#146 - Izabella Kaminska - The Soviet Collapse of Britain

Feb 6, 2026

Izabella Kaminska, journalist who analyzes finance and political economy, argues Britain shows signs of institutional hollowing and economic mimicry of late‑Soviet systems. She explores collapsing trust, fake economics, housing stress and possible state asset transfers. The conversation covers power beyond politics, China’s quota growth, and cultural decline in everyday life.

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INSIGHT

Middle-Class Getting Squeezed Fast

Middle-class liquidation is accelerating via job losses, housing stress and drawn-down savings.
Kaminska warns banks and stress tests may be masking household capital exhaustion.

INSIGHT

Quota Targets Mask Economic Failure

Quota-driven soft budgets create fake economic output and hide inefficiency.
Kaminska links this Soviet pattern to China’s quota-driven industries like EVs and solar.

ADVICE

Adapt By Taking Calculated Risks

Take risks and pursue entrepreneurship when formal jobs disappear.
Kaminska highlights Poland's entrepreneurial surge born from necessity during transition.

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Is Britain in the midst of a Soviet style collapse?

In this episode, I speak to journalist Isabella Kaminski about why today's Britain is starting to resemble the final years of the Soviet system. She describes what collapse feels like before it's obvious: fake economics, hollowed-out institutions, collapsing trust, and a population slowly realising that the systems meant to protect them no longer function.

We also discuss how inflation, debt, housing policy, bureaucratic expansion, and political incentives work, and why many voters now feel elections don't change direction, only the speed at which things deteriorate.

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TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 – Collapse Parallels 00:05:09 – Poland's Divergence 00:13:08 – Parallel Realities 00:20:07 – Middle Class Liquidation 00:25:00 – Fake Economies 00:32:11 – Safetyism Trap 00:39:14 – Power Above Politics 00:53:03 – Inflation Life Squeeze 01:12:34 – Industrial Realignment 01:32:51 – Signs of Collapse

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CONTACT PETE › Website – http://petermccormack.com › Feedback – https://www.petermccormack.com/contact › Email – me@petermccormack.com › Instagram – /mccormack555 › X/Twitter – https://x.com/petermccormack/

CONNECT WITH IZABELLA KAMINSKA › X/Twitter – https://x.com/izakaminska

SPONSORS › IREN - https://www.iren.com/ › Ledger - https://www.ledger.com/ › Gemini - https://gemini.com/

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LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE › Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40ruY9K › Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Wc94Vu › Fountain: https://bit.ly/FountainPM › YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube_PM › Rumble: https://bit.ly/RumblePM

FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ › https://x.com/curttayloruk/

EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04

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