Hosted by Marcel Dirsus · 🇺🇸 US · EN · 24 episodes
Established thought leaders with verified media credentials.
Hey, it’s Marcel Dirsus. I’m a political scientist and this is The Next Best, my podcast. The world is complex, dangerous and confusing. To make sense of it all, I talk to authors, historians, diplomats and spies. Together, we’re going to learn about nuclear weapons, sanctions, targeted killings and much more. Let’s go.Have a question? Email at: thenextbestpodcast@gmail.com
Marcel Dirsus hosts The Next Best with Marcel Dirsus, a news show with 24 episodes published.
Germany is spending more on defence than at any point in recent history — and some analysts believe it could soon become Europe’s dominant military power.But what happens if Germany rearms in a world where Europe can no
What keeps Iran’s regime in power—and why has it survived repeated crises, protests, and international pressure? In this episode of The Next Best, Marcel Dirsus sits down with Yeganeh Torbati (New York Times Iran corresp
Most countries are not superpowers. They’re not regional hegemons. They’re small states trying to survive in a world dominated by giants.In this episode, I speak with Anders Wivel, Professor of Political Science at the U
The Houthis aren't Iran's puppet. That's what makes them so dangerous. They can shut down two of the world's most critical chokepoints simultaneously — and there's very little the West can do about it.In this episode of
Everyone thinks Putin perfected the energy weapon. But Russia has been using oil and gas as a political bludgeon for over 70 years — and it didn't start with him. Historian Sergey Radchenko traces the full arc of Russian
In this live episode recorded in Berlin, Marcel Dirsus sits down with researcher and author Julia Ebner to explore the psychology of extremism, conspiracy theories, and online radicalization. From QAnon and neo-Nazi netw
China doesn't need to invade Taiwan to win.A blockade could bring the global economy to its knees — without firing a single shot. In this episode of The Next Best, political scientist Marcel Dirsus sits down with Hoover
Russia didn't just invade Ukraine. It's trying to break the rules of the international system.In this episode, I sit down with James Ker-Lindsay — one of the world's leading authorities on secession and self-determinatio
Russia says it's winning. The front line tells a different story. Military analyst Franz-Stefan Gady just returned from Ukraine — here's what he actually saw. Russia is betting on spring advances in the Donbas. Ukrainian
Xi Jinping may be the most powerful man in the world. But that power may also be a trap he can't escape.In this episode of The Next Best, Marcel Dirsus sits down with Rory Truex — Princeton professor and leading expert o
NATO isn't just weakening. It's basically dead — and that's not a headline. It's an analysis.In this episode, I break down exactly what killed the alliance: Donald Trump's deep, structural hostility to multilateral commi
Trump's approval rating tells a story his supporters don't want to hear — and the data backs it up. Pollster and journalist G. Elliott Morris joins me to break down Trump's poll numbers and explain why he may be one of t
Putin spent two decades demanding a multipolar world. Now he's getting one — and it might destroy Russia.In this episode of The Next Best, I speak with Seva Gunitsky, professor at the University of Toronto and author of
Is Congress irrelevant in U.S. foreign policy? Is bipartisanship a myth? And what happens when the biggest threat to a NATO ally might be the United States itself? This week on The Next Best, I'm joined by Elizabeth Saun
Apple doesn’t just manufacture in China. It helped build the system that now holds it hostage. In this episode of The Next Best, I speak with Financial Times journalist Patrick McGee, author of Apple in China, about one
How powerful is propaganda—really? In this episode of The Next Best, Marcel Dirsus speaks with Gavin Wilde, a former White House official and U.S. intelligence analyst, about why we consistently overestimate the impact o
Can Europe defend itself without the United States? The uncomfortable reality is that Europe’s security architecture is completely dependent on Washington—and that foundation is cracking.In this episode of The Next Best,
Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Tim Weiner joins Marcel Dirsus to discuss his book, The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century. This episode is a deep dive into the CIA, the failures of the War on Terror, and the future
The Baltic region is Europe's most dangerous geopolitical flashpoint. From the Suwałki Gap to the stationing of German combat troops in Lithuania, we explore the geopolitical stakes of a potential conflict between Russia
How the U.S. turned banks, the dollar, and tech supply chains into a weapon that isolates entire countries without firing a shot. Edward Fishman is the author of "Chokepoints" and a former member of the Secretary of Stat
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The Next Best with Marcel Dirsus is hosted by Marcel Dirsus. The show is categorised under news (politics) and has published 24 episodes.
The Next Best with Marcel Dirsus has published 24 episodes.
The Next Best with Marcel Dirsus regularly covers news, politics. It sits in the news category, with a politics focus.
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Episodes of The Next Best with Marcel Dirsus average 39 minutes. a focused format where a clear narrative arc and tight preparation matter most.
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