Does Diplomatic Secrecy actually Work? And What’s Next for Centre-Left Politics?

FOR PAID SUBSCRIBERS: My thoughts on left-wing identity politics leading to the rise of Trump as seen at an Oxford Alumni event in NYC

Before presenting today’s listener Q and A episode, I want to ask that you give the paid substack (at the end of the message) a try. I believe, if you aren’t already a paid subscriber, you can try one for free, and if this topic interests you, I recommend you give this a try. I have been in NJ/NYC for he last five weeks and was really keen to check out an Oxford Alumni drinks mingle to see if I could find anyone who works in NYC in the think-tank/academic/foreign policy/media/conference organizing spaces so as to help me host a live disorder podcast in New York.

I had a bizarre inclination that the social vibe at the event might be challenging/jarring/stressful because it would be so indicative of what ‘left of centre, globalist elites’ have wrong and right about the problems of today’s world and how they are part of making the Disorder endure. I was not wrong in this assumption. I met a few wildly intelligent and terribly successful people who articulated views I didn’t see coming and channeled perspectives that I don’t interact with in my daily life that framed very clearly the fissures of our truly Disordered world. I also witnessed the filter bubble phenomenon which is why I find it difficult to be in academic or humanitarian professional spaces. I talk about my experience at the end of this email. I also include a key episode quote as text and as a video in case you prefer those formats to the podcast. I hope you will subscribe to watch/listen to my video at the end of this message.

In this episode, Jason and Alex tackle some probing listener questions. They return to a theme from previous episodes (especially the previous episode with Marcel Dirsus): whether today’s autocratic regimes (China, Russia, Iran) are actually as strong as they appear or might be weaker than we imagine. In response to multiple listen questions on this theme, Alex and Jason debate the cultural and economic missteps of the center-left and the importance of addressing real voter concerns about the pace of social and culture change in the face of rising populism.

(Listen on Apple Podcasts here; or on Spotify here)

Then the Disorder programme pushes out the envelope a bit exploring: the significance of secrecy in intelligence and diplomacy, the political realignment of blue-collar workers, and the looming threat of a cryptocurrency bubble.

Here is a video answer to a listener question about the left abandoning its base and reaping its just desserts for that

BACKGROUND:

For more on our Partnership with RUSI: https://www.rusi.org/news-and-comment/rusi-news/rusi-announces-partnership-disorder-podcast

Alex’s latest article: ‘Donald Trump’s Self-Defeating Foreign Aid Freeze Will Only Help America’s Enemies’: https://bylinetimes.com/2025/01/29/donald-trumps-self-defeating-foreign-aid-freeze-will-only-help-americas-enemies/

Alex’s article on the resemblance of Donald Trump to a Tituskhy:

Donald Trump is Assembling a 'Titushky' Style Maga Mob

Listen to our episode on China’s economy: https://pod.link/1706818264/episode/eaa3d94ed88eb3142a9f4ed571fe4a1f

Listen to our episode with Marcel Dirsus: https://pod.link/1706818264/episode/bcd89a117331e217c82af1d018e28d9e

Hear Jason on The Bunker talking about post-Assad Syria and the Middle East in the age of Trump -

Jason was interviewed about backgammon and Gambling regulation by Sigma one of the leading Magazines in the e-gaming space, Sigma: https://sigma.world/news/the-art-of-risk/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

(Listen on Apple Podcasts here; or on Spotify here)

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As promised above below is the video about Oxford NYC Alumni night: