Podcast
American Power
Hosted by Chad Scott, Nat Towsen, Mr. Global · EN
American Power is a geopolitical podcast about the forces beneath the headlines, where military strategy, energy markets, and political decision-making collide. Hosted by writer and comedian Nat Towsen alongside military strategist, Chad Scott and an oil and energy expert, Mr. Global, the show breaks down global events through the systems that shape them.
Each episode goes beyond the daily news cycle to examine incentives, history, and unintended consequences. Why do wars become hard to stop once they start? How do oil markets anticipate conflict before governments admit it? And who really pays the price when strategy, economics, and politics intersect?
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The AI Boom Is Making Your Bills More Expensive
4d ago01:27:23Summary readyThe U.S. and Iran remain locked in a dangerous stalemate while AI data centers place unprecedented demands on America's power grid. Nat Towsen, Chad Scott and Matt Randolph examine why diplomacy keeps failing, how energy markets are responding, and whether the race for technological dominance is creating new vulnerabilities at home. We’re always looking for new opportunities to partner with creators, companies, politicians, and organizations that share our mission. If you’re interested in partnering with us to help reshape the national conversation — get in touch! @wearefindout
SummaryThe War Nobody Wanted, The Deal Nobody Likes
2w ago01:21:46Summary readyThis week on American Power, host Nat Towsen, military strategist Chad Scott and energy expert Matt Randolph (Mr. Global) break down the emerging Iran deal, why Republican hawks are furious, and whether America has any real leverage left. They also dive into Israel's role in the negotiations, the future of the Strait of Hormuz, and what Democrats still don't understand about Gaza, energy prices, and the voters they lost. We’re always looking for new opportunities to partner with creators, companies, politicians, and organizations that share our mission. If you’re interested in partnering with us to help reshape the national conversation — get in touch! @wearefindout
SummaryChina Is Playing Chess. America Is Playing Candyland.
3w ago01:14:31Summary readyThis week on American Power, host Nat Towsen is joined by military strategist Chad Scott and energy expert Matt Randolph (Mr. Global) to break down Trump’s high-profile meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Chad explains how China quietly gained leverage on Taiwan, semiconductors, and strategic messaging while the U.S. walked away celebrating vague trade promises and headline-friendly “wins.” Matt breaks down why China may already be better prepared for a prolonged global energy crisis than almost any country on earth: massive strategic oil reserves, aggressive renewable investment, and a long-term industrial strategy built around resilience. We’re always looking for new opportunities to partner with creators, companies, politicians, and organizations that share our mission. If you’re interested in partnering with us to help reshape the national conversation — get in touch! @wearefindout
SummaryRep. Adam Smith on the War Congress Didn’t Approve
4w ago00:56:53Summary readyOn this episode of American Power, host Nat Towsen is joined by military strategist Chad Scott, energy expert Matt Randolph (Mr. Global), and Congressman Adam Smith, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, to break down the escalating conflict with Iran, the limits of presidential war powers, and what comes next. Smith explains why the U.S. now finds itself “stuck in a bad place” with few clear options, and the reality behind modern war powers: presidents act first, and Congress struggles to keep up. Chad Scott brings the military perspective, examining how blockades and ongoing strikes blur the line between deterrence and full-scale war. Matt Randolph breaks down the energy side, explaining why “energy independence” is largely a myth and how global oil markets are already shaping the conflict and its consequences at home. We’re always looking for new opportunities to partner with creators, companies, politicians, and organizations that share our mission. If you’re interested in partnering with us to help reshape the national conversation — get in touch! @wearefindout
SummaryThe Ceasefire That Wasn’t
May 601:04:28Summary readyThis week on American Power, host Nat Towsen is joined by military strategist Chad Scott and energy expert Matt Randolph (Mr. Global) to break down the growing chaos in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Chad explains why America may already be operating outside the limits of the War Powers Act, how the blockade itself qualifies as an act of war, and why Iran’s strategy is to defeat the U.S.by exhausting it economically and politically. Matt walks through what could become the next major shock to Americans at home: collapsing gasoline and diesel inventories, record exports, and a supply crunch that could send gas prices soaring even if oil prices stabilize. We’re always looking for new opportunities to partner with creators, companies, politicians, and organizations that share our mission. If you’re interested in partnering with us to help reshape the national conversation — get in touch! @wearefindout
SummaryPower at the Edge of Failure
Apr 2900:50:52Summary readyThis week on American Power, host Nat Towsen is joined by military strategist Chad Scott and energy expert Matt Randolph (Mr. Global) to examine a crisis hiding in plain sight: rising fuel prices, shrinking reserves, stalled Iran negotiations, and a global economy that may be far more fragile than it looks. Matt breaks down why U.S. fuel inventories are nearing operational minimums, why gas prices may keep rising even if oil doesn’t, and how false reports of peace talks may be distorting markets rather than calming them. Chad explains why tactical military success is not the same as strategic success and why negotiations with Iran may be stuck because both sides wrongly believe they hold the upper hand. We’re always looking for new opportunities to partner with creators, companies, politicians, and organizations that share our mission. If you’re interested in partnering with us to help reshape the national conversation — get in touch! @wearefindout
SummaryOil and Blood: Iran, the U.S. and the Petrodollar
Apr 2200:59:20Summary readyThis week on American Power, host Nat Towsen steps back from the daily chaos to trace how the U.S.-Iran relationship; from early oil extraction and Western intervention to coups, sanctions, and the rise of the modern Iranian regime. Energy expert Matt Randolph (Mr. Global) breaks down how Iran’s oil wealth was exploited for decades and why the country’s current strategy is rooted in economic warfare, not military dominance. That includes the often-overlooked role of dollar-denominated debt and the global demand for U.S. currency. Military strategist Chad Scott explains how U.S. decisions, from the 1953 Iranian coup d’état to backing Iraq and beyond, helped shape the adversary it faces today. We’re always looking for new opportunities to partner with creators, companies, politicians, and organizations that share our mission. If you’re interested in partnering with us to help reshape the national conversation — get in touch! @wearefindout
SummaryThe Strait Illusion: Why This Strategy Fails
Apr 1500:52:51Summary readyThis week on American Power, energy expert Matt Randolph (Mr. Global) reveals a critical timing problem: Iran could keep getting paid for oil shipments for weeks, meaning the economic pressure hasn’t even started yet. Military strategist Chad Scott walks through the logistics of enforcing a blockade across an area the size of a U.S. state with limited ships, unclear authority, and a mission the Navy wasn’t designed to execute. Along the way, host Nat Towsen pushes on the contradictions: if the blockade risks drawing in nuclear powers, alienating allies, and failing to immediately impact Iran, what is the actual strategy? And if it doesn’t work, are the only real options escalation or a very public retreat? We’re always looking for new opportunities to partner with creators, companies, politicians, and organizations that share our mission. If you’re interested in partnering with us to help reshape the national conversation — get in touch! @wearefindout
SummaryWhen War Breaks the Rules And the Markets
Apr 801:03:16Summary readyThis week on American Power, we break down a dangerous new phase of the Iran conflict: threats of strikes on civilian infrastructure, rising oil prices, and a global system starting to buckle under pressure. Military expert Chad Scott explains why targeting power plants crosses into war crime territory not just internationally, but under U.S. law and why history shows this kind of strategy doesn’t weaken regimes, it hardens them. Energy expert Matt Randolph (Mr. Global) walks through what’s already happening in the oil markets, where physical crude is trading far above futures, a warning sign that gas prices could soon surge past record highs. We’re always looking for new opportunities to partner with creators, companies, politicians, and organizations that share our mission. If you’re interested in partnering with us to help reshape the national conversation — get in touch! @wearefindout
SummaryOil, Iran, and the Cost of Escalation
Apr 100:51:24Summary readyWhat happens when a war starts breaking the systems it depends on? In this debut episode of American Power, hosted by Nat Towsen, we break down the escalating conflict with Iran. As the Strait of Hormuz closes and the threat expands to the Red Sea, oil markets surge, global trade slows, and the cost of escalation becomes harder to contain. Military strategist Chad Scott explains why the U.S. may be past the point of easy de-escalation, and what “boots on the ground” really means in a country the size of Western Europe. Energy expert Matt Randolph (Mr. Global) walks through how oil, shipping, and fertilizer disruptions are already rippling through the global economy and why even reopening the Strait won’t fix what’s coming next. We’re always looking for new opportunities to partner with creators, companies, politicians, and organizations that share our mission. If you’re interested in partnering with us to help reshape the national conversation — get in touch! @wearefindout
Summary