I am reminded of Mackinder's Heartland theory, which talks more from a purely geopolitical standpoint and also feels a bit outdated in the modern setting. That thread is a good read
I'm really liking Galeev's analysis. It's clear he's not interested in parroting anybody but would rather put his schooling to work. "Heartland Theory" looks like Eurocentrism at its finest. World Systems Theory, on the other hand (and I am not endorsing it) argues that capitalism cannot function if it respects borders so if you're studying capitalism you need to account for, but not disregard, borders. It is definitely a trade-centric view of the world but considering people like Zeihan can't think of any way to describe the world other than "biggest Navy wins" I'm willing to give them some rope.