The World Unpacked

Latest Episodes:

Epstein’s America: How Modern Corruption Works Feb 20, 2026

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In this episode of The World Unpacked, Sarah tells host Jon Bateman why systemic corruption looks nothing like how we picture it, how anti-corruption advocates are co-opted as enablers, and what to say if someone asks you for a bribe. There’s a gnawing feeling in America and the West that a self-serving elite has corrupted society’s rules in its favor. The Epstein files have finally pulled back the curtain on hidden ways that powerful people network together to advance their own interests and evade accountability.

How a Progressive POTUS Would Change the World Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

The same populist forces that brought Donald Trump to office could also enable a politician from the progressive left to succeed him. How would a president in the vein of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or Zohran Mamdani change U.S. foreign policy and the world?

How Economists Failed America Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

Americans have been deeply dissatisfied with the economy for many years, even as standard metrics continue to show strength and prosperity. This gap between popular and elite thinking has helped populism surge and sparked intense debates about whether old economic assumptions—and policies—need wholesale revision.

Find the episode transcript and streaming audio, and get the show direct to your inbox, here

Follow Jon on X: https://x.com/JonKBateman

How Smart Bombs Enable Dumb Wars Jan 30, 2026

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The Paveway bomb, invented by Texas Instruments in the 1970s, was the first truly precise munition. It revolutionized America’s air campaign in Vietnam and allowed whole new kinds of “limited” U.S. wars in Libya, Iraq, Serbia, and beyond.

But Paveway’s true legacy was psychological: it seduced generations of U.S. leaders into believing that tactical precision creates strategic victories with few costs.

Jeff Stern, an intrepid chronicler of modern conflict, tells this story in his new book The Warhead: The Quest to Build the Perfect Weapon in the Age of Modern Warfare. He joins Jon Bateman on The World Unpacked to explore the past, present, and future of precision warfare.

The Global Race to Reinvent Meat Jan 16, 2026

Show notes

You’ve probably heard of “lab-grown meat,” the sci-fi-sounding idea of 100% real meat made without animals. Yet few people understand how close this vision is to becoming reality—and how much it could change the world. A healthier, more efficient meat source could soon rewire global supply chains and help catalyze a new bioeconomy.

Find the episode transcript and streaming audio, and get the show direct to your inbox, here: https://carnegieendowment.org/podcasts/the-world-unpacked/the-global-race-to-reinvent-meat?

Follow Jon on X: https://x.com/JonKBateman

Every War Is Now a Drone War Jan 09, 2026

Show notes

Drones are no longer the future of war. They’re now a defining weapon in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and beyond—altering the course of conflicts and reshuffling the balance of military power. The pace of change has caught many by surprise, with state and non-state groups racing to mass-produce, diversify, and protect their rapidly evolving drone arsenals.

Find the episode transcript and streaming audio, and get the show direct to your inbox, here: https://carnegieendowment.org/podcasts/the-world-unpacked/every-war-is-now-a-drone-war?

Follow Jon on X: https://x.com/JonKBateman

Testing the Case for Regime Change in Venezuela Dec 19, 2025

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The Trump administration apparently seeks regime change in Venezuela and may soon attack the country. But American leaders have so far refused to openly state their intentions, stifling public debate on the momentous choice ahead.

In an urgent conversation you won’t hear elsewhere, the last U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela makes a forthright case for ousting President Nicolás Maduro—with American force, if necessary.

Ambassador James Story joins The World Unpacked to argue that Venezuela isn’t Iraq or Afghanistan. Host Jon Bateman asks him tough questions about post-war security, regional blowback, and whether the U.S. has a vital interest in Venezuela.

Find the episode transcript and streaming audio, and get the show direct to your inbox, here: https://carnegieendowment.org/podcasts/the-world-unpacked/testing-the-case-for-regime-change-in-venezuela?

Follow Jon on X: https://x.com/JonKBateman

Decoding Trump’s Foreign Policy Blueprint Dec 12, 2025

Show notes

The new U.S. National Security Strategy is the clearest and boldest statement of President Donald Trump’s global vision. It reveals U.S. plans to dominate Latin America, transform politics in Europe, and seize commercial opportunities in Asia. Leaders around the world are closely studying this document.

Find the episode transcript and streaming audio, and get the show direct to your inbox, here: https://carnegieendowment.org/podcasts/the-world-unpacked/decoding-trumps-foreign-policy-blueprint?

Follow Jon on X: https://x.com/JonKBateman

AI’s Biggest Skeptic Sees a Bubble Nov 21, 2025

Show notes

The AI boom is the biggest investment mania in decades, channeling trillions of dollars into data center infrastructure. If investors bet right, they may usher in technological breakthroughs that produce vast wealth. If they’re wrong, they could crash the U.S. stock market, trigger a recession, and spread financial contagion globally.

Ed Zitron was among the first to call AI a bubble. His unsparing deep dives into AI finances are must-reads, even for his critics. In a spirited back-and-forth on The World Unpacked, Ed and host Jon Bateman debate Wall Street’s “unhealthy relationship” with Nvidia, if China has its own AI bubble, and whether ChatGPT should give tax advice.

Find the episode transcript and streaming audio, and get the show direct to your inbox, here: https://carnegieendowment.org/podcasts/the-world-unpacked/ais-biggest-skeptic-sees-a-bubble?

Follow Jon on X: https://x.com/JonKBateman

Why Information Refuses to Be Controlled Nov 14, 2025

Show notes

We’re living through an era of information disruption. Novel technologies like AI and social media are unleashing pent-up social and political energies—releasing floods of new information and triggering intense battles for narrative control.

While most analysts focus on small pieces of this puzzle, Alicia Wanless is a pioneering “information ecologist” who seeks to map the entire system. Her new book is The Information Animal: Humans, Technology, and The Competition for Reality.

In a lively new episode of The World Unpacked, Alicia and host Jon Bateman discuss what 2025 has in common with 1625, how novels spark civil wars, and why our frantic efforts to tame information often do more harm than good.

Find the episode transcript and streaming audio, and get the show direct to your inbox, here: https://carnegieendowment.org/podcasts/the-world-unpacked/why-information-refuses-to-be-controlled?

Follow Jon on X: https://x.com/JonKBateman

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