International Law
Legal status, recognition, treaties
8 episodes
#2240: Who Does Every Country Owe Money To?
National debt isn't like personal debt. Most countries simultaneously owe money to diffuse creditors while also holding others' debt—creating a cir...
#2229: Decoding "Working Level": What Diplomats Really Mean
When the White House calls a meeting "working level," what's actually being signaled? We decode the vocabulary system that grades every diplomatic ...
#2086: The Gravity of Power: Why We Split It
Why do we separate government powers? We trace the idea from Aristotle to Montesquieu and the US founders.
#2054: From Dirt to Data: How Empires Conquered the Cloud
Why did we stop conquering land and start conquering servers? This episode traces the shift from soil to bits.
#2053: So What If the UN Disappeared Tomorrow?
Would the world descend into chaos or just get more efficient? We explore a world without the UN.
#2052: The UN’s Phantom Army: Who Really Holds the Stick?
The UN Security Council can authorize war, but owns no tanks. Discover the gap between legal authority and military reality.
#1749: How the Vatican Runs Without Births or Taxes
It has no maternity wards and no tax base, yet it functions as a sovereign state. Here’s how the Vatican actually works.
#1746: Recognizing Palestine When the Government Is Two
The PLO and PA are legally distinct entities governing different territories, yet the world recognizes them as one state.