The Globalist — September 3rd, 2025

Episode Title: India’s Modi embraces Xi and Putin after being iced out by Trump
Host: Georgina Godwin (A)
Podcast: Monocle – The Globalist
Key Guests: Ash Bhardwaj (C), Nega Anger (D), Inga Torda (E), Mark Edelman (F), Claudia Jacob (G), Bernie Cho (H), Aki Sasamoto (B)

Overview

This episode examines the shifting geopolitical landscape in the wake of China’s largest military parade and the display of emerging alliances between non-Western powers. The central themes include India’s balancing act between China, Russia, and the United States, Iran’s response to renewed sanctions pressures, the escalation in the US-Venezuela conflict, and domestic US politics with a spotlight on California’s Governor Gavin Newsom’s tactics against Trump. Additional segments feature discussions on global news, European headlines, Parisian culture, and the increasingly global reach of K Pop.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. China’s 80th Anniversary Parade: Display of Power and Alliances

[03:51-06:36]

• China’s Grand Parade: Marking 80 years since Japan’s defeat, President Xi Jinping delivers a pointed speech framing the world’s choice as "between war and peace," while demonstrating China’s growing military reach, with advanced submarine drones, robotic tanks, and major investments in a nuclear triad.

• Guest List as Geopolitical Signal: Attending leaders include Putin, Kim Jong Un, Pakistan’s PM, Belarus’ Lukashenko, Iran’s President, Zimbabwe’s leadership, and officials from Central Asian ‘stans’, Serbia, Slovakia, Cuba, and Myanmar—positioning China at the helm of a rising counterweight to the Western order.

  “Not only do they have the will or desire to compete with the Western order, but if it comes to it militarily, they could at least, least stand up to the United States.” — Ash Bhardwaj (C), [05:54]

2. India’s Non-Alignment Dilemma and Modi’s Calculus

[06:36-09:23]

• India Moving Toward China? While Prime Minister Modi attended the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, Ash Bhardwaj cautions this is more about strategic signaling than a full pivot, given India’s history of non-alignment and its military ties to both Russia and the West.

• Border Disputes Unsettled: Recent skirmishes along disputed Sino-Indian borders remain a barrier to deeper cooperation.

• US-India Tensions: Trump’s recent 50% tariffs on India—ostensibly to punish Russia but with major fallout for Delhi—put further strain on the Quad alliance. Modi’s calculated cold-shouldering of Trump’s peacemaking claims after the Indo-Pakistan conflict is a sign of flexing autonomy.

  “India wants to be able to get the best of both… if you don’t start treating us better, this is the direction we’re going…” — Ash Bhardwaj (C), [09:07]

3. Russia's Waning Leverage and Search for Relevance

[09:23-10:45]

• Russia’s Conundrum: Reduced to offering only nukes and gas, Russia finds itself without significant economic or technological clout, further isolated in Europe apart from a handful of allies.

  "Russia exports a lot of gas, it exports a lot of oil, but it's hard to really say what else it does add to the world..." — Ash Bhardwaj (C), [09:55]

4. Iran Under Pressure: Europe Triggers Sanctions, UN Dynamics, China’s Hesitance

[12:08-19:36]

• Iran’s Pivot Amid Renewed Sanctions: With Britain, France, and Germany (E3) triggering the JCPOA snapback mechanism, Europe loses credibility as mediator, pushing Iran closer to Beijing and Moscow.

• Threat to NPT: Iran’s parliament debates leaving the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty—seen as a theatrical maneuver before likely UN isolation.

• China’s “Holding Pattern”: While present in Beijing summitry, China offers Iran little beyond rhetorical solidarity; real material support remains limited and cautious.

  “Europe's leverage with Iran has essentially collapsed.”—Nega Anger (D), [13:31]
  “It's performative and although escalatory, it's performative… trying to frame itself as the aggrieved party while sanctions risk further eroding issues.”—Nega Anger (D), [14:35]

5. Venezuela-US Escalation, Bolsonaro’s Trouble, Google Antitrust Battles

[21:19-26:31]

• US Strike in Caribbean: US military kills 11 alleged drug traffickers off Venezuelan waters, an escalation made possible by Trente Aragua’s terrorist designation.

• Bolsonaro's Coup Trial: The ex-Brazilian president is absent from his own trial due to “excessive hiccups,” but the charges—over plotting a coup—mirror Trump-era electoral tumult.

• Google Avoids Breakup, Faces Data Remedies: Politico reports Google escaped a forced breakup but must share limited data with rivals, fueling ongoing antitrust scrutiny by both US and EU authorities.

  "It's a $2.5 trillion breakup. It would have been bigger than the AT&T back in the 80s. So that was a huge win for Google..." — Inga Torda (E), [25:01]

6. Other Notable Global Coverage

• A23A Iceberg Meltdown and Terra Nova Rediscovered: Climate signals from Antarctic iceberg dynamics and historic shipwreck footage.
• France’s Urban & Cultural Shift: Rise of Chinese tourism in Paris, technological impacts (sun-finding apps vs. bistro life), and the city’s evolving boundaries and identity.

7. US Politics: Gavin Newsom’s “Trolling” Tactics Against Trump

[32:01-39:14]

• Democratic Counterstrategy: Mark Edelman, top Democratic consultant, analyzes Newsom’s use of memes, merch, and direct digital jabs at Trump—tapping into voters’ hunger for “fighters” and pushing a $100 million ad blitz in response to GOP gerrymandering.

• Experiments in Messaging: Democrats testing new, more “authentic” strategies; tailoring approaches to regional contexts.

  “Nobody's really figured out how to pierce the balloon of Donald Trump… Gavin Newsom is somebody who does that. He gets in the street and he knows how to throw a punch.” — Mark Edelman (F), [32:16]

  “It's a lot about finding what feels authentic... and what kind of speaks to the problems and the issues that are specifically voters concerns at that moment.”—Mark Edelman (F), [35:39]

• Crime and Urban Challenges: Issues of urban crime, exodus, and federal overreach, especially the controversial use of federal troops in cities with Democratic mayors.

8. Arts, Culture, and K Pop’s Rise

Aki Sasamoto’s Life Laboratory Exhibition (Tokyo)

[46:05-51:38]

• Sasamoto's Journey: A renowned performance artist reflecting on her mid-career milestone, drawing inspiration from communication struggles and the everyday.

  “I used to use a lot of anger to fuel some performances... but nowadays it doesn’t necessarily have to be that. It could be a desire to communicate with my friends.” — Aki Sasamoto (B), [48:18]

Seoul’s Purpose-Built K Pop Arena

[52:30-59:00]

• Seoul Arena Details: For the first time, purpose-built K Pop venues—one for 28,000, another for 10,000—are under construction and ahead of schedule, set to open in 2027.

• Tourism and Music Industry Impact: The arena is anticipated to serve as a major tourism magnet (2.7 million visitors/year), facilitating both domestic and international acts, with direct transport links.

  “What surprised me was... there isn't going to be one, but actually two venues... the city of Seoul anticipates this arena alone will attract 2.7 million visitors a year.” — Bernie Cho (H), [53:48]

  “Many of the biggest world tours have to skip coming to Korea because of the lack of venues... Taylor Swift wasn’t able to perform here…” — Bernie Cho (H), [57:15]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Xi’s Parade:
  “This almost marked the end of what the Chinese call the century of shame…” — Ash Bhardwaj (C), [05:03]

• On Iran’s Posture:
  “It’s an optics play right now. It’s negotiations of the negotiations, if I may.” — Nega Anger (D), [15:40]

• On Newsom’s (D) Strategy:
  “He gets in the street and he knows how to throw a punch.” — Mark Edelman (F), [32:44]

• On Google’s Antitrust Battle:
  “They didn't have to give up their search index… would have been a major catastrophe for them, really.” — Inga Torda (E), [25:37]

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:51 | Analysis of China's parade and new alliances (Ash Bhardwaj) | | 06:36 | India’s dilemma between China and the US | | 09:23 | Russia’s diminished global relevance | | 12:08 | Iran’s response to sanctions and NPT threats (Nega Anger) | | 21:19 | US-Venezuela escalation; Bolsonaro coup trial; Google antitrust | | 32:01 | US politics: Newsom vs. Trump strategy (Mark Edelman) | | 39:40 | French news: Paris tourism and urban change (Claudia Jacob) | | 46:05 | Arts: Aki Sasamoto’s career and performance philosophy | | 52:30 | Seoul’s K Pop arena and industry implications (Bernie Cho) |

Conclusion

This episode of The Globalist deftly tracks the evolving multipolar world order: China’s growing assertiveness, India’s calculated maneuvering, Russia’s rut, and Iran’s tactical brinkmanship, all against the backdrop of US retrenchment and unpredictable Trump-era foreign and domestic policy. Simultaneously, the program’s engaging cultural insights (from K Pop to Parisian life) and granular reporting on tech, climate, and urban trends keep listeners attuned to both seismic shifts and everyday stories shaping our rapidly changing world.