Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Get access to The Backroom (Over 100+ exclusive episodes) by becoming a Patron: patreon.com/OneDime
Benjamin Studebaker joins me on 1Dime Radio for another episode in our regular series of wide-ranging conversations. This time we get into the geopolitical situations in Iran, Ukraine, and Cuba, asking whether the U.S. and Russia are both stuck in wars they cannot neatly win. We analyze how Iran’s power structure has changed, what Ukraine’s drone strategy signals about the war with Russia, and how North American energy business interests fit into the picture. We also touch on Cuba’s demographic pressures, the influence of the “success” of the Venezuela action, and the limits of the U.S. legislative system.
In The Backroom on Patreon, Studebaker and I dig into a simple, yet highly nuanced question: what is politics, actually? What does it mean to DO politics? What makes something, or someone, political? When is something politics, and when is it not? What is the difference between Politics as usual, administration, and real politics? What differentiates Politics from social justice activism?
Timestamps:
00:00:00 The Backroom Preview: A Better Future
00:03:48 Intro
00:06:07 Has Regime Change Already Occurred In Iran?
00:15:00 Oil, China, and the Strait of Hormuz
00:17:48 Is Israel Dragging America Into War?
00:24:12 Trump’s Biggest Weakness
00:37:00 Iran After the Ayatollahs
00:50:11 Can Cuba Survive?
01:05:42 Drone Warfare
01:11:37 Who Profits From the Ukraine War?
01:20:00 America Can’t Govern Itself
01:28:37 Is Russia Losing?
01:35:00 Was Mearsheimer Right?
01:40:00 China and the New World Economy
01:54:23 Backroom Preview: What Is Politics?
GUEST:
Benjamin Studebaker
• Website: benjaminstudebaker.com
• Substack: substack.com/@bmstudebaker
• Legitimacy in Liberal Democracies: edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-legitimacy-in-liberal-democracies.html
Studebaker's Book on Amazon: a.co/d/02OkRRkw
FOLLOW 1Dime:
• Substack: 1dimereview.substack.com
• X/Twitter: https://x.com/1DimeOfficial
• Instagram: instagram.com/1dimeman
• Check out my main channel videos: youtube.com/@1Dimee
Leave a like, drop a comment, and give the show a 5-star rating on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen to this.
Tags: #Geopolitics #Iran #Ukraine #Russia #PoliticalTheory #InternationalRelations
Get access to The Backroom (Over 100+ exclusive episodes) by becoming a Patron: patreon.com/OneDime
Benjamin Studebaker joins me on 1Dime Radio for another episode in our regular series of wide-ranging conversations. This time we get into the geopolitical situations in Iran, Ukraine, and Cuba, asking whether the U.S. and Russia are both stuck in wars they cannot neatly win. We analyze how Iran’s power structure has changed, what Ukraine’s drone strategy signals about the war with Russia, and how North American energy business interests fit into the picture. We also touch on Cuba’s demographic pressures, the influence of the “success” of the Venezuela action, and the limits of the U.S. legislative system.
In The Backroom on Patreon, Studebaker and I dig into a simple, yet highly nuanced question: what is politics, actually? What does it mean to DO politics? What makes something, or someone, political? When is something politics, and when is it not? What is the difference between Politics as usual, administration, and real politics? What differentiates Politics from social justice activism?
Timestamps:
00:00:00 The Backroom Preview: A Better Future
00:03:48 Intro
00:06:07 Has Regime Change Already Occurred In Iran?
00:15:00 Oil, China, and the Strait of Hormuz
00:17:48 Is Israel Dragging America Into War?
00:24:12 Trump’s Biggest Weakness
00:37:00 Iran After the Ayatollahs
00:50:11 Can Cuba Survive?
01:05:42 Drone Warfare
01:11:37 Who Profits From the Ukraine War?
01:20:00 America Can’t Govern Itself
01:28:37 Is Russia Losing?
01:35:00 Was Mearsheimer Right?
01:40:00 China and the New World Economy
01:54:23 Backroom Preview: What Is Politics?
GUEST:
Benjamin Studebaker
• Website: benjaminstudebaker.com
• Substack: substack.com/@bmstudebaker
• Legitimacy in Liberal Democracies: edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-legitimacy-in-liberal-democracies.html
Studebaker's Book on Amazon: a.co/d/02OkRRkw
FOLLOW 1Dime:
• Substack: 1dimereview.substack.com
• X/Twitter: https://x.com/1DimeOfficial
• Instagram: instagram.com/1dimeman
• Check out my main channel videos: youtube.com/@1Dimee
Leave a like, drop a comment, and give the show a 5-star rating on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen to this.
Tags: #Geopolitics #Iran #Ukraine #Russia #PoliticalTheory #InternationalRelations
