Global Expansion of Power

SGUK Episode 152

Podcast Series Framework: ” Episode 3: Global Expansion of Power”

(Guest Episode) 30 March 2025

NB Meant to be a Guest Episode, 1 of 2, but please accept my apologies, but I only got around to sorting out a short list of Guests last week, based on the topics of the two podcast episodes that I earmarked previously. I have now got draft copies of bespoke emails to a number of specialists, who I will be approaching requesting a paragraph or two on the topic they wish to speak on, from the list I will send to each of the professionals. I am going to ask if they are willing to submit a recording for the Podcast Channel, but if not, no problem, I would still hope to receive a few lines of their thoughts, relating to their chosen topic from the list. I will update you as soon as I hear anything.

In summary, this podcast series (and its framework) of 6 podcast episodes, and the accompanying articles, is about power dynamics and the motivations of wealthy elites or “oligarchs” in global politics. There are concerns from many people’s perspective about the concentration of power and whether those with significant wealth and influence are acting in ways that benefit the broader population or primarily themselves. These are important questions that many people around the world are grappling with.

I like to give a platform to historical events, because history often repeats itself, and evidence of what happened when and to whom, can be a powerful methodology as well as a learning experience.

Using historical context as the foundation for this podcast series is in my opinion, a strong approach. History does indeed provide valuable lessons and parallels that can help listeners understand current events with greater depth. The “setting the stage” in the first episode was done with the intention of giving the audience the framework they need to engage with the rest of the series.

When discussing complex power dynamics and their historical precedents, specific examples tend to be particularly effective. Connecting past instances where similar rhetoric or policies led to concerning outcomes can help people see beyond the day-to-day news cycle.

Quick Summary of the Two Previous Podcasts

Episode 1: Setting the Stage

Introduction to the concept of power concentration
Historical patterns of wealth inequality and their social impacts
The rise of modern oligarchs and their influence networks
Establish key metrics for measuring power concentration (wealth gaps, political influence, media ownership)

Episode 2: Modern Power Dynamics – USA & UK

Examine corporate influence in US politics (campaign finance, lobbying)
UK’s “revolving door” between government and private sector
The role of think tanks and policy institutes in shaping legislation
Specific examples: Tech billionaires’ growing political influence, rapid workforce reductions

This weeks podcast Theme is:-

Episode 3: Global Expansion of Power (Guest Episode) 30 March 2025

US territorial ambitions (discussions about Greenland, relationships with Canada/Mexico)
Historical parallels: Territorial expansion in different eras
Modern economic colonialism vs. traditional imperialism
Guest perspective: Historian or political scientist specializing in geopolitics

Global Expansion of Power

Theme: The modern forms of expansionism—economic, territorial, and digital empire-building.

USA Territorial Ambitions & Strategic Interests
- Greenland purchase discussions—Why does the US still seek territorial expansion?

The United States continues to demonstrate interest in strategic land acquisitions, echoing its historical patterns. Talk of purchasing Greenland wasn’t a joke—it signalled enduring ambitions for military and resource dominance in the Arctic

- - Greenland: Signals US strategic interests in Arctic resource control and military positioning. The island’s strategic location and potential mineral resources make it a geopolitical focal point, with increasing tensions between US interests and Danish sovereignty.
  - Canada/Mexico: Economic leverage over Canada and Mexico through trade deals and border policy reflects a quiet strategy of influence and control, not unlike a modern-day soft annexation via trade agreements.
    - Canada and Mexico: Demonstrates US economic leverage through trade agreements like USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement). Border policies and economic dependencies create subtle mechanisms of control beyond traditional territorial expansion.

- Past comparisons: The Louisiana Purchase (1803), Annexation of Hawaii (1898), and the Philippines.

The echoes of the Louisiana Purchase and Hawaii’s annexation remind us that expansionism often comes dressed as diplomacy.

Economic Colonialism vs. Traditional Imperialism
- China’s Belt & Road Initiative vs. US/UK economic dominance via IMF & World Bank loans.

Where traditional empires used flags and troops, modern powers use banks and debt. China’s Belt and Road Initiative competes with the long-established practices of the IMF and World Bank, institutions often criticized for indebting Global South nations under the guise of development

- The “debt trap” strategy and how it mirrors 19th-century colonial economic exploitation.

The debt trap strategy mirrors the extractive systems of old colonial empires—only the tools have changed

- - Mirrors 19th-century colonial economic models where financial agreements create long-term economic dependency. Countries receive loans or infrastructure investments that ultimately lead to economic control by the lending nation.

- Neoliberalism as modern imperialism—how global financial institutions uphold Western power.

Neoliberalism has become a vehicle for maintaining global hierarchies, turning economic dependency into a modern form of imperial rule.

- - Neoliberalism as Modern Imperialism: Global financial institutions like IMF and World Bank enforce economic policies that predominantly benefit Western economic interests, often at the expense of developing nations’ economic autonomy.

Historical Parallels: Expansionism Through the Ages
- The Scramble for Africa (1880s-1914)—financial extraction with local elite collaboration.

The late 19th-century Scramble for Africa saw European powers carve up the continent with help from local elites—a pattern we still see today when multinational corporations form alliances with regional governments for resource extraction.

- - This period exemplifies how economic interests can drive territorial and political control.

- US business-driven interventions: Banana Republics (United Fruit Company, 1950s).

US interventions in Latin America during the Banana Republic era reveal how business interests drove foreign policy.

- - United Fruit Company’s interventions in Central America demonstrate how corporate interests directly influenced US foreign policy, with corporations effectively acting as extensions of state power.
  - US Intervention in Latin America: Corporate-driven foreign policy led to numerous regime changes, economic manipulations, and political interventions to protect business interests.

- The Cold War as a battle of corporate-backed expansion vs. state socialism.

The Cold War replaced muskets with markets, and now the same ideological struggle plays out through tech empires, sanctions, and digital surveillance rather than military occupation.

Guest Perspective
- A historian specializing in global power shifts would add depth.
- Could discuss post-Soviet realignment and the rise of multipolarity.

Guest Perspective

Bringing in a historian specializing in global power shifts would provide crucial insight into how these patterns evolve over time. A discussion on post-Soviet realignment and the ongoing shift to a multipolar world could highlight how today’s geopolitical contests reflect centuries-old dynamics—only the actors and technology have changed. Their perspective could ground the podcast in deep context, showing how the past informs the power plays of today.

Here’s a list of economists and historians—some well-established, others emerging—whose work intersects with the themes in the podcast. Some are known for public engagement and could be good candidates for a 20–30 minute guest spot in the future. In the interim I am going to contact all of these Economists and Politicians listed below to see whether or not they would be willing to provide a paragraph or two, of their thoughts on our topics and their impact on the various populations.

Economists & Economic Historians

These individuals explore imperialism, debt economics, global inequality, and development:

Michael Hudson

Focus: Economic imperialism, debt traps, neoliberalism.
Notable Work: Super Imperialism: The Economic Strategy of American Empire.
Why He Fits: Directly critiques US economic dominance and the IMF system. Has podcasted and given interviews often.

Ha-Joon Chang

Focus: Development economics, globalization, critique of free market ideology.
Notable Work: Bad Samaritans, 23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism.
Why He Fits: Accessible speaker with strong critique of Western economic policy toward developing nations.

Yanis Varoufakis

Focus: Global capitalism, European and US power dynamics, former Greek finance minister.
Notable Work: Adults in the Room, The Global Minotaur.
Why He Fits: Critical of US-led economic policy. Known for clear communication and participation in media.

Nomi Prins

Focus: Finance, central banking, global elite power.
Notable Work: Collusion: How Central Bankers Rigged the World.
Why She Fits: Connects global financial policy to power structures; has a journalistic style.

Historians or Political Analysts (with Economic Insight)

Vijay Prashad

Focus: Global South, US imperialism, multipolarity.
Notable Work: The Darker Nations, Washington Bullets.
Why He Fits: Powerful voice connecting past imperialism with present global alignments.

Adam Tooze

Focus: Economic history, crises, and power politics.
Notable Work: Crashed, Shutdown.
Why He Fits: Data-rich but accessible, often speaks on modern imperialism and financial power.

Quinn Slobodian

Focus: Neoliberalism, global economic order, right-wing globalism.
Notable Work: Globalists: The End of Empire and the Birth of Neoliberalism.
Why He Fits: Deep research into how economic governance replaced colonial governance.

Following that quick run through the short list of professionals that I will be approaching for their opinions on our topics in this framework. I will ask if they would record a short message on these areas, or send a short email stating the same thoughts.

Next weeks podcast theme is as follows:-

Episode 4: The Tools of Control Episode 6^th April 2025