The State of the World 2025

Chukwuka

Alright folks, welcome back to The New Sentinel. This is Chukwuka here. Now, if you’ve been keeping up with us, you know we love a good crossroads episode—and I don’t know if there’s a better way to start than what just went down at the October ASEAN summit. Major, you want to tee us off?

Major Ethan “Sentinel” Graves

Absolutely, Chukwuka. Look, this ASEAN meeting—usually pretty business as usual—turned into a staring contest, right? The U.S. and China both rolled in flexin’ over Taiwan. There was a whole lot of, you know, diplomatic muscle-flexin’. U.S. Secretary of State held pretty firm too, which was something we talked about last month when Beijing was rattlin' sabers in the South China Sea. It’s almost like both sides are treating ASEAN as a chessboard for the Taiwan issue now.

Olga Ivanova - Female, Progressive

It’s not just the high-level drama though. On the street, anxiety is rising. Even in Southeast Asia, people worry—these summits can feel so far away, but the outcome touches daily lives. I met with young activists in Bangkok who told me they’re organizing, not just for local democracy but in solidarity with Taiwan’s resistance to intimidation. It’s this networked sense of fear, but also hope.

Duke Johnson

Stickin’ with power plays—we got elections in Europe, too. France just went through a bruiser, yeah? Nationalists—kinda like “MAGA” French style—gained ground, but the progressives are hangin’ in by their fingernails. Same story outta Italy: nationalist platforms, pushback on Brussels, a lotta street noise. That’s not just ballot boxes. That’s real people in the barricades, literally sometimes.

Olga Ivanova - Female, Progressive

And barricades—let’s talk Paris. Last week, I was there covering protests. You could smell the tear gas, taste the anger. I saw a young mother—her kid on her hip—shouting for affordable housing and dignity. It’s not just “left versus right”; it’s about who gets to feel safe and heard. The authorities, I have to say, met crowds with escalating force. Protesters I spoke to said they’re tired—tired of being painted as radicals for simply asking to live decently.

Chukwuka

Olga, your story, it reminds me—the world’s not just policy papers and speeches, eh? It’s fear and hope on the ground. Everywhere you turn, someone’s having to pick a side, whether in a voting booth or on the street. That strikes a chord with what we unpacked a few episodes ago about unrest fueling cultural shifts. Alright, before we run outta breath on politics, let’s talk the other half of “hard power.”

Major Ethan “Sentinel” Graves

Now you’re speakin’ my language. So, Russia—never a dull moment, am I right?—they’ve been amp’ing up near the Baltics again. People think, “Oh, more drills.” But the scale this year? It’s got NATO on red alert. The Brits and Germans pulled a joint exercise; basically, putting on a show that, “Hey Moscow, we’re not napping.” This is like Cold War theater, but the scripts got AI-written lines now.

Chukwuka

Major, you hit on something that ties right back to cyber. U.S. is rolling out new cyber-defense setups—drills, wargames, big budget. Like you said, it’s chess, but with invisible pieces. I mean, we talked about this when the October shutdown almost paralyzed comms. Now, cyber’s the domain where conflict starts and sometimes ends without a shot fired.

Major Ethan “Sentinel” Graves

Yeah, exactly. This stuff feels a lot like classic chess. You hold pieces back—lay a trap. But now the pieces are, like, algorithms. And it’s a lot harder to tell if your king’s actually under threat or if it’s all smoke and mirrors. The Soviets and us used to do this with agents and radio—you know, cat and mouse games. But now it’s all screen-glow.

Duke Johnson

Man, lemme jump in—this cyber war stuff is wild, but boots still matter. When I was in Poland, right near that Belarus border, you felt the tension… live drills, real ammo, readiness levels you could taste in the chow line. I ain’t saying NATO’s perfect, but that’s the closest I’ve seen to Cold War nerves since, shoot, maybe Kosovo. Stuff gets real, quick, and the troops know it. Which—sorry to go off—but that deployment still sticks with me. Kids fresh outta basic trying to read signals so they’re ready if the real deal breaks off.

Olga Ivanova - Female, Progressive

That’s what’s so chilling, Duke. There’s always human cost. For every high-tech wargame, there is a conscript or a family watching from a small town—wondering if next week brings escalation. These military “moves” aren’t just news headlines. They are people’s entire lives swinging on a decision made a thousand kilometers away.

Chukwuka

It all connects—populations, soldiers, cyber. Now, power used to be just guns and tanks, but as we’re seeing, information is a battlefield too. And no better way to split to our next slice than pop culture. Anybody ready to tear into that circus?

Olga Ivanova - Female, Progressive

Oh, absolutely. I mean—AI-generated music in 2025 is everywhere. From Seoul to L.A., algorithms are cranking out viral hits, and celebrities are sometimes, um, less musician and more software partner. But there’s a dark side. These songs get harnessed by political campaigns—sometimes subtly, sometimes overtly—reshaping public feeling. It’s not just the old propaganda machines; it’s memetics fueled by deep learning.

Chukwuka

You’re right, Olga. Man, the past year’s been a blur—blockbuster movies, streaming wars, content flying everywhere. Marvel’s “Rise of the Phoenix”—everyone and their grandma’s seen it twice. Meanwhile, China drops “Red Empire”—suddenly, global box office records get shattered from both sides. It’s not just entertainment, it’s influence campaigns in surround sound, right?

Duke Johnson

You got that—soft power’s now movie night and TikTok. Look at what happened with Korea’s last AI-fueled dance trend—kids here jumped on it before it even hit South Korea’s Top 10. I mean, this stuff moves faster than NATO logistics, and that’s sayin’ something.

Major Ethan “Sentinel” Graves

Can’t forget: the line between pop culture and state messaging’s always blurry. We talked about this in our “Pop Culture Goes Global” episode. But now it’s less about hiding the truth and more about weaponizing charisma, memes, all that jazz. Plato’s been replaced by influencers, and half our “debates” start on a livestream or in a Discord chat now.

Chukwuka

Major, ain’t that the truth. It makes me think back—remember how pop culture played out in the ’80s? Movies, radio, even sports—every little thing turned into a “which side are you on” moment. But now? It’s like propaganda’s on turbo, everywhere, all the time, and being beamed straight onto your watch or your smart glasses. That’s why these stories matter—politics, power, even the music you pump at the gym—it’s all connected.

Olga Ivanova - Female, Progressive

Absolutely, and, as always, we can’t forget the human stories behind the algorithms. The way pop culture is shaped and weaponized touches us all, from big city billboards to the smallest rural towns.

Duke Johnson

That’s a wrap for this briefing. Folks, pay attention, dig in, and don’t just eat what they’re feedin’—question it. Season’s just heating up, so don’t blink.

Major Ethan “Sentinel” Graves

Yeah, keep your head on a swivel. And seriously, thanks for riding along with us—there’s always more coming down the chute.

Chukwuka

Brilliant, team. That’s all for today’s deep dive into power, politics, and pop. We’ll be back soon to break down whatever the world throws at us next—could be chaos; could be hope. So, I’ll say “cheers,” and let’s sign off.

Olga Ivanova - Female, Progressive

Take care, everyone. Don’t lose hope; stay curious.

Major Ethan “Sentinel” Graves

Be safe out there, folks.

Duke Johnson

See ya in the next one. Out.