Chismeando in War Time

Chismeando in War Time

This episode was recorded on Monday, April 13 Join us for a catch-up on the US-Israeli war in Iran as we talk about how the already-shifting global order has been impacted even more, how people are finally waking up from cult-like behavior, and what we think will happen next. Even though we recorded this episode a few weeks ago, it’s still relevant to the latest dynamics we’re dealing with. Other than the fact that the U.S. is STILL being led by a pedophilic narcissist who is unfit for the role, this war in Iran has had immediate consequences across the globe. More than a month in, the US has lost an inexplicable amount of military equipment and more than 13 trillion-dollar military bases have been destroyed. Trump overplayed his hand messing with Netanyahu, who never had anything to lose. Netanyahu is on trial in Israel and would rather rage war against any population than face the music of his crimes. While the war criminals continue to bomb children, the world order is reshaping itself in a surprisingly quick manner. Iran now has unparalleled control of the Strait of Hormuz, granting the country unprecedented control of over 20% of the world’s oil supply. Russia ensured that Cuba received oil to save Cubans from the US blockade that shut off power all over the island. China has supplied oil to the Philippines, and has said that oil shipments may stop if Manila hosts military drills with the US. The world is exhausted with the Western world order, which we’ve known [https://thechismosachat.substack.com/p/the-west-is-not-your-savior] for a while now [https://thechismosachat.substack.com/p/the-west-is-not-your-savior-part]. If you enjoyed this episode, give us a rating on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/31G6I5PYOcq2uyqBV9L4Kg] or Apple Podcasts [https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/5028759/private/e486fc7a-1eca-4f03-9e62-f8f36653d68d.rss]! The Chismosa Chat is a podcast brought to you by Claire Bough [https://open.substack.com/users/62972404-claire-bough?utm_source=mentions] and Karla Georges [https://open.substack.com/users/58478602-karla-georges?utm_source=mentions], two chismosas who got tired of keeping their conversations to themselves. It’s a deep dive into the shocking news that you’re already talking about, with the hot takes that maybe you were only saying in your head. Join our chat as we cover American society and current events in the way we know best: being nosy AF. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thechismosachat.substack.com [https://thechismosachat.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Americans Aren’t Revolutionary

The internet wants you to keep up with the Kardashians, not Trump’s involvement with his deceased best friend. This is one, among many reasons, why Americans aren’t revolutionary. Listen to Claire and Karla unpack why Americans truly aren't revolutionary and if there's hope for the future. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thechismosachat.substack.com [https://thechismosachat.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The West is Not Your Savior: Part 2

*This episode was taped and written in September of 2025. Trump’s tariffs might have recently been ruled unconstitutional [https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/27/trump-tariffs-trade-deals-00802169], but the damage is already done. In our last episode (part one) [https://thechismosachat.substack.com/p/the-west-is-not-your-savior], we talked about how the U.S. established Western dominance for decades, only for Trump and his policies to accelerate a decline in alliances, soft power, and overall allegiance. Now, we’re diving deeper into what other countries are doing in the East and Global South to take back some independence within their economies. Though China doesn’t represent the entirety of this shift, it is gaining the upper hand in terms of infrastructure and developing stronger supply chains throughout southeast Asia. While the U.S. still owns a vast majority of the world’s wealth, China is starting to take advantage of new opportunities and establish dominance in the East. It’s not just because of the tariffs, though those did play a role. Trump’s latest presidency has also already served to alienate our allies (e.g. the EU, Canada, and Ukraine), and damage our image on the international stage. And just as U.S.-backed global policy has led to mass exploitation and under-development in the Global South, the world is now seeing the same conditions rampantly accelerate in the U.S–rising crime and mass shootings, civilian murders, mental health and opioid crises, inaccessible health care, and the list goes on. More and more countries are exploring BRICS and BRI as viable alternatives to the Western neocolonial economic system and U.S. sanctions. They’re also exploring how to move away from U.S. dollar dominance, even setting up their own systems to move away from SWIFT and the IMF, which would enable trade in local currencies and an end to borrowing against U.S. debt. The U.S. and the West have assumed for decades that its liberal democratic model is universal, and you know what happens when you assume. Now, the Global South is increasingly inspired by China’s state-led development and BRICS’ non-interventionist ethos. It’s undeniable that there are limits to Western Capitalism, and we’re increasingly pushing up against those limits. Unregulated growth will have an end point, whether it’s because the environment can’t sustain it or the workers cannot. BRICS+ are strategically positioned to reshape global power dynamics on a variety of factors: * Energy * Trade * Natural resources * Monetary sovereignty * Technology & development While the West still holds legacy power, the East has momentum, and the South has opportunity. Thanks for reading The Chismosa Chat! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work. Sources Because this episode was researched and recorded in September 2025, some of our sources slipped through the cracks between outlining and editing, and we’ve included some titles below from our notes without links. * The China vs. US battle for influence in Southeast Asia [https://substack.com/home/post/p-168268143] * China’s financial rise and America’s economic strain If you enjoyed this episode, give us a rating on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/31G6I5PYOcq2uyqBV9L4Kg] or Apple Podcasts [https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/5028759/private/e486fc7a-1eca-4f03-9e62-f8f36653d68d.rss]! The Chismosa Chat is a podcast brought to you by Claire Bough [https://open.substack.com/users/62972404-claire-bough?utm_source=mentions] and Karla Georges [https://open.substack.com/users/58478602-karla-georges?utm_source=mentions], two chismosas who got tired of keeping their conversations to themselves. It’s a deep dive into the shocking news that you’re already talking about, with the hot takes that maybe you were only saying in your head. Join our chat as we cover American society and current events in the way we know best: being nosy AF. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thechismosachat.substack.com [https://thechismosachat.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The West is Not Your Savior

The West is in decline. A lot of this decline has been driven by the current administration, but it began before Trump even took office. It’s not just the anti-American sentiment that has been growing throughout the East, but it’s the desire for Eastern countries to work closer together- and some without the U.S. If you enjoyed this episode, give us a rating on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/31G6I5PYOcq2uyqBV9L4Kg] or Apple Podcasts [https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/5028759/private/e486fc7a-1eca-4f03-9e62-f8f36653d68d.rss]! The Chismosa Chat is a podcast brought to you by Claire Bough [https://open.substack.com/users/62972404-claire-bough?utm_source=mentions] and Karla Georges [https://open.substack.com/users/58478602-karla-georges?utm_source=mentions], two chismosas who got tired of keeping their conversations to themselves. It’s a deep dive into the shocking news that you’re already talking about, with the hot takes that maybe you were only saying in your head. Join our chat as we cover American society and current events in the way we know best: being nosy AF. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thechismosachat.substack.com [https://thechismosachat.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

The Real Chisme #1

We’ve been getting some feedback that our name is misleading (Hi, Cami!) because we focus more on news and society instead of actual, personal chisme. Even though we try to start off each episode with what’s going on in our lives, we realize that might not be enough for you nosy bitches. So, we’re kicking off our Real Chisme series. Every few episodes, we’ll dedicate our time to laying out some of the juiciest, funniest chisme we have. It might be stories from years ago, or it might be things that happened more recently. No names, just the craziest things we’ve experienced. For our first episode, Karla is taking us back to a chaotic, months-long falling out with a former friend, which included accidentally being recruited for an orgy, a night spent with some random Aussies, and a lot of yelling. Then, Claire is reminiscing on the time she chased a man through the streets of San Francisco and maybe threatened his life after he racially profiled her. If you’re tired of tuning into the news (it’s so bleak out there) and hearing about what sucks in the U.S., this episode is for you. We hope our chaotic experiences help you unplug, laugh a little, and thank God that you’re not us. Enjoy! If you enjoyed this episode, give us a rating on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/31G6I5PYOcq2uyqBV9L4Kg] or Apple Podcasts [https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/5028759/private/e486fc7a-1eca-4f03-9e62-f8f36653d68d.rss]! The Chismosa Chat is a podcast brought to you by Claire Bough [https://open.substack.com/users/62972404-claire-bough?utm_source=mentions] and Karla Georges [https://open.substack.com/users/58478602-karla-georges?utm_source=mentions], two chismosas who got tired of keeping their conversations to themselves. It’s a deep dive into the shocking news that you’re already talking about, with the hot takes that maybe you were only saying in your head. Join our chat as we cover American society and current events in the way we know best: being nosy AF. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thechismosachat.substack.com [https://thechismosachat.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]