The New Age of Making Stuff (or Pretending To)

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 argues that globalization was always a political project, and it’s unraveling just as planned. From American washing machines to European defense contracts, the cousins trace how manufacturing, war, and narrative-building collide. Jacob tries to keep things historical; Marko’s too busy declaring the return of geoeconomics. Also: French nukes, German industry, and why the U.S. needs a better plan than “make things somewhere else.”

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction and Episode Overview

(00:11) Welcoming New Listeners

(00:18) Debate on Globalization and Tariffs

(00:57) Listener Feedback and Engagement

(01:54) Marco's Haircut Story

(02:41) Purpose of the Podcast

(10:31) Debate on Tariffs and Globalization

(41:21) The Decline of American Car Manufacturing

(42:29) The Washing Machine Revolution

(43:07) The Impact of Tariffs on Innovation

(43:38) Debating Historical Trade Policies

(46:14) The Role of Industrial Capacity in War

(49:06) Globalization and Redistribution of Wealth

(54:05) The 2008 Financial Crisis and Corporate Bailouts

(56:13) The Future of Manufacturing and War

(59:27) The Reality of War Footing and Defense Spending

(01:08:22) The Ideological Debate on Globalization

(01:14:05) Reflecting on Historical Conflicts with China

(01:14:28) Proxy Wars and America's Capabilities

(01:15:05) US-China Relations and Economic Strategies

(01:17:41) Technological Advancements and National Security

(01:30:30) The Future of Warfare and Global Power Dynamics

(01:30:53) Operation Spiderweb: Ukraine's Drone Attack on Russia

(01:33:35) Implications of Drone Warfare on Global Security

(01:39:12) The Evolution of Warfare and the Role of Technology

(01:45:58) The Future of Nation States in a Technologically Advanced World

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Referenced in the Show:

Why Ukraine War's Deadly Drones Are Now Flying By 12-Mile-Long ‘Wires' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLA_qgl2YYs&t=822s

Why This Russian Drone Developer Isn’t Impressed by U.S. Tech - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmfNUM2CbbM&t=865s

Geopolitics of Dune – https://geopoliticalfutures.com/the-geopolitics-of-dune/

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Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

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Geopolitical Cousins is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com

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Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.

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Marko Papic is a macro and geopolitical expert at BCA Research, a global investment research firm. He provides in-depth analysis that combines geopolitics and markets in a framework called GeoMacro. He is also the author of Geopolitical Alpha: An Investment Framework for Predicting the Future.