No Coincidence: US Enemies Foment War Across the Globe

“Usually, coincidences don’t exist in geopolitics.” Mauldin Economics Partner & COO Ed D’Agostino speaks to Jacob Shapiro of Cognitive Investments about military tensions running hot across the globe.
The Israel-Hamas war is top of mind. But at the same time, Kosovo is pointing fingers at Serbia over a gun battle at a monastery. China’s Coast Guard rammed into a Philippine boat in contested waters in the South China Sea. And the war in Ukraine rages on. It almost makes you wonder if US enemies are acting in concert to spread our military and budget thin.
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Time stamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:02 - Are US adversaries acting in concert?
03:59 - China doesn’t really have allies
07:14 - Only Hamas wants a regional war
16:01 - China’s ambitions in the South China Sea
20:11 - Biden’s diplomatic coup in the Pacific
23:45 - We don’t need the petrodollar anymore
27:20 - Additional global flareups
30:58 - 5 countries and 3 sectors to watch

[@47allenr]

Another wonderful interview with Jacob Shapiro, one of my absolute favorite D'Agostino guests!

[@bobhill4582]

Great interview Ed! Thank you!

[@monkeyking-self-proclaimed7050]

It wouldn't have all these issues if it just mind it's own business and not go destroy places in all corners of the world.

[@davidgarza1301]

Yes energy transition is a major theme but I wonder if renewables are being oversold so to speak. Two things that limit them in a transition: scalability and power density.

[@MauldinEconomicsYouTube]

The technology on the horizon is what has me excited. Hydrogen and ammonia as fuel, for example. Toyota is a leader in this space and the potential for broad applications in transportation is big. Power density and scalability are both addressed. Thanks for the comment! -Ed

[@thewayriderchronicles]

Concur with the Can$ comment: we need to remember the Renminbi/Yuan trades as both an onshore and offshore currency and as such is not fully convertible - restriction one to dollar dethroning. As Russia has found with India, when settling most of it's oil trade in Rupees, it effectively has a currency that, in large transaction sizes, nobody else wants (India told them to use it for inbound India investment, not much use if Russia needs currency to pay, say for food imports from elsewhere) - restriction two to dollar dethroning.

[@hcspero]

Nonsense from start to finish

[@Houthiandtheblowfish]

problem is always our enemies we all know that if we didnt have won we wouldve invented them

[@christianlazo7462]

!!!!!!!

[@fredcroft7517]

The PRC's not focused enough and good enough at making deals with other potential allies to accomplish much. This has been true in 4,000 years of Chinese history, and it hasn't changed now. (I spent a number of years working in the PRC, and saw this on the ground....) A multipolar war is more than "us vs. them". As Jacob points out, we'll face different issues in different zone, rather than facing one monolithic opponent.

[@GlebKretinin]

It is not about the finite resources and being everything to everyone... It is about being strategic at containment. E.g. the failure to contain Russia in 2008, 2014 and seeking 'peace' with the thugs -- that's what we are paying for now, and a much higher price. Had the West really listened to Kasparov and Piontkovsky...

[@Houthiandtheblowfish]

that is why everyone loves us

[@Pietari55]

BS .

[@MauldinEconomicsYouTube]

OK

[@EricGrumling]

China's radical changes in Hong Kong were largely ignored by the west. I think this probably empowered the CCP to get more agressive.