The US midterms have rattled Wall Street and shaken the geopolitical chessboard. Jason is joined by Out of Order host Mark Lobel to ask: is this a turning point for Order, or the start of even more Trumpian chaos?

From tumbling AI and defence stocks to Anthropic’s blockbuster IPO, they unpack the financial fallout. Then to Israel: can Gadi Eisenkot assemble a government and end the Netanyahu era — and why have the betting markets got the coalition arithmetic so wrong?

In Ukraine, Russian attacks on the power grid intensify ahead of Abu Dhabi peace talks. Could Trump’s hunger for a deal leave Europe and Ukraine on the menu? And what would credible European security guarantees look like?

ORDERING THE DISORDER

Wage insurance for the AI transition; bold but practical European incentives for democratic post-Bibi change in Israel; and real security guarantees for Ukraine. Mark and Jason explain how we can have less wishful thinking, more strategic courage.

MEGA ORDERERS BONUS

In the Ep 219 bonus only for Mega Orderers entitled: Think Before EU Speak — Burnham’s Brexit Gamble’, Jason and Mark debate France’s protest wave and Andy Burnham’s Brexit gamble. Could a Norway-plus reset help Britain — or hand Nigel Farage the perfect immigration argument? Join the Mega Orderers at https://disordershow.com/club.

SHOWNOTES LINKS — MAIN EPISODE

Associated Press — From high-flying AI stocks to tariff-hit alcohol companies, the midterms shook up Wall Street — https://apnews.com/article/4ac9a6a3c35aeec37374fc8083bf9395

Al Jazeera — Eisenkot tasked with forming a new Israeli coalition government — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/8/israels-president-tasks-eisenkot-to-form-new-coalition-government

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty — Russian strikes on energy targets leave Ukrainians without electricity — https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-strikes-ukraine-energy/33893219.html

The Babylon Bee — Cheer Up, Friends! Here Are 8 Silver Linings Of The Republicans Getting Blown Out (satire) — https://babylonbee.com/news/cheer-up-friends-here-are-8-silver-linings-of-the-republicans-getting-blown-out

For the market discussion: Dow Jones historical prices — https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/%5EDJI/history/ ; Nasdaq Composite historical prices — https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/%5EIXIC/history/

Further background mentioned in the recording: Mark Lobel’s Out of Order interviews on the Disorder YouTube channel, and earlier Disorder episodes on Ukraine, Israel and security guarantees.

Producer: Sam Cluley (George McDonagh is away this week).

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The morning after the 2026 US midterms, Jason Pack and Jane Kinninmont reunite for an emergency episode of Disorder to celebrate what Jason calls the greatest victory for American democracy in his lifetime. The predicted blue wave has become a blue tsunami, with Democrats making extraordinary gains in traditionally Republican territory, from Texas to South Carolina. Trump has even accepted the results! Has American democracy just saved itself? From Jason's perspective the word relief doesn't capture it. There was no electoral violence. there was no rigging. There was genuine uplifting democratic accountability...

Jason is ecstatic, proud, and in disbelief. Jane is cautiously optimistic. Together they unpack the scale of the electoral earthquake, why Trump's promises on inflation, corruption and foreign wars have backfired, and how figures like James Talarico and Jon Ossoff could reshape the Democratic Party. Is this the beginning of the end for MAGA? And can a fifteen-point electoral swing finally break America's seemingly permanent political polarisation?

Then we zoom out. Could a newly empowered Congress impeach Pete Hegseth, investigate the Epstein files and reassert its constitutional authority? What does Trump's humiliation mean for Putin, Zelensky, Netanyahu, the Iran war and Europe's far-right populists? Will a weakened Trump seek revenge, or desperately chase a foreign-policy victory?

ORDERING THE DISORDER: Elections still matter. Voters can change their minds, authoritarianism can be defeated, and democracy can hold its leaders accountable. But winning an election is only the beginning: restoring checks and balances, tackling corruption and rebuilding a functioning political centre will require sustained effort. Jason wants a maximalist programme of accountability; Jane reminds us that democratic renewal needs broad coalitions, not simply partisan revenge. And perhaps, for one glorious day, the Orderers can allow themselves a little joy. We request that you celebrate the most happy of Ordermuses!

Join the Mega Orderers Club to support independent, truth-based analysis, receive bonus episodes and early access, and help us keep Ordering the Disorder:

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Producer: Sam Cluley (standing in for George McDonagh)

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In honour of the 2026 midterms, Jason is joined by Beau Breslin, Skidmore College political scientist and author of ‘A Constitution for the Living’, to ask a rather awkward question: what if America’s political dysfunction isn’t just about Trump, polarization or bad politicians — but the unintended consequences of the Constitution itself?

From Jefferson’s argument for rewriting the Constitution every generation to Madison’s preference for continuity, they explore how the constitutional compromises around the following issues--the Senate, the Electoral College, gerrymandering, and presidential war powers--laid the door open to our current dysfunction.

Given that the constitution is not really functioning anymore we ask: Can Congress reclaim its power of the purse? Has Citizens United helped turn democracy into plutocracy? And why are politicians so reluctant to make the case for structural reform? They also consider what a new Congress might actually change — before Beau offers a surprisingly practical prescription for Ordering the American disorder: bring back the bowling league. It may be easier than impeaching a president.

ORDERING THE DISORDER: Rebuilding American democracy requires enforceable checks, fairer elections and institutions that reconnect citizens — not simply changing the politicians at the top.

MEGA ORDERERS BONUS: Jason and Beau convene their own imaginary constitutional convention. One to five senators per state based on population! Term limits, independent redistricting, a parliamentary-style way to remove presidents, public campaign funding and a redesigned Electoral College!! Join at https://disordershow.com/club to hear what they would rewrite and how.

Producer: George McDonagh

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SHOWNOTES LINKS

Beau Breslin — A Constitution for the Living (Skidmore College overview)

https://www.skidmore.edu/news/2022/0106-breslin-book.php

Listening to America — Artificial Intelligence (AI) and a New Constitution for the United States, with Beau Breslin and Prairie Gunnels

https://jeffersonhour.libsyn.com/1661-artificial-intelligence-ai-and-a-new-constitution-for-the-united-states

Listening to America — The Iran War and the U.S. Constitution, with Beau Breslin

https://ltamerica.org/listen-2/

Disorder Ep 172 — Graham Zellick on Britain’s unwritten constitution and legal accountability

https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/ep-172-looking-beyond-the-headlines-of-the-iran/id1706818264?i=1000753646258&l=en-GB

Disorder — Elie Honig on accountability and the Special Prosecutor system (linked in Ep 172 shownotes)

https://pod.link/1706818264/episode/NmU0ZGIzZTQtYjhhMS0xMWYwLTk0NWQtZWZlN2MwMWI1YWJm

National Archives — The US Constitution, full text

https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript

Brennan Center — Citizens United and money in politics

https://www.brennancenter.org/topics/money-politics/campaign-finance-courts/citizens-united

Brennan Center — Redistricting and independent commissions

https://www.brennancenter.org/topics/voting-elections/redistricting

Robert D. Putnam — Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community

https://robertdputnam.com/bowling-alone/

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Jason and Jane are back with your questions — and an encouragingly modest agenda: saving centrism, standing by Ukraine, surviving the US midterms, tackling climate change and keeping the Red Sea open. Is anti-incumbency a symptom of a broken social contract? Can democracies outlast Putin without American leadership? And is a protest movement without a concrete demand doomed to achieve nothing?

We also tackle Trump’s Russian diesel deal, whether Trump will fightback after a midterms loss coherent fightback, what COP31 can achieve in Antalya, and how the Houthis connect the Iran war to the Horn of Africa. Along the way, Jason offers the Democrats a slogan, and we discover that puppet satire may be the most reliable form of political analysis.

ORDERING THE DISORDER: Big collective-action problems need leadership, enforceable rules and practical demands — not just outrage.

MEGA ORDERERS BONUS: Israel votes on 27 October. Could Netanyahu survive yet again? Jason and Jane examine Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman and the Arab parties; ultra-Orthodox conscription; and the prospect of a knesset that cannot form a government. Join at https://disordershow.com/club.

Producer: George McDonagh

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SHOWNOTES LINKS

Disorder Ep 212 — Mark Galeotti on War Putinism and Russian bears

https://podfollow.com/disorder/episode/502c88e21901dc3f66bac9d075868ce5dd86ca63/view

The Rest Is Politics: Leading — Mary Trump, “Trump’s Niece on Why He’s on Putin’s Side”

https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/trumps-niece-on-why-hes-on-putins-side/id1665265193?i=1000796648618

The Rest Is Politics — Trump and Putin vs Zelensky: Is Europe Sleepwalking into Disaster?

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/867-the-rest-is-politics-107223135/episode/581-trump-and-putin-vs-zelensky-348060976/

Puppet Regime — official political satire site

https://puppetregime.com/

Spitting Image — official YouTube channel

https://www.youtube.com/@SpittingImage

UN Climate Change — COP31 in Antalya, 9–20 November 2026

https://unfccc.int/cop31

The Atlantic — Trump’s “Staggering One-Two Punch” to Ukraine

https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/2026/10/ra-ukraine/689068/

Disorder — join the Mega Orderers Club

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As right-wing populist and far-right parties see a major rise across Europe, Nigel Farage is one of the most consequential politicians of our time.  

He may be the UK’s next Prime Minister. 

Investigative journalist, and best-selling author, John Sweeney is a thorn in Nigel Farage’s side. He is the Reform UK correspondent of the Nerve. He has covered wars, revolutions and disorder in a hundred countries, including going undercover in Chechnya, North Korea and Zimbabwe. He’s written 17 books including the Sunday Times bestseller ‘Killer in the Kremlin’ about Vladimir Putin.  

In this lively interview, which includes explicit language, about his new, explosive book ‘The Real Nigel Farage’ Sweeney does not hold back, citing well-sourced allegations, suggesting the charismatic and popular Reform UK leader is cruel, chaotic and akin to a leader of a cult. 

It's a packed hour full of startling allegations, such as Farage not liking working class people and academics, his sympathies towards Vladimir Putin and his narcissistic tendencies.  

Nigel Farage, as Sweeney himself makes clear throughout the interview, denies any wrongdoing and has said of Sweeney that he has caused him more misery than anyone else in 25 years of politics. Sweeney says Farage has not yet sued about any of the allegations in his book.  

Also in this interview, Sweeney reveals what really happened that caused his infamous shouting match against Scientology spokesman Tommy Davis, which has been seen by millions of people around the world.  

Sweeney also tells Out of Order with Mark Lobel why he thinks child serial killer Lucy Letby is innocent. Sweeney has reported on women wrongly jailed for murder before and revealed flaws in the case against Sally Clarke. Her verdict was subsequently overturned in 2003. 

LINKS: 

Buy John’s book, ‘The Real Nigel Farage’ here: https://amzn.eu/d/07m4laz3  

Crowdfunders for Ukraine: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/qr/XWJOKwDn?utm_campaign=sharemodal&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=shortlink  

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/qr/VlDvrKKn?utm_campaign=sharemodal&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=shortlink 

 John’s podcast on Lucy Letby https://open.spotify.com/show/0rwlMXKNQK0a7ug2p4oX1D  

John Sweeney losing his temper – Panorama, BBC One https://youtu.be/mjlo4u_8g60?is=15o0HQfnzdU5gC2f 

Contact Mark Lobel here: https://www.mark-lobel.com/getintouch  

HOST: Mark Lobel @marklobeltv

GUEST: John Sweeney @johnsweeneyroar

PRODUCER: George McDonagh

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From tear gassing student protestors in France to Britain’s chaotic party conferences with their controversial motions, Jason and Jane ask whether Western democracies can still deliver anything positive for the next generation. They take on Labour’s spending promises, the Tory’s bizzarre tax cut pledges, the Greens’ Zionism is Racism controversy and the growing power of bond markets over elected governments.

Then: are AI and its creators taking over? Jane reports from the UN General Assembly on the push for global AI rules. After the break, we turn to the US midterms and Iranian-linked security threats in Britain. Plus, Jason finally learns what “squeaky bum time” means. And apparently it is not only about clearing the midpoint.

Then in the MEGA ORDERERS BONUS just for our subscribers: Can Trump Tariff His Way to a Bolsonaro Victory? Brazil’s election, the Bolsonaro comeback, Lula’s failures, crime, evangelical politics and whether economic pressure is becoming a new form of foreign election interference.

Join the Mega Orderers Club: https://disordershow.com/club

And in the ORDERING THE DISORDER: Democracies need room to invest in the next generation and international cooperation to ensure AI serves people rather than addiction, polarisation and dominance.

Producer: George McDonagh

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SHOWNOTES LINKS

Have the Greens just voted for a de facto ban on Jews?

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-news-agents/id1640878689?i=1000793267697

More on this https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/02/green-party-anti-zionism-motion-attempt-tell-jews-how-to-think

'Everyone hates the police' – what France's school protests reveal about a divided nation

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crq5nlqnn184o 

George McDonagh produced Black Box about AI https://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2026/sep/03/black-box-the-chatbots-spirals-ai-psychosis-podcast 

And then an On the Media about US polarization and ice. https://open.spotify.com/episode/2RUp1IfoSX2CXl0s1eVi3h?si=1IlVr9j2SZqt9evXmucpaQ&utm_source=copy-link&t=2045 

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Jason is joined by former Kentucky congressional candidate Erin Petrie, board member of Bourbon Women and active DAR member, to dissect the ideological clash at the heart of the American left. They discuss whether progressive slogans like "abolish ICE" drive moderate voters into Trumpism, how Citizens United and billionaire donors have created a pay-to-play system and why politicians in Washington fail to address the affordability crisis in rural America.

MEGA ORDERERS BONUS: What do Erin’s experiences in post-revolutionary Libya reveal about the collapse of civic trust back home? Then, as Jason and Erin Order the Disorder, they debate whether centrist pragmatic realism or progressive dreaming is the path forward. They explore critical Senate and House races to watch in North Carolina and Texas, whether Democrats should pack the Supreme Court to counter executive overreach, and how international trade and tariffs could hit MAGA voters where it hurts. Plus: can the rule of law still win in Trump’s America, or must centrist Democrats go lower to actually restore order?

Join the Mega Orderers Club for the full bonus: 

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Producer: Sam Cluley

Subscribe to Ordering the Disorder: 

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Disorder on YouTube: 

https://www.youtube.com/@DisorderShow

SHOWNOTES LINKS

Erin’s Website: 

https://erinpetrey.com/

Erin’s Podcast: 

https://www.thekentuckyedge.com/on-the-edge-with-erin-petrey/

Kentucky Educational Television (KET) Debate Coverage

Citizens United v. FEC: 

https://www.fec.gov/legal-resources/court-cases/citizens-united-v-fec/

History of ICE:

https://www.dhs.gov/history

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What exactly is “War Putinism” — and how long can it survive?

Jason is joined by Russia expert Mark Galeotti, host of In Moscow’s Shadows, to get inside the increasingly militarised, kleptocratic system Putin has built. They discuss Russia’s recent Duma elections, whether the war economy is devouring Russia’s future, how corruption changes when elites stop believing the system will last forever, and why Russia is so effective at exploiting divisions in Western societies.

Then they Order the Disorder: Jason and Mark disagree agreeably over whether Europe needs greater unity or much bolder action against Russia — before exploring financial enforcement, sanctions, Russian money flows and what the West could actually do to constrain Putin’s capacity to disorder the international system.

And, naturally, there are bears. Lots of rampaging Russian bears.

MEGA ORDERERS BONUS: Can Ukraine actually win? Responding to a listener challenge, Jason and Mark debate what Russian defeat could realistically mean, whether any settlement merely gives Putin time to regroup, and what security guarantees Ukraine would actually need. Plus: even more on Russia’s increasingly disorderly bears.

Join the Mega Orderers Club for the full bonus:

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Producer: George McDonagh

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SHOWNOTES LINKS

Mark Galeotti’s In Moscow’s Shadows:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/in-moscows-shadows/id1510124746

In Moscow’s Shadows 264: Russia’s Bear(s) On The March:

https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/in-moscows-shadows-264-russias-bear-s-on-the-march/id1510124746?i=1000791844169

Our recent episode with Hanna Notte — Can Putin Outlast the West (by Disordering it)?:

https://podfollow.com/disorder/episode/35b8c221b3fca72fafb5a4b0fee7924f22d97423/view

Disorder Ep. 196 with Jamison Firestone — Rule of Lies: The Origin Story of Putin’s Russia:

https://podcasts.apple.com/id/podcast/ep-196-rule-of-lies-the-origin-story-of/id1706818264?i=1000777642161

Our previous episode with Sir Bill Browder:

https://pod.link/1706818264/episode/a36160dede2b990a59c34c3c4e8eeece

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This is a story about an Israeli and a Palestinian who refuse to give up. Instead, they teach us that “Peace is an action”. Rejecting revenge and rage, Aziz offers an image that stays with us: anger is like nuclear power. It can destroy, or it can light a path. This is a conversation about what it takes to choose the latter, and what the rest of us might do next.

Maoz Inon's parents were killed in the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023. Aziz Abu Sarah's brother was killed by injuries from torture he suffered in Israeli custody. They have every reason to know what this conflict costs. Together, they insist that its future can still be peace.

In this episode of Out of Order, Mark Lobel, a British Jew and journalist, speaks with the Israeli and Palestinian co-authors of The Future Is Peace, alongside his childhood friend Rida Saïd, a British Muslim, entrepreneur and advisor in the Middle East, dedicated to peace and dialogue in the region.

Their conversation moves from grief and anger to the hard work of building a movement: protecting Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest, teaching young women in the West Bank, creating a place where Israelis and Palestinians can encounter each other’s stories, and pressing people with power to act. 

The peace activists also share their thoughts on: Ed Sheeran, Macklemore, Ed Miliband, the UK government’s sanctions against West Bank settlements, the upcoming Israeli and Palestinian elections and Aziz’s assertion that just three and a half percent of a society can change the social and political structure of a country.

Mark and Rida ask the questions that test that vision. Why spend so much time appealing to audiences abroad? What should happen when language meant to demand freedom makes someone else afraid? And, if the politicians will not lead, who will?

Guests: Maoz Inon, Aziz Abu Sarah, Rida Saïd 

Producer: George McDonagh 

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Show Note Links:

Contact Maoz and Aziz’s non-profit organisation here: https://www.iinteract.org/

Buy Maoz and Aziz’s book here: The Future Is Peace, a New York Times bestseller https://www.amazon.co.uk/Future-Peace-Aziz-Abu-Sarah/dp/1837264074/ref=asc_df_1837264074?mcid=cac2792703583071a5d48985f377d155&th=1&psc=1&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=781185311404&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=700057887293780533&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045954&hvtargid=pla-2449018475226&psc=1&hvocijid=700057887293780533-1837264074-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1

Read ‘A Law Catching Up with a Truth We Have Always Known’ by Rida Said: https://www.arabnews.com/opinion/a-law-finally-catching-up-with-a-truth-we-have-always-known-3001235 

Watch Maoz and Aziz’s TED Talk, April 2024: https://www.ted.com/talks/aziz_abu_sarah_and_maoz_inon_a_palestinian_and_an_israeli_face_to_face 

Subscribe to Out of Order on Substack here: https://substack.com/@marklobeltv 

Follow Out of Order on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/outofordermarklobel/?hl=en-gb 

Follow Out of Order on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/@OutofOrderwithMarkLobel 

Get in touch with Mark here: https://www.mark-lobel.com/ 

Maoz and Aziz addressing the United Nations, 28th September 2026: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1i/k1idc71j2y

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Four and a half years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin hasn’t won. But Russia hasn’t been isolated either.

In this episode of Disorder latest, Jason is joined by Russia expert Hanna Notte, author of We Shall Outlast Them: Putin’s Global Campaign to Defeat the West, to explore how the Ukraine war has become the organising principle of Russian foreign policy — and a much wider struggle over global order.

How has Moscow cultivated relationships with China, India, Iran and the Global South? Does Russia actively benefit from global Disorder? And does Putin really need to keep fighting to preserve his regime — or does he continue simply because he believes Russia can still outlast Ukraine and its Western supporters?

Hanna also draws on her years living in and travelling through Russia to unpack stoikost — endurance and resilience — and the Russian narratives of suffering, self-reliance and victimhood.

As they Order the Disorder, they look at what would actually prove Putin’s wager wrong? Hanna argues that Europe needs above all to remain steady: keep Ukraine economically and militarily viable, strengthen its air defences, squeeze Russia’s oil revenues and shadow fleet, and demonstrate that Moscow cannot simply wait for Western resolve to collapse.

For Mega Orderers, hear Jason and Hanna get much more granular about where the war stands right now.

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SHOW NOTES

Buy Hanna Notte’s We Shall Outlast Them: Putin’s Global Campaign to Defeat the West in the UK:

https://www.hatchards.co.uk/book/we-shall-outlast-them/hanna-notte/9781324117018

Hanna Notte discusses We Shall Outlast Them on the Kennan Institute’s The Long View — Putin’s Campaign to Defeat the West:

https://www.kennaninstitute.org/past-events

Mark Galeotti’s In Moscow’s Shadows:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-moscows-shadows/id1510124746

Mark Galeotti on Hidden Forces — The West’s Forgotten War and the New Russia:

https://hiddenforces.io/podcasts/the-wests-forgotten-war-and-the-new-russia-mark-galeotti/

Disorder Ep. 196 with Jamison Firestone — Rule of Lies: The Origin Story of Putin’s Russia:

https://podcasts.apple.com/id/podcast/ep-196-rule-of-lies-the-origin-story-of/id1706818264?i=1000777642161

Disorder with Marcel Dirsus — Dictators’ Disordering Quest for Internal Security:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep67-dictators-disordering-quest-for-internal-security/id1706818264?i=1000669774299

Disorder:

https://disordershow.com/

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It’s our favourite time of the month: listener questions time! Jason and Jane tackle migration and assimilation, the rise of the AfD and neo-populism, and what Keir Starmer’s legacy tells us about the failure of technocratic politics to offer a compelling vision of the future.

Then: is AI going to destroy humanity — or merely our jobs and our sanity? Could agentic AI military systems create their own escalatory feedback loops? And why might we need a kind of NATO for AI?

Finally, we turn to Yemen, the Houthis and the Red Sea, before asking what the Fed’s surprise interest-rate hike tells us about the importance of independent institutions.

Mega Orderers Bonus: Is Unregulated Capitalism Hacking Our Evolution?: Pls join the Mega Orderers Club for this unmissable treatment of topics like… Why does AI flatter us? And what do sycophantic chatbots, sugar, porn, gambling and neo-populist strongmen have in common? Jason and Jane explore evolutionary mismatch and ask whether we need a GLP-1 for our addiction to Disorder.

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Producer: George McDonagh

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SHOWNOTES LINKS

George McDonagh’s Black Box: The Chatbots series for The Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2026/sep/03/black-box-the-chatbots-spirals-ai-psychosis-podcast

The Guardian on AI sycophancy:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/02/ai-sycophancy-risk-to-society-grasp-reality

The Guardian on the Fed raising US interest rates:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/16/us-federal-reserve-votes-hike-rates

The Guardian on Yemen, the Houthis and the wider regional conflict:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/10/violence-erupts-in-yemen-again-why-it-matters-globally-and-how-it-is-linked-to-the-us-iran-war

The Guardian on the latest anti-Houthi military developments:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/18/yemen-anti-houthi-forces-inquest-military-collapse

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Twenty-five years after 9/11, did America respond to an attack on the Western Order by inadvertently helping to disorder that Order itself?

Jason is joined by Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Ben Hodges, former Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe, to look back at 9/11, Iraq, Afghanistan and the collapse of NATO allies trust in the USA—and forward to how Ukraine can win and the defence of Europe. Hodges argues that military power is only useful when attached to a clear strategic objective and Congressional and popular buy-in: a lesson America repeatedly forgot after 9/11. 

They then turn to Ukraine: drones, long-range strikes, manpower, democratic legitimacy and Europe's continuing failure to develop sufficient air and missile defence. In the Ordering the Disorder section, General Hodges argues that Europe should stop thinking about merely improving Ukraine's negotiating position and instead help it defeat Russia—while rebuilding the alliances and institutions that once magnified American power. 

Join the Mega Orderers Club at disordershow.com/club to get Jason's response to the interview, including his own reflections on 9/11 and whether power without clear objectives, functioning alliances and an idea of the Order it is seeking to create can itself become an engine of Disorder.

SHOWNOTES LINKS

Democrats v Dictators with Ben Hodges on his personal background:

https://youtu.be/9eOKx6iVTx8?is=PJsO4AA9lfIk_5ru 

Ben Hodges — Association of the United States Army:

https://www.ausa.org/people/ben-hodges

NATO — Collective Defence and Article 5:

https://www.nato.int/en/what-we-do/introduction-to-nato/collective-defence-and-article-5

Disorder — NATO: A Model for Ordering the Disorder? with Jamie Shea, Kori Schake, Timothy Garton Ash and Charles Kupchan:

https://podfollow.com/disorder/episode/484e21562b7dcd1a1a1f570a09343fd68bf6e732/view

Join the Mega Orderers Club:

https://disordershow.com/club 

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A great power battle is emerging between Russia, China and Washington… and Europe teeters on the edge of all three. Could this break up the union? And is the European reliance on America over?

To find out, Jason is joined by author and Director of the Moynihan Center of European Studies at Syracuse University, Glyn Morgan. His latest book The Rise and Fall of American Europe charts the rise and fall of the 80-year history of what he calls American Europe. 

Jason and Glyn discuss how this system emerged off the back of Roosevelt's plans to dismantle both fascism and British imperial power, why it delivered decades of European prosperity, and why that’s now under threat.

Plus: European complacency on defence, Macron's failed warnings, and - as they Order the Disorder - Glyn imagines a future where Europe works together for defense, with Britain’s role as a guardian of the Atlantic Sea. 

To get an extended version of the episode, join the Mega Orderers Club at disordershow.com/club

Producer: Sam Cluley

Subscribe to our Substack - https://natoandtheged.substack.com/

Disorder on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DisorderShow

Shownotes:

Get The Rise and Fall of American Europe by Glyn Morgan

https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=the-rise-and-fall-of-american-europe--9781509573202

For more on Glyn visit his Syracuse University faculty page

https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/directory/glyn-morgan

For more on our partnership with the New Books Network

https://newbooksnetwork.com/category/up-partners/disorder

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This week, Jason is joined by one of his academic idols, Laura Spinney. Laura is a much-esteemed author of Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World, and her incredible newer book Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global.

PROTO tells the story of how modern Indo-European languages came into being North of the Black Sea and then traveled East—the length of the steppe, north of the Caucasus, then into the Silk Roads and the Hindu Kush—and West—from the Hungarian steppe into the forest lands of Western Europe. In this episode, Jason and Laura discuss the Yamnaya nomads who spread these languages throughout the world; the central role of Ukraine in pre-history and its centrality now and in the future as a pivot of human civilization; and as they Order the Disorder: they discuss the need for an institution to preserve global memory, so that we as humans can avoid making the same mistakes of the past.

To get the rest of the bonus content associated with this multi-part episode, i.e. a discussion about who are the Celts and Jason’s views on Proto and how ancient linguistic history can shed light on the demographic and climate change problems of today, join our Mega Orderers Club at disordershow.com/club

Producer: George McDonagh

Subscribe to our Substack - https://natoandtheged.substack.com/

Disorder on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DisorderShow

Show Notes Links:

Get Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/proto-how-one-ancient-language-went-global-laura-spinney?variant=56326451724667 

Listen - Laura Spinney: rise of the proto-Indo-Europeans https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/laura-spinney-rise-of-the-proto-indo-europeans/id1542136715?i=1000708790296 

For more on Laura visit https://www.lauraspinney.com/ 

For more on our partnership with the New Books Network - https://newbooksnetwork.com/category/up-partners/disorder 

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This week Jason is joined by old friend and former Disorder co-host Arthur Snell, former British diplomat, host of Behind the Lines, and author of Elemental: The New Geography of Climate Change and How We Survive It.

Jason and Arthur start with the seemingly never-ending Iran war. Has Trump’s threatened “economic D-Day” achieved anything? Has it really even been implemented? Jason argues that Iran could become America’s Suez moment: not another Vietnam, but an debacle exposing the limits of American power and its inability to Order the world without its allies.

They then turn to the U.S. midterms, whether the Democrats can retake Congress, and their continuing failure to articulate a coherent national message. And behind both American and British politics lurks another constraint: the bond market. With rising borrowing costs limiting what governments can actually do, could markets and independent institutions provide some of the feedback loops that politics increasingly lacks?

Next up is Andy Burnham’s back-to-school moment. Can he rebuild Britain’s relationship with Europe, stand up to Trump and make better use of Britain’s considerable geopolitical leverage? Jason proposes an “elbows up rule”: medium powers confronting Trump need to articulate clear red lines and stick to them rather than succumbing to appeasement.

Finally, Arthur draws on his book Elemental to explain how the devastating Nepal floods reveal a much bigger climate and geopolitical problem. Billions depend on water originating in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau, potentially intensifying tensions between China, India and Pakistan. Like Libya’s Derna disaster, it illustrates an Enduring Disorder: foreseeable risks that fragmented institutions repeatedly fail to prepare for.

To Order the Disorder, Arthur calls for rebuilding British soft power through refunding the BBC World Service, British Council and universities, while Jason proposes a clear Burnham Doctrine on Britain’s place in the world. And despite the climate crisis, Arthur offers some grounds for optimism: much of the technology needed for the energy transition already exists — the challenge is turning it into policies governments can actually deliver and then maintaining the will to implement them.

For Mega Orderers Club members, Jason and Arthur continue with a bonus discussion on the Liberal Democrats and their place in Britain’s rapidly changing political landscape. Join the club at disordershow.com/club to get that immediately.

SHOWNOTE LINKS:

Join the Mega Orderers Club and get the Arthur Snell intro to who are the Lib Dems, what are they doing, and what do they believe in:
https://www.disordershow.com/club

Arthur Snell’s Elemental
https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/arthur-snell/elemental/9781529097016

Arthur Snell’s Behind the Lines
https://shows.acast.com/behind-the-lines-with-arthur-snell

Arthur’s Not All Doom Substack
https://arthursnell.substack.com/

Join the Mega Orderers Club
https://www.disordershow.com/club

Disorder on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@DisorderShow

Ordering the Disorder on Substack
https://natoandtheged.substack.com/

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In this episode, we return to Simon Sebag Montefiore’s tour de force, The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East. Jason and Sebag divide the continuation of their discussion into two parts: 1) An analysis of what makes the Middle East a ‘Cauldron’ and what has the region’s role in 20th and 21st century global history been as an exporter of disorder or importer and then processor of the global disorder happening around it; 2) Our attempt to order the disorder with a lightening round where I ask Sebag impossibly big questions: first about big themes on civilization, religion, and history and then about how to fix the Middle East. 

 

The crux of the episode is: What makes the Middle East unique as a region? Is it its geography, relation to religion, legacy of empires, connection to oil resources, or being the fulcrum where Asia, Europe, and Africa meet? Sebag thinks it is all of the above, Jason thinks it is its culture and lack of institutional legacy and public spiritedness.. he discussed this in the bonus bit for Mega Orderers.. They also delve into the role of Pakistan, America, Russia, and Britain in the Middle Eastern region and how part of the region’s uniqueness is how it sucks in other powers for ideological, religious, and oil reasons. 

 

 

To get the bonus content associated with this two-part episode, i.e. Jason views on the role of culture and institutions in making the Middle East a Cauldron, join our Mega Orderers Club at disordershow.com/club 

 

When you log in there after joining you will get Jason’s micro episode for members of the Mega-Orderers Club only on A CULTURAL CRITIQUE OF WHERE THE DISORDER of the Middle east COMES FROM—as he debate’s the establishment on the region’s uniquely dysfunctional culture and institutional legacies of greed of clan and faction and whether the Middle East is in fact unique or just like everywhere else when it comes to its a profound absence of public spiritedness. 

 

 

Producer: George McDonagh 

 

Subscribe to our Substack - https://natoandtheged.substack.com/ 

 

Disorder on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DisorderShow 

 

Show Notes Links: 

To get the book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cauldron-Making-Modern-Middle-East/dp/1399634895/  

 

As for what is happening with Iran and the economic D-Day: https://thehill.com/policy/international/6045556-iran-warns-middle-east-us-economic-war/  

 

How the US and Middle East allies flipped the oil script on Iran: 

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/22/business/oil-strait-of-hormuz-iran  

 

To get the bonus content associated with part 2, i.e. the rule of culture and institutions in making the Middle East a Cauldron, join our Mega Orderers Club at disordershow.com/club 

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This week, Jason is joined by esteemed British historian and author, Simon Sebag Montefiore, to discuss his latest book, The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East. Jason and Sebag’s discussion ranges over centuries of history and ping pongs back and forth on myriad topics. It tries to make the peripheral central by putting the non-Arab, non-Sunni groups at the centre of understanding the Modern Middle East.

They unpack how the Middle East became the Disorderly region we know today and where to frame current conflicts historically to understand certain deeper dynamics, especially as pertains to minorities and their ambitions for statehood and peoplehood. They focus a lot on WWI and the dynamics that emerged from it and shaped the history of the Kurds, Armenians, Turks, and fleeing Ionian Greeks. These were the dynamics of population transfer and ethnonationalism that destroyed the old Middle East of the Millet System. They try to avoid the overdone Israel/Palestine dynamics which occasionally shed more heat than light. With this framing in place, they look at what tragedies took us to the current pointless and self-defeating Iran war, and where we might go from here.

To get part 2 with bonus content, and hear it before anyone else, join our Mega Orderers Club at disordershow.com/club

Producer: George McDonagh

Subscribe to our Substack - https://natoandtheged.substack.com/

Disorder on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DisorderShow

Show Notes Links:

To get Simon’s book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cauldron-Making-Modern-Middle-East/dp/1399634895/ 

For more Disorder about the history of the Middle East, try:

What is Zionism and is it still relevant today? Israel’s Independence Day with Phil Rosenberg  https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ug89R0zHLumkldJX5Cmo2

And Sir Vincent Fean The Case for Palestinian Statehood: https://disorder.supportingcast.fm/listen/disorder/ep74-part2-the-case-for-palestinian-statehood 

And the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day: https://disorder.supportingcast.fm/listen/disorder/ep36-part-i-former-armenian-president-sarkissian-on-armenian-genocide-remembrance-day

This episode is brought to you in partnership with the New Books Network, for more visit https://newbooksnetwork.com/category/up-partners/disorder 

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Welcome to ‘Out of Order’ with Mark Lobel. A new series, in partnership with Disorder.

Remarkable people, unguarded. Each month, Emmy nominated journalist Mark Lobel meets some of the world’s most interesting people to understand the moments that made them who they are; and where they see hope in our mad mad mad mad world when so much feels out of order.

In his most revealing interview yet, Charles Cumming, a master of modern spy fiction, opens up about his work, life and reveals his biggest regret, one that helped shape his spy novels.

The duo discuss Charles upbringing - and how being sent to a boarding school at a young age shaped his writing. They also chat divorce-- and how two divorces, that of Charles parents and later himself, still shapes his writing, and why spy novels can call out the crimes and immorality of people like Putin and Trump in different ways that politicians and political commentators.

For ad free listening, early release episodes and more bonus content, join our Mega Orderers Club at disordershow.com/club - use the promo code BACKGAMMON50 for 50% off a Mega Orderers membership. Limited time only. There is only one week left to redeem this offer.

Producer: George McDonagh

Subscribe to our Substack - https://natoandtheged.substack.com/

Disorder on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DisorderShow

Show Notes Links:

Get in touch with Mark here https://www.mark-lobel.com/ 

For more on Out of Order visit https://linktr.ee/outofordermarklobel 

ICARUS 17: A nailbiting new Lachlan Kite espionage thriller, from Sunday Times bestselling author Charles Cumming: Book 4 (BOX 88)
https://amzn.eu/d/06DAbiyU

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To celebrate Jason's 2nd place finish at the World Backgammon Championships, we're rerunning a classic episode of Disorder; centred around the game itself and the lessons it provides for the Mega Ordering community.

If you didn’t hear this when it came out in July, 2025, I think you’ll enjoy checking it out now.

We’ve heard about Putin bluffing. Abraham Lincoln was an accomplished poker player and Churchill dabbled at chess. But to our mind it is Backgammon that best reflects both politics and life decisions. It’s a game of skill, luck, reversals and socializing. So could world leaders use Backgammon to help them develop their empathy, strategic thinking, resilience, and make better decisions?

In this conversation, Jason Pack is joined by Marc Olsen – fellow Backgammon Grandmaster, former professional footballer, and the CEO and Founder of Backgammon Galaxy. Together they explore the multifaceted world of Backgammon. They unpack how it is a metaphor for life, decision-making, and the balance between order and disorder. 

They discuss Marc's journey from professional football to becoming the CEO of Backgammon Galaxy, the conformism of Scandinavian society, and how a rebellious nature led Marc to discover Austrian school economics. Plus: the emotional aspects of learning through games, the relevance of game theory in the Enduring Disorder, and the unique features of Backgammon that make it a rich learning experience. And as they Order they Disorder – how Backgammon can foster empathy and social skills, and the potential of Backgammon as a tool for cross-cultural connection, especially in the Middle Eastern region.

Producer: George McDonagh

Subscribe to our Substack - https://natoandtheged.substack.com/

Disorder on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DisorderShow 

Show Notes Links:

The World Backgammon Championship Final featuring Jason Pack against Petko Kostadinov : The World Backgammon Championship Final 2026

For more on Backgammon Galaxy visit - https://www.backgammongalaxy.com/ 

To watch the 2024 World Backgammon Championship Final commentated by Marc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d7-ky1bROk 

For a very fun video produced by Marc and featuring Jason about the World Backgammon Championship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TebkgCNS7OI 

For Marc on the Gentleman Scofflaw podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-gentleman-scofflaw-podcast/id1216891117?i=1000650103880 

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Jason and Jane are back from their holidays – Jason celebrating making the Finals of the World Championships of Backgammon and winning the Silver Medal, and Jane reflecting on her time in Morocco. But soon as they discuss the state of the world, Disorder enters as they disagree agreeably about devolution in the UK. Plus: what can or is being done with the climate crisis, and what does Abdul El-Sayed’s win in America’s Democratic primary mean for the direction the party is taking and its hope for the midterms?

For ad free listening, early release episodes and more bonus content, join our Mega Orderers Club at disordershow.com/club - use the promo code BACKGAMMON50 for 50% off a Mega Orderers membership. Limited time only.

Producer: George McDonagh

Subscribe to our Substack - https://natoandtheged.substack.com/

Disorder on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DisorderShow

Show Notes Links:

For Jason’s reflections on Backgammon and Mega-Ordering and humility on losing: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iGehf_MAyuE 

For Valeria’s art: https://backgammonbeauty.com/

You can watch the final here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UruOwdoyu8&t=8414s

Or the more (pleasing from my perspective) semi final here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yptjF5waoZ8&t=12807s

Andy Burnham on How to Fail - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aRidqdh29w 

For more on Backgammon Galaxy visit - https://www.backgammongalaxy.com/

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