Rob Morris and Ruairí examine one of Rob’s longest-running predictions: that Saudi Arabia's government will not survive in its current form beyond 2030.

With Saudi Arabia facing renewed conflict with Yemen’s Houthis, missile and drone attacks, and mounting pressure on its ambitious economic transformation plans, is the kingdom approaching a crisis that even its vast oil wealth cannot overcome?

Rob explains why he believes the foundations of the Saudi system are far more fragile than they appear. From the limitations of Vision 2030 and the difficulties of diversifying away from oil to the global energy glut that could emerge if major conflicts subside, the discussion explores the economic pressures threatening the kingdom’s long-term stability.

The conversation also examines Saudi Arabia’s military vulnerabilities, its reliance on foreign allies, its investments in the technology sector, and the potential consequences of an AI bubble bursting. Could falling oil prices and a global economic downturn expose the weaknesses of the Saudi state? And if Mohammed bin Salman loses power, would the House of Saud survive the upheaval?

Rob revisits his original prediction, considers where his analysis has been wrong, and explains why he still believes the current Saudi system faces an uncertain future.

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What happens when the institutions shaping American foreign policy have a financial and ideological interest in seeing the world through the lens of endless conflict?

On this episode of The More Freedom Foundation Podcast, Rob Morris takes a deep dive into the Hudson Institute, a Washington think tank with a history stretching back to the Cold War and the nuclear strategists who sought to make nuclear war something that could be planned for — and potentially won.

Rob explores how the institute evolved from the world of Cold War nuclear strategy into a prominent voice in modern American foreign policy. Along the way, we discuss its funding, its connections to defence contractors and political figures, and the role think tanks play in shaping the narratives that dominate the media and political debate.

Why do American policymakers repeatedly warn that the country isn't doing enough abroad, even as the United States intervenes in conflicts across the world? Why are enormous military expenditures presented as essential to national prosperity? And what happens when the pursuit of American global leadership comes at the expense of economic security at home and stability abroad?

From the legacy of Herman Kahn and the nuclear anxieties of the Cold War to the wars in Iraq, Yemen and Iran, Rob argues that the same underlying assumptions keep resurfacing: exaggerating foreign threats, demanding greater military spending, and treating restraint as weakness.

The result, he argues, is a foreign policy that risks undermining the very security it claims to defend — damaging America's economic prospects while inflicting devastation on the countries caught in the crossfire.

Is the Hudson Institute helping America navigate a dangerous world, or helping to create a more dangerous one?

Join Rob Morris and Ruairí for a critical look at the think tanks, money and ideas behind America's seemingly endless appetite for war.

The More Freedom Foundation Podcast — questioning the conventional wisdom, one foreign policy disaster at a time.

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