiction, we step back from the daily news and look at the underlying structural reality:• Are wars caused by presidential personalities or shifting global economies?• U.S. weapons shortages and the limits of Western military power.• How capital speculation and war profiteering drive ongoing conflicts.• The rise of "taker" economies over "maker" economies.• Why the U.S. empire can no longer win through production alone. WHAT WE DISCUSS• The U.S. nuclear double standard: Saudi Arabia vs. Iran explained• U.S. military capacity and multi-front wars• Market speculation, war profiteering, and who actually benefits from conflict• The historical origins of nuclear diplomacy and NPT• How neoliberal policies deindustrialized Western economies• The role of private funds and corporate monopolies• China's economic expansion vs. U.S. military power• The neoconservative movement & Project for the New American Century• Why U.S. global hegemony is unravelling faster than ever• What must happen for lasting stability in the Middle East TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Two Contradictory Nuclear Decisions(01:58) Introducing Radhika Desai(03:46) Has Iran Already Won the War?(07:48) War Profiteering & Market Speculation(16:10) Double Standard: Saudi Arabia vs. Iran(23:17) Does Iran Need a Nuclear Deterrent?(33:38) When Did the U.S. Stop Winning by Producing?(41:38) Neoliberalism & The "Economy of Takers"(50:24) Can the U.S. Empire Last Forever?(58:45) Who Are the Neoconservatives?(01:08:32) The "Clean Break" Strategy & Today's Reality(01:22:18) Can Lebanon Achieve Real Peace?(01:26:45) What Happens Next Between the U.S. & Iran ABOUT RADHIKA DESAIRadhika Desai is a Professor in the Department of Political Studies at the University of Manitoba and Director of the Geopolitical Economy Research Group. She is the author of "Geopolitical Economy: After US Hegemony, Globalization and Empire" and co-host of the Geopolitical Economy Hour. SUPPORT OUR WORKIf you enjoy our podcasts, please consider supporting us:• Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/daizygedeon• PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5M4DXYG6L2Y8U• Youtube Channel: https://shorturl.at/qrjGx#RadhikaDesai #Iran #RealTalk #DaizyGedeon #Geopolitics #MiddleEast #Economy #USForeignPolicy #Lebanon