Podcasts about international affairs

This week, after more than a hundred days of fighting, the United States and Iran have reached a preliminary agreement to end the war, set to be signed in Geneva this Friday. This deal is meant to end the fighting, open the Strait of Hormuz and as U.S. President Donald Trump put it, “let the oil flow”.Iran's top military command has framed the deal as a defeat for the US and Israel.To talk about the peace deal and how Iran will emerge from this war, we're joined again by Vali Nasr, Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies at the John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and the author of ‘Iran's Grand Strategy: A political history.'For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

What is happening in competition enforcement in Austria and Switzerland? Lukas Cavada, Executive Director for International Affairs at Austria's Federal Competition Authority (BWB), joins Anora Wang to discuss the BWB's most significant accomplishments over the past year, key competition enforcement developments in Austria, and the evolving challenges facing competition authorities in an increasingly global marketplace. Next, Dr. Laura Melusine Baudenbacher, President of the Swiss Competition Commission (ComCo), speaks with Anora Wang on ComCo's unique structure, key recent legal changes and enforcement accomplishments, focus on labor markets, and more. Join us for a look at how Austria and Switzerland are steering competition enforcement, the key developments to watch in 2026, and what these shifts mean for businesses and practitioners. With special guests: Lukas Cavada, Executive Director for International Affairs, BWB (Austrian Federal Competition Authority) and Dr. Laura Melusine Baudenbacher, President, ComCo (Swiss Competition Commission) Related Links: BWB (Austrian Federal Competition Authority) ComCo (Swiss Competition Commission) Hosted by: Anora Wang, Arnold & Porter

Chapter 1 - Paul Hofmann, Ph.D., Associate Provost for International Affairs at the University of Louisville and Society for American Baseball Research member, joins us this week to discuss Charlie Ferguson, a forgotten 19th Century baseball star. Ferguson played four seasons in his early 20s with the Philadelphia Quakers (now, Phillies) in the National League and by 1887, Ferguson's final season, he emerged as a rising two-way star, excelling both at the plate (.337 average) and on the mound (99 wins over 4 seasons). Ferguson died from typhoid fever in April 1888 after a month-long battle with the illness. He had turned 25 years old just two weeks prior. Ferguson was regarded at the time and for many years after as one of the greatest players in baseball history.Chapter 2 - Another gambling scandal, only not in professional baseball."Charlie Ferguson," by Paul Hofmann, at https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Charlie-Ferguson/ (accessed June 9, 2026).Consider supporting Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including those featured in this episode (if available), through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns.Hooks & Runs - https://hooksandruns.buzzsprout.comEmail: hooksandruns@protonmail.comCraig on Bluesky (@craigest.bsky.social)Rex (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/Hosts Emeriti:Andrew Eckhoff on TikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@hofffestEric on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic/Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)   www.premiumbeat.com/artist/ikoliksThis podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2026.

The Mercantilist Restoration - https://anthonyfatseas.substack.com/p/the-mercantilist-restoration-how?r=1ni7opInterview recorded - 10th of June, 2026On this episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of welcoming back Professor Richard Wolff. Richard Wolff is Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and has been described as probably America's most prominent Marxist economist. He is the host of Economic Update and the author of Capitalism Hits the Fan. During our conversation we spoke about the current situation in the economy and geopolitics, the uncertainty in the economy, BRICS enemies of the West, the end of the US hegemony and more. I hope you enjoy!0:00 - Introduction3:37 - Current thoughts on economy and geopolitics8:51 - Geopolitical uncertainty linked to economy?15:42 - Iran conflict resolved?22:27 - BRICS enemies of the West33:56 - US hegemony42:03 - One message to takeaway?Richard D. Wolff is Professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he taught economics from 1973 to 2008. He is currently a Visiting Professor in the Graduate Program in International Affairs of the New School University, New York City.Earlier he taught economics at Yale University (1967-1969) and at the City College of the City University of New York (1969-1973). In 1994, he was a Visiting Professor of Economics at the University of Paris (France), I (Sorbonne). Wolff was also regular lecturer at the Brecht Forum in New York City.Prof Wolff is the co-founder of Democracy at Work and host of their nationally syndicated show Economic Update. Professor Richard Wolff:Democracy at work: https://www.democracyatwork.info/Website: https://www.rdwolff.com/X: https://x.com/profwolffYouTube: @RichardDWolff WTFinance -Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wtfinancee/Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfniTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

In this episode, panelists discuss what American democracy has and hasn't delivered on equality, access, and opportunity, and whether that internal reckoning is now inseparable from the country's standing and credibility as a world leader.   Host: Meena Bose, Executive Dean, Public Policy and Public Service Programs and Director, Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs, Hofstra University; CFR Member    Guests: Jamelle Bouie, Opinion Columnist, New York Times    Jane Kamensky, President and Chief Executive Officer, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello; Jonathan Trumbull Professor of American History Emerita, Harvard University    Elizabeth Rule, Assistant Professor of Critical Race, Gender, and Culture Studies, American University; Author, Indigenous DC: Native Peoples and the Nation's Capital   Introductory Remarks: Michael Froman, President, Council on Foreign Relations; CFR Member    Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR's Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: America at 250: Democracy, Belonging, and Power

Max and Maria sit down with Dr. Nina Khrushcheva, Professor of International Affairs at the New School and one of the world's leading experts on Russia, to discuss her new Russian‑language book Nikita Khrushchev: Vozhd vne sistemy (“Nikita Khrushchev: An Outlier of the System”) and her experience as one of the few scholars still traveling to and from Russia. As Nikita Khrushchev's great‑granddaughter and adoptive granddaughter, she offers a rare, personal view of how Russian culture, politics, and society are evolving. Mentioned:  No Exit from Stalin | by Nina L. Khrushcheva in Project Syndicate (April 2026)  Russia's Descent Into Tyranny: How Four Years of War Have Remade Society | by Nina L. Khrushcheva in Foreign Affairs (Dec. 2025)  Nikita Khrushchev: Vozhd vne sistemy (Nikita Khrushchev: An Outlier of the System) | Book by Nina L. Khrushcheva  Feedback? Suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org.  If you love Russian Roulette, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts.   Listen to our sister podcast, covering all things Europe through a Washington lens: CSIS Podcasts | The Eurofile 

Can national security be fully understood through hard power alone? Is it time for Australia to have a broader national security strategy – one that goes beyond defence and brings in federal, state and community perspectives? How can women's experiences be integrated into a more traditional understanding of national security? In this episode, Sharryn Parker speaks with Professor Valerie Hudson and Dr Elise Stephenson about realism, power and the perspectives often missing from traditional security debates.Professor Valerie Hudson is Professor and George H.W. Bush Chair in the Department of International Affairs of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.Dr Elise Stephenson is the Deputy Director of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership, Australian National University.Sharryn Parker is a Senior Policy Advisor at the ANU National Security College (NSC), on secondment from the Department of Defence. TRANSCRIPTShow notes · NSC academic programs – find out more · Whither Women and Peace and Security?· Gender and National Security· Community Consultations Findings ReportWe'd love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on future episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on Uncommon Sense, we're discussing the tragic state of the modern world.From the protests in Ireland to growing frustration across Western nations, many people feel as though their voices are no longer being heard by the institutions that claim to represent them. I'll share why I support the right of people to protest and why I believe the demonstrations in Ireland have resonated with so many people around the world.We'll also discuss what I see as a deeper spiritual crisis affecting modern society. Many of the political, cultural, and social problems we face today are symptoms of a broader moral and spiritual decline, one that cannot be solved through politics alone.In this episode:My thoughts on the protests in IrelandWhy so many citizens now feel disconnected from their governmentsThe growing divide between ordinary people and powerful institutionsThe role of faith, morality, and personal responsibility in rebuilding societyWhy I believe many of today's crises point to a deeper spiritual battleWhether you agree or disagree, this episode is an invitation to think critically about the direction of our culture, our governments, and our future.--https://www.youversion.com/bible-app

In April 2026, the world was shocked by when Péter Magyar handily defeated long-time Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán. In this episode, LCHP Assistant Director Rose Campbell speaks with legal scholar Kim Lane Scheppele about this unexpected upset after sixteen years of Orbán's autocratic regime, and what it reveals about the rise and fall of modern authoritarian regimes. Drawing on decades of research in Hungary and Eastern Europe, Scheppele explains how leaders such as Orbán, Vladimir Putin, and Donald Trump, among others, have used legal and constitutional mechanisms to consolidate power, weaken democratic institutions, and entrench their rule while maintaining a façade of legality. Orbán's tactics have been widely used by aspiring autocrats around the world, and his defeat throws the political future of these regimes into uncertainty.The conversation explores how corruption, economic stagnation, independent media, and grassroots organizing ultimately contributed to Orbán's downfall and the rise of Péter Magyar, whose campaign successfully united opposition forces and mobilized voters across Hungary. While not a progressive himself, Magyar's policies nevertheless are more centrist than Orbán's more hardline right-wing policies. Winning the election, however, is just the beginning. As Scheppele argues, elections can remove autocrats from office seemingly against all odds, but rebuilding democratic institutions can be a years-long challenge.  Kim Lane Scheppele is the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs in the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. She is also a faculty fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She studies the sociology of law and specializes in ethnographic and archival research on courts and public institutions. She has published over thirty articles (find them here) and her book, Legal Secrets, won Special Recognition in the Distinguished Scholarly Publication competition of the American Sociological Association as well as the Corwin Prize of the American Political Science Association. 

Tigran Grigoryan, director of the Center for Democracy and Security, a Yerevan-based think tank, argues that the road ahead for Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is fraught with risk. Pashinyan won by a wide margin in the June 7 election, but failed to clinch the super majority needed to push through peace with Turkey and Azerbaijan. Economic pressure from Russia is adding to his woes. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, David Bashevkin responds to listeners' feedback and comments, in conversation with Denah Emerson.In this episode we discuss:—Should every Jew be Orthodox?—Is the gap year in Israel “just a business”?—How does one develop their own Jewish identity at a phase in life when it's no longer mediated by institutions?Tune in to hear what the 18Forty community has been thinking about regarding the conversations we've shared.Voicemails begin at 9:40.David Bashevkin is the founder and host of 18Forty. He is also the Clinical Assistant Professor of Jewish Values at Yeshiva University's Sy Syms School of Business. He completed rabbinic ordination at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, a master's degree at the Bernard Revel Graduate School, and his doctorate in Public Policy and Management at The New School's Milano School of International Affairs. He has published four books, including Sin·a·gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought and a Hebrew work, B'Rogez Rachem Tizkor (trans. In Anger, Remember Mercy).References: 18Forty Podcast: “Michael Eisenberg: Iran, USA, Israel: What Comes Next”Genesis 15 18Forty Podcast: “Michael Olshin: Reimagining the Gap Year in Israel”18Forty Podcast: “Diana Fersko: An Orthodox Rabbi Interviews a Reform Rabbi”18Forty Podcast: “Dovid Bashevkin: A Reform Rabbi Interviews an Orthodox Rabbi”How Judaism Became a Religion: An Introduction to Modern Jewish Thought by Leora Batnitzky“The Future Is Sephardic” by Mijal BittonJoshua 7 18Forty Podcast: “Mark Wildes: Is Modern Orthodox Outreach the Way Forward?”18Forty Podcast: “Elisheva Carlebach & Debra Kaplan: The Unknown History of Women in Jewish Life”For more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/join CALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.org IG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Lecturer of Cognitive Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and former Fulbright US Scholar to Egypt Jackie Berry, Joseph Palamountain Jr. Chair in Government at Skidmore College Beau Breslin, Senior Fellow, Bard Center for Civic Engagement Jim Ketterer, and the Arthur Zankel Chair in Management for Liberal Arts at Skidmore College where she teaches International Affairs and Business Management Pushkala Prasad.

Key Topics   The evolving situation with Iran and Israel, including negotiations and proxy conflicts Ukraine's recent territorial gains and the shifting momentum in the war against Russia The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, highlighting US and global response deficiencies The impact of US political dynamics on foreign aid and international policy The significance of vaccine development and global health infrastructure gaps Links Carla Anne Robbins - https://www.cfr.org/experts/carla-anne-robbins Yasmeen Abutaleb - https://www.reuters.com/authors/yasmeen-abutaleb/ Bobby Ghosh - https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/APEY-AVaoBA/bobby-ghosh Christopher Miller - https://www.ft.com/christopher-miller Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs — belfercenter.org World Review with Ivo Daalder — belfercenter.org/world-review-ivo-daalder

In this in-depth conversation, Dr. Ivan Katchanovski discusses the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the importance of freedom of speech in academia, and the challenges of misinformation. He provides a detailed analysis of the ongoing war, technological impacts, and the critical need for evidence-based research.===Ivan Katchanovski teaches at the School of Political Studies and the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. He was Visiting Scholar at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University, Visiting Assistant Professor at the Department of Politics at the State University of New York at Potsdam, Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto, and Kluge Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Kluge Center at the Library of Congress. He received his Ph.D. from the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University under the direction of Seymour Martin Lipset.===Help to make the book open access; https://gofund.me/79a58e94d https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-98724-3Most recent books:The Russia-Ukraine War and its Origins published by Palgrave Macmillan in October 2025; https://www.springerprofessional.de/en/the-russia-ukraine-war-and-its-origins/51519284The Maidan Massacre in Ukraine: The Mass Killing that Changed the World https://link.springer.com/book/10.100...Social Media:X: https://x.com/I_Katchanovski===theykm.comthe-ykm.comwhyknowledgematters.comprograms.the-ykm.comtheykm.comthe-ykm.comwhyknowledgematters.com #livelearnlove #lovelife#whyknowledgematters #podcast #theykm #livelearnlove

The military operation was a success. The strategy may have been a failure. In this episode, Gordon Gray is the Kuwait Professor of Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, examines how the Trump administration may have underestimated Tehran, why negotiations continue to stall, and whether the White House is now looking for a face-saving exit rather than a decisive victory. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the Look Forward podcast, host Aries Poon is joined by Carlos Pascual, Head of Geopolitics and International Affairs at S&P Global's Energy Division, to examine the Middle East conflict through a wider geopolitical lens. Drawing on decades of experience in diplomacy, energy security, and international affairs, Carlos explains why this crisis matters far beyond the region.

 Peter Jones is a professor in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Đầu năm 2026, nhiều thúc đẩy từ phía Nga cũng như nội bộ chính giới châu Âu để Liên Âu trực tiếp đối thoại với điện Kremlin nhằm tìm ra giải pháp chấm dứt cuộc chiến tranh Nga – Ukraina, kéo dài từ hơn 4 năm nay. Đầu tháng 6, trước thềm thượng đỉnh của khối 27 nước ngày 18-19/06/2026, theo một số thông tin báo chí, giới lãnh đạo châu Âu có thể đề nghị với Nga « một thỏa thuận ngừng bắn », như một điều kiện tiên quyết trước khi bước vào đàm phán chính thức.  *** Việc khối 27 nước tìm lập trường thống nhất để đối thoại trực tiếp với Nga là một diễn biến mới, và đáng được khích lệ, trong bối cảnh cho đến nay, « Liên Hiệp Châu Âu gánh vác một phần chủ yếu và ngày càng lớn cái giá về kinh tế, tài chính cũng như về chính trị của cuộc xung đột này, nhưng lại bị gạt ra bên lề trong các cuộc đàm phán quan trọng » (Le Diplomat). Thống nhất lập trường, duy trì áp lực để buộc Nga có giải pháp chấm dứt chiến tranh là điều cần thiết, tuy nhiên, nhiều chuyên gia hàng đầu cảnh báo, một thỏa thuận ngừng bắn vội vàng với Nga là lợi bất cập hại. Đọc thêm : Nan giải của châu Âu là tìm được “tiếng nói chung” để đối thoại Putin « Trên thực tế, một thỏa thuận ngừng bắn vội vàng hoặc được thiết kế kém có thể khiến việc đạt được một giải pháp lâu dài trở nên khó khăn hơn », theo nhận định của chuyên gia Trung tâm tư vấn độc lập Chatham House, thuộc Royal Institute of International Affairs, có trụ sở tại Luân Đôn (bài « Một thỏa thuận ngừng bắn giữa Nga và Ukraina có thể gây nguy hiểm cho an ninh của Ukraine và châu Âu như thế nào? » của ông Simon Smith, đồng tác giả, đồng phụ trách chương trình nghiên cứu về khu vực Á – Âu và Nga). Nhận định của chuyên gia Chatham House ngụ ý nhắc đến vết xe đổ của hai thỏa thuận ngừng bắn Minsk I và Minsk II, được xác lập hồi 2014-2015, rút cục đã bị nhiều người coi như một « thất bại của ngoại giao châu Âu », tạo điều kiện cho Nga tiếp tục lấn tới bảy năm sau đó, với cuộc xâm lăng trên quy mô lớn, kéo dài cho đến nay. Thỏa thuận Minsk I và Minsk II cụ thể ra sao ? Các thỏa thuận, được ký kết tại Minsk, thủ đô Belarus, trong hai đợt, tháng 9/2014 (tên chính thức là Nghị định thư Minsk, thường được gọi là Thỏa thuận Minsk I), và tháng 2/2015 (« Gói biện pháp nhằm thực thi các Thỏa thuận Minsk », thường gọi là Thỏa thuận Minsk II), có mục tiêu hướng đến chấm dứt xung đột ở miền đông Ukraina. Ký kết hai thỏa thuận này là các thành viên của nhóm tiếp xúc ba bên, bao gồm các đại diện của Nga và Ukraina, cùng đại diện của Tổ chức An ninh và Hợp tác châu Âu - OSCE. Thỏa thuận sau đó được các lực lượng ly khai được Nga hậu thuẫn ký kết. Các thỏa thuận này bao gồm 13 điểm: ngoài lệnh ngừng bắn, là việc rút vũ khí hạng nặng ra xa đường chiến tuyến, trao đổi tù nhân và con tin. Các thỏa thuận cũng quy định cải cách hiến pháp ở Ukraina để ban hành quy chế đặc biệt của hai vùng lãnh thổ, chiếm một phần của hai tỉnh Luhansk và Donetsk, do phe ly khai kiểm soát. Hai thỏa thuận này là kết quả các vận động ngoại giao của tổng thống Pháp François Hollande và thủ tướng Đức Angela Merkel, phối hợp với tổng thống Nga Vladimir Putin và đương kim tổng thống Ukraina Petro Poroshenko. Sự kết hợp của Bộ Tứ này thường được gọi là « Công thức Normadie », do bắt nguồn từ cuộc gặp không chính thức giữa lãnh đạo bốn nước tại lâu đài Château de Bénouville (Calvados), vùng Normandie - Pháp, bên lề lễ kỷ niệm 70 năm ngày đồng minh đổ bộ trong Thế chiến Hai, vài tháng sau khi chiến tranh bùng nổ ở Donbass.   Ít ngày sau khi Thỏa thuận Minsk II được đúc kết, Hội Đồng Bảo An Liên Hiệp Quốc đã ra một nghị quyết, yêu cầu các bên tôn trọng Thỏa thuận này, nhưng không mang tính cưỡng chế. Vì sao các thỏa thuận Minsk bị coi là nguy hại cho Ukraina ? Đằng sau các biện pháp có vẻ rất bài bản như trên là một thực tế hoàn toàn khác. Viện Nghiên cứu Chiến tranh ISW, có trụ sở Washington, trong một bài phân tích về « Những bài học rút ra từ Thỏa thuận Minsk » (Lessons of the Minsk Deal), nhận định hệ quả nói chung của các Thỏa thuận Minsk này là đã không mang lại nền hòa bình lâu dài mà chủ yếu giúp Nga có thời gian tái tổ chức lực lượng, tăng cường hậu thuẫn phe ly khai, chấp nhận « đóng băng chiến sự », củng cố nền kinh tế chiến tranh để chuẩn bị cho cuộc tấn công trong tương lai. Chuyên gia Viện Nghiên cứu Chiến tranh Mỹ nhấn mạnh, một thỏa thuận ngừng bắn mới được đưa ra nhanh chóng, vội vã và thiếu bảo đảm có thể lặp lại mô hình của các thỏa thuận Minsk, cho phép Nga phục hồi sức mạnh, thay vì buộc Matxcơva phải thay đổi các tính toán chiến lược. Đọc thêm : Bất đồng Nga-Ukraina về Donbass có thể khiến Thỏa thuận Minsk tan vỡ ? Chuyên gia chính trị quốc tế Kristian Åtland, người Na Uy, tác giả nhiều khảo cứu về các thỏa thuận Minsk, nhấn mạnh là các thỏa thuận này là hoàn toàn « không hiệu quả », « không công bằng », « không bền vững », Ukraina đã bị buộc phải chấp nhận trong bối cảnh lực lượng ly khai được Nga hậu thuẫn đẩy quân đội Ukraina vào chân tường tại vùng Donbass (« War, diplomacy, and more war: why did the Minsk agreements fail? », Springer, 2024). Vị chuyên gia này cũng là tác giả bài « Đàm phán ngừng bắn Nga-Ukraina: Những bài học từ Tiến trình thất bại của các thỏa thuận Minsk » (2025). Đàm phán bên họng súng : Hàng nghìn binh sĩ Ukraina bị bao vây, Putin báo động nguy cơ thảm sát Hai thỏa thuận được ký kết đúng vào thời điểm hàng nghìn binh sĩ Ukraina bị vây hãm tại Ilovaisk (từ ngày 7/8 đến ngày 2/9/2014) và Debaltseve (từ 14/01 đến 20/02/2015). Nhà ngoại giao Pháp Jacques Audibert, cố vấn của tổng thống Hollande, người có mặt trực tiếp trong các đàm phán dẫn đến hai thỏa thuận nói trên, cho biết cụ thể: « Tình hình càng trở nên căng thẳng hơn, bởi rõ ràng là ông Putin đã cố tình kích động. Tuyên bố đầu tiên của ông ấy trong cuộc đàm phán này là: ‘‘Tôi xin lỗi, có 8.000 binh sĩ bị mắc kẹt trong vòng vây ở Debaltseve. Bao vây họ là các lực lượng pháo binh của quân  ly khai mà tôi không thể kiểm soát được. Tôi không thể làm gì được ! Vì tôi là người Nga mà ! Tất cả những binh sĩ này đều có nguy cơ bị thảm sát, nếu chúng ta không đạt được thỏa thuận tối hôm nay." Đó là bầu không khí mở đầu cuộc đàm phán kéo dài 16 giờ. Rõ ràng khi bạn bị đặt vào trong tình huống căng thẳng và hoàn toàn khác biệt như thế này, khi ai đó nói thẳng với bạn rằng, có thể có hàng ngàn người chết, nếu đàm phán thất bại, bạn sẽ phải ở trong tâm trạng căng thẳng tột độ. Điều này đúng với tất cả mọi người, nhưng đặc biệt là với người Ukraina. » Nga đã sử dụng việc leo thang quân sự có chủ đích để buộc Kiev chấp nhận các nhượng bộ lớn, trong bối cảnh Kiev cũng chịu áp lực nhiều từ các nước phương Tây ủng hộ tiến trình Minsk, để buộc phải ký kết các thỏa thuận này.   Hàng loạt điều bất khả: Ngôn từ mơ hồ, Kiev không được quyền kiểm soát biên giới… Ngoài chuyện ý đồ và mục tiêu của các bên, chuyên gia Na Uy Kristian Åtland nêu bật diễn đạt mơ hồ trong các thỏa thuận cũng là một nguyên nhân trực tiếp dẫn đến việc Thỏa thuận trở nên bất khả thi ngay từ đầu (« The vagueness and ambiguity of the language used in the Minsk agreements became an obstacle to the agreements' implementation »). Các thỏa thuận nói trên không có giá trị pháp lý khi chỉ được ký kết bởi các đại diện cấp thấp, gồm cựu tổng thống Ukraina, Leonid Koutchma, đại sứ Nga tại Ukraina và đại diện của OSCE. Không chỉ đến sau này, mà ngay vào lúc Thỏa thuận Minsk II được ký kết, truyền thông Pháp đã ghi nhận triển vọng thỏa thuận bất khả thi, đặc biệt với việc Ukraina sẽ chỉ được quyền kiểm soát hơn 400 km đường biên giới Ukraina – Nga, nằm giữa các khu vực ly khai ở Donbass và lãnh thổ Nga, một khi bầu cử địa phương ở các vùng ly khai được tổ chức, mà thời gian lại chưa được ấn định. Tổ chức An ninh và Hợp tác châu Âu - OSCE cũng không có thẩm quyền gì với việc giám sát tình hình ở đường biên giới. Trong thời gian đó, không có gì ngăn cản Nga tiếp tục đưa binh sĩ và phương tiện quân sự vào các vùng đất của Ukraina, do phe ly khai kiểm soát. Niềm tin vào Thỏa thuận Minsk và Putin: Ngay trước thềm cuộc xâm lăng 2022 Ngay tại thời điểm đó, và giờ đây nhìn lại, các thỏa thuận Minsk đã được coi như là bình phong, một phương tiện câu giờ đối với cả hai bên. Không chỉ cho Nga có thêm thời gian để chuẩn bị cho cuộc xâm lăng lớn mà phía Ukraina cũng tạm thời tránh được các tổn thất lớn trong bối cảnh lực lượng vũ trang còn rất yếu. Điều đáng nhấn mạnh là 7 năm sau, trước thềm cuộc xâm lăng quy mô lớn của Nga, ngày 24/02/2022, trong một bộ phận giới ngoại giao, học giả châu Âu, về mặt chính thức, các thỏa thuận Minsk vẫn được xem như là một cánh cửa dẫn đến hòa bình. Ngay cả một nhà nghiên cứu hàng đầu trong lĩnh vực này, như Tatiana Kastouéva-Jean, giám đốc Trung tâm Nga thuộc Viện Pháp về Quan hệ Quốc tế - Ifri, hai tuần trước cuộc tấn công của Nga (24/02/2022), vẫn đặt hy vọng vào việc thúc đẩy thực thi thỏa thuận Minsk, trong lúc tổng thống Pháp đang tiếp tục các vận động ngoại giao dồn dập, với hy vọng còn nước còn tát: « Nước Pháp đang gánh vác một trách nhiệm đặc biệt vào thời điểm này. Thật vậy, Emmanuel Macron đang đưa tiếng nói của châu Âu trở lại vị trí hàng đầu, đặc biệt là về một khía cạnh: các thỏa thuận Minsk. Đây là những thỏa thuận được ký kết vào tháng 2/2015 với mục tiêu giải quyết tình hình ở miền đông Ukraina. Đó là một mảnh ghép trong bức tranh toàn cảnh đối đầu căng thẳng hiện tại, với việc Nga tăng cường quân đội áp sát biên giới, trước khi đưa ra các yêu sách rộng hơn liên quan đến an ninh châu Âu và trật tự của châu Âu nói chung, thời kỳ sau khi Liên Xô sụp đổ ». Đọc thêm - Nửa thế kỷ ''Hiệp định Helsinki'': Chiến tranh Ukraina xóa sổ "Kiến trúc an ninh châu Âu" Nhà nghiên cứu viện Ifri tin tưởng vào khả năng Nga có thể sẵn sàng cho một giải pháp ngoại giao : « Chúng ta còn rất xa mới giải quyết được cuộc khủng hoảng. Nhưng với những diễn biến mới nhất này, tôi nghĩ chúng ta có thể mang lại thêm một chút hy vọng cho giải pháp ngoại giao. Tổng thống Putin đã để ngỏ cánh cửa thỏa hiệp. Ông ấy đã dành nhiều lời khen ngợi cho tổng thống Pháp Macron, cảm ơn ông ấy đã trở lại, đã đích thân đến, v.v. Trên thực tế, nếu chúng ta đang ở bên bờ vực chiến tranh, thì đây ắt không phải là kiểu hành vi mà chúng ta thấy ». (« Ukraina/Nga, một thỏa hiệp bất khả? », Tọa đàm với đài Pháp France Info, ngày 09/02/2022).   Kẻ xâm lăng được coi là người hòa giải: Nghệ thuật đàm phán của Putin  Minsk I và Minsk II đã được điện Kremlin sử dụng hiệu quả để khẳng định tính chính đáng của Nga trong hồ sơ chiến tranh vùng Donbass của Ukraina. Tại châu Âu, có người còn mong muốn có thêm một Thỏa thuận Minsk III. Điều mà nhiều chuyên gia nhấn mạnh là ảo tưởng hòa bình nhờ có được thiện chí của Nga, đã từng khiến châu Âu mất phương hướng trong một thời gian dài, và có thể sẽ tiếp tục mắc bẫy. Đọc thêm : Sử gia Françoise Thom: ‘‘Cho đến nay, người Nga vẫn coi nước Nga là một đế chế'' Bà Céline Marangé, chuyên gia về Nga, Ukraina và Belarus, Viện nghiên cứu chiến lược IRSEM thuộc Trường Quân sự - Ecole militaire Paris, lưu ý đến việc tổng thống Nga đã thành công một cách ngoạn mục, khi thể hiện mình là một bên trung gian hòa giải trong các thỏa thuận Minsk : « Tổng thống Nga coi các thỏa thuận Minsk II là một chiến thắng cá nhân của mình, một dấu hiệu cho thấy kỹ năng đàm phán và giành được những nhượng bộ từ các đối thủ. Trên thực tế, ông ta đã thành công đáng kể trong việc bảo đảm rằng các thỏa thuận không xác định bất kỳ nghĩa vụ rõ ràng nào đối với Matxcơva. Vì vậy, theo một cách nào đó, Điện Kremlin có thể tự thể hiện mình không phải là một bên tham gia xung đột, như trên thực tế từ đầu đã luôn là như vậy. Nga thể hiện là một bên trung gian hòa giải trong một cuộc xung đột nội bộ ở nước láng giềng, do quản lý kém, giống như một người trung gian hòa giải đối với một cuộc nội chiến. Trong khi đó, trên thực tế, tình hình bất ổn đã được Matxcơva đạo diễn ngay từ đầu, và vũ khí hạng nặng mà phe ly khai có được rõ ràng là đến từ Nga. » *** Nhiều chuyên gia khẩn thiết nhấn mạnh là, trong các đối thoại có thể diễn ra với điện Kremlin sắp tới, các lãnh đạo châu Âu cần kiên quyết duy trì lập trường, chỉ có thể chấp nhận một thỏa thuận đình chiến khi có được các đảm bảo vững chắc, các cơ chế thực thi rõ ràng, chặt chẽ, cùng với việc hậu thuẫn để Ukraina gia nhập các cấu trúc an ninh của châu Âu, để khiến cho mọi hành động gây hấn của Nga trong tương lai phải trả giá đắt. Chỉ có như vậy, châu Âu mới không bị rơi vào vết xe đổ của các thỏa thuận Minsk.

Bongani Bingwa speaks to Jane Dutton, EWN news anchor and reporter, about the ongoing war in Sudan, the worsening humanitarian crisis, mass displacement, and why the conflict continues to receive limited global attention despite growing warnings from the United Nations. 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg-based talk radio station. Bongani makes sense of the news, interviews the key newsmakers of the day, and holds those in power to account on your behalf. The team brings you all you need to know to start your day Thank you for listening. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 6 am to 9 am (SA Time) https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show and catch-up podcasts, visit Primedia+ here https://buff.ly/zEcM35T Subscribe to the 702 Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Let’s keep the conversation going online: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bongani Bingwa speaks to Jane Dutton, EWN news anchor and reporter, about the ongoing war in Sudan, the worsening humanitarian crisis, mass displacement, and why the conflict continues to receive limited global attention despite growing warnings from the United Nations. 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg-based talk radio station. Bongani makes sense of the news, interviews the key newsmakers of the day, and holds those in power to account on your behalf. The team brings you all you need to know to start your day Thank you for listening. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 6 am to 9 am (SA Time) https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show and catch-up podcasts, visit Primedia+ here https://buff.ly/zEcM35T Subscribe to the 702 Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Let’s keep the conversation going online: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How has China transformed into a dominant naval power, and what strategic choices must the U.S. make to protect its interests in the Pacific? Toshi Yoshihara and James Holmes join Ron Granieri to discuss the third edition of Red Star Over the Pacific, which answers those very questions. The authors explain how Beijing synthesizes Western and Eastern strategic ideas to expand its maritime reach. Crucially, the conversation moves beyond simple threat assessments to explore how the United States should respond. Yoshihara and Holmes emphasize that the U.S. must maintain its unrivaled regional alliances, exploit competitive undersea strengths, and enforce strict strategic discipline to counter China's growing naval challenge. China's quest for control in the maritime domain is driven both by a weird combination of both confidence and insecurity. James Holmes, PhD, is the inaugural holder of the J.C. Wiley Chair of Maritime Strategy at the U.S. Naval War College and previously served on the faculty of the University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs. A former U.S. Navy surface warfare officer, he also earned a PhD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. Toshi Yoshihara, PhD, is a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. Previously, he was the inaugural John A. van Beuren Chair of Asia-Pacific Studies and a professor of strategy at the U.S. Naval War College. He holds a PhD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. Photo Credit: Created by Gemini

On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, host Brian Whitmore breaks it all down with James Sherr, an Honorary Fellow at the International Center for Defense and Security and an Associate Fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at the Royal Institute of International Affairs; and former U.S. State Department official Max Bergmann, director of the Europe and Russia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies who served as a member of the Secretary of State's Policy Planning Staff and as a speechwriter for former Secretary of State John Kerry. 

Key Topics   Iran's potential nuclear agreement and regional implications Europe's diplomatic paralysis and its impact on Ukraine and Russia The Vatican's moral challenge to AI and the political repercussions Europe's defense posture and NATO readiness amid escalating threats U. S. tech industry influence and regulatory debates on AI Links Shona Murray - https://events.euronews.com/euronews-on-air/speaker/1136912/shona-murray Michael Shear - https://www.nytimes.com/by/michael-d-shear Susan Glasser - https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/susan-b-glasser Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs — belfercenter.org World Review with Ivo Daalder — belfercenter.org/world-review-ivo-daalder

The post-WW2 world order is dead. The UN doesn't work. The WTO can't function. Multilateralism has collapsed. And the world is now in a dangerous "interregnum" — a period of fragmentation, conflict, and competing alliances where every country is fighting to shape what comes next. So what does this mean for India? In this conversation with Roshan Cariappa, Ambassador Dr. Mohan Kumar — Former Indian Ambassador to France and Bahrain, India's lead negotiator at the WTO/GATT for nearly a decade, Professor of Diplomatic Practice at OP Jindal Global University, and Chairman of RIS — takes us inside the rooms where India's biggest global negotiations actually happen. This is not theory. This is a 40-year practitioner explaining how it really works. We cover: - Why the liberal world order has "certainly ended" - The non-polar world and India's multi-alignment strategy - "No light at the end of the tunnel" — his honest diagnosis - Can India be a Vishwa Guru? The truth about DPI and AI - The Poverty Veto — why 800M on dole holds India back - What really happens behind closed doors in negotiations - His toughest negotiations: TRIPS Doha and Paris climate - The Nvidia comparison — India's economy = one company - Why India can't have a confrontation with China - Trump-XI "bilateral strategic stability" and India - Jaishankar's "three mutuals" approach with China ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Cold open: The world order is dead 00:54 Are we witnessing the collapse of the post-Cold War order? 02:13 "The liberal international order has certainly ended" 03:42 What changed about globalization 05:05 Was it Trump — or structural factors? 07:00 The "non-polar" world explained 08:13 India's multi-alignment strategy 11:04 Fragmentation of the world order 12:08 "I've never seen this deficit of cooperation in 40 years" 13:25 "There is no light at the end of the tunnel" 14:39 Can India step up as Vishwa Guru? 16:27 "800 million on dole is dragging India down" 17:52 India's 1991 redux moment — bite the bullet 20:26 Multilateralism has collapsed — UN and WTO 21:11 The huge gap between US, China and the rest 23:36 What actually happens behind closed doors 25:35 The brief, the non-negotiables, the tradeables 27:21 The Poverty Veto — Mohan's original concept 31:37 The toughest negotiation: TRIPS in Doha (2001) 33:25 The Paris climate accords — India's red lines 36:20 Is there bipartisan consensus on foreign policy? 38:14 Pranab Mukherjee's all-party meeting idea 40:08 What makes an effective negotiator? 44:33 Why "anyone can become Ambassador overnight" is wrong 45:07 Should India look beyond the IFS cadre? 49:00 Why India can't have a Jared Kushner 49:26 40 years of negotiation — how India's leverage has grown 51:32 India = the size of Nvidia ($4 trillion comparison) 53:00 "9-10% growth for 10 years — the world will be at your feet" 58:43 The final question — US-China dynamics 1:00:00 Trump-XI "bilateral strategic stability" 1:01:44 Why India can't have a confrontation with China 1:02:13 Jaishankar's "three mutuals" with China 1:03:13 Closing thoughts

Episode #544: May Shine, a recent graduate of the Elliott School of International Affairs, approaches policy work from the position of someone shaped by displacement and minority identity within Myanmar's Chin community. Her work focuses on a persistent gap between lived realities and international policy, particularly in how crises like Myanmar's remain underrepresented despite ongoing conflict and displacement. Her research along the Thailand–Myanmar border reveals how issues such as child labor emerge directly from structural pressures like legal insecurity and economic instability. “I have also come across with child labor,” she adds, describing how children miss school not by choice but necessity. These observations inform her critique of humanitarian aid systems that often fail toreach affected communities due to political and logistical barriers. She argues that more representation within policymaking spaces is essential, noting that Myanmar remains underrepresented globally. At the same time, she situates this within broader geopolitical realities, where competing crises limit sustained international attention. Within Myanmar's movement, she emphasizes collective leadership over reliance on singular figures, even as fragmentation across ethnic and community lines complicates unity. “The strength of Myanmar's movement should not depend on a single figure or leader,” she says, advocating for collaboration across differences. Her work remains grounded in a constrained but deliberate role: to carry lived experience into policy spaces that often operate without it, despite the difficulty of translating between the two.

Aubrey Masango speaks to Adv. Sipho Mantula from the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs about pan-Africanism, what it means, and how it relates to South Africa’s immigration unrest. Tags: 702, Aubrey Masango show, Aubrey Masango, Bra Aubrey, Africa at a Glance, Adv. Sipho Mantula, Pan-Africanism, Illegal immigrants, Xenophobia, Ghana, Nigeria The Aubrey Masango Show is presented by late night radio broadcaster Aubrey Masango. Aubrey hosts in-depth interviews on controversial political issues and chats to experts offering life advice and guidance in areas of psychology, personal finance and more. All Aubrey’s interviews are podcasted for you to catch-up and listen. Thank you for listening to this podcast from The Aubrey Masango Show. Listen live on weekdays between 20:00 and 24:00 (SA Time) to The Aubrey Masango Show broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and on CapeTalk between 20:00 and 21:00 (SA Time) https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk Find out more about the show here https://buff.ly/lzyKCv0 and get all the catch-up podcasts https://buff.ly/rT6znsn Subscribe to the 702 and CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfet Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bongani Bingwa speaks with Moeletsi Mbeki, chairman of the South African Institute of International Affairs, on why he believes the government has significantly failed to prioritise South Africa’s leadership role on the African continent, especially when it comes to securing our borders and immigration laws. 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg-based talk radio station. Bongani makes sense of the news, interviews the key newsmakers of the day, and holds those in power to account on your behalf. The team brings you all you need to know to start your day Thank you for listening. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 6 am to 9 am (SA Time) https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show and catch-up podcasts, visit Primedia+ here https://buff.ly/zEcM35T Subscribe to the 702 Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Let’s keep the conversation going online: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donna Hicks spent three decades at the world's hardest conflict tables and found one hidden injury beneath them all: a violation of human dignity. From the Middle East to Northern Ireland, she watched negotiations stall not over policy, but over something no one in the room had named. This episode is the word that changed everything, and the model she built around it.Dr Donna Hicks, author of Leading with Dignity and Associate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University, spent her career as a third party in unofficial diplomacy across the Middle East, Sri Lanka, Colombia and Northern Ireland. She co-facilitated the BBC series Facing the Truth alongside Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and her earlier book, Dignity, reshaped how the world understands conflict, connection and leadership. This one runs close to home for me. As a young boy from a Pied-Noir family — French people of European origin who had left Algeria after its independence — newly arrived in Nice, I was once told by a schoolmate to “get out of here.” I came home devastated. My father's answer, that I should be proud of where I came from and that I had something real to give, was dignity restored long before either of us had a word for it.In our conversation, we explore: → Why respect is earned but dignity is not, and how leaders who confuse the two quietly damage their teams → The ten elements of dignity, and the single one that 80% of employees say is violated most at work → What happened when the BBC sat victims and perpetrators face to face, and why healing did not require forgiveness → Why Donna now teaches dignity to eight-year-olds, and her advice to young leaders entering a harder world → Mandela consciousness: the three connections that rebuild dignity in any team, family or boardroom"I don't believe we need to find common ground. I believe we need to find higher ground." - Dr Donna Hicks, Harvard UniversityIf you have ever watched a meeting derail over something that was never really about the agenda, this conversation hands you the missing word, and a practical model for what to do next.

The Mercantilist Restoration - https://anthonyfatseas.substack.com/p/the-mercantilist-restoration-howInterview recorded - 22nd of May, 2026On this episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of welcoming back Professor Vali Nasr. Vali Nasr is a Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and one of the most authoritative voices on Iran, having advised American policymakers and diplomats on the country for decades. He is also the author of Iran's Grand Strategy: A political history.During our conversation we spoke about the current situation in the Middle East, what has led up to this conflict, Iran's surprising resilience, their grand strategy, potential escalation, reshaping the Middle East and more. I hope you enjoy!0:00 - Introduction3:05 - Lead up to war5:48 - Surprised about escalation8:38 - Iran resilience10:48 - Iran's Grand Strategy13:18 - October 6th impact16:23 - Conflict resolution20:09 - Military escalation24:11 - How have views changed?28:17 - Iranian proxies over?29:47 - US withdrawing from Middle East?34:11 - Guerrilla warfare35:25 - One message to takeaway? 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), and Non-Resident Senior Advisor in the Middle East Program at CSIS. 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.Professor Nasr is the author of Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History, The Dispensable Nation: American Foreign Policy in Retreat; Forces of Fortune: The Rise of a New Middle Class and How it Will Change Our World; The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam will Shape the Future; Democracy in Iran: History and the Quest for Liberty; Islamic Leviathan, Islam and the Making of State Power; Mawdudi and the Making of Islamic Revivalism; Vanguard of Islamic Revolution: Jama'at-i Islami of Pakistan, and co-author of How Sanctions Work: Iran and the Impact of Economic Warfare; as well as numerous articles in scholarly journals and commentary in Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal. 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.Vali Nasr - X - https://x.com/vali_nasrBook - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Irans-Grand-Strategy-Political-History/dp/0691268924/WTFinance -Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfniTunes -https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-fatseas-761066103/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

On this special podcast episode, we are sharing the opening statements from the Munk Debate on Foreign Wars, which took place this past Wednesday May 20th in front of a packed crowd at Toronto’s Meridian Hall. Against the backdrop of America’s war with Iran — and after nearly three decades of disastrous Middle East interventions — the debate asked whether the U.S. should continue intervening abroad, and what that means for the future of global order. The resolution was: Be it resolved, don’t go hunting monsters. Arguing against the motion was Mike Pompeo, 70th U.S. Secretary of State, former Director of the CIA, and four-term U.S. Congressman. He was joined by Victoria Nuland, whose 35-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service includes roles as Acting Deputy Secretary of State, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, and U.S. Ambassador to NATO. Arguing in favour of the motion were two former Munk Debaters and the world’s leading proponents of U.S. foreign policy restraint: John Mearsheimer, the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago and Stephen Walt, Professor of International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School. Find out how to watch the full debate at www.munkdebates.com

If you're enjoying the content, please like, subscribe, and comment! Ranjit's Links:Substack: https://nolinesinnature.substack.com/Ranjit Singh, Associate Professor in the University of Mary Washington's Department of Political Science and International Affairs, teaches international relations, Middle East politics, and environmentalism. He's spent about seven years living and working in the Middle East. Dr. Singh is currently working on a book about the natural history of Potomac Creek, VA, where he was raised on a family farm. You can find his nature-centered writings at https://nolinesinnature.substack.com/.Sponsored by Taelor. Most guys spend way too much time figuring out what to wear- and still end up in the same three outfits. Taelor fixes that. A personal stylist picks clothes in your size and style, ships them to you every 2 weeks- You wear them and return them. No shopping, no laundry, and no more spending on new clothes. Use code ERIC25 at Taelor.style for $25 off your first month._______________________Follow us!@worldxppodcast Instagram - https://bit.ly/3eoBwyr@worldxppodcast Twitter - https://bit.ly/2Oa7BzmSpotify - http://spoti.fi/3sZAUTGYouTube - http://bit.ly/3rxDvUL#iran #usa #war #conflict #oil #persian #softpower #military #navalpower #navy #history #nature #localhistory #subscribe #explore #explorepage #podcastshow #podcasts #podcaster #podcasting #worldxppodcast #viralvideo #youtubeshorts

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic arrived in Beijing on Sunday for his first state visit to China, a trip that is aimed at striving for more tangible outcomes in building a China-Serbia community with a shared future for the new era.President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang will respectively meet with Vucic during the visit, which runs from Sunday to Thursday, to exchange views on bilateral relations, as well as international and regional issues of mutual interest.Before leaving for China, Vucic described his visit as "undoubtedly the most important trip abroad" in his political career, according to Serbian news agency Tanjug.He said that Serbia attaches great importance to building strong partnerships with friendly countries that respect its independence, development and right to choose its own path.He said the support and friendship shown by Xi toward Serbia remain a lasting testimony to the ironclad ties between Serbia and China, as well as to the deep mutual trust between the two countries.The visit comes two years after Xi paid a state visit to Serbia in May 2024, when the two heads of state signed a joint statement on deepening and upgrading the comprehensive strategic partnership and building a China-Serbia community with a shared future for the new era.Over the years, bilateral relations have maintained strong momentum, becoming an example of peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation between countries with different civilizations and social systems.Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University of China, said Vucic's visit highlights Serbia's pursuit of strategic autonomy as the world faces economic pressures, security challenges and growing uncertainties."The signal sent by the visit is that Cold War thinking is outdated, and that all countries have the right to choose their own development paths," Wang said.He said that Serbia shares some similar experiences with many developing countries, making the European country a potential bridge between China, Europe and the Global South.Ahead of his visit, Vucic said he would meet Chinese industrial and business leaders during his stay in China.He described China as "a model of what a strong and stable economy should be", as well as "an example of a principled state" that, through its consistent positions, prudent policy and international reputation, has made serious efforts toward peace, stability and cooperation in the world.Such efforts, he said, are "needed by humanity today more than ever before".Earlier, Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric said that Vucic's visit at the highest state level would be of historical significance for Serbia and would give a strong impetus to further strengthening the extraordinary strategic relations and even closer and more fruitful cooperation between Serbia and China in a wide range of areas.

Key Topics   The implications of the US indicting Cuba's former president Raul Castro and what regime change might look like The impact of President Trump's summit with Xi Jinping on Taiwan's security and US strategic ambiguity The political crisis in Britain, the decline of the Labour Party, and the future of UK leadership How European countries view US and China strategies in the context of Taiwan and broader global influence The potential for a shifting European posture towards closer integration with the EU and re-evaluating Brexit Links Philip Stephens - philipstephens.net Karen DeYoung - washingtonpost.com/people/karen-deyoung Anton LaGuardia - economist.com/people/anton-la-guardia Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs —  belfercenter.org World Review with Ivo Daalder —  belfercenter.org/world-review-ivo-daalder

Across Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and now the Gulf, water systems are no longer just collateral damage. They are becoming targets and tools of coercion. Dams, desalination plants, pumping stations, rivers, reservoirs, and electricity grids are being pulled into the battlespace, with civilians paying the highest price.This matters far beyond the battlefield. When water infrastructure is attacked, the consequences ripple through food security, energy production, public health, migration, fertiliser markets, political stability, and the legitimacy of states themselves. In a world already shaped by climate stress, fragile governance and geopolitical escalation, attacks on water and our access to water are becoming yet another significant international risk.Today on The International Risk Podcast, we are joined by Dr Marcus King, Professor of the Practice in Environment and International Affairs at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service, Vice Chair of the Council on Strategic Risks, and one of the world's leading experts on water weaponisation. Dr King is the author of Weaponizing Water: Water Stress and Islamist Extremist Violence in Africa and the Middle East, and his work has helped define how states and non-state actors use water as a weapon, a bargaining chip, and a tool of control.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you're a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe's leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe's business leaders. This episode was produced by Anna KummelstedtTell us what you liked!

This week I'm sharing the fourth and final installment from the day-long conference convened by the Institute for America, China, and the Future of Global Affairs (ACF) at Johns Hopkins SAIS on April 3rd in Washington — “The China Debate We're Not Having: Politics, Technology, and the Road Ahead.” The first three episodes featured Jessica Chen Weiss's opening remarks and the panels on what China wants, what the United States wants, and tech rivalry and competing visions of the future. This final installment is a fireside conversation between Henry Farrell and Alondra Nelson, followed by Jessica's closing remarks.Once again, my deep thanks to Jessica Chen Weiss, ACF's inaugural faculty director, for organizing this terrific conference and for so generously letting me share this audio with Sinica listeners.Henry Farrell, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute Professor of International Affairs at SAIS, sits down with Alondra Nelson — Harold F. Linder Professor of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study and former Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy — for what turns out to be the day's most generative reframing of the AI race. Henry begins by asking how it is that ideas once confined to 1980s science fiction — the singularity, AGI, brains-in-vats — have come to anchor mainstream American AI policy discourse. Alondra traces the genealogy back to the “Californian ideology” and the long history of outré thinking in Silicon Valley, but her real point is that something has shifted: U.S. negative sentiment around AI has been climbing and plateauing high since 2022, even as adoption has spread — the opposite of the usual technology-acceptance curve, and the opposite of what's happening in China, Nigeria, or Brazil.From there the conversation opens up into what I found to be its richest vein: the contrast between a Cartesian, disembodied American conception of AI — “we're working on the brains,” as Sam Altman put it when OpenAI shut down its robotics team in 2022 — and a more embodied approach that integrates the cognitive and the physical, which is part of what's powered China's advances in advanced manufacturing and robotics. Alondra is sharp on the costs of the brain-in-a-vat framing: it treats AI as a state of exception in which existing laws and institutions somehow don't apply, and it lets us float aspirational claims (”AI will cure cancer”) that elide all the clunky institutional stewardship actually required to get from aspiration to outcome.She also offers an incisive reading of the Trump administration's AI policy — which, she argues, is misleadingly described as “deregulatory.” Between export controls, the golden share in Intel, immigration restrictions on STEM talent, and the administration's tight stewardship of who wins and who loses in the AI ecosystem, this is industrial policy by another name — and a narrowing of democratic input over decisions of enormous infrastructural consequence.The conversation closes with Henry asking what a small-d democratic successor administration ought to do, and Alondra's answer is bracingly practical: get rid of the state of exception, take the material supply chain of AI seriously (data centers, electricity, critical minerals, communities), let state-level policy generate evidence about what works, and aim for high-watermark aspirations — North Stars, in the spirit of the AI Bill of Rights — rather than pretending the technology itself will deliver our values.Jessica then offers her closing remarks, thanking the panelists, previewing the ACF Insights Series, and putting out the call for new junior fellows at the Institute.Participants:Alondra Nelson, Harold F. Linder Professor of Social Science, Institute for Advanced Study; former Director, White House Office of Science and Technology PolicyHenry Farrell, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute Professor of International Affairs, Johns Hopkins SAISClosing remarks: Jessica Chen Weiss, David M. Lampton Professor of China Studies and Inaugural Faculty Director, ACFSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Israel's genocidal war on Gaza has shattered long-held hopes for Palestinian-Israeli coexistence and exposed the global systems sustaining the decades-long destruction of Palestine and the dispossession of Palestinians. In this special edition of the The Marc Steiner Show, commemorating the solemn anniversary of the Nakba, Marc speaks with world-renowned author and physician Ghada Karmi about the destruction of Gaza, the collapse of faith in a political solution, and the deepening despair felt by many Palestinians and Israelis alike today. Guests:Ghada Karmi was born in Jerusalem. Forced from her home during the Nakba, she later trained as a Doctor of Medicine at Bristol University. She established the first British-Palestinian medical charity in 1972 and was an Associate Fellow at the Royal Institute for International Affairs. She is the author of numerous books, including the best-selling memoir In Search of Fatima and One State: The Only Democratic Future for Palestine-Israel.Credits:Producer: Rosette SewaliStudio Production: Cameron GranadinoAudio Post-Production: Stephen FrankBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!

Israel's genocidal war on Gaza has shattered long-held hopes for Palestinian-Israeli coexistence and exposed the global systems sustaining the decades-long destruction of Palestine and the dispossession of Palestinians. In this special edition of the The Marc Steiner Show, commemorating the solemn anniversary of the Nakba, Marc speaks with world-renowned author and physician Ghada Karmi about the destruction of Gaza, the collapse of faith in a political solution, and the deepening despair felt by many Palestinians and Israelis alike today. Guests:Ghada Karmi was born in Jerusalem. Forced from her home during the Nakba, she later trained as a Doctor of Medicine at Bristol University. She established the first British-Palestinian medical charity in 1972 and was an Associate Fellow at the Royal Institute for International Affairs. She is the author of numerous books, including the best-selling memoir In Search of Fatima and One State: The Only Democratic Future for Palestine-Israel.Credits:Producer: Rosette SewaliStudio Production: Cameron GranadinoAudio Post-Production: Stephen FrankBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-marc-steiner-show--4661751/support.Follow The Marc Steiner Show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Help us continue producing The Marc Steiner Show by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterFollow us on BlueskyLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcast

Somalia is home to Turkey's largest overseas military base. It has signed an oil exploration and production deal with Ankara that has sparked protests from the opposition. The Middle East Institute's Gonul Tol unpacks the drivers of Turkey's Africa policy, noting that Turkish engagement comes at a cost.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Key Topics   The symbolism and outcomes of President Trump's meeting with President Xi in Beijing Russia's economic and military challenges amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine The strategic stalemate in the Persian Gulf and its global implications The evolving U.S.-China relationship and its impact on global geopolitics Iran's nuclear ambitions and the potential for diplomatic resolutions The role of symbolism in international diplomacy The impact of U.S. domestic politics on foreign policy Europe's response to shifting global power dynamics Links Yannis Palaiologos -  insidestory.gr Carla Robbins -  cfr.org/experts/carla-anne-robbins Jamil Anderlini -  politico.eu/staff/jamil-anderlini Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs —  belfercenter.org World Review with Ivo Daalder —  belfercenter.org/world-review-ivo-daalder

All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton were honored to welcome Elizabeth Field as guest to the show.   About Elizabeth Field, Chief Operating Officer at the Elizabeth Dole Foundation:   Elizabeth Field joined the Elizabeth Dole Foundation in February 2024 as its first Chief Operating Officer. Prior to that, she served as a Senior Executive Director in the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) Defense Capabilities and Management Team, where she led a broad body of work related to military quality-of-life issues, as well as defense management, business operations, and reform.   A recognized expert on the Department of Defense, she has testified several times before Congress, and her work has been featured by various news outlets, including National Public Radio, CNN, and The New York Times. Before joining GAO in September 2017, Ms. Field served as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights. Ms. Field also previously served as Assistant Inspector General for Audits and Inspections at the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, which was charged by Congress with conducting audits, inspections, and investigations to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Afghanistan reconstruction effort and to detect and deter waste, fraud, and abuse.   Ms. Field's first tenure with GAO lasted from 2002-2010, during which she worked primarily as a Senior Analyst in the International Affairs and Trade Team and conducted fieldwork in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. From 2000-2001, she served as a Jacob K. Javits Fellow on the Public Health Subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ms. Field holds a Master's Degree in Public Policy from Duke University and a Bachelor's Degree in History from Davidson College, where she graduated cum laude.   The proud daughter of an Army veteran, she lives in Washington, D.C. with her two sons, Graham and Henry (a West Point cadet), and their rescue dog, Maisie.     About the Elizabeth Dole Foundation:   The Elizabeth Dole Foundation is the preeminent organization empowering, supporting, and honoring our nation's 14.3 million military and veteran caregivers—the spouses, parents, family members, and friends who care for America's wounded, ill, or injured service members and veterans. Established by Senator Elizabeth Dole in 2012, the Foundation works to empower military and veteran caregivers, their families, and their communities through programs, partnerships, and advocacy that drive innovative, impactful, and sustainable solutions.   About the 11th Annual National Convening:   Registration is now open for the Elizabeth Dole Foundation's 11th Annual National Convening – and you won't want to miss it!   Join us on May 19, 2026, in Washington, D.C., at the iconic Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, where leaders, advocates, and caregivers from across the country will come together for a powerful day of connection, conversation, and action. If you are unable to join us in-person, you can register for virtual attendance using the same link.   Last year, Convening attendees helped us begin to develop the National Blueprint for Action—a practical, solutions-driven roadmap designed to strengthen support for the 14.3 million military and veteran caregivers nationwide. Now, as we officially launch that Blueprint, we commit to act—bringing together caregivers, business and industry leaders, and policymakers to advance a nationwide Culture of Caregiving. Inspired by thought-provoking plenary speakers, you will participate in interactive working sessions and breakout discussions to learn how you can make a difference.   In-person attendees will also experience our dynamic Innovation Expo, featuring more than 30 organizations across military and veteran services, healthcare, and beyond. There, explore valuable resources, spark meaningful connections, enjoy a complimentary headshot, and take a moment for yourself at our chair massage station.  

Get access to The Backroom (100+ exclusive episodes) on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OneDimeProfessor Benjamin Teitelbaum joins 1Dime Radio to discuss the right after Trump. Teitelbaum is an ethnographer, scholar of radical politics, and author of War for Eternity and Lions of the North. In this episode, we discuss Steve Bannon, Alexander Dugin, Traditionalism, the tech right, Peter Thiel, Curtis Yarvin, Nick Land, Nick Fuentes, the abuse of the word “fascism,” and whether a coherent post-Trump right is emerging from the ruins of MAGA.In this episode of The Public, Benjamin gives his analysis of the different factions on the political Right. In The Backroom on Patreon, Benjamin and I discuss the FUTURE of the “dissident right” and populism AFTER Trump.Timestamps:00:00:00  Backroom Preview: The Far Right Is Not Going Away00:03:26  1Dime Radio Intro00:04:28  Experience Interviewing Steve Bannon and Studying the Far-Right00:11:26  What Does Steve Bannon Actually Believe?00:15:10  Bannon vs Dugin00:25:13  Ideology, Geopolitics, and Opportunism00:29:40  What Is Traditionalism?00:39:07  The Conservative Right vs the Futurist Tech Right00:42:42  Curtis Yarvin, Hierarchy, and the Tech Right00:48:41  Democracy, Socialism, and the Distribution of Power00:55:12  Is “Fascism” a Useful Label?01:07:13  Nick Fuentes01:17:31  What Is MAGA Without Trump? Continue in The BackroomGUEST:Benjamin TeitelbaumAssociate Professor of Musicology and International Affairs at the University of Colorado Boulder• Benjamin Teitelbaum at CU Boulder: https://www.colorado.edu/center/benson/benjamin-teitelbaum• War for Eternity: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/315812/war-for-eternity-by-teitelbaum-benjamin-r/9780141992037• Lions of the North: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/lions-of-the-north-9780190212605FOLLOW 1Dime:• Substack (Articles and Essays): https://1dimereview.substack.com/• X/Twitter: https://x.com/1DimeOfficial• Instagram: instagram.com/1dimeman• Check out my main channel videos: https://www.youtube.com/@1DimeeLeave a like, drop a comment, and give the show a 5-star rating on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen to this.

Today on Scope Conditions: when the bombs don't go off, the war isn't over.We tend to think of peace as beginning when the bombs stop falling. But as our guest today shows us, this is only half the story. Over the course of the Vietnam War, the United States engaged in massive bombing in Cambodia. Between 1965 and 1973, the U.S. dropped 500,000 tons of explosives there — more than the combined weight of every man, woman, and child in the country. Dr. Erin Lin, an Associate Professor of Political Science at the Ohio State University, set out to understand the continued impacts of this cataclysmic bombing campaign on Cambodian society. A landmark 2011 study had given us a partial answer: it had concluded that US bombing had no measurable long-term effects on economic outcomes in Southeast Asia. For years, that finding set the terms of the debate.In her award-winning book, When the Bombs Stopped: The Legacy of War in Rural Cambodia, published by Princeton University Press, Erin pushes back. She argues that those analyses were looking at the wrong level — that district-level aggregates conceal devastating effects on individual households and farms. More than that, they were looking at only half the intervention. It's the bombs that didn't detonate — an estimated 26 million cluster munitions still embedded in the soil — that are shaping life today in rural Cambodia.Erin spent years farming alongside families, combing through declassified military records, and building some of the most granular data ever assembled on the American bombing campaign. Her creative multi-method research design allows her to trace the dramatic long-term consequences of unexploded ordinance for the economic livelihood of Cambodian farmers.We talk with Erin about the many ironies laced through her findings: that cluster munitions are most likely to fail in soft, fertile soil, meaning Cambodia's most agriculturally valuable land is also its most contaminated; that bomb contamination can paradoxically shield farmers from predatory land seizures by political elites; and that unexploded ordnance, rather than forging solidarity among those living with it, tends to deepen ethnic divisions within villages.We hope you learn from this conversation. To stay informed about future episodes, follow us on X and Bluesky @scopeconditions and check out our website, scopeconditionspodcast.com, where you can also find references to all the academic works we discuss. And if you like the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.We note that we recorded this interview before the recent US-Israeli war with Iran. Now, here's our conversation with Erin Lin.Works cited in this episodeBiddle, Steven. 2004. Military Power: Explaining Victory and Defeat in Modern Battle. Princeton University Press.Brooks, Rosa. 2014. “Cross-Border Targeted Killings: ‘Lawful but Awful'?” Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy 38:233–50.________. 2014. “Drones and the International Rule of Law.” Ethics & International Affairs 28(1):83–103. ________. 2016. How Everything Became War and the Military Became Everything: Tales from the Pentagon. Simon and Schuster.Horowitz, Michael C. 2010. The Diffusion of Military Power. Princeton University Press.Lyall, Jason, and Isaiah Wilson. 2009. “Rage against the Machines: Explaining Outcomes in Counterinsurgency Wars.” International Organization 63(1):67–106.Reiter, Dan, and Allan C. Stam. 2010. Democracies at War. Princeton University Press.Pape, Robert A. 2014. Bombing to Win: Air Power and Coercion in War. Cornell University Press.Schelling, Thomas. 2008. Arms and Influence. Yale University Press.Sheehan, Neil. 1971. “Should We Have War Crime Trials?” New York Times Book Review. 

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, Kristen Collins speaks with Henry Farrell about AI, democracy, and political economy. Farrell argues that large language models are best understood not as emerging individual intelligences, but as “social technologies” that process and reorganize vast stores of human cultural information, much like markets, bureaucracies, and democracies process knowledge. The conversation explores deliberative democracy, civil society, Silicon Valley, AI regulation, and the risks of treating politics as an optimization problem. Farrell emphasizes the messiness of democratic life as essential to resisting authoritarianism and building a better future.Henry Farrell is the SNF Agora Professor of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He is the author of various books, including Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy (Henry Holt and Co., 2023) and Of Privacy and Power: The Transatlantic Fight over Freedom and Security (Princeton University Press, 2019), both coauthored with Abraham Newman, as well as The Political Economy of Trust: Institutions, Interests, and Inter-Firm Cooperation in Italy and Germany (Cambridge University Press, 2009).**This episode was recorded on January 7, 2026**Show Notes:Virtual Sentiments | State Capture and the Meaning of Democracy with Samuel BaggHenry Farrell's Substack, Programmable MutterHenry Farrell and Abraham Newman, The Enshittification of American Power (Wired, 2025)Henry Farrell and Hahrie Han, AI and Democratic Publics (Knight First Amendment Institute, 2025)Farrell, Gopnik, Shalizi, and Evans, Large AI models are cultural and social technologies (Science, 2025)Farrell, Mercier, and Schwartzberg, Analytical Democratic Theory: A Microfoundational Approach (APSR, 2022)Farrell, Where Trump is Vulnerable and How to Act on It (New York Times, 2025)Farrell, The Same Old Fantasies Behind AI and New Technology (Lawfare, 2025)Herbert A. Simon, The Sciences of the Artificial (The MIT Press, 1970)F.A. Hayek, The Use of Knowledge in Society (Liberty Fund, 2013)Cosma Shalizi, The Singularity in Our Past Light-Cone (Three-Toed Sloth, 2010)Andrew Lentini, Reimagining Democracy in the Age of AI (SNF Agora, 2024)Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber, Why do humans reason? Arguments for an argumentative theory (BBS, 2011)North, Wallis, and Weingast, Violence and Social Orders (Cambridge University Press, 2009)Cory Doctorow, The Bezzle: A Martin Hench Novel (Tor Books, 2025)If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgramLearn more about Academic & Student ProgramsFollow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus

Shana Marshall joins This Is Hell! to talk about her new piece for Security In Context titled “A Violent Convergence: How Silicon Valley and Private Finance Are Reshaping War”. Shana Marshall is Associate Director of the Institute for Middle East Studies and Assistant Research Faculty member at the George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs. Her work has been published by The Middle East Report, The International Journal of Middle East Studies, Middle East Policy, Jadaliyya, the Carnegie Middle East Center, and various edited volumes. We will have new installments of Rotten History and Hangover Cure. We will also be sharing your answers to this week's Question from Hell! from Patreon. Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thisishell https://www.securityincontext.org/team/shana-marshall

Shana Marshall joins This Is Hell! to talk about her new piece for Security In Context titled “A Violent Convergence: How Silicon Valley and Private Finance Are Reshaping War”. Shana Marshall is Associate Director of the Institute for Middle East Studies and Assistant Research Faculty member at the George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs. Her work has been published by The Middle East Report, The International Journal of Middle East Studies, Middle East Policy, Jadaliyya, the Carnegie Middle East Center, and various edited volumes. Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thisishell https://www.securityincontext.org/team/shana-marshall

During the first weeks of the war in Iran, most analysis focused on the immediate energy shock it triggered. But Jason Bordoff, founding director of the Center on Global Energy Policy and Columbia Energy Exchange host, and Meghan O'Sullivan, director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University's Kennedy School, got together to think about the longer-term implications of the conflict.  Earlier this month, Foreign Affairs published the result of that work, an article titled "The Iran Shock, And the Dangerous Allure of Energy Autarky." Last week, Jason sat down with Robin Pomeroy, host of the World Economic Forum podcast, Radio Davos, to talk about the article and the global and likely lasting impacts of the current energy shock. Today, we're pleased to bring you their conversation originally published by Radio Davos. (Unfortunately, Meghan fell ill and was unable to join the podcast.) Robin and Jason discussed how the largest oil supply disruption that the world has ever seen is impacting energy security in the near term, but also how it's likely to change the future of the energy industry. Our thanks to Robin and the World Economic Forum for collaborating on this episode.  

Yale University releases its report on restoring trust in American colleges and universities. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signs an order to lower the official risk level of medical marijuana products. And, descendant of Cuban immigrants Fernando Mendoza is the number one NFL draft pick. CT's editor in chief Marvin Olasky joins to talk about these headlines, and then Clarissa Moll speaks with Jennifer Murtazashvili about updates on the West Bank and the Israeli settler movement. LEARN MORE: Coverage on Palestine and the West Bank from Christianity Today GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Marvin Olasky is the editor in chief of Christianity Today. He edited World magazine from 1992 to 2021, wrote for the Boston Globe and Austin American-Statesman, and is a Discovery Institute senior fellow and an Acton Institute affiliate scholar. He has written 30 books, and now chairs the board of the Zenger House Foundation. Jennifer Murtazashvili is a professor at University of Pittsburgh's School of Public and International Affairs and the Founding Director of the Center for Governance and Markets. Murtazashvili is the author of Land, the State, and War: Property Institutions and Political Order in Afghanistan and Informal Order and the State in Afghanistan. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore and executive editor of news Clarissa Moll. Each episode offers commentary on current events and headlining news with a roundtable of premier guests, and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Diplomat in residence at Bard College Ambassador Frederic Hof, Senior Fellow, Bard Center for Civic Engagement Jim Ketterer, Political Consultant and lobbyist, Libby Post, and Arthur Zankel Chair in Management for Liberal Arts at Skidmore College where she teaches International Affairs and Business Management Pushkala Prasad.

In Episode 476 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Marvin Barth, founder of Thematic Markets and former head of FX and EM macro research at Barclays, and Chief Economist for International Affairs at the US Treasury about the ongoing US-Israeli military campaign against Iran and its implications for the global economy, global security, and the future of American military, economic, and financial power. The first hour begins with an update on the status of Operation Epic Fury, how the evolution of the conflict has aligned with Marvin's initial expectations, and the analytical framework he uses to assess US strategic objectives and the incentives that inform the decision-making of its principal agents—most notably the President himself. They draw historical analogies to previous Middle Eastern conflicts, assess risks to maritime security and global trade, and examine the evolving incentive structures of the US, Israel, the Gulf States, Saudi Arabia, and China. The conversation also explores the broader geopolitical implications of the conflict, including the fracturing of the post-war liberal order, Europe's precarious position, and the possibility of a far-reaching strategic realignment that could reshape America's alliances and its role as the world's dominant maritime and economic power. The second hour opens with a psychological portrait of Donald Trump—his reliance on inductive reasoning, his strategic use of misdirection, his narcissism, and what Marvin describes as a genuine ambition to secure his place among history's greatest presidents. They discuss how the skills that made Trump successful in business and on the campaign trail may fall short of what is required to navigate international crises and lead America through this Fourth Turning, and how an unpopular war is eroding his political base and risks turning him into a lame duck president before he reaches the midpoint of his second term. The episode concludes with a discussion of markets and the economy, including Europe's energy vulnerabilities, Marvin's bearish views on gold, and his innovation-cycle framework, which he believes explains why the US dollar remains near all-time highs on a real, effective basis despite widespread predictions of decline. 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 Join 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 04/14/2026

Allia Mohamed is the co-founder and CEO of Openigloo, a platform that connects renters with highly-rated landlords and enables renters to review and research their landlords. With OpenIgloo, Allia’s mission is to bring transparency to rental markets and support tenants throughout their housing journey. Motivated by her own frustrating experiences navigating opaque landlord practices and unpredictable living conditions, she launched OpenIgloo to give renters a voice and access to trustworthy, crowdsourced information about buildings and property owners. Since its launch, OpenIgloo has grown into a trusted resource for renters seeking honest reviews and insights before signing a lease. Allia Mohamed brings a decade of experience from working in finance, venture capital, and consulting. Prior to founding Openigloo, Mohamed served as a VC investor where she managed a startup portfolio as an advisor and board member. She holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Commerce from Dalhousie UniversitySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.