Video Games: The Global Battleground of Modern Politics

Video Games: The Global Battleground of Modern Politics

In this Conflicted Conversation, George Osborn draws on his excellent new book Power Play: Video Games, Politics and the Battle for Global Influence [https://linktr.ee/Power_play_book] to reveal the hidden political power of video games. Once dismissed as a niche hobby, gaming has become one of the largest social environments ever created: a vast digital third space where billions of people form identities, build communities, and increasingly encounter politics — often aligned with authoritarian agendas. George explains: * The history of video games: from arcades to global digital networks * How gaming helped drive the modern technology revolution * Why video games became the ‘third spaces’ of the internet age * Steam, online gaming, and the rise of digital communities * How China controls and regulates gaming culture * Saudi Arabia's investment strategy in gaming and esports * Russia, information warfare, and influence operations in gaming * Gamergate and the politicisation of gaming communities * Steve Bannon, online culture, and the rise of populist politics Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/] Find George on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/georgeosborn.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/georgeosborn.bsky.social] And on Instagram: www.instagram.com/george_e_osborn [www.instagram.com/george_e_osborn] And his Newsletter: www.videogamesindustrymemo.com [www.videogamesindustrymemo.com] Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://x.com/MHconflicted] And Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted] And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://megaphone.fm/adchoices] Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Memorandum of Misunderstanding

In the wake of the recently published Memorandum of Understanding between the White House and the Iranian regime, Aimen and Thomas explore what the MoU means and reflect on everything they got wrong about the Iran War. They discuss: * How the MoU is a strategic lifeline for the Islamic Republic * How it legitimises Iran’s proxy network, from Hezbollah to the Houthis * How billions in frozen Iranian funds have already been released through Qatar — with American approval * How the proposed $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran has corruption written all over it * How it enshrines the principle that Iran can charge for access to the Strait of Hormuz * Whether Netanyahu lured Trump into a war he did not fully understand * The collapse of the Abraham Accords' vision for a new Middle East * If Conflicted itself has misread Trump, populism, and the future of American power Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/] Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://x.com/MHconflicted] And Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted] And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://megaphone.fm/adchoices] Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Israel’s Road to Endless War

Elizabeth Tsurkov returns for another Conflicted Conversation. This time, the conversation turns to Israel after October 7th. Elizabeth traces her own political journey from the Israeli right to a hard-won humanism, then explains how Israel’s old security doctrine collapsed — and why the new one may lead not to safety, but to permanent war. Elizabeth and Thomas discuss: * Israel’s security doctrine after 7 October * Israel’s shift from deterrence to pre-emption * Why deterrence without a political endgame failed * Gaza, Hamas and the limits of military victory * Hezbollah, Lebanon and Israel’s buffer-zone strategy * Israel’s new "buffer zone" security perimeter * Iran’s missile threat and Israel’s war with Tehran * The Abraham Accords, IMEC and bypassing Palestine * Why real Israeli fears may be producing the wrong answers Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/] Elizabeth's personal website: ⁠https://elizabeth-tsurkov.net/en/⁠ [https://elizabeth-tsurkov.net/en/] Find Elizabeth on X: ⁠https://x.com/LizHurra⁠ [https://x.com/LizHurra] Find Elizabeth on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-tsurkov-79491b15/⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-tsurkov-79491b15/] Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://x.com/MHconflicted] And Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted] And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://megaphone.fm/adchoices] Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Has Trump Lost the Middle East?

Aimen returns to bring us up to date on all the latest manoeuvrings in the Middle East. Aimen and Thomas discuss: * Trump’s chaotic, micromanaged Iran diplomacy and reliance on inexperienced “real estate” advisers. * Pakistan, Qatar, Oman, Turkey, and Egypt as flawed or compromised mediators with “skin in the game.” * Why Aimen thinks Switzerland would be the proper neutral US–Iran mediator. * Oman’s tilt toward Iran amid assumptions of American decline and future Iranian regional weight. * The UAE–Saudi split over Iran: Emirati hawkishness versus Saudi caution and strategic bruising. * Saudi resentment over Yemen, Houthi attacks, Israel’s freer hand, and lack of US security guarantees. * Israel, Hezbollah, Lebanon, and Iran: efforts to decouple the Lebanon front from the US–Iran track Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/] Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://x.com/MHconflicted] And Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted] And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [http://megaphone.fm/adchoices] Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

The West Bank Is Reaching Breaking Point

Hamza Abu Howidy returns for another Conflicted Conversation. Last time he appeared, he told us his personal story of growing up in Hamas-ruled Gaza, how he was imprisoned and tortured by Hamas for speaking out against their oppression, and how he entered into exile in Germany just before the 7 October attacks changed everything. This time he switches from Gaza to the West Bank, telling Thomas all about the other side of Palestine — a side which goes overlooked, but which is increasingly becoming a zone of almost unbearable conflict. Hamza and Thomas discuss: * Settler violence as settler terrorism * How Israeli settlements undermine the Oslo process * Settlement expansion as a strategy to prevent a Palestinian state * The shift from a two-state ideal to a one-state reality * The Hardal movement and Smotrich’s political world * The Hilltop Youth: origins, ideology and violence * The dual legal system in the West Bank * The Yehuda Shmuel Sherman incident and the revenge attacks that followed * E1 and the threat to a viable Palestinian state * The West Bank economy after 7 October * Palestinian municipal and national elections * Israeli elections and the lack of hope for political change * Israel’s post-7 October security doctrine * The Board of Peace and the problem of Hamas disarmament * Arab disillusionment with resistance ideology Find Hamza on X: https://x.com/HowidyHamza [https://x.com/HowidyHamza] Join the Conflicted Community here: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm [https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm] Find us on X: https://x.com/MHconflicted [https://x.com/MHconflicted] And Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted%E2%81%A0] ⁠And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod%E2%81%A0] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [megaphone.fm/adchoices] Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. This episode was produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]