The Duran Podcast - Q & A: Foreign policy HUBRIS and MAGA division

Episode Date: November 14, 2025

Q & A: Foreign policy HUBRIS and MAGA division

All right, Alexander, let's answer the questions from the live stream with Robert Barnes. And let's start things off with funky monkey who says, will the Supreme Court lose on tariffs and push DJT to war? Robert answered that. I think he did actually, yeah. Yes, he did. Matthew says, what do you think about conscription in Europe? I do think it's going to be popular. I think they're trying to arrange it in Germany.

I think there's going to be enormous resistance in Germany. I mean, I know Germany, and I know some young people in Germany, and they are strongly opposed to conscription. My own view is that all that is going to do, if they ever do introduce it, is that it's actually going to weaken the militaries rather than strengthen them. It's going to bring into the militaries in Europe a lot of very unhappy and very disaffected young people, and it could radicalize political opinion in Europe,

very significantly as well. I'm not absolutely sure it's going to happen. All right, from Nikos, this is a three-part question. Part one, I know you don't believe that the Western elites don't want nuclear war. I thought so for a while. Today, they tried to steal a mig and attack Romania. Part two, Levan isn't the only one who wants strikes in Western countries. In Stanislav's channel, many Russians expressed a rage or desire for strikes. And part three, I want Stanislav to clarify if the anger is towards the government, but the fact is simple. The only way the West will stop is with a nuclear war. Well, quite a few things here. There are many, many people around the world. And I read a long

piece by, I think it was Yuri Timofaev, who, is one of the major Russian commentators, who have been commenting about the fact that Western elites seem to have lost their fear of nuclear war and seem to believe that nuclear war is simply not going to happen and that they're under no personal risk, whatever takes place. I think that they are profoundly wrong about this. I don't think Western elites actually desire nuclear war, I think they just generally believe that Russia, China, are just bluffing about this and the point in Mofi have made, and he is very, very closely connected to the Kremlin, I should say. I mean, he's, I think he's one of the Valdai conference conveners, is that they're simply

wrong about this. The Russians have exercised tremendous restraint up to now. now, but eventually, I mean, if this continues, if the West continues in the way that it is, sooner or later, in some way or other, things might actually escalate and get out of control. Now, we have been here before. If you follow the history of the 1950s and early 1960s very closely, you will find that there also, in the United States, amongst some policy makers, there was a fundamental disbelief that nuclear war would ever happen. And then, of course, what that eventually led to was the Cuban Missile Crisis, which was a massive shock, a shock whose importance simply cannot be underestimated, and which led to a fundamental change and the

detente policies that followed. The difference between the situation then and the situation today is that in 1962, the person in charge in the United States was JFK, who was very level-headed, very calm, understood fully the implications, and had complete control over the U.S. government. We don't have anyone like that today, and it's difficult to believe. believe that out of the present political system, anybody like that will emerge. Now, I don't think we should threaten nuclear war. I don't think the Russians should engage in nuclear strikes. I think that could easily escalate. And I think saying that the only thing that will cause the West to stop is nuclear war. What nuclear war will do is cause humanity

to stop. But I do agree with you that we are closer to that point, that very dangerous point, now than we have ever been at any time. Matthew asks, will European countries deploy troops to Ukraine? Again, I don't believe so. I think that there will be an awful lot of calls to do that. There will be a lot of panic and people saying Ukraine is going to collapse. We must prevent this at all costs. We must deploy our troops to Odessa and things like that. I think European publics will strongly oppose this. I think that Donald Trump in the United States ultimately will never agree to this.

whatever political pressures are brought to bear upon him. I don't think he will ever do this. I certainly think if he tries to do it, there would be enormous opposition in the United States. I was there a few months ago, and I absolutely got that sense, by the way. So I don't think it will happen. Again, I am not going to say that the risks are completely non-existent.

But Dimitri Medvedev some weeks ago actually said that he too didn't think it would happen. And I think he's right. Cactus Ray, thank you for that super sticker. Funky Monkey says Trump is only competent while he's being impeached. Interesting. Not a bad point, actually. Sparky says, great work, Robert, Alex and Alexander. Sparky also says, Robert hasn't Mamdami been captured by the globalist via Alex Souris and Huma-Abedeen

Isn't he Obama 2.0 aside from a signal to President Trump and Israel, won't Mandami do business as usual for New York City? I think Robert answered that way. Yeah, very thoroughly. He also answered this one from Common Grounds. Trump has been such a disappointment, 15-year car loans at 50-year mortgages. What a crazy thing to say to young people. We talked about that as well.

Fuzzy Ball says, I live in South Carolina, USA in an area that is 80% Republican and almost Everyone I talk to opposes our presence in Venezuela, which is South Carolina, Lindsay Graham territory. So if that's how people feel there, how do they feel in other places? Klaus Battena says the good thing about young voters is that they vote less ideologically, more realistically. What can politicians do for ordinary people? Do you know, I wonder, I've got to push back a little bit about that.

Here in Britain, there is a significant number of young people who vote ideologically. And that has been one of the issues. If you work in a university, as my wife does, you encounter that all the time. So I'm not completely sure I agree with you about this. I think young people divide into two groups, one who are basically completely switched off politics and who are a bit like you say, but a significant group that are intensely ideological indeed. Just saying. Sparky says Robert, I harvested some juniper berries from red cedar trees in my pastor.

I think the trees are also called a juniper in the UK. Should I use them to make gin or use them to ward off evil spirits? Good question. I'll use them to make gin. I mean, gin is also a pretty good way of keeping off evil spirits. Just to say in England, In Scotland and Ireland, they drink whiskey. The national spirit is whiskey. In England, it is gin. And we make the best gin, beyond any doubt. Zareel says Trump at peak approval, more like peak stupidity.

Elza says, Mr. Barnes, would you bet on Republicans or Democrats in 2008? Could Trump lose his support? I think he answered that question. Sticky Marx says, to be an enemy of the USA is dangerous. to be a friend is fatal, Henry Kissinger, but Dick Cheney is dead, love crazy in Yorkshire, UK. Yeah, good points. $11 cheese says, I'd imagine the same forces that through legal issues at Trump are the same ones that made them go away, the only caveat being unconditional support for the Israelis.

Well, you're probably right. I mean, I have nothing to add to what Robert was saying throughout the program. Axel O. says, why doesn't Trump revoke Indians, Chinese visas. Well, good question. I mean, he's now talking about granting China, was it, 600,000 visas? That seems astonishing again. Fox News, Laura Ingram interview, which was a complete train wreck disaster for Trump. I couldn't believe that interview, actually.

A disaster, a complete disaster for him. Absolutely. Salim M. says, keep it up, guys, a beam of light. for troubled times. Funky monkey says Epstein compromised Trump. Now he is blackmailed. Well, a lot of people, an awful lot of people believe this. I'm going to make a guess, which is that we're going to see dribbles of information coming

out and in a way that is probably going to do colossal damage to Trump. If there is anything at all, I don't personally, believe it is anything really bad because if it had been, we would have found out a lot about it. The best thing he could have done would have been to come out ahead of it. Say, yeah, I had these contacts with Epstein. I did visit him several times. This is what happened. And I'm releasing the law. You can see it all and you will see that there's nothing there that contradicts what I am saying. Instead, what we're going to have is a drip feed of information over the next few weeks. and months, and perhaps each one by itself will not amount to anything, but cumulatively,

they will create a dreadful impression. He's utterly mismanaged this, and it could very well be that he's done that because he's been warned in exactly the kind of way you say. Yeah, what a disaster of the Epstein documents have been for him. Yeah, that's when the wheel started coming off of his presidency. Absolutely. And Maga and America First was back in, I think it was July, or June when he was asked about the Epstein files and when Cash Patel was asked about him and Dan

Bonino and Bondi and what a freaking screw up there. Absolutely. Sparky says, Robert isn't Scott Besson still trying to get revenge on China for propping up the Hong Kong dollar during Hong Kong's transition back to China, spoiling his and his boss sort of his position. Robert answered. Yes, he did. Answered that.

John Robert says new boss, same as the old boss. We did get fooled again. However, Trump did speak to the Russians and received Putin as a legitimate state leader. Trump also did shut down illegal immigration. Yes, for a time. A super chat from I can't read the language, unfortunately, but it's a super chat that says, Hey, you. Thank you for that.

Sparky says, it's sad, but people surrounding President Trump simply lied to him about how great things are. They weaponize his ignorance. Trump's plenty smart, but it's garbage in, garbage out. Well, absolutely true. But he's the president of the United States. As I've said in many places, he can speak to anybody he wants. A president should be going out there all the time and getting information. He should be going out across America, meeting people, as he used to do.

And he should also be meeting the real experts of whom there are many and listening to a diversity of use. One can't excuse him for this. Zareel said Trump only watches garbage. Donald watch us. Fraying E.T. says Robert, given the consequence of hubris discussed earlier, how well do you think Trump in his administration really understand how mortally wounded his credibility and political capital now is? I don't think he understands it at all. I think he still thinks that all he needs to do is a few

things and it will all come right. He's been consistently the winner in every political battle he's fought for many years now. And I can't, I think he can't quite bring himself to understand that what he's at risk of losing now is the most important thing, which is the support of his base. Up to now, his base has always stood by him. But now that is in jeopardy, and I don't think he gets it. Sparky says, Robert, President Trump wanted tariffs, but Bessent applied a 2009 tariff plan designed to crash the world economy. It's highlighted by Brian Burletic, not the McKinley-style tariffs Trump had in mind.

Well, I mean, I don't know the details of this, but certainly he is not applying tariffs in the way that they were applied in President McKinley's day. And as I said, I said previously, many places, the literature. from the late 19th and early 20th century in America on how to do tariffs is vast. Why Trump and his people didn't really go out and look up that literature? Well, that's a question that you must ask them. Helza says Trump sleeps in his office, reads a phrase like, insert your name and more strange situation. It's like watching a show called Becoming Biden.

Yeah. Sparky says, Robert, if only President Trump had realized his only true friends were President Putin and President G, they could have ruled their own sectors and together brought long peace and harmony to the world. Well, I agree. It's been a massive missed opportunity and one which we will always regret, I think. Maybe Jane says, how is the naval shipbuilding progressing? I think he answered that. I imagine that. Agu says, Alexander, how likely is Zelensky's refusal for troops to withdraw caused by him wanting to get rid of them to eliminate their threat to his authority? I know a lot of people say this, but I don't actually believe it. I don't think he's worried that the troops will turn around and march on Kiev or anything of that kind. I think he does

it principally because on the one hand, he's, again, an amateur and very insecure. and he believes that the way to win the war is by keeping the Russians as far as possible from Kiev as he can. And that means holding every millimeter of territory. And the second reason he does it is because he runs a PR war and wants to impress Trump and the Europeans by saying, look, we're holding onto all of these positions. The Russians are making no progress. And I think that's why he does it.

Onji Puppy says, have you seen Al Jazeera's documentary on the Israeli Live? be in the US. It's troubling, but maybe the documentary effect, as Scott Adams says. It is a very powerful documentary. I have seen it. Unvaccinated guy says, funny how Israel will not allow DNA ancestry tests. L.L. obviously would expose the anglo wolf in sheep's clothing, British land grab. Well, I'm not familiar with that issue, to be honest. But anyway, Zareel says, at Robert Barnes, do you mean, whimsy graham, grave ham. Absolutely.

Where am I? Agu says Trump is responsible for his own actions. He didn't have to choose Miller, Rubio, Besson, or Ratcliffe. He didn't have to oppose Massey and Rand and endorse Graham. He made these decisions. Yes, absolutely, which is exactly the point that Robert is paking and he's right. Igor Lalin says Durand has changed my life for the better. Thank you for being honest and brave.

Thank you very much for those words. Unvaccinated guy says the most sneaky, deceivious dingleberries wear suits and ties. If you see full, full-grove-d mayo monkey with padding on the shoulders, look out. Absolutely. I would say I do wear suits and ties myself. So not everybody who wears a suit and tie needs to be distrusted. But I take your point completely. Derek says, Vance is no better.

He's a Peter Thiel puppet. Well, Robert discussed that at length. Derek says Rubio and the rest of the neocon swamp aren't that sneaky. Anyone with a brain can see through them. Trump is a chump. Well, I would agree. I find it remarkable that he's been led Australian this way. But I have to say here, I go with what Alex always says, follow the money.

The point is that these people have unlimited funds behind them. And in politics, in American politics, especially, money talks. Nico says you should pay attention to J.D. Vance. The guy is arrogant. Although I can't prove it, he's responsible for the tensions with India. Oh, I think probably the opposite is actually. His wife is Indian. Yeah, I don't think he's, I think Trump is as responsible. I agree with India. Yeah. Nobody says there is a plan for humanity and nothing can possibly arrest the working out of that plan. If we avoid nuclear war, Alice Bailey, Benjamin Cream, WikiQuote.

Well, I don't know who has that plan to be on this. I don't see much sign of a plan like that myself. B.S. for Boomer says I really appreciate these discussions. Sparky says Robert Lindsay Graham came from a rough and tumble port white trash in his late teens. His parents died so he joined the army as an enlisted man to raise his little sister, eventually becoming an Air Force JAG officer. Graham's wrongheaded, evil, immoral, but tough. He's very dangerous to the world in his position.

Let's hope South Carolina voters get rid of him. Light in the loafers for sure, but tough. Well, quite possibly. And I don't know his backgrounds very well. Certainly he's wrong about pretty much everything and has little, I think, understanding of the realities of power in today's world. Derek says Barnes blames Trump's policies

on everybody but Trump. Yeah. Oh, no, I think Robert, over the course of this program was pretty scathing about Trump himself, actually. I think he was very, very critical of Trump. I think that's unfair. Jeffrey Summers says Trump recently announced an offering of 50-year mortgages for all in addition to 15-year auto loans.

To me, this really emphasizes Trump's capture by the Black Rock class. What are yours and Robert's thoughts on this? We've already made obvious about that, clear. I mean, the most disastrous interview that Trump has given up to now, this will cut through. I mean, this is something that people will notice. They were people, young people especially, will know now that Trump is thinking about these dreadful ideas. Nico says Russia seems to have no allies. Putin saved Takayev in 2022, and he's been condemning him and is antagonistic towards Russia. And then there's Vucic instead of following the Greek government's example, for Tempe, he can.

caved into pressure, how Ukraine hasn't collapsed yet, how the West is so united. Well, first of all, let's talk about Takayev. I think this all stems of the fact that the Central Asian leaders were invited to Washington and had a meeting with Trump, out of which nothing actually came. And I think this is the point to say. I mean, there were a lot of talk of money, but nothing very much came a bit. So Takayev flies back to Kazakhstan, spends a few hours there and gets on a plane and goes to Moscow. And he's had a massive meeting with Putin. And this clearly is the more important meeting if you go through all of the details of what both the Kremlin and the Kazakh government itself has said. I think that you always have to understand

that Kiyiv is the president of Kazakhstan. He has to consider Kazakhstan's best interests. He also, and this is something that's important for the Russians, Kazakhstan is also the country through which the Russians export a lot of their things, which are sanctioned. So a lot of oil, for example, that circulates on global markets, which is called Kazakh oil, is really ultimately Russian oil. So it's important for both the Russians and for Kazakhstan, that Kazakhstan maintains a friendly relationship with the United States.

That is not anti-Russian. And as I said, Takayev has consistently shown that he understands this game and that the Russians understand it too. And as I said, he's just had a very, very big and important meeting in Moscow with Putin. Budin also spoke, by the way, to other Central Asian leaders after that meeting in Washington, and he spoke with the president of Uzbekistan, for example, again, a long call, apparently, though this time by phone. Now, about Vuchich, a very different person.

Indeed, Vuchich and Takayev are completely different people. I agree. I think Vuchich is not somebody who is at all reliable. He's not a reliable Russian ally. He is a very clever, very manipulative politician. And a lot of the protests that have happened in Serbia are a product of this fact. I think he's opened doors to the West, which in a sense have created these tensions in in Belgrade. I think he's trying to keep in with too many people all at the same time.

And I'm afraid these arms sales to Ukraine have damaged Russia's relations with Serbia, as the Russians have said. But they are politically useful for Uvichch, and financially useful for him as well. As for the West be united, they are very united, actually. One gets the sense of the that they argue about things all the time. They argue about freezing and Russian assets. They haven't agreed with that. They are arguing about economic policies. They're arguing about all kinds of things. Mark Hewitt says, why didn't Devin Nunez get a post in Trump's administration? Robert, I'll answer that one. Jeffrey Summers says, Easy One, favorite kinds of beer. We talked about that. Michael Russell says, eventually the emerging state of the art you,

U.S. regarding tech will lap the Chinese as Japan did Detroit in the 70s? I'm not sure I understand that question. And I don't think that it's this. R. E. Tech, all capital. I'm not sure. Yes. I think that I think that one should not apply too many lessons from what happened in the 70s and 80s to the situation between China. Rare Earth products is what REE tech is. Oh, I see. Okay. Well, as I said, I've spoken to people, well, I've been contacted by people who tell me

that they're experts in this field. They think it will take at least 10 years for the United States to equalize with China. And that's assuming the U.S. really continues to focus on this, about which, by the way, these people who are also industry experts are skeptical. Life of Brian says, hoping for Trump to change is worse than a letter to Santa. The course now is to turn everyone, including the boomers against Trump.

Wow. Thank you for that. Sparky says, Robert U.S. remembers the Monroe Doctrine as Europe should stay out of the U.S.'s yard. What's usually forgotten is the Monroe Doctrine says this is contingent on the U.S. staying out of Europe's yard. He answered that question.

Yeah, we talked about the Monroe Doctrine. Jeffrey Summers says Professor Zhang the other day mentioned the U.S. actions in Venezuela appear as a pivot to the Monroe Doctrine Strategy. Is this an opportunity for the U.S. to isolate itself and slowly move home? Robert answered that too. Robert answered that as well. Yeah. Sparky says Robert, ironically, the evangelical Christian parents and grandparents of evangelical Christian Zionist leaders of today routinely call Israelis Christ killers. They had no love for Israel. Well, I think he answered that as well. I think he answered that as well, yeah. Life of Brian says, I don't know who the wizard of the Kremlin is, but Brezhnev is his driver. We touched on that in the program. Yeah, that's Nikos's question.

Did you see the wizard of the Kremlin trailer? It's not cring. No. Insulting, at least Angelina Jolie's driver was kidnapped. That's a good clown world. Yeah. I haven't watched it. I don't think I'll forget to bother with this film, too.

Nikos Soso had another super chat where he says, just watch the trailer of the Wizard of the Kremlin. The last scene is literally Putin saying, I want war. This looks almost as bad as the Polish Putin movie. Yeah, I'm sure it is. These films will disappear into the, one day people will look at them as items left over from a strange historical time. not going to make any big impact in the world. Pamela Drew says, Flip and Adored Duran and want the hoodie Alexander has on with the Neil Green,

but cannot find it at the shop as it is a new preview or old discontinued. It's in the shop. I actually sent to Pamela the link during the day of the live stream. Sparky says, Robert, one good thing about the recent so-called ceasefire in Gaza is it gave a local Christian charity an excuse to finally stop flying the Israeli flag without losing funding from Israel. Again, I think he answered that question. Muratimo says at Alikristoforu, like this video, subscribe to this channel.

Definitely like this video, guys, subscribe to this channel. Shalashkina says BBC issue is not about Trump. It is a cover for Robbie Gibb, owner of the Jewish Chronicle steering editorial coverage of Gaza. Okay, I mean, I don't know who Robbie Gibb is. I've never heard of him. Lucas Matchen says, seems like Trump decided to play games with Putin and now Ukraine is his war. What happens to Trump if the war is lost before the next presidential?

That's a very good question. I mean, I think what's all blamed him. As we've pointed out any number of times. I mean, he will be blamed for losing the war. He fell right into that. Of course they're going to blame him. Of course they're going to blame him. That's the point of the whole thing is whatever happens.

The neocans, in their minds, they come out ahead. Which is why he should have stayed away, as we've said so many times. He can't. He's a sucker to the neocons. He's a sucker to the neocons. Lisa Henderson says, it seems that Trump is being compelled to go along with the deep state. Could Trump be more concerned about his life, family, and empire after office? Well, maybe. But what he's doing in the meantime is destroying his presidency. Yeah, definitely. And on that, we will

well, we've answered all the questions. So there it is. Thank you, everybody. Take care.