Thread by Thread: Power, People and Politics

Dheeraj Kumar
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Thread by Thread is a podcast that unravels the invisible connections between power, people, and the stories that shape our world. Hosted by Dheeraj Kumar, each episode pulls a new thread — from economic power plays to geopolitical maneuvering and the human impact in between. Join us as we follow the threads that connect global events, everyday lives, and the forces shaping our world, one story at a time. imdkumar.substack.com

Episodes

  1. Chokepoints: Detours, Delays, and Dollars

    08/22/2025

    Chokepoints: Detours, Delays, and Dollars

    A small delivery rerouted around a tense strait becomes a window into the hidden machinery of global trade. In this episode, we follow a quiet detour to unpack how maritime chokepoints—from Suez and Bab el‑Mandeb to Hormuz, Panama, Malacca, and the Lakshadweep–Minicoy corridor—shape routes, schedules, and the prices we all pay. Segment 1 traces the on‑the‑ground decisions behind a simple “route under review” alert. Segment 2 dives into the economics: war‑risk premiums, detours, fuel, capacity, and the new “resilience premium” built into freight and inventory. Segment 3 looks ahead: naval escorts, corridor diplomacy, climate‑strained canals, and what “war‑sustenance” means in a world that’s learning to sail wide around its narrowest places. Clear, calm, and story‑led, this is an inside look at how a few miles of water can move the whole economy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit imdkumar.substack.com

    35 min
  2. The Genome Cold War

    08/08/2025

    The Genome Cold War

    In this episode of Thread by Thread, we dive into the electrifying and complex world of biotechnology—where cutting-edge science meets global power struggles. Through the story of a Danish geneticist suddenly cut off from a decade-long collaboration, we explore how biotech has become a new frontline in geopolitics. Discover how a booming $546 billion industry is transforming medicine, innovation, and national security all at once. We'll unpack the soaring investments, shifting supply chains, and rising export controls that are reshaping the biotech landscape. Then, zoom out to the geopolitical tensions driving a “biotech cold war” — with the U.S. and China racing to control genetic data, supply chains, and revolutionary therapies. What does all this mean for patients waiting for life-saving treatments, startups navigating fractured markets, and the future of global scientific collaboration? Join us as we pull the threads connecting economics, politics, and human stories in the biological century. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit imdkumar.substack.com

    27 min
  3. Disrupted: What AI Means for Workers, Wages, and the World

    07/18/2025

    Disrupted: What AI Means for Workers, Wages, and the World

    A storm is sweeping across the global job market — and it’s made of code. In this episode of Thread by Thread, we dive into the unsettling rise of artificial intelligence and what it really means for the future of work. From warehouse robots to generative models writing ad copy, the line between human and machine labor is blurring fast. I once wrote about the future of work before ChatGPT existed — and now, much of what seemed speculative back then is unfolding in real time. In Segment 1, we trace the economic shockwaves: mass layoffs, vanishing middle-skill jobs, and a world where having a degree may no longer protect your paycheck. Then we scale up in Segment 2 — where AI isn’t just an economic force, but a geopolitical weapon. Who’s winning the AI arms race? Why are some countries pulling ahead while others get left behind? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit imdkumar.substack.com

    33 min
  4. Water, Data, and the Global Crisis We Ignore

    07/11/2025

    Water, Data, and the Global Crisis We Ignore

    In this episode, we shift focus from headlines to riverlines—exploring the politics, economics, and science of the world’s most undervalued resource: WATER. I am joined by Robin Singh from TU Dresden, a hydroscience researcher specializing in mathematical flood risk prediction, to unpack how rising water stress, floods, and failing infrastructure are reshaping the world. From urban water wars and megadroughts to climate injustice and global inaction, we discuss how a warming planet is rewriting the rules of survival—and how geopolitics, inequality, and misplaced priorities make everything worse. This isn't just a climate conversation. It's about data, denial, and decision-making in an era when even water can become a weapon. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit imdkumar.substack.com

    27 min
  5. The Climate Cartel

    07/04/2025

    The Climate Cartel

    Markets were supposed to save us. Carbon offsets, ESG funds, green subsidies, climate finance — the financialization of climate policy promised to align profits with the planet’s future. But somewhere between good intentions and boardroom strategies, something broke. In this episode, we follow the money: how climate action became a trillion-dollar market, who profits from “carbon neutrality,” and why well-meaning policies often miss the mark. From phantom offsets and greenwashed portfolios to carbon border taxes and climate diplomacy, we unpack the tools, the loopholes, and the politics that define the fight for a livable future. We’ll also examine the myths that still persist — from climate denial to delay — and spotlight the power struggles behind the world’s most urgent crisis. This isn’t just about emissions. It’s about economics, geopolitics, and how the climate crisis is reshaping both. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit imdkumar.substack.com

    30 min
  6. The New Iron Curtain

    06/27/2025

    The New Iron Curtain

    Once hailed as the engine of global prosperity, free trade now finds itself at a crossroads. This episode unpacks how the economic rise of China and India was made possible through global integration—and how today’s wave of deglobalization threatens that very model. In Segment 1, we revisit the 1990s, when both nations stood neck and neck, and explore how trade transformed their destinies. Segment 2 breaks down the key theories of international trade—from comparative advantage to global value chains—and reveals why they matter more than ever. In the final segment, we confront a chilling reality: supply chains are fracturing, nationalism is redrawing economic maps, and a new Iron Curtain is descending on the world economy. What does it mean for the global poor, and who pays the price when borders harden? Tune in for a deep dive into the economics, politics, and human stakes of our unraveling trade order. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit imdkumar.substack.com

    31 min
  7. The Monetization of Misery

    06/20/2025

    The Monetization of Misery

    From pandemics to wars, from floods to economic collapse—every global crisis seems to generate not only suffering, but also windfalls. In this episode, we trace how catastrophes become commerce. We begin with a chilling essay on how disasters shape demand, then unpack the economics of profiteering during COVID, climate crises, and wars. Finally, we look at how governments and corporations manipulate crises geopolitically—from vaccine nationalism to weaponized aid. This is not disaster response. It’s disaster capitalism. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit imdkumar.substack.com

    23 min
  8. Power Plays: Who Really Pays for Electricity?

    06/13/2025

    Power Plays: Who Really Pays for Electricity?

    From the flickering tube lights of a North Indian childhood to the complex economics behind power bills, this episode of Thread by Thread pulls at the wires connecting energy, equity, and everyday life. In Segment 1, I share what it meant to grow up in a world where electricity wasn’t guaranteed — and how that shaped my understanding of comfort and control. In Segment 2, we break down the real cost of keeping the lights on: subsidies, tariffs, and why access to energy remains deeply unequal. Coming up in Segment 3: the global tug-of-war over energy supply. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit imdkumar.substack.com

    22 min
  9. The Price of a Passport

    06/05/2025

    The Price of a Passport

    What does a passport really buy — freedom, identity, or just paperwork? In this opening episode of Thread by Thread, follows a story that begins with a travel delay and unravels into a global question. Structured in three parts: A personal moment that sparked a deeper curiosity A powerful real-world narrative that reframes citizenship A breakdown of the economic and geopolitical forces shaping who gets to move — and who doesn't This episode invites you to rethink something we often take for granted: the right to belong. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit imdkumar.substack.com

    23 min
  10. Thread by Thread: Trailer

    05/30/2025

    Thread by Thread: Trailer

    Thread by Thread is a new podcast by Dheeraj Kumar that unravels the quiet forces shaping our world — one story at a time. Each episode pulls a single thread from geopolitics, economics, or human experience… and follows it wherever it leads. From invisible power games to the price we pay for mobility, this is where curiosity meets consequence. No soundbites. No breaking news. Just thoughtful journeys through the seams of the global story. New episodes every Friday. Subscribe now and pull the first thread. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit imdkumar.substack.com

    1 min
  • 10 Episodes

About

Thread by Thread is a podcast that unravels the invisible connections between power, people, and the stories that shape our world. Hosted by Dheeraj Kumar, each episode pulls a new thread — from economic power plays to geopolitical maneuvering and the human impact in between. Join us as we follow the threads that connect global events, everyday lives, and the forces shaping our world, one story at a time. imdkumar.substack.com

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