Swords, Scheming, and Modern Power Politics

What can dragons and samurai teach us about modern politics? In this episode, we pit House of the Dragon against Shōgun to ask which world—the honor-bound courts of 17th-century Japan or the cutthroat kingdoms of Westeros—better reflects today’s global power struggles. As it turns out, the fire-breathing fantasy feels uncomfortably real. From ruthless leaders and expendable foot soldiers to populist gambits and endless battles for territory and weaponry, the political logic of Westeros maps eerily onto the ambitions of figures like Vladimir Putin and Nayib Bukele. We explore why the brutal amorality of the Game of Thrones universe resonates more strongly with our current moment than any code of honor—and what that says about the world we’re living in now.https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/07/05/power-grabbing-tips-from-house-of-the-dragon-and-shogun