Welcome to KAOS THEORY — a new podcast series that Grant Williams and I are collaborating on that focuses on the intersection of Macroeconomics and Geopolitics in an increasingly disorderly world.
8/21/23: Episode 3 — Scott Smitson
Our guest for Episode 3 is Scott Smitson, a Geopolitical Strategist with two decades of experience in Strategic Planning for various departments of the US and UK military, including assignments with US Central Command, US Southern Command, the Office of the Joint Chiefs at the Pentagon, and the UK Ministry of Defense.
Scott is an expert on the intricacies of Alliance Management and is uniquely qualified to guide us through the overlapping web of Economic and Security Groupings in the emerging geopolitical hotspot that is the Indo-Pacific. Join us as we explore the strengths and challenges of managing a decentralized, “polycentric” network of allies versus the more centralized NATO model in Europe. It is an incredibly complex yet vital topic to understand in today’s increasingly Disorderly world.
Scott was a fellow co-presenter at the West Point conference I attended in February. Here are the some of the charts that we referenced during our discussion that come from Scott’s paper, entitled “The QUAD, AUKUS, & Beyond: Adapting Extra-Regional Alliance Mechanisms for the Indo-Pacific”:
Figure 1: The Complex Web of Economic and Security Groupings in the Indo-Pacific
Figure 2: The UK’s Indo-Pacific Footprint From Its Commonwealth Legacy
Figure 3: 93% of France’s Exclusive Economic Zone Is In The Indo-Pacific
More Information on Scott Smitson:
Scott Smitson’s LinkedIn Profile: Scott Smitson | LinkedIn
Scott Smitson’s “Making Sense of Geostrategy” Podcast:
About KAOS THEORY:
America has tremendous natural advantages in terms of geography, natural resources, a USD-based global reserve currency, and a democratic system of governance and rule of law that has encouraged unprecedented innovation, freedom, and opportunity. However, America’s Unipolar moment in the sun is being threatened like never before – economically, militarily, and technologically.
Whether you’re optimistic or pessimistic about America’s future, what is unequivocal is that the Post Cold-War Globalization Nirvana is over as we know it. As a result, the world is becoming more fractious and disorderly. Economic decisions can no longer be made without considering geopolitical repercussions; similarly, geopolitical decisions and motivations can dominate economic outcomes.
The purpose of this podcast is to explore the intersection of Macroeconomics and Geopolitics – two areas that can no longer be analyzed in their respective vacuums. Join us as we bring on guests from multidisciplinary fields as we explore this crucial topic. Our aim is not just to educate and entertain but to also encourage cross-fertilization of ideas amongst our leaders and policymakers to help all of us navigate uncharted waters.
You can find a compendium of all KAOS THEORY Episodes here:
Kaos Theory Episode 3: Scott Smitson