The Peter McCormack Show #056

Guest: Faraz Modad

Title: How Trump Is Reshaping the World

Date: March 6, 2025
Host: Peter McCormack (with guest Faraz Modad; Peter is nicknamed "Bernie" throughout transcript)

Brief Overview

This episode explores the global and domestic political shifts catalyzed by Donald Trump’s policies, with deep dives into populism, oligarchy, geopolitics, Western decline, and the underpinnings of social breakdown in liberal societies. Faraz Modad, a geopolitical analyst and Christian convert, provides a sweeping, provocative analysis—from experience in Lebanon to broad critiques of Western decadence, Western Christianity, the role of oligarchy, the dangers and uses of strongmen, and the spiritual crisis in the West. The conversation is frank, often confrontational, mixing geopolitics, theology, social commentary, and biting critiques of both left and right.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Social Responsibility, Welfare & Dignity

Timestamps: [00:00], [34:04]

• Faraz opens by critiquing Western welfare systems:

  "If you allow people to be on benefits indefinitely, you actually end up corrupting them... force people to work because there's no other alternative, they prosper... that's good for them. I don't think it's good for us as a society...you impose responsibility on people instead of infantilizing them." – Faraz [00:00], [34:04], [35:15]

• Faraz frames “tough love” as a necessary corrective, referencing both Christian doctrine (St. Paul) and a practical critique of Western welfare ("If St. Paul says if you don’t work you don’t eat, I’m going to agree with St. Paul...").

2. Lebanese Society, Corruption, and Community

Timestamps: [01:27] – [07:00]

• Faraz recounts Lebanon’s fractured sectarian society:

  “There are 17 different sects...having different religions is a problem because it means that different people have different loyalties...their first loyalty is their own community, not the administrative apparatus of the state.” – Faraz [02:34]

• Wealth accumulation by politicians is framed as security for future conflict, not prosperity:

  “The mindset that you need to thrive in that kind of society is primarily security based. It’s not prosperity based.” – Faraz [03:17]

• The tradition in Lebanon of maintaining homes in both Beirut and the village is linked to profound distrust and preparedness for catastrophe.

3. Oligarchies, Elites, and Populism

Timestamps: [07:01] – [17:25]

• Faraz argues Western elites have abandoned connections to land and people, making them unaccountable compared to traditional aristocracies.
• Loss of manufacturing and exporting jobs offshore is presented as a symptom of rootless financialized elites.
• Rise of populism is traced to the pain of the squeezed classes while the elite “don’t really want to put their head above the parapet.”

  “HR has become the new inquisition...you can no longer be employed in a large corporation. So the people end up being torn...maybe I should just nod along...” – Faraz [09:36]

• On the real nature of political hierarchy:

  “There are three players, at least, not two...the conflict is often between the executive, the oligarchs, and the people.” – Faraz [14:24]

• Faraz claims core social dogmas (transgender rhetoric, climate activism) are modern “political loyalty tests” that arbitrate who is loyal to the ruling oligarchy.

  “If I can make you say a man is in fact a woman, I can make you say anything...It becomes a political loyalty test.” – Faraz [15:57]

4. Trump, the Strongman, and the Structure of Power

Timestamps: [12:57], [31:52], [53:56]

• Trump is interpreted as a genius at two levels: as a political tactician, and as someone consciously working to realign oligarchic alliances.

  “In the conflict between oligarchy and state and public, Trump has selected a better oligarchy to work with which knows that it needs him much as he needs them... and he's using that to dismantle the administrative state…” – Faraz [31:52]

• The West’s previous decades of foreign policy errors (Iraq, Libya) are presented as creating the present alliance between Russia, China, and Iran.

  “Because of Western sanctions and Western military pressure and I would argue Western arrogance, a de facto alliance between Russia, China and Iran…” – Faraz [41:12]

• The rationale behind Trump’s hard pivot on Ukraine and Gaza is explained as realpolitik, not emotion or principle.

5. Authoritarianism vs. Liberal Pluralism

Timestamps: [19:10] – [29:13]

• Defending (to a degree) the logic of authoritarianism in Russia and elsewhere:

  "The alternative to authoritarian rule is literally civil war and chaos and it is oligarchs running amok..." – Faraz [23:11]

• The necessity of strong central control in highly diverse societies, versus chaos in attempts at Western-style liberal pluralism.
• Western claims to freedom and democracy are scrutinized as fragile and hypocritical.

6. Geopolitics, Islam, and Enduring Conflict

Timestamps: [49:31] – [62:23]

• The Israel/Palestine impasse is presented as essentially theological:

  “The existence of a Jewish state is a theological insult to Islam... Islam defines itself as a religion of government and as being fundamentally entitled to rule over Christians and Jews because Christians and Jews don’t obey God’s law properly...” – Faraz [49:33]

• Trump’s “pragmatic” solution is presented as a historic inevitability—harsh, but not new.

  “Trump is saying, I’m going to be practical about it and ethnically cleanse the weaker side... It’s cruel, but it’s not the first time.” – Faraz [53:31]

7. Christian Roots, Decline in the West & Social Fragmentation

Timestamps: [85:56], [92:09], [94:03], [111:44]

• Faraz makes an extended argument that many modern Western values—universal dignity, charity, equality, welfare—are distinctively Christian, not universal or rational innovations.

  “The idea that the poor inherently have dignity and the weak inherently have dignity cannot be accepted without Jesus Christ. Not genuinely, not fully.” – Faraz [94:03]

• Loss of Christianity is argued to be a key driver of current Western malaise, confusion, and susceptibility to “woke” pseudo-religions.
• Western "rights culture" is reframed as an expansion (and perversion) of Christian moral roots.
• The rise of radical Islam is explained as a recovery of religious confidence, contrasting with the West's post-Christian drift.

8. Free Speech, Censorship, and State Power

Timestamps: [71:05], [73:31], [120:33], [126:30]

• Faraz is not a “free speech absolutist,” arguing that truth must be protected speech, and that speech can and should be curbed if it risks civil conflict in diverse societies.

  “If you were to go around and say things that would provoke a civil conflict... preventing civil conflict is actually an important responsibility.” – Faraz [72:49]

• Bernie's discussion of Tommy Robinson, Assange, and censorship highlights the Western establishment’s nervousness, likening it to the kind of political repression seen in Russia.

  “This government, this country is terrified of the risk of rioting when you want to understand they’re terrified of a revolution. Yes. As they should be because of their own behavior. But like good autocrats, they are trying to fortify themselves in all kinds of ways and make sure that they show you early on that there is an enormous cost to dissent.” – Faraz [120:40]

• The “cancellation” and ex-communication of political and cultural heretics is likened to religious purges.

9. The “Lies” Underpinning Modern Society

Timestamps: [125:28] – [129:53]

• Faraz frames Western social dogmas on gender, climate, and equality as fundamentally untrue, unsustainable, and ultimately destructive:

  "The foundation of lies is quicksand, and it can't hold all of that weight and all of that bs." – Faraz [126:58]

• His prescription for social renewal is not political activism first, but uncompromising truth-telling, calling out lies one by one: “Dismantling their lies is the best thing that you can do against them, because eventually people will see that the emperor has no clothes.” – Faraz [128:59]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “HR has become the new inquisition...you can no longer be employed in a large corporation." – Faraz [09:36]
• “If I can make you say that a man is in fact a woman, I can make you say anything.” – Faraz [15:57]
• "There will always be people who are wealthier than others...What you want to do is to ennoble the oligarchy and give it aristocratic sentiments..." – Faraz [17:43]
• “In the conflict between oligarchy and state and public, Trump has selected a better oligarchy to work with…” – Faraz [31:52]
• “The alternative to authoritarian rule is literally civil war and chaos and it is oligarchs running amok...They are operating on a different morality.” – Faraz [23:11]
• “Geopolitics is the connection between geography and politics. It’s the admission that where we’re from affects us.” – Faraz [45:09]
• “Reality doesn’t care about your feelings.” – Bernie [48:21]
• “Every atrocity that Islamic State committed was scripturally justified by at least two...Sunni Muslim authorities. They checked, and then I checked their work. They were right.” – Faraz [77:46]
• “Socialism is a Christian heresy. Why should the poor have anything? Why should the downtrodden have political influence? Says who?” – Faraz [94:03]
• “The foundation of lies is quicksand, and it can’t hold all of that weight and all that BS.” – Faraz [126:58]
• “You need genuine Christianity for there to be reform, we need genuine love of your neighbor.” – Faraz [115:54]

Important Timestamps for Reference

• [00:00] — Opening on Welfare & Work
• [02:34] — Lebanon as a microcosm of divided, corrupt society
• [09:36] — HR as the new inquisition; populist uprisings
• [12:57] — Trump: Genius or madness? Both, but at a higher level
• [15:57] — Modern social dogmas as loyalty tests
• [23:11] — The necessity of authoritarianism in diverse nations
• [25:33] — Consequences of liberalism in non-homogenous societies
• [31:52] — How Trump is “reshaping” American politics
• [34:04] — Welfare, dignity, and the case for “tough love”
• [41:12] — The West’s strategic errors; Russia, China, Iran alliance
• [49:33] — The theological core of the Israel/Palestine conflict
• [62:42] — Christianity, sin, and the roots of social breakdown
• [94:03] — Christian charity vs. socialism; Western values’ origins
• [115:54] — Why reform now can only succeed with genuine charity
• [126:58] — “The foundation of lies is quicksand...”
• [128:59] — Prescription for the future: relentless truth-telling

Flow & Tone

• The episode is frank, combative, and discursive, mixing history, personal experience, theology, and political philosophy.
• Faraz’s tone is unapologetic, analytical, occasionally biting, but always on a quest for root causes.
• Bernie (Peter) acts as both devil’s advocate and everyman, bringing personal experience and skepticism while letting Faraz elaborate.
• Both are deeply concerned with societal rot, loss of direction, and the hollowing of the West, but differ on whether activism or spiritual renewal is the solution.

Conclusion

Faraz Modad’s thesis is that Trump’s reshaping of the world isn’t accidental but emerges from a deep crisis in Western societies—one of faith, leadership, and social cohesion. Populism, oligarchy, and the return of the “strongman” are neither aberrations nor optional but the almost inevitable consequences of societies that have lost their moral and spiritual roots. Bold, provocative, and bracing, this conversation is essential listening for understanding today’s turbulent global order.

Check out Faraz’s work at:

• monadgeopolitics.com
• convertordie.net (“How Islamic State Made Me a Christian”—upcoming book)

This summary omits sponsor messages, advertisements, and non-content banter, focusing solely on the episode’s substantive material.