Originally published on 1 Nov 2025.

Is the West truly in retreat, or are we witnessing the birth of a new, more insidious form of total war? Why do Western elites pursue strategies that seem self-destructive for their own nations, and what ideology drives this dangerous path forward?To help me make sense of this, today I’m talking to Nel Bonilla. Publishing under this pen name on Substack, Nel is a young researcher working on her PhD and a prolific analyst online. She is in the process of publishing a 3-part series on the fundaments of the Western Power Projection System, arguing that the West, in fact, is not at all in retreat but currently reconstituting its fighting techniques. Part 1 of her series is called “Weaponizing Time: Elite Anxiety and the Fight for a Closing Window” and a second part to this called “Weaponizing Time: The Global Operating System of Western Power.” This is what we want to discuss today.Together, we delve into the deeply ingrained colonial mindset revealed in official NATO documents and explore the shift towards 'pervasive competition' and multi-domain warfare. We also touch on how global networks are being weaponized and the terrifying radicalization of a post-national elite.Links:Articles mentioned in video:Part 1: https://themindness.substack.com/p/we...Part 2: https://themindness.substack.com/p/we...Neutrality Studies Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@neutralitystudies

Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Goods Store: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth..