The Peter McCormack Show

The war in the Middle East is usually discussed as a military conflict. In this interview, Firas Modad argues the real consequences are far wider. We discuss how escalation could spread through energy markets, shipping lanes and commodity prices - and why the economic effects of war may hit far beyond the battlefield. Firas also explains how political incentives, donor networks and foreign policy alignments shape decisions in Washington, and why the incentives behind modern wars often look very different from the public narrative. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 – Why Iran Matters 00:07:25 – Why The West 00:12:17 – Energy Shock Risk 00:20:04 – Iran Endgame Scenarios 00:32:28 – Fog Of War 00:40:26 – Lebanon Expands 00:54:21 – Energy Decides It 01:02:30 – Christian Immigration View 01:08:27 – Debt And Decay 01:13:39 – Bible And Collapse 01:22:09 – Just War Test - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CONTACT PETE › Website – http://petermccormack.com › Feedback – https://www.petermccormack.com/contact › Email – [email protected] › Instagram – /mccormack555 › X/Twitter – https://x.com/petermccormack/ CONNECT WITH FIRAS MODAD › X/Twitter – https://x.com/firasmodad › Website – https://www.modadgeopolitics.com/ SPONSORS › IREN - https://www.iren.com/ › Ledger - https://www.ledger.com/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE › Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40ruY9K › Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Wc94Vu › Fountain: https://bit.ly/FountainPM › YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube_PM › Rumble: https://bit.ly/RumblePM FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ › https://x.com/curttayloruk/ EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Governments aren't going to pay this debt down in real terms. More likely, they pay it back in weaker money. Luke Gromen argues we're already deep into a sovereign debt cycle - and that AI could speed up the moment it really starts to crack. In this interview we discuss how the system works: leverage, entitlements, interest costs, bond markets - and what happens when deflation hits an economy that depends on inflation to stay upright. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 – Debt Reality 00:01:57 – Math vs Politics 00:06:26 – Already In It 00:08:51 – Japan Warning 00:14:38 – Acute Phase Risk 00:15:32 – What To Do 00:21:33 – End Of The Cycle 00:34:13 – AI Disruption 00:40:20 – 2007 Parallel 00:49:07 – UBI & Politics 00:58:02 – Sovereign Insolvency 01:08:26 – Meaning & Collapse - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CONTACT PETE › Website – http://petermccormack.com › Feedback – https://www.petermccormack.com/contact › Email – [email protected] › Instagram – /mccormack555 › X/Twitter – https://x.com/petermccormack/ CONNECT WITH LUKE GROMEN › X/Twitter – https://x.com/LukeGromen › Website – http://fftt-llc.com/ SPONSORS › IREN - https://www.iren.com/ › Ledger - https://www.ledger.com/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE › Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40ruY9K › Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Wc94Vu › Fountain: https://bit.ly/FountainPM › YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube_PM › Rumble: https://bit.ly/RumblePM FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ › https://x.com/curttayloruk/ EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Western Civilisation is collapsing, and the exits are being bricked up. In this episode, Balaji Srinivasan (Author, The Network State) delivers a clear warning: the US and UK are approaching a sovereign debt default, and the "Berlin Wall" of capital controls is coming to trap your wealth inside. We discuss why "staying is surrendering," the rise of the "Grey Tribe" (Tech) against the State, and his 3-step survival guide for the middle class: Liquidate, Emigrate, Accelerate. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:33:35 – "The West Is Over" 00:41:36 – No Saving America 00:43:47 – Internet First Future 00:52:52 – Take The L 01:10:28 – Debt Reality 01:29:12 – Liquidate. Emigrate. 01:55:00 – AI Job Disruption 02:15:27 – AI Safety Reframed 02:25:11 – Foundation Strategy - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CONTACT PETE › Website – http://petermccormack.com › Feedback – https://www.petermccormack.com/contact › Email – [email protected] › Instagram – /mccormack555 › X/Twitter – https://x.com/petermccormack/ CONNECT WITH BALAJI SRINIVASAN › X/Twitter – https://x.com/balajis › Website – https://ns.com/ SPONSORS › IREN - https://www.iren.com/ › Ledger - https://www.ledger.com/ › Incogni - https://incogni.com/peter - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE › Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40ruY9K › Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Wc94Vu › Fountain: https://bit.ly/FountainPM › YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube_PM › Rumble: https://bit.ly/RumblePM FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ › https://x.com/curttayloruk/ EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In this episode, Laila Cunningham discusses London's demographic change, mass immigration, housing failure and whether the capital is becoming a stress test for Britain. We discuss debt, inflation, generational decline, state expansion, and why productivity gains from technology aren't improving living standards. We also explore AI, education reform, automation, housing regulation and whether the UK is prepared for technological acceleration. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:09:51 – Cultural Confidence 00:18:56 – Housing & Regulation 00:28:53 – Media & Distraction 00:37:34 – Sanctuary Policies 00:45:48 – Immigration Incentives 00:53:52 – Fracturing Right 01:03:35 – Globalisation Effects 01:14:23 – Debt & Sound Money 01:21:38 – What Happens Next? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CONTACT PETE › Website – http://petermccormack.com › Feedback – https://www.petermccormack.com/contact › Email – [email protected] › Instagram – /mccormack555 › X/Twitter – https://x.com/petermccormack/ CONNECT WITH LAILA CUNNINGHAM › X/Twitter – https://x.com/policylaila SPONSORS › Ledger - https://www.ledger.com/ › Incogni - https://incogni.com/peter - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE › Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40ruY9K › Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Wc94Vu › Fountain: https://bit.ly/FountainPM › YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube_PM › Rumble: https://bit.ly/RumblePM FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ › https://x.com/curttayloruk/ EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In this episode, Curtis Yarvin argues that modern democracies may lack clear sovereignty and that technological acceleration and sovereign debt are exposing that weakness. We discuss AI as a force multiplier, bureaucratic continuity, legitimacy, regime structure and the limits of procedural governance. We also explore fiscal exhaustion, debt sustainability, and whether a system that cannot make decisive changes can survive compounding crises. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 – What Is Sovereignty? 00:11:34 – Elections vs Authority 00:24:08 – Institutional Continuity 00:37:52 – AI as Acceleration 00:52:41 – Bureaucratic Limits 01:07:29 – Responsibility Problem 01:17:42 – Debt & Fiscal Fragility 01:31:05 – Reform Constraints 01:49:44 – Regime Stability 02:07:10 – What Breaks First? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CONTACT PETE › Website – http://petermccormack.com › Feedback – https://www.petermccormack.com/contact › Email – [email protected] › Instagram – /mccormack555 › X/Twitter – https://x.com/petermccormack/ CONNECT WITH CURTIS YARVIN › X/Twitter – https://x.com/curtis_yarvin › Substack – https://graymirror.substack.com/ SPONSORS › IREN - https://www.iren.com/ › Ledger - https://www.ledger.com/ › Incogni - https://incogni.com/peter - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE › Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40ruY9K › Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Wc94Vu › Fountain: https://bit.ly/FountainPM › YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube_PM › Rumble: https://bit.ly/RumblePM FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk › https://x.com/curttayloruk/ EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -