The Western Bubble

• FRONTEX: Like ICE, but with children's books #123

  This week, we draw an uncomfortable comparison between ICE in the United States and Frontex in Europe. Whether it’s children in cages or children being handed picture books about their own deportation, the language of “in the child’s best interest” rings hollow. We also challenge the idea that only the US is responsible for enabling Israel. While Washington’s military and political support is undeniable, Europe is also complicit, through inaction and ongoing arms deliveries. The truth is, both the US and Europe share a deeper problem: the erosion of personal responsibility and a neglect of the social contract.Examples range from protests in Epping to a $16 million settlement and cancelling Stephen Colbert between Paramount and Trump, displaying open corruption, to Colombia paying $200 million and revoking 70 degrees over fear of Trump. We highlight examples of institutions and individuals failing in their duties.But we end on a rare positive note before the summer break: a parent who actually took personal responsibility. See you back in September!This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected] are the links we talked about: Good parenting: https://x.com/AlexRothe92/status/1949103538082054435?s=19Jubilee Video: https://youtu.be/2S-WJN3L5eo?si=m_O7w3x0riTojY2x&t=1322"Children's Book": https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/6eea0e99-e464-11ef-be2a-01aa75ed71a1#

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• Epstein Files, Trump, and the Decline of Complexity #122

  This week, we dig into the renewed uproar around Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous network and how its resurfacing in 2025 is fueling not just conspiracy theories, but a deeper institutional and psychological crisis.But this story isn’t really about Epstein or Trump. It’s about how simplified moral binaries are hijacking political discourse. We look at how these narratives flatten complex realities, fuel extreme tribalism, and damage the very institutions meant to uphold accountability.If the system can't be trusted and people can’t agree on what’s real, how do we move forward? That’s the real question.This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected].

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• Western Institutional Erosion Accelerates #121

  In this episode, we return to a theme we first explored three years ago: the steady hollowing out of institutions. Recently, the decline has accelerated further, eroding both credibility and effectiveness.We look at the wave of NATO and EU countries, including Finland and Lithuania, pulling out of the Vancouver landmine ban treaty, citing Russian threats. At the same time, the United States shows open hostility toward international institutions it created: from imposing sanctions on ICC judges investigating Israel to citing the “Hague Invasion Act” to undermine accountability when it is useful. At the same time, still relying on it to criticise those it sees as adversaries. Elsewhere, Trump uses tariffs as a blunt instrument to reward allies and punish enemies. This time targeting Brazil over the indictment of Bolsonaro, and pressuring Israel to pardon Netanyahu altogether.This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected].

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• Trump's Brutal Budget Bomb #120

  In this episode, we unpack the newly passed Big Beautiful Bill and what it says about the state of Western democracy. Despite two Republican defections, the bill sailed through Congress, bringing with it massive increases in military and immigration enforcement spending, the extension of unsustainable tax cuts, and the likely loss of health coverage for millions of Americans.But the real story goes deeper. How is it possible that legislation this harmful still passes? From weak parliamentarians to increasingly executive-dominated legislatures, to parties enforcing strict conformity, we explore how Western democracies are drifting toward top-down governance. We draw parallels from the U.S. to Germany, the Netherlands, and the U.K., all facing their own versions of this political decay.Has democracy become too slow and inconvenient for the modern voter? Tune in as we explore what this latest bill really reveals about the Western Bubble.This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected].

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• Efficiency or Delusion? AI and the Western Bubble #119

  This week, we take a step back from geopolitics to explore how artificial intelligence is already reshaping our societies and our minds. From efficiency gains to cognitive decline, we reflect on how we personally use AI and why it’s so easy to fall into the traps of convenience and illusion.Drawing lessons from the social media age, we look at how AI accelerates the collapse of shared reality, fuels parasocial relationships, and chips away at our ability to think critically. With tools like Grok and Google Veo 3 making privacy a memory and manipulation effortless, the question isn’t whether AI will turn evil, but whether we’re prepared for what it’s doing to us right now.This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at [email protected].

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