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Artwork for The Western Bubble
Donald Trump
United States
Ukraine
Iran
Israel
Russia
NATO
China
Western Bubble
European Union
Germany
Democracy
Liberal Democracy
Europe
Gaza
Canada
Transatlantic Alliance
United States Supreme Court
Climate Change
Artificial Intelligence

The West is suffering from the "Western Bubble" and as a result, the world suffers from it as well.In this podcast, Balder Hageraats and Dario Hasenstab examine how Western countries are increasingly lost in their own delusions on the world stage and what must be done to bring them back to reality.Understanding and acknowledging this phenomenon is crucial. It allows both Western and non-Western ac... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes195Founded4 years ago
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Artwork for The Western Bubble

Latest Episodes

Over two weeks, the AI industry started warning about itself. Employees resigned with doomsday statements, and within hours Amodei, Altman and Musk agreed the technology they build needs slowing down. The alignment was suspicious enough to be worth t... more

Last week we left you on a cliffhanger. This week we launch Project Rediscovery, the first public project from Western Bubble Insights & Strategy, and the reason the August Deep Dives on liberal political ideology were never a coincidence.

The start... more

We are back from the August break, and after a month away from current affairs we take stock of what happened while the Deep Dive series ran. The thread running through most of it is a familiar one: a vague but insistent fear that Russia is about to ... more

The fourth and final Deep Dive of the season arrives at the 21st century, the point where our four-part history of liberal political ideology turns from triumph to neglect. Unleashed in the 18th century, consolidated in the 19th, triumphant in the 20... more

In the third episode of our Deep Dive series on liberal political ideology, we arrive in the 20th century: the most violent, destructive and ultimately transformative hundred years in the history of the West.

The century opens with the collision of ... more

In the second episode of our Deep Dive series on liberal political ideology, we move into the 19th century, the most turbulent, violent and intellectually fertile period in the history of the modern West.

The 19th century was not a comfortable place... more

This is the first episode of our second Deep Dive series, in which we explore the rise and fall of liberal political ideology in the West. Over four episodes published throughout August, we trace how ideas, and the intellectual cultures that produced... more

This week we look at two stories that share a single underlying logic: the people running things have stopped pretending to care about the original purpose of the institutions they control, and are now just taking what they can before the music stops... more

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Recent Guests

JD Vance
American author and politician (as discussed in the episode)
Episode: Autopsy #10 JD Vance on the use of AI in the military
Peter Marchinka
Czech foreign minister (quoted in episode)
Czech Republic
Episode: Autopsy #8 Hillary Clinton and the 1990s That Never Ended
Eugene Rumer
Director of the Russia and Eurasia Programme
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Episode: Autopsy #6 The Carnegie Endowment For War
Alex Younger
Former Chief of MI6 (British Intelligence Service)
MI6
Episode: Autopsy #3 The MI6 Delusion on Iran

Hosts

Balder Hageraats
Co-host and commentator on geopolitical analysis; frequent contributor to discussions on Western policy and international relations.
Dario Hasenstab
Co-host introducing and guiding discussions; provides analytical framing on geopolitics and policy debates.

Top Politics Podcasts

RONZHEIMER.
RONZHEIMER.Paul Ronzheimer
Lanz + Precht
Lanz + PrechtZDF, Markus Lanz & Richard David Precht
Bern einfach. Das Wichtigste zum Tag.
Bern einfach. Das Wichtigste zum Tag.Markus Somm, Dominik Feusi
Machtwechsel
MachtwechselDagmar Rosenfeld und Robin Alexander
OK, America?
OK, America?DIE ZEIT

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Lights out for the West? 2025 Iberian Peninsula blackout #112
Q: Are you or is Spain well prepared for the next unexpected thing to happen?
It's a bit like COVID; we don't need to prepare too much since things were fine afterward, but it’s sensible to have some emergency supplies without becoming overly anxious.
Trump's Foreign Policy #098
Q: Do you think it's more or less likely now that the United States is going to start a war?
Balder suggests it's less likely for the US to start a war due to Trump's focus on domestic politics and lacking an ideological framework driving military action.

Audience Metrics

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Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Professions
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Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Western Bubble

What is The Western Bubble about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A sharp, policy-forward discussion focused on geopolitics, global power shifts, and the way Western policy framing shapes international outcomes. Episodes regularly dissect topics such as nationalism, alliances, surveillance and civil liberties, soft power, and the dynamics of Western-led institutions, often challenging mainstream narratives and offering grounded, skeptical takes on policy decisions. The format tends toward two-host analysis with concise stances and no guests in many episodes, making it a consistent, opinionated look at how Western thinking interacts with global events. A notable throughline is a critical lens on Western narratives and strategic thinking, which can be valuable for listeners who want a candid, contrarian per... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Western Bubble?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Western Bubble:

1. The Rest Is Politics
2. The Rest Is Politics: US
3. Wolfgang Wee Uncut

How many episodes of The Western Bubble are there?

The Western Bubble launched 4 years ago and published 195 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Western Bubble?

Recent guests on The Western Bubble include:

1. JD Vance
2. Peter Marchinka
3. Eugene Rumer
4. Alex Younger

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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