Europe stands on shaky ground. With Trump floating “peace plans” for Ukraine, Putin pressing his advantage, and NATO allies second-guessing their future, uncertainty is the only constant. In this episode of The Focus Podcast, Dr. John Bruni speaks with Commander Anders Puck Nielsen of the Royal Danish Navy — one of Europe’s sharpest military analysts.

Show Notes:

Connect with Anders

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anderspucknielsen/

Bluesky: @anderspucknielsen.dkHis ‘Logic of War’ Newsletter: https://www.logicofwar.com/

To see full content, you’ll have to subscribe

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@anderspuck

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Mexico’s cartels aren’t just crime syndicates—they’re power brokers shaping politics, security, and the U.S.–Mexico border. In this episode of The Focus, Dr. John Bruni speaks with Stefano Ritondale to unpack the rise of the Sinaloa Cartel, CJNG, and Gulf Cartel—and what their influence means for North America.

#mexicancartels #geopolitics #thefocuspodcast

Show Notes

Connect with Stefano:

X: @All_Source_News

Artorias: https://www.artorias.com/leadership

Podcasts & Interviews:

Stefano featured on Cleared Hot podcast (Episode 373) where he discussed cartel violence, organised crime, and Latin American security as an intelligence expert.

He also appeared on The Distinguished Savage Podcast (Episode 319), exploring Mexican cartel dynamics.

Print/Online Interviews & Commentary

In an interview with Rolling Stone published in February 2025, Ritondale offered expert commentary on how cartel leaders perceive government protection and the implications of being labeled terrorists.

Recent Media Mentions

Most recently, in a Defense Feeds article (July 2025), he provided insights into how Mexican cartels are training in Ukraine to utilise FPV drones, indicating the rising sophistication of cartel tactics.

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Yale professor Samuel Moyn joins us to explore how drones, AI, and precision strikes have transformed modern conflict. Based on his book Humane, this conversation asks whether efforts to make war more “humane” have sidelined the goal of peace itself.

Show Notes:
Connect with Sam
Yale: https://law.yale.edu/samuel-moyn Website: https://campuspress.yale.edu/samuelmoyn/
Books by Sam:🆕 Liberalism Against Itself: Cold War Intellectuals and the Making of Our Times (2023)

A critique of Cold War-era liberal thinkers who, in Moyn’s view, stripped liberalism of its utopian and transformative aspirations — leading to the more constrained version we see today.

🧠 Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War (2021)

Explores how efforts to humanize war — through legal and technological means — have helped make war more acceptable and therefore unending.

📉 Not Enough: Human Rights in an Unequal World (2018)

Argues that modern human rights discourse has focused on minimum protections rather than addressing global inequality and distributive justice.

Articles by Sam:
Casus Belli, Harper’s Magazine, August 2025.
America is over Neo-Liberalism & Neo-Conservatism - Trump is not, The Guardian, July 2025.
The United States and the Human Rights Presidency, June 2025.

Previous Episode with Sam:
https://sageinternational.com.au/the-focus/humane-war-making-a-better-world/

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Can ancient Stoicism help us face today’s crazy world? In this episode of The Focus, Dr. John Bruni speaks with philosopher Prof. Massimo Pigliucci on how Stoic principles offer clarity, resilience, and meaning in an age of rage, war, and misinformation.

We also explore real Stoicism vs. “Broicism,” and how to apply timeless wisdom to modern crises.

🎧 Watch now on The Focus with John Bruni.

SHOW NOTES

🔗Connect with Massimo

Substack: https://substack.com/@figsinwintertime?utm_source=top-search

City College, New York: https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/profiles/massimo-pigliucci?srsltid=AfmBOorpDgfdOTs_fokK4iIJL2Zbnen_-EoVL-yFbnzvsgs8G9pi2WKU

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massimo_Pigliucci

Top Books on Stoicism:

The Stoic Guide to a Happy Life (2020)

A Handbook for New Stoics (2019)

How to Be a Stoic (2017)

Top five articles on Stoicism:

• “Did the Stoics Get Their Theory of Beauty Wrong?”

• Published: November 11, 2023
• Overview: Pigliucci explores whether ancient Stoic theories on beauty hold up today, drawing from his Stoicon 2023 presentation. Modern Stoicism+15Modern Stoicism+15Modern Stoicism+15

• “Updating Epictetus and Stoicism for the 21st century”

• Published: December 19, 2020
• Overview: A reflection—and partial update—on Epictetus’ Enchiridion, arguing for modern adaptation in his later book A Field Guide to a Happy Life. goodlisten+5Modern Stoicism+5colabstaging.co.uk+5

• “Minimalism Is Not Enough”

• Published: February 2, 2019
• Overview: Pigliucci pushes back against oversimplified Stoicism, emphasizing that logic and physics must remain part of the practice—not only ethics. Modern Stoicism+14Modern Stoicism+14Wikipedia+14

• “Do People Commit Evil Out of Ignorance?”

• Published: November 25, 2017
• Overview: Based on his Stoicon 2017 talk, Pigliucci examines Epictetus’ view that wrongdoing often stems from deluded thinking rather than true malevolence. Modern Stoicism+4Modern Stoicism+4Modern Stoicism+4

• “Why not Stoicism?”

• Published: 2013
• Overview: A foundational piece outlining the enduring relevance of Stoicism’s three pillars—ethics, logic, physics—for modern life.

#stoicism #geopolitics #massimopigliucci #philosophy #thefocuspodcast #geopolitics #resilience #broicism #marcusaurelius #modernstoicism

Previous Episodes with Massimo:

https://sageinternational.com.au/the-focus/a-stoics-take-on-modern-celebrity-the-rise-of-rogan-peterson-the-role-of-social-media/

https://sageinternational.com.au/the-focus/on-stoicism/

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Dr. John Bruni speaks with Prof. Salvatore Babones about U.S.–India relations, Modi’s strategic balancing act, the Quad, and how Russian oil, and a possible F-35 purchase, affects Trump’s thinking on India and how this could reshape stability on the Subcontinent & Indo-Pacific security more broadly.

#IndiaUS #SalvatoreBabones #Geopolitics #Modi #TheFocusPodcast #IndoPacific #Trump2024 #Quad

Show Notes:

Contact Salvatore:

https://www.salvatorebabones.com/

X: @ProfBabones

https://www.sydney.edu.au/research/opportunities/3231.html

Salvatore’s YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@SalvatoreBabones

Top 5 Books by Salvatore:

Dharma Democracy: How India Built the Third World’s First Democracy (2025) – His most recent work, an empirical assessment of India’s democratic evolution

The New Authoritarianism: Trump, Populism, and the Tyranny of Experts (2018) – Named among the Best on Politics 2018 by The Wall Street Journal

BRICS or Bust? Escaping the Middle‑Income Trap (co‑authored with Hartmut Elsenhans) (2017) – A comparative study of BRICS economic trajectories

American Tianxia: Chinese Money, American Power and the End of History (2017) – Challenges the narrative of a looming Chinese century

Sixteen for ’16: A Progressive Agenda for a Better America (2015) – A policy manifesto outlining a forward‑looking progressive platform

Top 5 Articles by Salvatore:

“Global Kondratiev Waves and Political Transformations in Russia since 1800: A Relative Deprivation Approach” (with Philipp Babcicky & Oleg Gubin) – International Politics (2023)

“Mobile Netware, Social Graphs, and the Reconfiguration of Space” (with Colin Agur) – New Media & Society(2023)

“International Student Revenue and International Rankings Success: A Case Study of Australian University Research Strategies” – Youth and Globalization (2022)

“China’s Development Model: Can it Be Replicated in Sub‑Saharan Africa?” – Politics & Policy (2020)

“From Tianxia to Tianxia: The Generalization of a Concept” – Chinese Political Science Review (2020)

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In this episode of The Focus, Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges joins us to unpack Europe’s growing defence dilemma. As U.S. support for NATO faces political headwinds and war rages in Ukraine, can Europe stand on its own? Or is it still relying too heavily on the American security umbrella?

We explore NATO’s credibility, European rearmament, and what’s needed to keep the continent safe in an age of rising threats.

Show Notes:

Contact Ben:

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-hodges-1674b1172?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BsE89zn7ZQEaGKjLMT3r2PQ%3D%3D

The Alphen Group (TAG):

https://thealphengroup.com/ben-hodges/

Top 5 Articles by Ben:

📰 1. Business Insider – “A key NATO ally said it would be 'really big mistake' for Europe to break away from the US weapons industry”

Date: June 25, 2025
A detailed interview where Hodges cautions Europe against moving away from U.S. defence suppliers.

📰 2. Business Insider – “Most NATO armies likely 'could not meet Ukrainian standards' in combat effectiveness, retired US Army general says”

Date: June 18, 2025
Hodges argues NATO should learn from Ukrainian battlefield experience rather than the other way around

📰 3. Cipher Brief – “Getting NATO to Be Able to 'Fight Tonight'” (Expert Q&A)

Date: July 1, 2025
Hodges examines NATO’s readiness following the Hague summit, focusing on rapid mobilisation and military preparedness.

📰 4. Cipher Brief – “Expert Q&A: Can Europe Defend Itself?”

Date: March 27, 2025
A deep dive into Europe’s defence capacity, allied cohesion, and whether the continent can maintain security without U.S. support.

📰 5. Swissinfo – “Former US general advises Switzerland to prepare for war”

Date: March 16, 2025
In this interview, Hodges urges Switzerland to ramp up defence — particularly drone defences and large-scale manoeuvres — as a precautionary measure.

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Dr. Roy Casagranda returns to The Focus to explore the global and domestic impact of a second Trump term—covering democracy, immigration, alliances, Ukraine, Iran, and more.

🎧 Watch now & subscribe for more insight on geopolitics and global affairs.

#geopolitics #trump47 #roycasagranda #uspolitics #thefocuspodcast #globalsecurity #foreignpolicy

Show Notes:

🔗 *Connect with Roy Casagranda*

X: @RoyCasagranda

Website: https://gov.casagranda.com/index.html

Books by Roy:

The Blood Throne of Caria (Empire of the Nightingale Book 3), Sekhmet Liminal Press, LLC, 2018.

Articles by Roy:

Nationalism and the Left: Liberation not Supremacy, IAI News, March 3, 2023, https://iai.tv/articles/nationalism-and-the-left-roy-casagranda-auid-2408.

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In this episode of The Focus, Dr. John Bruni speaks with economist Nicolas Michelon on how protectionism and power politics are reshaping global trade.

🎧 Watch now on YouTube | Also on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Show Notes:

Connect with Nicolas

X: @MichelonNicolas

Asia Power Watch: https://asiapowerwatch.com/

Alagan Partners: https://alaganpartners.com/our-team/nicolas-michelon/

Nicolas’ Recent Publications:

"Navigating Corporate Geopolitics in a World Between Orders” Asia Power Watch, April 14, 2025.

"The Renault-Nissan War and the Future of the Automobile Industry: An Interview with Carlos Ghosn” Asia Power Watch, October 9, 2024.

"The Price of East-West Economic Warfare: Carlos Ghosn and the Fate of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance” Asia Power Watch, July 8, 2023.

"The Death of Multilateralism: Disruptions of the Trump Era” Asia Power Watch, May 21, 2021.

"The Carlos Ghosn Case: Business Warfare, Economic Patriotism and the Fate of Foreign CEOs in Japan” Asia Power Watch, March 8, 2020.

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