War on Iran is part of US plan to revive Western colonialism and exploit Global South

War on Iran is part of US plan to revive Western colonialism and exploit Global South

Author: Ben Norton March 25, 2026 Duration: 29:56
The war on Iran is part of a larger attempt by the US empire to reverse the decline of Western hegemony and recolonize the Global South. After invading Venezuela, Donald Trump wants to "take" Cuba, Greenland, and Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel is annexing the West Bank and colonizing southern Lebanon. Ben Norton explains the imperialist plan. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Xa_Kahzhic Topics 0:00 Geopolitical context of Iran war 0:37 (CLIP) Trump vows to expand US empire 0:56 Plans to expand US empire 1:21 Colonial Donroe Doctrine 2:13 (CLIP) Trump wants Venezuela's oil 2:32 US military attacks Latin America 3:17 Lula: "They want to colonize us again" 3:51 US dominance declines, China rises 4:59 Trump threatens BRICS 6:25 Plans to revive Western colonialism 7:19 (CLIP) Marco Rubio praises colonialism 8:32 Marco Rubio 9:13 US oil blockade of Cuba 10:19 (CLIP) Trump hopes to "take Cuba" 10:49 US plan to recolonize Cuba 12:31 (CLIP) Trump on Cuban sugar barons 12:47 Exiled Cuban oligarchs in Florida 13:05 Cuban Revolution 13:48 Miami mafia 14:42 When Cuba was a US colony 15:39 US plans to colonize Greenland 15:53 Critical minerals supply chain 17:03 US attempt to save hegemony 17:45 (CLIP) Trump: USA will "own" Gaza 18:08 Israel is annexing West Bank 18:24 Israel invaded South Lebanon 19:48 Oil and gas in Middle East 20:21 Netanyahu's colonial Iran speech 20:56 (CLIP) Netanyahu on "barbarians" 21:32 (CLIP) Pete Hegseth on "savages" 21:48 Colonial rhetoric 22:25 (CLIP) Trump cites Manifest Destiny 22:45 Colonial propaganda 24:36 Gilded Age redux 26:39 Attempt to reverse decolonization 27:53 Will war backfire on US empire? 29:43 Outro

Trying to make sense of international headlines often feels like seeing only the ripples on the water's surface, without understanding the powerful currents moving beneath. Geopolitical Economy Report, hosted by journalist Ben Norton, dives into those deeper forces. This isn't just a recap of the day's events; it's a dedicated exploration of how economic systems, historical context, and raw power politics fundamentally shape global conflicts and alliances. Each episode builds on the work of the independent news outlet of the same name, translating its original journalism and analysis into a compelling audio format. You'll hear detailed discussions that connect financial policies to social movements, or trace the historical roots of a modern trade war, always with an eye toward understanding the larger, changing structure of the world. For anyone tired of superficial news cycles and seeking a more substantive, connected perspective on why nations and institutions act the way they do, this podcast offers a crucial and clarifying lens. Tune in for a regular dose of context that the mainstream frequently overlooks.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Geopolitical Economy Report
Podcast Episodes
Palantir CEO predicted US war on Iran, Russia, and China [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:16
The US military will "very likely" fight a three-way war with Iran, Russia, and China, predicted Palantir CEO Alex Karp in 2024. American imperial strategist Zbigniew Brzezinski warned back in the 1990s of this Eurasian…
To sell US war on Iran, Trump recycles old Iraq War propaganda [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:16
To justify war on Iran, the Donald Trump administration is repeating the same disinformation used by George W. Bush to justify the illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003, based on false claims it had "weapons of mass destructi…
The real reasons for the US-Israeli war on Iran, explained [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:51
The United States and Israel are waging war on Iran, but why? What are their real goals? Ben Norton explains the imperial strategy to impose US hegemony on West Asia (aka the Middle East), destroy the Axis of Resistance,…
Asia is uniting, creating a new post-West global order [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:29
Everywhere you look, you can see the decline of Western hegemony, as the world is increasingly multipolar. Ben Norton analyzes the rise of China, development of Global South economies, and increasing unity in Asia. A sym…
'We are preparing for war' with China 'threat', says US military [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:49
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivered an extremely hawkish speech in which he demonized China as a "threat" and said, "We are preparing for war". Ben Norton analyzes the top Trump admin official's aggressive rem…
Why Trump is angry at Russia: Reality strikes in Ukraine war [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:42
Donald Trump lashed out at Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning that he is "playing with fire", because the US has been unable to end the Ukraine war on its own terms. Political economist Radhika Desai analyzes the…