Shows / Global Insights
Global Insights
Network 20/20’s Global Insights is a series of moderated conversations that brings together a curious global audience to dig deeper into macro-level and region-specific trends shaping our world.
Episodes
Global InsightsThe Bond Market Strikes Back: New Limits on Sovereign Power?
Visit us at Network2020.org. Every government runs on borrowed money. Roads, pensions, armies, and alliance commitments are all paid for by selling bonds to…
Global InsightsBrazil's Elections, with Christopher Sabatini
Visit us at Network2020.org. On October 4th, Flávio Bolsonaro beat Brazil's president, Lula da Silva, in the first round of the election. No one in Brazil's…
Global InsightsYemen's Long War, with Helen Lackner
Visit us at Network2020.org. Yemen is at war again. This month, Houthi missiles struck the airport in Riyadh and the presidential palace in Aden, and in…
Global InsightsSpies, Satellites & Startups: Intel in the Digital Age
Visit us at Network2020.org. Rapid advances in artificial intelligence, commercial satellite imagery, open-source intelligence, and data analytics are…
Global InsightsThe State of Diplomacy at America 250
Visit us at Network2020.org. The world has changed dramatically in the 250 years since Benjamin Franklin’s mission to France in 1776. It is changing again now…
Global InsightsThe New North: The Eight States Shaping a New European Security
Visit us at Network2020.org. A major shift is underway in the defense posture of Northern Europe. Finland and Sweden joined NATO, ending long periods of…
Global InsightsAbu Dhabi’s Ascent: The UAE’s Global Strategy
Visit us at Network2020.org. The United Arab Emirates’ recent decision to leave OPEC after nearly six decades is about far more than oil—it is the latest sign…
Global InsightsThe Philippines and the Contest for the South China Sea
Visit us at Network2020.org. The Philippines sits at the center of an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific, caught between its traditional ally in Washington…
Global InsightsNATO: Europe without America, with Jeremy Shapiro (Rewind Edition)
Visit us at Network2020.org. For nearly eighty years, Europe's security has rested on a single assumption: that the Americans would be there. In early March…
Global InsightsChokepoints: The Hidden Infrastructure of Global Power
Visit us at Network2020.org. From the Strait of Hormuz to the international monetary system to the semi-conductor supply chain, the world is becoming…
Global InsightsThe End of the Predictable World: Forecasting a World in Turmoil
Visit us at Network2020.org. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The COVID-19 Pandemic. On-and-off-and-on-again tariffs. Over…
Global InsightsThe Kurdish Crossroads: Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria
Visit us at Network2020.org. Recent hostilities with Iran have once again highlighted the role of the Kurds as a key player in regional conflicts. While seen…
Global InsightsRising Proliferation: Nuclear Risks in a Post-Treaty World
Visit us at Network2020.org. The recent expiration of the New START treaty between the U.S. and Russia marks a structural shift in the global nuclear order…
Global InsightsCuba’s Future and U.S. Interests
Visit us at Network2020.org. Cuba is at a strategic crossroads as the near collapse of its national energy system reshapes the island’s political landscape…
Global InsightsBeyond Tariffs: The New Multipolar Trade Web
Visit us at Network2020.org. It has been just over a year since President Trump’s “Liberation Day” global tariff announcement. Since then, the global trade…
Global InsightsHow Russia Weaponized a Thousand Ships
Visit us at Network2020.org. In response to the unprecedented economic sanctions put on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Moscow spent over $10…
Global InsightsRecap: What's Next for the Global Order?
Visit us at Network2020.org. Three weeks into 2026, the United States removed a foreign head of state by force, threatened to take territory from a NATO ally…
- Global Insights
Global Insights Goes Biweekly (For Now)
Visit us at Network2020.org. Over the past several months, Global Insights has covered some of the biggest stories shaping the world, from the war in Iran to…
Global InsightsU.S. Strategy in the Western Hemisphere
Visit us at Network2020.org. With the 2025 National Security Strategy placing renewed emphasis on the Western Hemisphere, Washington appears poised to engage…
Global InsightsTransatlantic Relations Under Trump: Challenges and Options
Visit us at Network2020.org. The alarm bells have been ringing in Europe over the past few years, signaling that Europe’s traditional reliance on the American…
Global InsightsRecap: Iran After Khamenei, a Conversation with Dr. Arash Azizi
Visit us at Network2020.org. The killing of Ali Khamenei in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes has thrust Iran into uncharted territory. With its supreme leader gone…
Global InsightsCrude Power: The U.S. Pivot to Oil and the Future Energy Mix
Visit us at Network2020.org. The year 2026 kicked off with a massive shake-up in U.S. foreign and energy policy. Through bold action, the Trump administration…
Global InsightsPeace in Ukraine: Deal or Deadlock?
Visit us at Network2020.org. Four years after Russia’s second invasion of Ukraine and its ensuing war, new attempts are being made to end the conflict. This…
Global InsightsThe Future of the United Nations
Visit us at Network2020.org. Geopolitical tensions, combined with shifting priorities in Washington, are pushing the United Nations into a moment of severe…
Global InsightsWhat Iranians Want, From Trump and Their Future
Visit us at Network2020.org. The recent wave of protests and the subsequent crackdown in Iran have left a new round of scars on the beleaguered Islamic…
Global InsightsU.S. Action in Venezuela: Assessing Strategic Implications
Visit us at Network2020.org. The U.S. military’s recent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has fundamentally altered the geopolitical landscape of…
Global InsightsThe Global Order in Crisis: What Comes Next?
Visit us at Network2020.org. Since the end of World War II, the global order has been shaped largely by a Western liberal system led by the United States. Yet…
Global InsightsDollar Strength, Dollar Strain: Navigating a New Global Monetary Order
Visit us at Network2020.org. The U.S. dollar has long anchored global trade, investment, and financial stability. Yet, in recent years, forces both within and…
Global InsightsMartin Wolf on The Economy in an Age of Uncertainty
Visit us at Network2020.org. The global economy has entered an age of confusion, roiled by trade wars and technology as it gained its post-pandemic footing…
Global InsightsFrom Collapse to Confrontation: The U.S.–Venezuela Standoff
Visit us at Network2020.org. On January 3rd, U.S. forces launched a military strike on Venezuela, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and flying him to New York…
Global InsightsCritical Minerals, Critical Choices: Africa’s Role in a Transitioning World
Visit us at Network2020.org. Africa sits at the center of the global energy transition. From cobalt and copper in the Democratic Republic of Congo to major…
Global InsightsThe New Arctic Order: Geopolitics at the Top of the World
Visit us at Network2020.org. The Arctic is rapidly moving to the center of global politics. Melting ice is opening new shipping lanes and granting access to…
Global InsightsSudan: The Role of Technology in the Forgotten Conflict
For the context of this conflict, see our earlier episode here: Revisiting Sudan’s Conflict: Context and Implications Sudan is in the midst of one of the…
Global InsightsRecalibrating Diplomacy: The Global Role of Cities
Visit us at Network2020.org. The architecture of international engagement is shifting, and subnational diplomacy is taking center stage. As federal governments…
Global InsightsPower, Policing, and Politics: The Rise of Authoritarianism in Central America
Visit us at Network2020.org. Over the past decade, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras have experienced a resurgence of authoritarian practices. Leaders have…
Global InsightsThe Geopolitics of U.S. Higher Education
Visit us at Network2020.org. U.S. higher education is more than just a domestic institution— it is a pillar of the country’s foreign policy and global…
Global InsightsThe US-China AI Power Race: High Stakes in High Tech
Visit us at Network2020.org. The United States has long been recognized as the global leader in artificial intelligence (AI), a technology transforming trade…
Global InsightsNuclear Risks and Realities: Nonproliferation in a Shifting Global Order
Visit us at Network2020.org. In June, strikes by the U.S. and Israel against Iran’s nuclear facilities reignited one of the most dangerous questions in global…
Global InsightsRevisiting Sudan’s Conflict: Context and Implications
Visit us at Network2020.org. Sudan’s war—between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, sparked in April 2023—has entered a deadlier phase. Recent attacks on…
Global InsightsIndia’s Balancing Act: Autonomy in a World of Trade Wars
Visit us at Network2020.org. The U.S. has slapped a 25% tariff on most Indian exports and threatened further measures over India’s continued oil and arms deals…
Global InsightsRearming Europe: Spending, Autonomy, and the Transatlantic Alliance
Visit us at Network2020.org. The EU’s Readiness 2030 plan marks a significant shift in European defense, with €800 billion in planned spending driven by the…
Global InsightsWhat do Iranian Civilians Think About the War? The Iran-Israel War Part 2
Listen to part one on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your audio. In part two of our special series on the Israel-Iran conflict, we turn our…
Global InsightsIsrael’s Strategy in a Shifting Middle East with Dr. Michael Koplow - The Iran-Israel War Part 1
This episode of Global Insights is part one of our special two-part series on the Israel-Iran conflict. What began as a diplomatic attempt to manage Iran’s…
Global InsightsA U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund: Investment, Innovation, and Global Strategy
Visit us at Network2020.org. The prospect of a U.S. sovereign wealth fund—most recently proposed by President Trump—has sparked renewed debate about America’s…
Global InsightsRoutes of Power: Global Competition for Strategic Infrastructure
Visit us at Network2020.org. Recent comments from President Trump targeting Canada, Greenland, and Panama have drawn renewed attention to a deeper global…
Global InsightsCaught in the Crossfire: Vietnam, U.S.-China Rivalry, and the New Era of Tariffs
Visit us at Network2020.org. In 2025, the United States and Vietnam will celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations—just two years after upgrading their ties…
Global InsightsTokyo’s Tightrope: Japan’s Foreign Policy Goals Amid U.S. Strategic Recalibration
Visit us at Network2020.org. As the Indo-Pacific grows more contested, U.S.-Japan relations face new tests and opportunities. Tokyo, seeking greater autonomy…
Global InsightsMusk's Starlink, Undersea Cables, and the Hidden Conflicts of Global Connectivity
Visit us at Network2020.org. Global communication infrastructure is at the center of a geopolitical battle as nations and corporations strategize for security…
Global InsightsThe New Rules: The U.S. in a Shifting World Order with Richard Haass
Visit us at Network2020.org. Once defined by unchallenged leadership and a focus on stable, alliance-driven relationships, U.S. foreign policy is now shifting…
Global InsightsU.S. Soft Power in a Changing World with Professor Joseph Nye
Visit us at Network2020.org. The Trump administration’s recent foreign policy decisions—including the pause on foreign aid, the closure of USAID, and an…
Global InsightsCloser to Midnight: the Return to a Nuclear Arms Race
Visit us at Network2020.org. Humanity stands closer than ever to catastrophe, warn the experts behind the Doomsday Clock. The tracker of human-caused…
Global InsightsTürkiye’s Evolving Role in a Post-Assad Middle East
Visit us at Network2020.org. The fall of the Assad Regime marks a significant shift in the Middle East, disrupting the balance of power and creating new…
Global InsightsDeepfake Democracy: AI’s Role in Shaping Political Realities
Visit us at Network2020.org. As artificial intelligence continues to advance, its ability to both bolster and undermine democratic processes has never been…
Global InsightsU.S.-UAE Relations: Regional Stability in a Changing Middle East
Visit us at Network2020.org. On September 23rd, 2024, history was made when Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates…
Global InsightsWhat the Future Holds for U.S.-Mexico Cooperation
Visit us at Network2020.org. With a new Trump administration set to take office and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum navigating key bilateral challenges…
Global InsightsHow China Influences the World, with Adam Segal
Visit us at Network2020.org. Over the past seven and a half decades, China has transformed from an isolated, agrarian nation into a global superpower, and…
Global InsightsThe Global Race for Critical Minerals—And the Fight Over the Ocean Floor
Visit us at Network2020.org. The technological world is built by critical minerals like nickel, cobalt, and lithium. As the demand for clean energy expands, so…
Global InsightsThe China – U.S. Green Energy Race and Its Security Implications
Visit us at Network2020.org. The global shift to renewable energy has ignited fierce competition between the United States and China, transforming what was…
Global InsightsHow the U.S. Elections Impact the World
Visit us at Network2020.org. In this special edition of Global Insights by Network 20/20, we explore the global ramifications of the 2024 U.S. presidential…
Global InsightsFar Right Rising: Lessons from Europe for 2024 U.S. Elections
Visit us at Network2020.org. The rise of far-right parties in Europe has sparked a transformative wave in the political landscape, challenging democratic norms…