The Geography of Fear: Why Borders Define Power, Paranoia, and Peace

In this episode of Now I Get It, I dive into the hidden logic behind borders—why they exist where they do, and how geography quietly shapes the course of world history. From the frozen plains of Russia to the mountains of Ukraine, I explore how natural barriers like rivers, lakes, and mountain ranges determine a nation’s defensibility—and how the absence of these barriers has fueled centuries of conquest, paranoia, and power struggles.

We’ll unpack how historical trauma and geography combine to drive geopolitical decisions, often leading nations to create the very dangers they fear most. Using Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine as a case study, I explore how geography’s invisible hand still dictates modern strategy, politics, and security—and how the destruction of natural defenses like wetlands may have left Europe more vulnerable than ever before.

In this episode, you will learn:

• (00:45) Why geography—and not just politics—defines how nations form and defend themselves
• (02:30) The contrast between Europe’s natural borders and Asia’s open expanses—and why it matters
• (03:40) How Russia’s fear of invasion is rooted in centuries of trauma and geography
• (05:10) Why Putin’s war in Ukraine is both strategic and self-defeating
• (06:45) The hidden value of wetlands and natural barriers in modern defense
• (07:50) How fear-driven decisions create the very threats nations seek to avoid

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