ABOUT THIS PODCAST 🔗
The Buffer State is about geopolitical power in the age of computation. We examine how software, computing power, and access to space reshape the instruments of trade, deterrence, and coercion.
Update frequency:
every 11 days
Average audio length:
54 minutes
English
United States
11 episodes
since June 24, 2026
episodic
IN THIS PODCAST 🔗
LATEST EPISODE 🔗
Russia's war in Ukraine has created unexpected economic opportunities for some of its neighbors. Now, the Iran war is accelerating interest in a trade route that bypasses both countries.In this episode of Buffer State, Sasha and Reid join Alexander Cooley to explore how sanctions, Russian tech work…
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PREVIOUS EPISODES 🔗
What does it mean to win the US? In this episode of Buffer State, Sasha Shtern, Reid Smith, Justin Logan, and Christopher discuss how artificial intelligence could reshape geopolitics, military power, and competition between the United States and China.02:12 Introduction: AI and the balance of powe…
When Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, or Xi Jinping, what does the image itself accomplish before any deal is signed?In this episode of Buffer State, Sasha Stern and Reid Smith sit down with Minseon Ku to explore the role of political optics, presidential summits, and face-to-face me…
Why does U.S. foreign policy stay stuck even when Washington knows its prioritieshave changed? As China becomes the central long-term challenge, the United States remains heavily committed to the Middle East and Europe, and the machinery of American foreign policy is built to move slowly.
In this …
American foreign policy is supposed to be made through presidents, Congress, cabinet agencies, and the National Security Council. In practice, the process is far messier.In this episode of Buffer State, Sasha Stern, Reid Smith, and Justin Logan look inside Washington’s policy machine, the instituti…
Nuclear deterrence depends on convincing adversaries that escalation could become dangerously costly. But as the United States extends that protection across Europe and East Asia, can its allies continue relying on the American nuclear umbrella—or should countries like Germany, Japan, and South Kor…
China’s advantage in critical minerals may not come down to geology, subsidies, or control of processing alone. Chinese mining companies may also be moving faster and operating more efficiently than their Western competitors.
In this episode of Buffer State, Sasha Stern and Justin Logan sit down w…
The era of unquestioned American primacy may be ending. So what should U.S. foreign policy look like in a world where power is increasingly shared among rival states, regional powers, and allies?In this episode of Buffer State, Sasha Stern and Reid Smith sit down with Emma Ashford, Senior Fellow at…
Energy is not just a commodity. It is the physical foundation beneath prosperity, industry, military power, and the computational economy.
In this episode of Buffer State, Sasha Stern and Reed Smith sit down with Ron Gusek, CEO and President of Liberty Energy, to discuss energy security, oil and g…
America is the most secure great power in modern history. But does that security make it more careful — or more willing to fight?
In this episode of Buffer State, Sasha Stern and Reed Smith sit down with Justin Logan, Director of Defense and Foreign Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, to discuss …
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Sasha Shtern, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.
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