Will the U.S. go to War with Iran?

Will the U.S. go to War with Iran?

Author: Jacob Shapiro & Marko Papic March 23, 2025 Duration: 1:57:40

Jacob and Marko run down the most important issues of the week: Will the U.S. go to war with Iran? Why did President Erdogan arrest his top rival? Is Indonesia helping or hurting itself by courting its military? And is Chinese consumption really happening? From there, they turn to the kind of geopolitical sports analysis that only they can offer, drafting teams of 7 for the top geopolitical sports moments in history.

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:00) - Iran

(31:00) - Turkey

(46:00) – Indonesia

(58:00) – China

(1:09:00) - Geopolitical Draft


There’s a certain kind of conversation that happens when two deeply knowledgeable friends, who also happen to be professional geopolitical analysts, get together without a script. That’s the space Geopolitical Cousins occupies. Hosts Jacob Shapiro and Marko Papic bring their distinct perspectives-often aligned, sometimes clashing-to dissect the forces shaping our world, from market-moving policies to underlying cultural shifts. You won’t find dry, academic lectures here. Instead, each episode feels like you’re overhearing a lively, sometimes comedic debate between two cousins at a family gathering, if that family was obsessed with the intersection of power, philosophy, and investment. The analysis is rigorous and in-depth, yet delivered with a relatable ease that can pivot from a serious interview with an expert to an off-the-wall observation about societal quirks. This podcast digs into the "why" behind the headlines, exploring how business, culture, and human nature collide on the global stage. By weaving together categories that are often kept separate-society, investing, comedy, philosophy-Shapiro and Papic create a uniquely holistic listen. Tune in for a perspective that is as intellectually substantial as it is unpredictably engaging.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 54

Geopolitical Cousins
Podcast Episodes
Israel Strikes Iran [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:02
Jacob Shapiro and Marko Papic react in real time to Israel’s stunning military strikes on Iran. With key nuclear sites hit and top Iranian commanders killed, the cousins break down what this means for Iran’s capacity to…
Manufactured Chaos [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:38
Marko and Jacob unpack the media frenzy and political theater surrounding the ICE raids and escalating protests in Los Angeles. Marko cuts through the noise, calling out the mutually parasitic relationship between Trump…
The New Age of Making Stuff (or Pretending To) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:46:56
Marko tears into the political class’s inability to talk about industrial policy without veering into Cold War nostalgia. He and Jacob unpack why tariffs are back—not as economic tools, but as cultural signals. Marko arg…
Uber-Manliness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:32:21
Marko kicks off this week’s episode with a takedown of Middle East punditry, arguing that Biden’s calm, calculated response to Iran’s attack on Israel is exactly what stability looks like in a multipolar world. While Jac…
Maple Syrup and Soft Power [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:51:12
Marko and Jacob wrap up their Geopolitical Power Draft, spar over Canada’s place in the top 10, and debate whether demographics or tech will shape the next world order. Marko defends Canada with maple syrup, AI, and ag e…
Our 2025 Geopolitical Power Draft [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:47
The cousins return with chaos, caffeine, and an inaugural Geopolitical Power Draft - but not before Marko rants about Gulf monarchies, Trump’s diplomatic plane deals, and why Saudi Arabia might out-liberal Israel by 2050…
TikTok Dictators and the End of Hegemony [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:52
This week, the cousins speed-run chaos: Houthis hitting Israel, Trump cutting side deals, and Jordan taking heat for not hosting enough sick kids from Gaza. Marko argues that the U.S. is done playing global babysitter, a…
A Jew and a Nihilist Talk About The Pope [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:30
After a whirlwind of parenting, flights, and failed schedules, the cousins are back with overreactions and the U.S. dollar’s free fall. They riff on Chinese tech breakthroughs... but Marko's still not buying BYD over a G…
The Tip of a Peninsula with a Bunch of Crazy People [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:17
Marko unloads on the myth that austerity worked in Greece, calling out lazy linear thinking, Eurozone nerds with Excel models, and Paul Krugman’s fantasy economics. He explains how Greece’s turnaround was real - but not…
Let Them Drink Bleach [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:43
Trump's tariff chaos isn’t strategy - it’s a policy car crash in slow motion. Jacob Shapiro and Marko Papic walk listeners through how we got here: tariffs based on 6th grade math, no off-ramps, and the U.S. launching a…