States of Play with Sam Olsen

States of Play: geopolitics and the changing world order samolsen.substack.com

States of Play with Sam Olsen is a news podcast hosted by Sam Olsen, with 18 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Sam Olsen hosts States of Play with Sam Olsen, a news show with 18 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  States of Play with Sam Olsen

  Hunted from Above

  Dec 14, 202525 minS0

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com<br/><br/><p>In this episode of States of Play, Sam Olsen speaks with Elizabeth Bullock, a British civilian who spent three years working on the ground in Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion. </p><p>Bullock recounts her journey from evacuating women and children to operating in frontline zones across the Donbas and southern Ukraine, delivering medical aid, restoring water supplies, and later supporting reconstruction in liberated areas. </p><p>Drawing on firsthand experience, she challenges Western misconceptions about the war, details Russia’s de...

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  States of Play with Sam Olsen

  States of Play podcast Episode 17: The New Economic Iron Curtain

  Nov 29, 202524 minS0

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com<br/><br/><p>In this episode of the States of Play podcast, Sam Olsen talks to the economist Stewart Paterson to unpack The Great Split—the accelerating bifurcation of the global economy into competing US-led and China-led spheres. </p><p>They explore how the collapse of the era of globalisation is reshaping trade, investment, finance, and corporate strategy; how China’s Belt and Road and dual-circulation policies have built an alternative system; and how future sanctions, counter-sanctions, and rising jurisdictional risk could force companies and...

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  States of Play with Sam Olsen

  States of Play podcast Episode 15: The Polycrisis 2027 Scenario

  Oct 25, 202528 minS0

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com<br/><br/><p>Show Summary</p><p>In this episode of States of Play, Sam Olsen speaks with Justin Crump, CEO of Sibylline, about their new report Polycrisis 2027. They explore how converging shocks - from China’s 2027 Taiwan deadline and Russia’s rearmament to AI disruption and Western instability - could create a single systemic crisis. The conversation asks: can the West act fast enough to prevent a global crunch?</p>

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  States of Play with Sam Olsen

  States of Play podcast Episode 14: Europe’s Fractures, Russia’s Opportunity

  Oct 8, 202528 minS0

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com<br/><br/><p>In this episode of States of Play Sam Olsen interviews analyst Alexander Lord on Europe’s mounting political and social fractures, from Germany’s extremist violence to France’s paralysis. We look at how Russian grey-zone pressure, cybercrime and influence ops are exploiting them. We also assess EU/UK cohesion if Moscow tests Estonia, the role of China in this, and where resilience and leadership may still emerge today.</p>

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  States of Play with Sam Olsen

  States of Play podcast Episode 13: China and India - Eclipsing the West?

  Sep 23, 202526 minS0

  This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit samolsen.substack.com<br/><br/><p>Show Summary</p><p>Former UK Business Secretary and economist Sir Vince Cable joins States of Play to unpack whether China and India are truly eclipsing the West. We cover GDP power shifts, China’s property bust vs tech leapfrogging, India’s services-led surge, MAGA-era economics, BRICS, and how the West can adapt - if at all.</p>

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