The first weeks of 2026 have seen a whirlwind of US foreign policy actions.
In this urgent episode of the Silk and Steel Podcast, host Carl Zha is joined once more by Dr. Warwick Powell, an expert on international relations and China, to dissect the Trump administration's aggressive moves against Venezuela, Iran, and Greenland. These actions are explicitly framed as efforts to "clip China's wings," but what are the real motives and likely outcomes?
We analyze the strategic logic, the cartoonish worldview driving Washington's decisions, and what China's calm, long-game response means for the future of global power.
📚 Relevant Links:
Subscribe to the Silk and Steel Podcast for more analysis.
Follow Carl Zha for host perspectives.
Dr. Powell's Substack (for in-depth analysis): warwickpal.substack.com
Dr. Powell on X (for commentary): @baoshaoshan
⏱️ Chapter Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction & Overview of a Chaotic Start to 2026
02:10 - Framing the Strategy: US "Global Primacy" vs. New Realities
04:55 - The "Cartoonish" Worldview in Washington & The Venezuela Oil Myth
07:02 - Why China & Russia Won't Militarily Intervene: Strategic Patience vs. Knee-Jerk Reactions
11:25 - The Power of Non-Interference: China's Soft Power & Economic Leverage
15:05 - Debunking the "Reverse Domino Theory": The Nuclear Reality
16:40 - The Spoiler Playbook: How a Declining Hegemon Tries to Divide & Conquer
20:55 - "China Builds, US Bombs": Can a Spoiler Strategy Actually Work?
23:40 - The Achilles' Heel: US Military Dependency on Chinese Supply Chains
27:10 - The Greenland Grab: Trophy, Resources, or Message to Europe?
33:45 - Iran Deep Dive: Regime Change on the Cheap? Starlink, Currency Wars & Failed Protests
40:30 - The 25% Tariff Threat: Frustration, Bluster, and Unintended Consequences
45:05 - America's Economic Malaise: The "Politics of Nostalgia" vs. 21st-Century Realities
52:55 - Outlook for 2026: Domestic Politics, Midterm Elections, and More Messiness
57:15 - China's Unflappable Long-Game & The Inevitable Forces of a Multipolar World
01:01:35 - Final Thoughts & Where to Find Dr. Warwick Powell
