Global politics rarely has one clear “X-ray” explanation. This episode breaks down five counterintuitive truths that shape today’s conflicts: domestic interest groups driving state choices, why some weapons feel scarier than bigger arsenals, the logic behind the “separate peace” among democracies, Wendt’s claim that anarchy is socially made, and Hollis and Smith’s “two stories” rule. If you work in policy, media, or tech, this framework helps you read the news with sharper instincts and fewer illusions.This podcast explains five counter-intuitive truths about global conflict using major IR traditions. It covers liberal micro-foundations (domestic preferences), constructivist threat perception (brute facts vs social facts), the democratic “separate peace", Wendt’s argument that anarchy is socially constructed, and Hollis and Smith’s “two stories” approach. It closes with a practical question for the information age: how do we sustain cooperation when trust and transparency are under attack?

Explores social constructivism's role in IR, focusing on ideas, consciousness, and norms shaping international systems beyond material forces, with key theorists and debates highlighted.

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