Podcasts about Grand strategy

Joshua Rovner, Associate Professor in the School of International Service at American University and author of Strategy and Grand Strategy, joins the show to discuss the tension between pursuing military victory and securing a nation.       ▪️ Times     •      01:28 Introduction     •      01:35 MIT      •      05:03 Grand strategy              •      10:45 Peloponnesian War      •      18:05 Spartan strategy             •      22:34 Pericles                •      27:18 A terrible irony         •      32:43 Disastrous victory               •      41:35 British power     •      46:13 Atomic strategy Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

In mid-September, while many China watchers were focused on the Xiangshan Forum, the Chinese military's annual high-level security and defense convening in Beijing, another major annual meeting was being held by the Ministry of Public Security in the Chinese city of Lianyungang (2-2-3). The Lianyungang Forum dates to 2015 but was upgraded and renamed the Global Public Security Cooperation Forum in 2022 following Xi Jinping's launch of the Global Security Initiative. This year it was attended by 2,000 participants from 120 countries, regions and international organizations. The theme was “Shaping Global Public Security Together: United Action to Tackle Diverse Threats.”  As Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong made clear in his opening speech, China is advancing an alternative to the western-led security order. Dr. Sheena Chestnut Greitens is a leading expert on Beijing's push to reshape the global security order and promote China as a model and global security provider to developing countries. Sheena is an associate professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin where she directs UT's Asia Policy Program and serves as editor-in-chief of the Texas National Security Review. She is also a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment of International Peace, and a visiting associate professor of research in Indo-Pacific security at the China Landpower Studies Center of the U.S. Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute. Relevant to this episode's discussion, Sheena recently published a co-authored report for the Carnegie Endowment of International Peace Carnegie titled “A New World Cop.” Timestamps:  [00:00] Start [02:30] The Global Security Initiative and Xi Jinping's Grand Strategy [05:22] Outcomes of the Global Public Security Cooperation Forum  [08:50] What Do Participant Countries Gain?  [12:23] How Do Recipient Countries Use Chinese Technologies?  [16:12] Countries Rejecting China's Surveillance Technologies  [21:49] China's Rewriting of Global Norms [28:18] Potential Policy Responses to the GSI 

In Episode 442 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Kurt Campbell and Rush Doshi. Kurt is the chairman and co-founder of The Asia Group and served as the United States Deputy Secretary of State in the Joe Biden administration and as the Indo-Pacific Coordinator from 2021 to 2024. Rush also served under the previous administration in his capacity as the Deputy Senior Director for China and Taiwan Affairs on the National Security Council and is the author of the extremely influential book, “The Long Game: China's Grand Strategy to Displace American Order.” Kofinas, Doshi, and Campbell spend the first hour of their conversation discussing the nature of China's rise and the challenges it poses to American power, both in terms of its economic, technological, and military development and the scale at which it operates. They also explore the limitations of a ‘go-it-alone' approach to great power competition in this new century and the importance of achieving what Kurt and Rush call "allied scale"—the notion that America's decisive advantage comes from its network of alliances. This first hour also includes a series of historical deep dives ranging from the Cold War and the Anglo-German rivalry to America's own period of rapid industrial development beginning in the late 19th century, how American industrial capacity proved decisive in shaping the balance of power in the 20th, and the lessons that can be learned when applying this history to the Chinese economy today. The second hour is devoted to a conversation about what "allied scale" would look like in practice, the steps that would need to be taken in order to get us there, and the obstacles the United States and its historical allies face in implementing this approach. Demetri also asks Kurt and Rush whether the United States may be exaggerating the threat that China poses at the expense of more important domestic priorities, and the consequences to the stamina of America's alliances and the durability of international peace and security if it is. The three conclude the second hour with an important conversation about Taiwan, including military contingencies, the diplomacy of deterrence, the public support (or lack thereof) for any type of security commitments to Taipei, and whether the United States is even in a position to win a war in the Pacific. Subscribe to our premium content—including our premium feed, episode transcripts, and Intelligence Reports—by visiting HiddenForces.io/subscribe. If you'd like to join the conversation and become a member of the Hidden Forces Genius community—with benefits like Q&A calls with guests, exclusive research and analysis, in-person events, and dinners—you can also sign up on our subscriber page at HiddenForces.io/subscribe. If you enjoyed today's episode of Hidden Forces, please support the show by: Subscribing on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Stitcher, SoundCloud, CastBox, or via our RSS Feed Writing us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify Joining our mailing list at https://hiddenforces.io/newsletter/ Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou Subscribe and support the podcast at https://hiddenforces.io. Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @hiddenforcespod Follow Demetri on Twitter at @Kofinas Episode Recorded on 09/23/2025

In this episode of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, I speak with renowned foreign policy expert Vali Nasr about his book Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History. We examine the historical roots of Iran's political and strategic thinking, from the Persian Empire to the modern Islamic Republic, and explore how ideology, geopolitics, and domestic politics shape Iran's approach to the world. Nasr explains how Iran perceives the United States and its foreign policy, and how this perception informs Tehran's dealings with the U.S., its own diplomacy, and its long-term strategy. He also offers a reassessment of the 1953 Iranian coup d'état, arguing that while the U.S. supported it, the coup itself emerged organically from Iranian political dynamics. And yes, we will discuss the issue of Iran and its nuclear program, including what the strike against Fordow nuclear site entails for Iran.

What is wrong with higher education in America? According to many on the right, a lot. This week, Ross Douthat talks to May Mailman, the lawyer behind President Trump's battles with Harvard and Columbia, about the administration's assault on the Ivy League and why “a glorification of victimhood” is changing the relationship between universities and the federal government.02:51 - What is a “culture of victimhood”?07:38 - Mailman's political awakening11:44 - Social media and protest culture in the 2010s19:39 - The Trump administration's strategy against universities26:33 - The financial levers that could ensure compliance36:09 - Ideological diversity and free speech47:56 - How legal is all this?52:25 - Higher education in 2030Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat.A full transcript of this episode is also available on the Times website. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

0:30 - Kimmel "apology" 16:58 - Google Admits Censorship Under Biden 39:39 - Trump at the UN 58:50 - George Beebe, former CIA director of Russia analysis and now Director of Grand Strategy at the Quincy Institute, breaks down Trump’s UN speech and the message aimed at Putin. 01:16:36 - Andrew McCarthy, former Chief Asst. U.S. Attorney and National Review editor, weighs in on whether Trump has the legal authority for strikes on Venezuelan boats. Follow Andy on X @AndrewCMcCarthy 01:38:02 - Noted economist Stephen Moore applauds Trump for ripping into climate change hysteria in yesterday's UN speech. Get more Steve @StephenMoore 01:53:39 - Robert Royal, editor-in-chief of The Catholic Thing, calls Chicago archdiocese’s plan to award Senator Durbin an "absurdity" Robert will be the speaking at Aid for Women Dinner tomorrow night helpaidforwomen.org 02:11:05 - Nicole Wolter, president and CEO, HM Manufacturing, a power transmission components provider in Wauconda, shares her Big Beautiful Bill success story. For more on NIcole and HM Manufacturing hmmanufacturing.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For a quarter century, Washington policymakers made a strategic bet on India premised on the belief that shared values, shared interests, and a shared strategic convergence in Asia would bind these two countries together as ‘natural allies' in the twenty-first century. All of this optimistic talk came crashing down to Earth a few months ago with the Trump administration's decision to slap 25 percent tariffs on Indian exports. This was exacerbated by a second decision to add an additional 25 percent tariff on India for its import of Russia oil. Taken together, these policy measures plunged U.S.-India relations into their most significant crisis since the late 1990s and the era of U.S. sanctions on India in the wake of the latter's nuclear tests.How did we get here? Where are we now? And where might we be going? These are the questions Milan takes up on this week's show with guest Ashley J. Tellis. Tellis is the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and is well-known to Grand Tamasha listeners as one of the sanest, wisest voices on South Asia and U.S.-India relations, more specifically. Milan and Ashley discuss the policy of U.S. “strategic altruism” toward India, the ongoing trade negotiations between the United States and India, and Modi's recent visit to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in China. Plus, the two discuss the latest turn in U.S.-Pakistan relations and whether the thaw in China-India relations is sustainable. Episode notes:1. Robert D. Blackwill and Ashley J. Tellis, “The India Dividend: New Delhi Remains Washington's Best Hope in Asia,” Foreign Affairs 98, no. 5 (September/October 2019): 173-183.2. Ashley J. Tellis, “India's Great-Power Delusions: How New Delhi's Grand Strategy Thwarts Its Grand Ambitions,” Foreign Affairs 104, no. 4 (July/August 2025): 52-67.3. Lisa Curtis, Dhruva Jaishankar, Nirupama Rao, and Ashley J. Tellis, “What Kind of Great Power Will India Be? Debating New Delhi's Grand Strategy,” Foreign Affairs 104, no. 5 (September/October 2025): 186-195.4. Ashley J. Tellis, “America's Bad Bet on India: New Delhi Won't Side With Washington Against Beijing,” Foreign Affairs, May 1, 2023.5. Milan Vaishnav, “How India Can Placate America,” Foreign Affairs, July 16, 2025.6. “Trade Wars: Trump Targets India (with Sadanand Dhume and Tanvi Madan),” Grand Tamasha, August 12, 2025.7. “What Kind of Great Power Will India Become? (with Ashley J. Tellis),” Grand Tamasha, July 2, 2025.

Kelly talks with Emma Ashford about her new book, First Among Equals: U.S. Foreign Policy in a Multipolar World (Yale University Press, 2025), where she proposes a return to a more pragmatic, realist set of strategic principles, ones better suited for the emerging multipolar world, that would pursue narrower U.S. interests, cultivate the capabilities of friendly states, and emphasize room for maneuver over rigid alliances. Emma Ashford is a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, where she is part of the Reimagining U.S. Grand Strategy Program. She is also an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and a columnist at Foreign Policy.  Link to First Among Equals: U.S. Foreign Policy in a Multipolar World: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300279542/first-among-equals/ Link to New Visions of Grand Strategy: https://www.stimson.org/project/new-visions-for-grand-strategy/ The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on September 17, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

Stephen Walt, Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what a realist U.S. foreign policy would look like.   Mentioned on the Episode:   John Ikenberry, “A New U.S. Grand Strategy: The Case for Liberal Internationalism, With G. John Ikenberry," The President's Inbox   John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt, “The Case for Offshore Balancing: A Superior U.S. Grand Strategy,” Foreign Affairs   Barry Posen, Restraint: A New Foundation for U.S. Grand Strategy, Cornell University Press   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President's Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/new-us-grand-strategy-case-realist-foreign-policy-stephen-walt

As Russia's deadly attacks on Ukraine continue, the Black Sea has emerged as a focal point of Moscow's strategic ambitions. Dr Natalie Sabanadze of Chatham House explores why dominating this critical waterway has long been central to Russia's geopolitical goals—from trade and energy to military power projection—and why it poses a significant challenge for Europe and NATO.The World in 10 is the Times' daily podcast dedicated to global security. Expert analysis of war, diplomatic relations and cyber security from The Times' foreign correspondents and military specialists. Watch more: www.youtube.com/@ListenToTimesRadio Read more: www.thetimes.com Photo: Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

0:00 - Russiagate Reckoning 11:20 - DC 31:18 - Why Dan Proft is Single 49:09 - IL mental health screening 01:11:52 - George Beebe, former director of Russia analysis at the Central Intelligence Agency and a former staff advisor to Vice President Cheney on Russia, offers what he believes Putin will try to achieve at tomorrow's summit in Alaska. George is currently Director of Grand Strategy at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft - quincyinst.org 01:28:13 - Collin Anderson, executive editor for the Washington Free Beacon, on just how gerrymandered Chicago is—so gerrymandered its main airport parks planes in two different congressional districts. Follow Collin on X @CAndersonMO 01:47:15 - Rachel K. Paulose, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota (2006-2008), discusses possible charges if the Trump administration plans to jail the Russian hoax colluders. Follow Rachel on X @RachelKPaulose 02:07:37 - Founder & Principal Broker for HealthInsuranceMentors.com, C Steven Tucker, explains how a 15-minute trip to the emergency room can turn into a $70,000 bill. Follow Steven on X @HealthInsMentorSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Negar Mortazavi speaks with Vali Nasr, Professor and former dean at Johns Hopkins University, about Iran's grand strategy, the 12-day war with Israel, and Iran's long term foreign policy calculations.

Hezbollah says it will disregard a decision by Lebanon's government to task the army with establishing a state monopoly on arms. "We will treat this decision as if it does not exist," Hezbollah said in a statement, describing it as a "grave sin". The comments come despite mounting international pressure for the group to disarm. Hezbollah also said that the Lebanese cabinet's decision to try and confine arms supply and production to state forces was the result of American "diktats". KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with Lebanese-born Middle East expert Dr Edy Cohen from the Israel Centre for Grand Strategy think tank. (Photo: Reuters)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textTHIS IS SPARTA. Xenophon said that, even in his day, the rest of the Greeks thought Sparta's laws wholly strange: "all men praise such institutions, but no state chooses to imitate them." Foremost among these strange laws, of course, were the ones concerned with the rearing and education of children. And these laws, he said, were in their own turn developed not by imitating others, but came from the mind of a single great lawgiver: Lycurgus. It should come as no surprise, then, that the strict military training regime instituted by something of a philosopher-king held out its charms to the young men of Athens who surrounded Socrates. This had, in the case of Critias and the Thirty Tyrants, disastrous results. Jonathan and Ryan take a look at Xenophon, Plutarch, and other texts concerned with the appalling and enthralling institutions of ancient Lacadaemon.Henri-Irénée Marrou's A History of Education in Antiquity: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780299088149Previous New Humanists episode on Sparta: https://newhumanists.buzzsprout.com/1791279/episodes/17503634-sparta-before-the-reactionary-turn-episode-xciiXenophon's Constitution of the Spartans: https://cmuntz.hosted.uark.edu/texts/xenophon/constitution-of-the-spartans.htmlPlutarch's Instituta Laconica: https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Moralia/Instituta_Laconica*.htmlPaul Cartledge's Spartan Reflections: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780520231245Pericles' Funeral Oration (from Thucydides): https://hrlibrary.umn.edu/education/thucydides.htmlNew Humanists episode on Nietzsche's The Greek State: https://newhumanists.buzzsprout.com/1791279/episodes/14044549-compassion-versus-classical-antiquity-episode-lviiPlato's Republic: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780465094080New Humanists episode on Nietzsche's Homer's Contest: https://newhumanists.buzzsprout.com/1791279/episodes/13949908-nietzsche-homer-and-cruelty-episode-lviFragments of Critias: https://demonax.info/doku.php?id=text:critias_of_athens_fragmentsPaul Rahe's The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780300227093Paul Rahe's Was There a Spartan Mirage?: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/2016/10/06/was-there-a-spartan-mirage/New Humanists is brought to you by the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/Links may have referral codes, which earn us a commission at no additional cost to you. We encourage you, when possible, to use Bookshop.org for your book purchases, an online bookstore which supports local bookstores.Music: Save Us Now by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

Iran has for decades been one of the most significant—and tricky—foreign policy challenges facing America and the West. Unfortunately, most people do not know much about the country's true goals. Join us as Vali Nasr examines Iran's political history to explain the actions and ambitions of the country's leaders. He says behind the veneer of theocracy and Islamic ideology, modern Iran pursues a grand strategy with the twin goals of internal security and international activism. Nasr, author of Iran's Grand Strategy, draws on memoirs, oral histories, and original in-depth interviews with leading Iranians to uncover facts and events that have been previously overlooked. He examines the impact of its war with Iraq, the subsequent American actions against Iran and its invasion of Iraq in 2003, and ensuing events. He says these events have shaped the outlook in Tehran, creating a pervasive fear of the United States and its ambitions for the Middle East. Want to understand Iran and how best to engage with it? Don't miss this program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 336: Evangelism: Old School Advice for a Modern World   George Hunter's "Grand Strategy" (1979) suggests: 1. Those who visit your church 2. Those who desire membership in your church 3. Those who have recently lost faith  4. Those among whom churches or religious movements are growing 5. Those of the same homogeneous unit as your membership 6. Those with conscious needs your ministry can address 7. Those who are in transition

On this edition of Parallax Views, George Beebe — Director of Grand Strategy at the Quincy Institute, former director of the CIA's Russia analysis, and a former  staff advisor on Russia matters to Vice President Dick Cheney — about the shifting architecture of global power and its impact on U.S. foreign policy. We begin by unpacking the rise of multipolarity: what it really means for America, why it could encourage balance and restraint, and why it also carries serious risks of miscalculation and instability. From there, we turn to the surprising recent signs of frustration between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, and what that might portend for the grinding, entrenched nature of the Russia-Ukraine war. We explore potential pathways to negotiation, asking what concessions would be unacceptable for either side — and what a settlement might look like from a realist perspective. Throughout, Beebe draws on his background in the realist school to argue for understanding geopolitical interests without morally excusing aggression. It's a conversation that moves beyond daily headlines to consider how shifting power dynamics, great-power rivalry, and hard strategic choices could shape the next phase of the war — and the world order that follows.

Reflections on the art of hedging in an age of uncertainty

In this episode of Middle East Focus, hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj are joined by MEI Senior Fellow Gönül Tol to discuss how shifting regional dynamics — from the Israel-Iran war to renewed violence in southern Syria — are reshaping Turkey's foreign policy and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's domestic agenda. They unpack Ankara's ties with the US under the Trump administration, its strained relations with Israel, the implications of Turkey's peace process with the PKK, and Erdoğan's bid to maintain his hold on power. The conversation also explores how Turkey is positioning itself as Western engagement grows more uncertain and what this means for the future of democracy in the country. Listen to Gönül's podcast Rethinking Democracy, where she explores threats to democracy at home and abroad — and how to counter them — at the link below:  https://www.mei.edu/podcast/rethinking-democracy  

EI's Paul Lay joins historian Andrew Lambert to discuss his book ‘No More Napoleons: How Britain Managed Europe from Waterloo to World War One', Lambert's provocative new study of how Britain maximised its naval and diplomatic prestige to maintain a stable, post-Napoleonic Europe. Image: 'A squadron of the Royal Navy running down the Channel' by Samuel Atkins (c. 1760-1810). Credit: Pictorial Press Ltd

A Global Summit lecture.

On 13 June of this year, one month ago, Israeli forces launched aerial and drone attacks on Iran thus beginning what is now called the Twelve Day War or the Iran-Israel War. The coverage here in the West has focussed on whether the bombing has been successful, but is there a strategic goal in place that takes into account Iran's strategy? Perhaps, but my guest today is Vali Nasr who has written a new book, Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History, which is both timely, and unusual in that it seeks to examine Iran's Islamic regime from its own point of view, and so not through our Western lens. We discuss the events that have moulded the Iran at loggerheads with Israel and the US today. Vali Nasr Links Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History Vali Nasr - Wikipedia Aspects of History Links Latest Issue out - Annual Subscription to Aspects of History Magazine only $9.99/£9.99 Ollie on X Aspects of History on Instagram Get in touch: history@aspectsofhistory.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Watch the full episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4vQiQmqq38Ymia0LYZiAzs?si=qkL_PYGkTvSYzVz98wZTNw➡️ Sign up to my free geopolitics newsletter: https://stationzero.substack.com/Sarah Paine discussess what is actually China's Grand Strategy - and what it means for the rest of the world.

Moncrieff is joined by Vali Nasr, author of Iran's Grand Strategy – A Political History, to discuss Iran's long-term geopolitical ambitions, its regional influence, and how recent global shifts, from war to ceasefire, are playing into Tehran's strategy.Listen here

➡️ Join the community of geopolitics enthusiasts and gain access to exclusive content on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingGeopolitics➡️ Sign up to my free geopolitics newsletter: https://stationzero.substack.com/Thank you Conducttr for sponsoring the podcast. Take a look at Conducttr's services and its crisis exercise software at: https://www.conducttr.comThis is a second part of the conversation with Sarah Paine, a professor of History and Grand Strategy at the U.S. Naval War College. You can find the first part on Youtube and other podcasting platforms.

Iran presents one of the most significant foreign policy challenges for America and the West, yet very little is known about what the country's goals really are. Vali Nasr examines Iran's political history in new ways to explain its actions and ambitions on the world stage, showing how, behind the veneer of theocracy and Islamic ideology, today's Iran is pursuing a grand strategy aimed at securing the country internally and asserting its place in the region and the world.Drawing on memoirs, oral histories, and original in-depth interviews with Iranian decision makers, Nasr brings to light facts and events in Iran's political history that have been overlooked until now. He traces the roots of Iran's strategic outlook to its experiences over the past four decades of war with Iraq in the 1980s and the subsequent American containment of Iran, invasion of Iraq in 2003, and posture toward Iran thereafter. Nasr reveals how these experiences have shaped a geopolitical outlook driven by pervasive fear of America and its plans for the Middle East.Challenging the notion that Iran's foreign policy simply reflects its revolutionary values or theocratic government, Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History (Princeton UP, 2025) provides invaluable new insights into what Iran wants and why, explaining the country's resistance to the United States, its nuclear ambitions, and its pursuit of influence and proxies across the Middle East. Vali Nasr is the Majid Khadduri Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He served as the eighth Dean of Johns Hopkins SAIS between 2012 and 2019  and served as Senior Advisor to U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke between 2009 and 2011. He has written a number of books on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. He has advised senior American policymakers, world leaders, and businesses, including the President, Secretary of State, senior members of the Congress, and presidential campaigns. He has written for New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, among others. Professor Nasr serves as the co-director of the SAIS Rethinking Iran Initiative at Johns Hopkins University, sits on the board of a number of academic institutions, has won a number of prominent grants, and holds a chair named after Henry Kissinger at the library of Congress. Sidney Michelini is a post-doctoral researcher working on Ecology, Climate, and Violence at the Peace Research Institute of Frankfurt (PRIF). Book recommendations: The World After Gaza by Pankaj Mishra The Great Transformation: China's Road from Revolution to Reform by Odd Arne Westad and Chen Jian Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Iran presents one of the most significant foreign policy challenges for America and the West, yet very little is known about what the country's goals really are. Vali Nasr examines Iran's political history in new ways to explain its actions and ambitions on the world stage, showing how, behind the veneer of theocracy and Islamic ideology, today's Iran is pursuing a grand strategy aimed at securing the country internally and asserting its place in the region and the world.Drawing on memoirs, oral histories, and original in-depth interviews with Iranian decision makers, Nasr brings to light facts and events in Iran's political history that have been overlooked until now. He traces the roots of Iran's strategic outlook to its experiences over the past four decades of war with Iraq in the 1980s and the subsequent American containment of Iran, invasion of Iraq in 2003, and posture toward Iran thereafter. Nasr reveals how these experiences have shaped a geopolitical outlook driven by pervasive fear of America and its plans for the Middle East.Challenging the notion that Iran's foreign policy simply reflects its revolutionary values or theocratic government, Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History (Princeton UP, 2025) provides invaluable new insights into what Iran wants and why, explaining the country's resistance to the United States, its nuclear ambitions, and its pursuit of influence and proxies across the Middle East. Vali Nasr is the Majid Khadduri Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He served as the eighth Dean of Johns Hopkins SAIS between 2012 and 2019  and served as Senior Advisor to U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke between 2009 and 2011. He has written a number of books on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. He has advised senior American policymakers, world leaders, and businesses, including the President, Secretary of State, senior members of the Congress, and presidential campaigns. He has written for New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, among others. Professor Nasr serves as the co-director of the SAIS Rethinking Iran Initiative at Johns Hopkins University, sits on the board of a number of academic institutions, has won a number of prominent grants, and holds a chair named after Henry Kissinger at the library of Congress. Sidney Michelini is a post-doctoral researcher working on Ecology, Climate, and Violence at the Peace Research Institute of Frankfurt (PRIF). Book recommendations: The World After Gaza by Pankaj Mishra The Great Transformation: China's Road from Revolution to Reform by Odd Arne Westad and Chen Jian Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Iran presents one of the most significant foreign policy challenges for America and the West, yet very little is known about what the country's goals really are. Vali Nasr examines Iran's political history in new ways to explain its actions and ambitions on the world stage, showing how, behind the veneer of theocracy and Islamic ideology, today's Iran is pursuing a grand strategy aimed at securing the country internally and asserting its place in the region and the world.Drawing on memoirs, oral histories, and original in-depth interviews with Iranian decision makers, Nasr brings to light facts and events in Iran's political history that have been overlooked until now. He traces the roots of Iran's strategic outlook to its experiences over the past four decades of war with Iraq in the 1980s and the subsequent American containment of Iran, invasion of Iraq in 2003, and posture toward Iran thereafter. Nasr reveals how these experiences have shaped a geopolitical outlook driven by pervasive fear of America and its plans for the Middle East.Challenging the notion that Iran's foreign policy simply reflects its revolutionary values or theocratic government, Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History (Princeton UP, 2025) provides invaluable new insights into what Iran wants and why, explaining the country's resistance to the United States, its nuclear ambitions, and its pursuit of influence and proxies across the Middle East. Vali Nasr is the Majid Khadduri Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He served as the eighth Dean of Johns Hopkins SAIS between 2012 and 2019  and served as Senior Advisor to U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke between 2009 and 2011. He has written a number of books on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. He has advised senior American policymakers, world leaders, and businesses, including the President, Secretary of State, senior members of the Congress, and presidential campaigns. He has written for New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, among others. Professor Nasr serves as the co-director of the SAIS Rethinking Iran Initiative at Johns Hopkins University, sits on the board of a number of academic institutions, has won a number of prominent grants, and holds a chair named after Henry Kissinger at the library of Congress. Sidney Michelini is a post-doctoral researcher working on Ecology, Climate, and Violence at the Peace Research Institute of Frankfurt (PRIF). Book recommendations: The World After Gaza by Pankaj Mishra The Great Transformation: China's Road from Revolution to Reform by Odd Arne Westad and Chen Jian Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

Iran presents one of the most significant foreign policy challenges for America and the West, yet very little is known about what the country's goals really are. Vali Nasr examines Iran's political history in new ways to explain its actions and ambitions on the world stage, showing how, behind the veneer of theocracy and Islamic ideology, today's Iran is pursuing a grand strategy aimed at securing the country internally and asserting its place in the region and the world.Drawing on memoirs, oral histories, and original in-depth interviews with Iranian decision makers, Nasr brings to light facts and events in Iran's political history that have been overlooked until now. He traces the roots of Iran's strategic outlook to its experiences over the past four decades of war with Iraq in the 1980s and the subsequent American containment of Iran, invasion of Iraq in 2003, and posture toward Iran thereafter. Nasr reveals how these experiences have shaped a geopolitical outlook driven by pervasive fear of America and its plans for the Middle East.Challenging the notion that Iran's foreign policy simply reflects its revolutionary values or theocratic government, Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History (Princeton UP, 2025) provides invaluable new insights into what Iran wants and why, explaining the country's resistance to the United States, its nuclear ambitions, and its pursuit of influence and proxies across the Middle East. Vali Nasr is the Majid Khadduri Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He served as the eighth Dean of Johns Hopkins SAIS between 2012 and 2019  and served as Senior Advisor to U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke between 2009 and 2011. He has written a number of books on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. He has advised senior American policymakers, world leaders, and businesses, including the President, Secretary of State, senior members of the Congress, and presidential campaigns. He has written for New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, among others. Professor Nasr serves as the co-director of the SAIS Rethinking Iran Initiative at Johns Hopkins University, sits on the board of a number of academic institutions, has won a number of prominent grants, and holds a chair named after Henry Kissinger at the library of Congress. Sidney Michelini is a post-doctoral researcher working on Ecology, Climate, and Violence at the Peace Research Institute of Frankfurt (PRIF). Book recommendations: The World After Gaza by Pankaj Mishra The Great Transformation: China's Road from Revolution to Reform by Odd Arne Westad and Chen Jian Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity

Sarang Shidore, director of the Global South Program at the Quincy Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss whether a return to great power spheres of influence is practical in the twenty-first century.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Sarang Shidore, “Spheres of Influence Are Not the Answer,” Foreign Policy   Sarang Shidore, “The Quiet Development Shaking America's Power,” New York Times   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President's Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/new-us-grand-strategy-return-spheres-influence-sarang-shidore

Stortingspolitiker for Venstre, Grunde Almeland, elsker strategispill. Han elsker dem så mye at han tidligere har laget en Sjangershow-episode om Grand Strategy-sjangeren! Så hvem er bedre til å lære meg enda mer om spillet jeg forsøker så godt jeg kan å ta på alvor denne våren? Ingen! Spenn deg fast, for her kommer en innføring i det kliss nye Civilization VII, som i følge Grunde ikke er skikkelig bra før om... Kanskje to år. God helg! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 51 of Tahrir Podcast, Professor Vali Nasr joined to discuss his new book, Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History (Princeton University Press, 2025).Drawing on decades of internal debates, foreign policy shifts, and national security doctrine, the book unpacks how the Islamic Republic has navigated threats and opportunities since 1979 — from the trauma of the Iran-Iraq War to proxy networks, backchannel diplomacy, and a complex posture toward the U.S. and its allies. In this episode, we explore the development of Iran's strategic worldview, the balance between vigilance and pragmatism, and the high-stakes regional escalations that now test the durability of its doctrine.Vali Nasr is the Majid Khadduri Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), where he served as Dean from 2012 to 2019. He is also a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the South Asia Center of the Atlantic Council. From 2009 to 2011, he served as Senior Adviser to the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. He has advised senior American policymakers, world leaders, and businesses, including the President, Secretary of State, senior members of Congress, and presidential campaigns.Episode on YouTube: Streaming everywhere! ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/TahrirPodcast⁠⁠Reach out! TahrirPodcast@gmail.comSupport us on Patreon for as low as $2 per month ($20 per year)! ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/TahrirPodcast

We all have an opinion about charismatic leaders — but do we really know what “charisma” means? Molly Worthen, in her new book Spellbound: How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Donald Trump, points out that charismatic leaders historically haven't always been distinguished for their charm or compelling oratory. Rather, charismatic leaders are those who enter into a mutual exchange with their followers, in which the leader “draws back the veil on an alternative world in which followers find that they have secret knowledge, supernatural promise, and special status as heroes.” Worthen, who is a professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is also a renowned writer on religion for the New York Times and other media outlets, further observes that charismatic leaders and their followers blur the line between politics and religion: “Even in contexts that seem to have nothing to do with religion, charisma describes something like a liturgical act, a drama performed together, in which the parties join to consecrate a new reality that all, for their own reasons, prefer to the old one.”Worthen distinguishes between five types of charismatic leaders who have appeared across the centuries of American history: Prophets, Conquerors, Agitators, Experts, and Gurus. Some were builders, who created new institutions and left enduring legacies; others were destroyers, who dismantled structures that stood in the way of the path they promised their followers would lead to salvation. Donald Trump, in Worthen's typology, is a Guru, one who channels the deeply rooted myth of the hero-entrepreneur, and who offers his followers the opportunity to take part in a story of America's return to greatness. “Trump was not, personally, a paragon of conventional religious devotion,” Worthen notes. “Yet his political career depended on a hunger among his most dedicated supporters that can only be called spiritual.”In this podcast discussion, Worthen discusses not only her studies of charismatic leaders but also her previous work on religious belief, the Grand Strategy program at Yale, and her own conversion to evangelical Christianity.  

Minneapolis father on laptop given to his kid with images of men having sex 12:53- Tim Tebow on child predators 28:21- Human Chain for Abrego Garcia in DuPage 31:13- Baristas on the picket line over their flair 49:32- Trump in Doha to Emir Al Thani: we appreciate those camels 56:50- Campus Beat 1:05:38- Dems/media: covering for Biden 1:26:23- George Beebe, former director of Russia analysis at the Central Intelligence Agency - now Director of Grand Strategy at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, is optimistic a Russia/Ukraine ceasefire could happen soon 1:41:18- Associate Professor of Political Science at Kentucky State University, Wilfred Reilly, explains why democrats aren't welcoming to Afrikaners Check out Professor Reilly’s most recent book Lies My Liberal Teacher Told Me: Debunking the False Narratives Defining America’s School Curricula 2:03:45- CEO/Founder of Liberty Cigars, John Adams, describes the cigars he will be supplying for next week's Cigar Nights For more on Liberty Cigars visit libertycigars.com Join Larry Elder, Dan & Shaun on two consecutive nights — Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at Goebbert's Farm in Pingree Grove, Illinois, and Thursday, May 22, 2025 at Gaelic Park in Oak Forest, Illinois — as they light up some cigars together and discuss the the successes and challenges of Trump's first 100 days in office. It will be an unforgettable night of lively conversation and fine cigars with several hundred like-minded friends. 560theanswer.com/cigarSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The directive given to our Green Berets is to win by All Means Available. To do so, requires a combination of ingenuity, understanding the environment, a clear plan and precision execution. Mike Vickers built a career on winning America's shadow wars by All Means Available. Mike started his career as both a non-commissioned and commissioned officer Green Beret before becoming a Paramilitary Operations Officer at the Central Intelligence Agency. Mike later served as the Undersecretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, as well as the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, where he served as the lead Intelligence official at the Pentagon. Secretary Vickers joined Fran Racioppi to chronicle his new book By All Means Available, Memoirs Of A Life in Intelligence, Special Operations and Strategy. He has been a part of almost every American known and unknown conflict for the past 50 years; including leading the defeat of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.We defined how America collects and uses intelligence in both national security and diplomacy. We discussed America's will to win large conflicts, when we've gotten it right and why we get it wrong. And we went deep on the real enemy facing America today.Mike sees the United States in a New Cold War that will challenge the nation like never before. He shares the reasons why America got here, and most importantly his Grand Strategy to rebuild a culture of winning global conflict to solidify America's position as the dominant world power for decades to come. Highlights0:00 Introduction6:29 Definition and Significance of Intelligence8:00 DoD intelligence use10:59 Joining the Army15:45 By all means necessary21:12 Politics in War judgement28:11 China & Russia38:00 Defining American power42:28 Nuclear Weapons in Iran & North Korea46:06 Mobilization of American troops48:48 Pakistan49:38 Media on disunity50:56 The arms race against China54:20 Covert action56:34 Denial of Service59:48 Regional and Global Deterrence1:03:07 Transforming out alliances1:10:49 The Next Threat1:14:03 SOF integration1:18:15 America's overconfidence1:20:51 10 Principles1:30:06 Daily HabitsQuotes“We are in dynamic times. We are in polarizing times.”“It's not just military and economic intelligence, it's economic, scientific, and technical intelligence that can make a big difference.”“It became the largest covert action program in CIA history.” “Drive them out by all means available.”“How are we going to win?”“Ammunition is what really sustains operational tempo.”“When America goes to war, we're going to bring everything and we are going to win.”“The more you put in it, the more you better win, and win quickly.”“America is arguably challenged right now, like never before.”“Once the sleeping giant wakes up, look out, they are going to lose.”“Strength is Power.”“There's economic, military, intelligence, political strength, the power of your ideals, and so you try to aggregate that.”"We will win the new Cold War.”“When you think your biggest enemy is another American or group of Americans something's wrong.”“Covert action is taking diplomacy operations, paramilitary operations, sabotage and others and just having it be done under title 50.”“Cyber is this unique weapon that it's used for espionage. It's a very powerful collection tool.”“You need survivable forward presence.”“I think the greatest threat is the combination of China and Russia and perhaps adding in Iran and North Korea.”Watch, listen or read our conversation from the Association of the United States Army as Secretary Vickers shares his leadership lessons learned through covert action; and don't miss the rest of our AUSA series.The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs. Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media.

The Conflicted Community is back to talk about the headlines we can't seem to escape -  Donald Trump and his tearing up of the economic world order.  This episode, Thomas sits down with Giri Rajendran, the holder of no fewer than 3 degrees in economics and finance from the London School of Economics. Giri has worked as an economist in transatlantic defence before moving to work in finance, first in private wealth management and then on to asset management, most recently at BlackRock, the largest asset manager in the world. In part one of this two-part interview, Thomas and Giri discuss Trump's Grand Strategy - a potentially oxymoronic term, but bear with us here. Listen as the two discuss the long term goals of Trump's economic strategy, America's place in the new world order he is establishing, and, most importantly, whether it can really be successful. To listen to the full episode, you'll need to subscribe to the Conflicted Community. Don't forget, subscribers can also join our Conflicted Community chatroom, where you can interact with the fellow dearest listenters, discuss episodes past and future, get exclusive messages from Thomas and Aimen, ask future Q&A questions and so much more.  All information you need to sign up is on the link: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/ Conflicted is proudly made by Message Heard, a full-stack podcast production agency which uses its extensive expertise to make its own shows such as Conflicted, shows for commissioners such as the BBC, Spotify and Al Jazeera, and powerfully effective podcasts for other companies too. If you'd like to find out how we can help get your organisation's message heard, visit messageheard.com or drop an email to hello@messageheard.com! Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MHconflicted  And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eric and Eliot welcome former Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Rush Doshi, Assistant Professor of Security Studies at Georgetown University's school of Foreign Service and author of The Long Game: China's Grand Strategy to Displace American Order, to discuss their article in the current issue of Foreign Affairs, "Underestimating China: Why America Needs a New Strategy of Allied Scale to Offset Beijing's Enduring Advantages." They discuss China's massive advantages of scale in the strategic competition with the United States and the metrics that can be used to measure it including manufacturing capacity, not only in traditional industries but also in areas like biotechnology and aviation where the U.S. used to have the lead. They note how this translates into military production of ships, ballistic missiles, and drones. While acknowledging ongoing Chinese demographic, economic and environmental problems and continuing U.S. advantages they call for right-setting U.S. understanding of China rather than swinging from defeatism to triumphalism and back again. They examine the prospects for a U.S. led alliance to offset China's scale advantages but argue that it will require a new kind of alliance management by Washington policymakers that they call "capacity-centric statecraft." They also touch on the prospects of conflict over Taiwan in the next 5 years and whether it will take the form of a cross channel invasion or a blockade.

On today's episode, Van Jackson, Professor of International Relations at Victoria University of Wellington, and Michael Brenes, Associate Director of the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy and Lecturer in History at Yale University, join Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien to talk about their new book, “The Rivalry Peril: How Great-Power Competition Threatens Peace and Weakens Democracy,” in which they make the case for the United States to take a less aggressive approach to China. They discussed the pitfalls of great power competition, the origins of the China threat, and why a destructive U.S.-China rivalry is our choice, rather than our destiny.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.