
Geopolitics & Empire Zahra Sethna: Globalism 3.0, Digital Dragnet, & Living the Collapse Life
Feb 5, 2026
Zahra Sethna, host of Collapse Life and former UN communications staffer, shares her shift from idealism to skepticism of global institutions. She discusses biometric IDs, digital wallets, and coordinated surveillance creating a worldwide digital dragnet. She frames collapse as a slow erosion of institutions, explores technocratic trends, and talks about practical resilience and alternative media strategies.
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UN As An Industry Of Platitudes
- Zahra Sethna describes the UN as a politicized bureaucracy that often substitutes words for real solutions.
- Working inside revealed how messaging can obscure ineffective or harmful programs.
How Collapse Life Began
- Zahra and her husband launched Collapse Life in late 2023 to tell overlooked stories.
- They leveraged journalism skills and now publish interviews and written pieces regularly.
Digital Welfare Creates Leverage
- Zahra argues the UN and Bretton Woods institutions drive global digitalization and dependency.
- She warns digital welfare and IDs create leverage that forces compliance from vulnerable populations.

