Global Politics, News & Security: Hard Topics, Easy Delivery
Dr Kari Odermann (“Dr K”) is a political scientist and communication specialist who turns global politics, policy, and security issues into clear, practical insights. From #Ukraine to global power politics, the focus is on what decisions made in capital cities mean for people’s lives, with a focus on:
-Democratic resilience and hybrid warfare
-How #misinformation and #disinformation shape wars and elections
-Tools to become a more informed news consumer
Dr K works hands on and brings that experience to international organisations, governments, and think tanks, to help them communicate better, build trust and ceate informed citizens for resilient democracies.
Subscribe and turn your feed into “office hours” that helps you understand the world better.
Kari Odermann
Political violence is not only a security threat. It can change how power is understood.
After the third reported attempt to harm U.S. President Donald Trump in late April 2026, the bigger question is not only whether he is safe. It is whether attacks on leaders are becoming part of political calculation.
There are also reports that Russian intelligence allegedly proposed staging a fake assassination attempt against Viktor #Orbán to improve his election chances. The reported plan did not go ahead, but it shows why assassination attempts can be politically instrumentalised.
🏛️ In a democracy, power should come from voters, laws, and institutions — not from one person. When a leader is treated as the state itself, personal danger can become a global signal. Allies and adversaries may start asking whether U.S. politics is stable enough for business as usual.
❓ That is the question nobody wants to ask. Watch the whole interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBLEb...
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Kari Odermann
A deleted podcast, Russia’s treatment of women, and Red Bull’s decision to keep doing business in Moscow show how lifestyle branding, gender norms, and war are more closely linked than they appear.
kariodermann.substack.com/p/red-bull-a-snowboarder…
1 month ago | [YT] | 3
View 0 replies
Kari Odermann
substack.com/@kariodermann/note/c-235083040?r=5vi3…
2 months ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Kari Odermann
Did you highlights of CPAC Hungary? There is more to it than just being a conference ⬇️
open.substack.com/pub/kariodermann/p/cpac-hungary-…
2 months ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Kari Odermann
More on Iran and the role of US domestic policy:
open.substack.com/pub/kariodermann/p/framing-the-i…
2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 2
View 0 replies
Kari Odermann
The law is bending — and power is filling the gap.
The UK says there is a clear line between “defensive” action and #offensive war-fighting. But that line gets very hard to defend once strikes on Iranian missile capabilities become part of a wider effort to weaken Iran’s overall military potential. That matters beyond this conflict. The bigger story is not just about one set of strikes. It is about how #internationallaw becomes fragile when a major power wants war and close allies help make it look legally manageable.
Three warnings stand out.
First, legal exceptions are being stretched.
Second, allies can help normalise rule-bending by backing operations while still claiming the rules remain intact.
Third, when there is no realistic enforcement against a major power, the real costs are often political and reputational, not legal.
What may replace that weakened legal order is not more respect for courts or the UN. It is #access as power. Control over markets, money, technology, shipping, data, and supply chains is becoming a more practical way to enforce norms. This is often described as #weaponisedinterdependence.
That shift matters because the US does not dominate every part of that system. The #EuropeanUnion has major leverage on regulation and market access. #Japan matters in global finance, including as a major foreign holder of US Treasuries. Economic pressure is becoming faster and easier to use than formal legal enforcement.
The costs are not abstract. Iranian attacks reportedly caused about $2 billion in damage to US military assets over six days, including a major radar installation at Al Udeid Air Base in #Qatar. The conflict also hit the wider economy, with the #SP500 suffering its worst week of 2026 and oil prices rising by nearly 30%.
Are powerful states helping hollow out a rules-based system they may later need — and replacing it with a world where influence depends less on law than on control over networks others cannot afford to lose.
#Iran #UnitedKingdom #UnitedStates #Article24 #militarystrategy #globaleconomy #securitypolicy #norms #allies #reputation #politicalrisk #financialpower #supplychains #marketaccess #technology #energyshock #Tehran #London #Washington #Qatar #Doha #japan #日本 #ConservativeParty #LabourParty
2 months ago | [YT] | 1
View 0 replies
Kari Odermann
open.substack.com/pub/kariodermann/p/data-in-a-lon…
3 months ago | [YT] | 1
View 0 replies
Kari Odermann
Behind the scenes at MSc with bbc fav ❤️
3 months ago | [YT] | 5
View 0 replies
Kari Odermann
“Will the US attack Iran?”
Content that starts like this looks like news but speculative storytelling.
🧠 It works because we are drawn into these narratives to try to close the gap between what we know and what could happen.
Take a look at the breakdown, analysis and the sources behind the 180 seconds I share on other platforms - over 400K already get information to help them understand the world better, take a look ⬇️
kariodermann.substack.com/p/when-war-talk-becomes-…
4 months ago | [YT] | 2
View 1 reply
Kari Odermann
December 10, 2025
10 AM ET, a new CEPA podcast episode with General Philippe Lavigne goes live. We talk about the future of NATO, what the next decade of European defence might look like, and how the Alliance is adapting to Russia, China, and new technologies.
You can find the episode on CEPA’s website here:
cepa.org/podcast/general-philippe-lavigne-on-the-f…
If you are interested in security, strategy, or how NATO is changing in real time, this conversation is a good place to start.
5 months ago | [YT] | 1
View 0 replies
Load more