Podcasts about International relations

This week on Sinica I'm joined by Robert Wright, author of The Moral Animal, Nonzero, and The Evolution of God, for a conversation that runs a little outside our usual beat, though China sits closer to its center than you'd expect. The occasion is his new book The God Test: Artificial Intelligence and Our Coming Cosmic Reckoning, which reads the AI revolution as the latest turn in a story going back billions of years. We get into the French Jesuit paleontologist Teilhard de Chardin's "noosphere," Bob's argument that we evolved large language models rather than engineered them, the cognitive empathy we've both long preached, and the two-word talking point — "But China!" — that Bob thinks is most likely to lead us astray.6:56 – Teilhard de Chardin, the noosphere, and why a planetary "global brain" has become necessary14:49 – Directionality without the mysticism: complexification, teleology, and the "cell's-eye view" worry21:57 – The God Test: is moral progress really the price of governing AI, and is that hopeless on a short clock?28:33 – Why Bob says we evolved large language models rather than built them, and the sycophancy problem that follows35:19 – Open weights and open source: a real safety argument, or competitiveness in safety's clothing?40:03 – Cognitive empathy as the master key, and the same capacity as an engine of deception48:06 – Arms-race fatalism and its limits: cheetahs, gazelles, and the rival who can pick up the phone53:40 – "But China": fear of Beijing, Anthropic and Amodei, Jeff Ding, and the chip-control backfire1:10:48 – Nonzero: game theory, common threats, and the takeoff scenarios that worry Bob most1:23:22 – Attribution error and projection, Ed Fredkin's old warning, and the actual first movePaying It Forward: Garrison Lovely, author of the forthcoming Obsolete (Nation Books) and the Substack of the same name on the AI race.Recommendations:Bob: Pantheon, the animated series on uploaded minds and emergent superintelligence; and the Crowded House song "Don't Dream It's Over."Kaiser: Kyle Chan's High Capacity podcast, especially his episode with Carnegie's Matt Sheehan, "Is China Getting Worried About AI?"; and Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin novels.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We delve into Dan's backyard (the next edition of Theories of International Relations and Zombies ain't gonna research itself!) with the least-faithful-to-the-source-material movie of all time. A cursed production that wouldn't stay dead, this movie wound up going viral—it's still the highest-grossing zombie movie of all time.There is just a bit of IR, and the capitalism won't stay dead, either. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Africa Melane speaks to Ian Lesser, Distinguished Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States in Brussels, about what this agreement means for the Middle East, how it could reshape U.S.-Iran relations, and whether this represents the beginning of a sustainable peace or simply a pause in a much broader conflict. Presenter John Maytham is an actor and author-turned-talk radio veteran and seasoned journalist. His show serves a round-up of local and international news coupled with the latest in business, sport, traffic and weather. The host’s eclectic interests mean the program often surprises the audience with intriguing book reviews and inspiring interviews profiling artists. A daily highlight is Rapid Fire, just after 5:30pm. CapeTalk fans call in, to stump the presenter with their general knowledge questions. Another firm favourite is the humorous Thursday crossing with award-winning journalist Rebecca Davis, called “Plan B”. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Afternoon Drive with John Maytham Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 15:00 and 18:00 (SA Time) to Afternoon Drive with John Maytham broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/BSFy4Cn or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/n8nWt4x Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media: 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/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United States and Iran say they have reached a framework agreement to end their conflict, lift the US blockade on Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route. The preliminary pact, brokered with the help of Pakistan, has already sent oil prices lower and raised hopes of a broader de-escalation in the Middle East. But while both sides are hailing the breakthrough, major questions remain unresolved, most notably the future of Iran's nuclear programme. With a memorandum of understanding expected to be formally signed in Switzerland on Jun 19, is this the beginning of a lasting peace between Washington and Tehran? And what could the agreement mean for global energy markets, regional stability and the balance of power in the Middle East? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Dr Jessica Genauer, Academic Director of the Public Policy Institute & Associate Professor, International Relations, University of New South Wales, to find out more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pakistan and Qatar have welcomed the preliminary agreement between the United States and Iran to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as an important step towards peace and lasting stability in the region. While still a framework, the deal marked the biggest breakthrough towards resolving the conflict that has killed thousands and upended energy markets since it began ‌with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in February. Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Former Diplomat and International relations expert, Dr Kingsley Makhubela.

Alors que la Chine poursuit son ascension économique et politique, l'Indo-Pacifique est désormais au coeur du débat stratégique occidental. Pourtant, une zone est bien souvent absente des discussions : l'Océanie, et les îles du Pacifique en particulier. Loin de n'être que des morceaux de terre perdus au milieu de l'océan, celles-ci sont en réalité des acteurs politiques à part entière, avec une agentivité et des intérêts propres, capables, malgré leur taille, d'influer sur les équilibres géostratégiques de la région.Pour mieux saisir les singularités de cette zone, Simon Desplanque reçoit Elise Barandon, doctorante à l'Université Panthéon-Assas, officier de réserve dans la Marine nationale et co-éditrice au Rubicon. Au micro de 20 Minutes pour Comprendre, elle revient sur les caractéristiques géographiques et historiques de l'Océanie et analyse les dynamiques géopolitiques qui traversent le Pacifique insulaire, en croisant le regard des grandes puissances extérieures avec celui des (micro-)États qui composent la région.Invitée : Elise BarandonAvec Simon DesplanqueLien vers l'un des articles d'Elise Barandon : https://lerubicon.org/mercy-masta-le-changement-climatique-les-inegalites-la-criminalite-et-le-manque-dinfrastructures-constituent-des-menaces-bien-plus-importantes-pour-la-papouasie-nouvelle-guinee-que/Suivez le podcast ! Il est désormais sur X/Twitter : @20MPC_podcast & LinkedIn !   Générique : Léopold Corbion (15 Years of Reflection)Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

A memoir of a child's forced relocation to Siberia under Stalin's Gulag system reveals the potential for true human kindness in the face of extraordinary hardship.  In April of 1940, six-year-old Ida woke to the sound of pounding on her door. Soviet soldiers forcibly packed her and her mother onto a train with thousands of their neighbors and deported them to remote Siberia, leaving them stranded to survive the brutal winter in subhuman conditions. Looking back, Ida shares their struggles: foraging for food, trying to reunite with her imprisoned father, spending weeks in a desolate hospital with typhoid fever, and adapting to shifts in the political climate to make the long journey home to Poland. Ida published this acclaimed memoir in her native Polish in 2011. Here, Ida's granddaughter, Isabella Skrypczak, translates her babcia's words and provides additional context—including describing the remarkable life Ida has gone on to live as a pioneering doctor. In the vein of Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl, A Polish Girl in Siberia: Surviving and Transcending Exile (Disruption Books, 2026) chronicles Ida's experiences on a lesser-known front of the Second World War. Together, Ida and Isabella reflect on how every small act of kindness contributed to Ida's liberation from exile and ability to build a life and a family. Her story celebrates the capacity of the human spirit to not only survive trauma but thrive beyond it.Ida Kinalska-Pietruska survived childhood exile to Siberia during the Soviet Union's World War II assault on Poland. When she returned to Poland as a teen, she began studying medicine. A pioneering endocrinologist, she founded the School of Endocrinology and Diabetology in Białystok and led the region's first endocrinology clinic for twenty years. Ida has authored more than four hundred publications, mentored countless other doctors, and collaborated across the international medical community, including using her research to make widely known the Chernobyl disaster's effects on people's endocrinological health. She has been honored with the Order Odrodzenia Polski, Poland's second-highest civilian state award, and two Doctor Honoris Causa titles, reflecting her resilience, brilliance, and global impact on science and humanity.Isabella Skrypczak is an author, intuitive healer, and former HR professional in Big Tech whose work bridges the seen and unseen. Born to Polish immigrants and raised in Houston, Texas, she spent every summer with her grandmother in Poland. When her grandmother's memoir gained national attention in Polish media, Iza felt called to translate it into English—an act of love, remembrance, and advocacy. As war returned to Eastern Europe, she recognized the urgency in sharing this history with the Western world. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her daughter, Kamila.Stephen Satkiewicz is an independent scholar with research areas spanning Civilizational Sciences, Social Complexity, Big History, Historical Sociology, Military History, War Studies, International Relations, Geopolitics, and Russian and East European history. He is currently the Book Review Editor for Comparative Civilizations Review. 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

A memoir of a child's forced relocation to Siberia under Stalin's Gulag system reveals the potential for true human kindness in the face of extraordinary hardship.  In April of 1940, six-year-old Ida woke to the sound of pounding on her door. Soviet soldiers forcibly packed her and her mother onto a train with thousands of their neighbors and deported them to remote Siberia, leaving them stranded to survive the brutal winter in subhuman conditions. Looking back, Ida shares their struggles: foraging for food, trying to reunite with her imprisoned father, spending weeks in a desolate hospital with typhoid fever, and adapting to shifts in the political climate to make the long journey home to Poland. Ida published this acclaimed memoir in her native Polish in 2011. Here, Ida's granddaughter, Isabella Skrypczak, translates her babcia's words and provides additional context—including describing the remarkable life Ida has gone on to live as a pioneering doctor. In the vein of Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl, A Polish Girl in Siberia: Surviving and Transcending Exile (Disruption Books, 2026) chronicles Ida's experiences on a lesser-known front of the Second World War. Together, Ida and Isabella reflect on how every small act of kindness contributed to Ida's liberation from exile and ability to build a life and a family. Her story celebrates the capacity of the human spirit to not only survive trauma but thrive beyond it.Ida Kinalska-Pietruska survived childhood exile to Siberia during the Soviet Union's World War II assault on Poland. When she returned to Poland as a teen, she began studying medicine. A pioneering endocrinologist, she founded the School of Endocrinology and Diabetology in Białystok and led the region's first endocrinology clinic for twenty years. Ida has authored more than four hundred publications, mentored countless other doctors, and collaborated across the international medical community, including using her research to make widely known the Chernobyl disaster's effects on people's endocrinological health. She has been honored with the Order Odrodzenia Polski, Poland's second-highest civilian state award, and two Doctor Honoris Causa titles, reflecting her resilience, brilliance, and global impact on science and humanity.Isabella Skrypczak is an author, intuitive healer, and former HR professional in Big Tech whose work bridges the seen and unseen. Born to Polish immigrants and raised in Houston, Texas, she spent every summer with her grandmother in Poland. When her grandmother's memoir gained national attention in Polish media, Iza felt called to translate it into English—an act of love, remembrance, and advocacy. As war returned to Eastern Europe, she recognized the urgency in sharing this history with the Western world. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her daughter, Kamila.Stephen Satkiewicz is an independent scholar with research areas spanning Civilizational Sciences, Social Complexity, Big History, Historical Sociology, Military History, War Studies, International Relations, Geopolitics, and Russian and East European history. He is currently the Book Review Editor for Comparative Civilizations Review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/russian-studies

A memoir of a child's forced relocation to Siberia under Stalin's Gulag system reveals the potential for true human kindness in the face of extraordinary hardship.  In April of 1940, six-year-old Ida woke to the sound of pounding on her door. Soviet soldiers forcibly packed her and her mother onto a train with thousands of their neighbors and deported them to remote Siberia, leaving them stranded to survive the brutal winter in subhuman conditions. Looking back, Ida shares their struggles: foraging for food, trying to reunite with her imprisoned father, spending weeks in a desolate hospital with typhoid fever, and adapting to shifts in the political climate to make the long journey home to Poland. Ida published this acclaimed memoir in her native Polish in 2011. Here, Ida's granddaughter, Isabella Skrypczak, translates her babcia's words and provides additional context—including describing the remarkable life Ida has gone on to live as a pioneering doctor. In the vein of Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl, A Polish Girl in Siberia: Surviving and Transcending Exile (Disruption Books, 2026) chronicles Ida's experiences on a lesser-known front of the Second World War. Together, Ida and Isabella reflect on how every small act of kindness contributed to Ida's liberation from exile and ability to build a life and a family. Her story celebrates the capacity of the human spirit to not only survive trauma but thrive beyond it.Ida Kinalska-Pietruska survived childhood exile to Siberia during the Soviet Union's World War II assault on Poland. When she returned to Poland as a teen, she began studying medicine. A pioneering endocrinologist, she founded the School of Endocrinology and Diabetology in Białystok and led the region's first endocrinology clinic for twenty years. Ida has authored more than four hundred publications, mentored countless other doctors, and collaborated across the international medical community, including using her research to make widely known the Chernobyl disaster's effects on people's endocrinological health. She has been honored with the Order Odrodzenia Polski, Poland's second-highest civilian state award, and two Doctor Honoris Causa titles, reflecting her resilience, brilliance, and global impact on science and humanity.Isabella Skrypczak is an author, intuitive healer, and former HR professional in Big Tech whose work bridges the seen and unseen. Born to Polish immigrants and raised in Houston, Texas, she spent every summer with her grandmother in Poland. When her grandmother's memoir gained national attention in Polish media, Iza felt called to translate it into English—an act of love, remembrance, and advocacy. As war returned to Eastern Europe, she recognized the urgency in sharing this history with the Western world. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her daughter, Kamila.Stephen Satkiewicz is an independent scholar with research areas spanning Civilizational Sciences, Social Complexity, Big History, Historical Sociology, Military History, War Studies, International Relations, Geopolitics, and Russian and East European history. He is currently the Book Review Editor for Comparative Civilizations Review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A memoir of a child's forced relocation to Siberia under Stalin's Gulag system reveals the potential for true human kindness in the face of extraordinary hardship.  In April of 1940, six-year-old Ida woke to the sound of pounding on her door. Soviet soldiers forcibly packed her and her mother onto a train with thousands of their neighbors and deported them to remote Siberia, leaving them stranded to survive the brutal winter in subhuman conditions. Looking back, Ida shares their struggles: foraging for food, trying to reunite with her imprisoned father, spending weeks in a desolate hospital with typhoid fever, and adapting to shifts in the political climate to make the long journey home to Poland. Ida published this acclaimed memoir in her native Polish in 2011. Here, Ida's granddaughter, Isabella Skrypczak, translates her babcia's words and provides additional context—including describing the remarkable life Ida has gone on to live as a pioneering doctor. In the vein of Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl, A Polish Girl in Siberia: Surviving and Transcending Exile (Disruption Books, 2026) chronicles Ida's experiences on a lesser-known front of the Second World War. Together, Ida and Isabella reflect on how every small act of kindness contributed to Ida's liberation from exile and ability to build a life and a family. Her story celebrates the capacity of the human spirit to not only survive trauma but thrive beyond it.Ida Kinalska-Pietruska survived childhood exile to Siberia during the Soviet Union's World War II assault on Poland. When she returned to Poland as a teen, she began studying medicine. A pioneering endocrinologist, she founded the School of Endocrinology and Diabetology in Białystok and led the region's first endocrinology clinic for twenty years. Ida has authored more than four hundred publications, mentored countless other doctors, and collaborated across the international medical community, including using her research to make widely known the Chernobyl disaster's effects on people's endocrinological health. She has been honored with the Order Odrodzenia Polski, Poland's second-highest civilian state award, and two Doctor Honoris Causa titles, reflecting her resilience, brilliance, and global impact on science and humanity.Isabella Skrypczak is an author, intuitive healer, and former HR professional in Big Tech whose work bridges the seen and unseen. Born to Polish immigrants and raised in Houston, Texas, she spent every summer with her grandmother in Poland. When her grandmother's memoir gained national attention in Polish media, Iza felt called to translate it into English—an act of love, remembrance, and advocacy. As war returned to Eastern Europe, she recognized the urgency in sharing this history with the Western world. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her daughter, Kamila.Stephen Satkiewicz is an independent scholar with research areas spanning Civilizational Sciences, Social Complexity, Big History, Historical Sociology, Military History, War Studies, International Relations, Geopolitics, and Russian and East European history. He is currently the Book Review Editor for Comparative Civilizations Review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pour commémorer les 110 ans de la Grande Guerre cette année, 20 minutes pour comprendre lance une nouvelle série : "14/18, D'un monde à l'autre". Plusieurs fois par mois, nous y couvrirons en temps réel les grands évènements de la Première Guerre mondiale.Le mois de mai 1915 est essentiel dans l'histoire de la Première Guerre mondiale. Alors que l'offensive Gorlice-Tarnow est un succès éclatant, poussant les Russes à entamer leur Grande Retraite, Mackensen s'attaque à présent au dernier grand verrou protégeant la Galicie orientale : la forteresse de Przemysl, dont nous avons déjà tant parlé. Bonne écoute !Avec Vincent Gabriel.Suivez le podcast ! Il est désormais sur X/Twitter : @20MPC_podcast & LinkedIn !   Générique : Léopold Corbion (15 Years of ReflectionHébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

A U.S.-China war over Taiwan would be catastrophic for all sides and the world. Preventing such a war requires understanding how it might unfold—from start to finish—including worst-case scenarios.  How much warning would there be? Where might China strike first? Which countries join the fight? Can Taiwan defend its coasts? Would nuclear threats determine the outcome?  Charles Hooper is a retired U.S. general who served as one of the Pentagon's top China strategists and spent years living in the country. He joined Jon Bateman on The World Unpacked to give a step-by-step scenario for the war that no one wants. Find the episode transcript, and get the show direct to your inbox, here: https://carnegieendowment.org/podcasts/the-world-unpacked/how-a-us-china-war-would-unfold  Host:  Follow Jon on X: https://x.com/JonKBateman  Guest:  Lieutenant General (Ret.) Charles “Hoop” Hooper: https://x.com/LTG_CHooper  00:00 Introduction  01:42 Understanding China Through Military Engagement  09:54 How a Taiwan Conflict Could Begin  20:27 U.S. and Allied Responses  35:04 Global Economic Impact  39:03 Taiwan's Defense Prospects  47:14 Nuclear Escalation Risks  52:28 Avoiding Conflict and Looking Ahead

Fawaz Gerges, Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics, discusses the status of the proposed peace deal between the US and Iran.

Following threats from Donald Trump, U.S Central Command says American forces have begun attacking Iran. They called them "self-defence strikes" on multiple targets.Fawaz Gerges, Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, joined Anton with the latest.

Following threats from Donald Trump, U.S Central Command says American forces have begun attacking Iran. They called them "self-defence strikes" on multiple targets.Fawaz Gerges, Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, joined Anton with the latest.

Gallipoli ? Les Dardanelles ? ANZAC Cove ? …Ça ne vous dit peut-être rien et c'est à peu près normal. Si ce théâtre d'opération de la Première Guerre mondiale est aussi méconnu chez nous, ce n'est pourtant pas le cas dans le Commonwealth, et en particulier dans les anciennes colonies britanniques du Sud de l'Océanie.C'est bien plus qu'un théâtre d'opération, c'est la naissance d'un mythe et d'une identité, tout ça enrobé d'un échec stratégique et tactique sans aucune commune mesure.Dans cette sous-série de 14-18, D'un monde à l'autre, Julien Dauge vous plonge dans cette campagne oubliée de la Première Guerre mondiale. Dans ce deuxième épisode, il déroule l'écheveau de raisons qui poussèrent le haut-commandement britannique à tenter le tout pour le tout, à savoir frapper l'empire ottoman en son coeur.Bonne écoute !Avec Julien DaugeImage : BnFSuivez le podcast ! Il est désormais sur X/Twitter : @20MPC_podcast & LinkedIn !   Générique : Léopold Corbion (15 Years of ReflectionHébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

What does podcasting offer us?...Today, Abbie and Simone podcast about podcasting! Inspired by Simone's recently published book- Podcasting as a Research Method- this conversation explores both Abbie and Simone's experiences with podcasting, what they have learned along the way, and why this medium has their hearts....Simone Eringfeld is a researcher, polar guide, writer, and podcaster who prefers to maximize her time spent with penguins.She is a PhD researcher in Polar Studies at the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, where she studies Antarctica's changing soundscapes and approach listening as an embodied and epistemological practice. Her work draws on field experience in the Arctic and Antarctica, where I've contributed to expedition and science teams as a polar guide and field recordist.She is the author of Podcasting as a Research Method, a book that rethinks podcasting not just as a tool for science communication, but as a site of inquiry — where knowledge emerges through dialogue, voice, and relational engagement. Across my research, I'm particularly interested in creative methodologies, including sound-based approaches.Her background is interdisciplinary by design. I hold a Master's degree in Education from the University of Cambridge, where I produced award-winning research on the impact of COVID-19 on higher education. Before that, I completed three full-time Bachelor's degrees simultaneously (Philosophy, Literary & Cultural Studies, and International Relations).Alongside academia, she is the founder of The Smart Rebel, where I coach gifted, neurodivergent individuals and entrepreneurs to translate their intensity and complexity into meaningful, sustainable work....Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann....CMM Institute SubstackCMM Institute Events Page…⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told. here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Explore all things CMM Institute here.

Anniversaries provide opportunities to take stock and reflect. It is now ten years since voters in the United Kingdom cast their ballots in a referendum on whether the UK should Leave or Remain in the European Union. The subsequent decade has seen much churn and change in British politics. Join Tim Haughton and guests Maria Sobolewska, Charlotte Galpin and Monika Brusenbauch Meislova for a discussion of the causes, process and consequences of that decision made on 23 June 2016. Maria Sobolewska is Professor of Political Science at the University of Manchester. Among her many publications is the book, Brexitland, co-written with Rob Ford, which won the 2022 WJM Mackenzie Prize for the best book published in political science. Monika Brusenbauch Meislova is Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations and European Studies at Masaryk University in Brno in the Czech Republic. Monika has published extensively on many aspects of Brexit in a host of academic journals including Political Quarterly, British Politics, Journal of Legislative Studies, Europe-Asia Studies, the British Journal of Politics and International Relations, European Security and the Journal of Common Market Studies. Charlotte Galpin is Associate Professor in German and European Politics at the University of Birmingham. She has published widely on these aspects of Brexit, including in the British Journal of Politics and International Relations, the International Feminist Journal of Politics, the Journal of Common Market Studies, and Social Movement Studies. Tim Haughton is Professor of Comparative and European Politics and a Deputy Director of CEDAR at the University of Birmingham. He has published articles on David Cameron's referendum pledge and a review article on Brexit, Ruling Divisions. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Transcript here 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

Anniversaries provide opportunities to take stock and reflect. It is now ten years since voters in the United Kingdom cast their ballots in a referendum on whether the UK should Leave or Remain in the European Union. The subsequent decade has seen much churn and change in British politics. Join Tim Haughton and guests Maria Sobolewska, Charlotte Galpin and Monika Brusenbauch Meislova for a discussion of the causes, process and consequences of that decision made on 23 June 2016. Maria Sobolewska is Professor of Political Science at the University of Manchester. Among her many publications is the book, Brexitland, co-written with Rob Ford, which won the 2022 WJM Mackenzie Prize for the best book published in political science. Monika Brusenbauch Meislova is Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations and European Studies at Masaryk University in Brno in the Czech Republic. Monika has published extensively on many aspects of Brexit in a host of academic journals including Political Quarterly, British Politics, Journal of Legislative Studies, Europe-Asia Studies, the British Journal of Politics and International Relations, European Security and the Journal of Common Market Studies. Charlotte Galpin is Associate Professor in German and European Politics at the University of Birmingham. She has published widely on these aspects of Brexit, including in the British Journal of Politics and International Relations, the International Feminist Journal of Politics, the Journal of Common Market Studies, and Social Movement Studies. Tim Haughton is Professor of Comparative and European Politics and a Deputy Director of CEDAR at the University of Birmingham. He has published articles on David Cameron's referendum pledge and a review article on Brexit, Ruling Divisions. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Transcript here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.comHow is Christian nationalism showing up inside the U.S. military chaplaincy, and why does it matter for religious freedom?In this episode, Will talks with Leigh Larson, a theologian, Air Force veteran, public scholar, and founder of Follow the Leighder. Larson's research focuses on Christian nationalism in U.S. military chaplaincy, giving her both personal experience and academic grounding for this conversation.Military chaplains serve at one of the most complicated intersections of church and state. They are religious leaders inside a government institution, but their job is supposed to protect the spiritual care of every service member, including people of different faiths and no faith at all.Larson explains how chaplains are trained, why endorsing bodies and faith codes matter, and what happens when spiritual care shifts toward proselytizing or political theology. The conversation covers religious pluralism, Wiccan and humanist recognition, Cold War civil religion, post-9/11 evangelical influence, and the growing concern over Christian nationalism inside military culture. Relevant Links & ResourcesFollow the Leighder: https://www.followtheleighder.com/Follow the Leighder Substack: https://followtheleighder.substack.com/Guest BioLeigh Larson is a theologian, veteran, and public scholar, and the creator and host of Follow the Leighder, a multi-platform society and culture brand reaching 245K+ followers across five platforms.She holds a Master of Theological Studies from Phillips Theological Seminary, where her thesis examined Christian Nationalism in US military chaplaincy through original research including 22 interview subjects and a 116-response survey. She is a 2025–2026 Disciples of Christ HELM Global Theological Fellow (one of nine selected nationally) and a 2025 Stone-Campbell Journal Graduate Essay Finalist. During her first year of seminary, she served in the United States Air Force Reserve as a Chaplain Candidate and Second Lieutenant. She holds a BA in International Relations from the University of Texas at Austin, where she was both a Presidential Scholar and Jefferson Scholar.When she is not recording or writing, Leigh is somewhere on the road with her dog, Professor Huckleberry.Support the show

Anniversaries provide opportunities to take stock and reflect. It is now ten years since voters in the United Kingdom cast their ballots in a referendum on whether the UK should Leave or Remain in the European Union. The subsequent decade has seen much churn and change in British politics. Join Tim Haughton and guests Maria Sobolewska, Charlotte Galpin and Monika Brusenbauch Meislova for a discussion of the causes, process and consequences of that decision made on 23 June 2016. Maria Sobolewska is Professor of Political Science at the University of Manchester. Among her many publications is the book, Brexitland, co-written with Rob Ford, which won the 2022 WJM Mackenzie Prize for the best book published in political science. Monika Brusenbauch Meislova is Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations and European Studies at Masaryk University in Brno in the Czech Republic. Monika has published extensively on many aspects of Brexit in a host of academic journals including Political Quarterly, British Politics, Journal of Legislative Studies, Europe-Asia Studies, the British Journal of Politics and International Relations, European Security and the Journal of Common Market Studies. Charlotte Galpin is Associate Professor in German and European Politics at the University of Birmingham. She has published widely on these aspects of Brexit, including in the British Journal of Politics and International Relations, the International Feminist Journal of Politics, the Journal of Common Market Studies, and Social Movement Studies. Tim Haughton is Professor of Comparative and European Politics and a Deputy Director of CEDAR at the University of Birmingham. He has published articles on David Cameron's referendum pledge and a review article on Brexit, Ruling Divisions. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Transcript here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/world-affairs

Anniversaries provide opportunities to take stock and reflect. It is now ten years since voters in the United Kingdom cast their ballots in a referendum on whether the UK should Leave or Remain in the European Union. The subsequent decade has seen much churn and change in British politics. Join Tim Haughton and guests Maria Sobolewska, Charlotte Galpin and Monika Brusenbauch Meislova for a discussion of the causes, process and consequences of that decision made on 23 June 2016. Maria Sobolewska is Professor of Political Science at the University of Manchester. Among her many publications is the book, Brexitland, co-written with Rob Ford, which won the 2022 WJM Mackenzie Prize for the best book published in political science. Monika Brusenbauch Meislova is Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations and European Studies at Masaryk University in Brno in the Czech Republic. Monika has published extensively on many aspects of Brexit in a host of academic journals including Political Quarterly, British Politics, Journal of Legislative Studies, Europe-Asia Studies, the British Journal of Politics and International Relations, European Security and the Journal of Common Market Studies. Charlotte Galpin is Associate Professor in German and European Politics at the University of Birmingham. She has published widely on these aspects of Brexit, including in the British Journal of Politics and International Relations, the International Feminist Journal of Politics, the Journal of Common Market Studies, and Social Movement Studies. Tim Haughton is Professor of Comparative and European Politics and a Deputy Director of CEDAR at the University of Birmingham. He has published articles on David Cameron's referendum pledge and a review article on Brexit, Ruling Divisions. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Transcript here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

Iran and Israel are firing on each other again – and now Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are at war too. There’s been a huge shift in Middle East affairs and the US President’s desperation to get a peace deal is fracturing what was supposed to be his rock-solid relationship with Israel. So are we getting any closer to peace? Read more about this story at theaustralian.com.au and see the video by subscribing to our YouTube channel. Israel hits back at Iran after missile attack, renewing fear of war Benjamin Netanyahu defies Trump to retaliate against Iran, pushing Middle East to the brink Donald Trump signals breakthrough in Iran peace talks to end unpopular war Iran’s attack on Israel reveals new and aggressive regional ambitions This episode of The Front is presented by Claire Harvey, produced by Kristen Amiet and edited by Lia Tsamoglou. Our team includes Tiffany Dimmack, Joshua Burton and Jasper Leak, who also composed our music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anniversaries provide opportunities to take stock and reflect. It is now ten years since voters in the United Kingdom cast their ballots in a referendum on whether the UK should Leave or Remain in the European Union. The subsequent decade has seen much churn and change in British politics. Join Tim Haughton and guests Maria Sobolewska, Charlotte Galpin and Monika Brusenbauch Meislova for a discussion of the causes, process and consequences of that decision made on 23 June 2016. Maria Sobolewska is Professor of Political Science at the University of Manchester. Among her many publications is the book, Brexitland, co-written with Rob Ford, which won the 2022 WJM Mackenzie Prize for the best book published in political science. Monika Brusenbauch Meislova is Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations and European Studies at Masaryk University in Brno in the Czech Republic. Monika has published extensively on many aspects of Brexit in a host of academic journals including Political Quarterly, British Politics, Journal of Legislative Studies, Europe-Asia Studies, the British Journal of Politics and International Relations, European Security and the Journal of Common Market Studies. Charlotte Galpin is Associate Professor in German and European Politics at the University of Birmingham. She has published widely on these aspects of Brexit, including in the British Journal of Politics and International Relations, the International Feminist Journal of Politics, the Journal of Common Market Studies, and Social Movement Studies. Tim Haughton is Professor of Comparative and European Politics and a Deputy Director of CEDAR at the University of Birmingham. He has published articles on David Cameron's referendum pledge and a review article on Brexit, Ruling Divisions. The People, Power, Politics podcast brings you the latest insights into the factors that are shaping and re-shaping our political world. It is brought to you by the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) based at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Transcript here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies

Today Justin sits down with Dr. Niccolò Petrelli. Niccolò is a research scholar at the Center for International and Strategic Studies at LUISS in Rome, Italy. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Political Science, his Master's degree in International Relations, and his PhD in Political Science, all from Roma Tre University. He has also published many papers and journal articles on counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, and intelligence matters. He's here to discuss the relationship between US and Italian intelligence during the Cold War, and in particular, the Gladio operation, which armed, trained, and funded personnel intended to operate behind enemy lines in the event that World War III broke out in Europe. The Gladio teams were also suspected of being employed to suppress communism in Italy. Connect with Niccolò: LinkedIn: Niccolò Petrelli Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! https://kruschiki.com/ Clandestine Laboratories Your new favorite fragrance is here. I'm partial to Novochoc. https://www.clandestinelaboratories.com/fragrances Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Noam Dworman, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by Professor Daniel Sobelman. They discuss his research into the strategic origins of October 7, the captured Hamas documents recovered during the war, how Israel's deterrence strategy failed and what the future of warfare means for Israel and the region. Sobelman explains why Hamas believed it could fundamentally alter the balance of power, what Israeli leaders misunderstood before October 7 and why the next generation of conflict may be driven by cheap drones, precision weapons, and asymmetric warfare. Daniel Sobelman is a professor of International Relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in Israel, and a research fellow with the Harvard Kennedy School's Middle East Initiative. His area of expertise is the conflict and deterrence dynamics between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. His current research focuses on the strategic foundations of Hamas's October 7th attack. His recent book is entitled "Axis of Resistance: Asymmetric Conflicts and Rules of the Game in Contemporary Middle East Conflicts." https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1057610X.2026.2613426#abstract CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 01:30 The article that changed the October 7 debate 06:25 How Hamas deterred Israel 15:25 Buying quiet: Qatar money and Hamas leverage 20:10 The captured Hamas documents 22:30 Hamas's plan for a regional war 26:25 How bad October 7 could have been 39:00 The documents discussing Israel's destruction 46:25 Would Hamas ever accept a two-state solution? 53:35 Israel's future after October 7 01:01:05 Can Israel reverse its global isolation?x

Clement Manyathela speaks to Njabulo Nzuza, the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs; Ronald Lamola, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation and Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, the Leader of March and March about the interventions announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa to address illegal migration.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Noam Dworman, Dan Naturman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by Professor Daniel Sobelman. They discuss his research into the strategic origins of October 7, the captured Hamas documents recovered during the war, how Israel's deterrence strategy failed and what the future of warfare means for Israel and the region. Sobelman explains why Hamas believed it could fundamentally alter the balance of power, what Israeli leaders misunderstood before October 7 and why the next generation of conflict may be driven by cheap drones, precision weapons, and asymmetric warfare. Daniel Sobelman is a professor of International Relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in Israel, and a research fellow with the Harvard Kennedy School's Middle East Initiative. His area of expertise is the conflict and deterrence dynamics between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. His current research focuses on the strategic foundations of Hamas's October 7th attack. His recent book is entitled "Axis of Resistance: Asymmetric Conflicts and Rules of the Game in Contemporary Middle East Conflicts." https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1057610X.2026.2613426#abstract CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 01:30 The article that changed the October 7 debate 06:25 How Hamas deterred Israel 15:25 Buying quiet: Qatar money and Hamas leverage 20:10 The captured Hamas documents 22:30 Hamas's plan for a regional war 26:25 How bad October 7 could have been 39:00 The documents discussing Israel's destruction 46:25 Would Hamas ever accept a two-state solution? 53:35 Israel's future after October 7 01:01:05 Can Israel reverse its global isolation?x

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to chat about his Australia trip. Lat week, after it was announced four New Zealand MPs would be banned from China for a year, Australia commented condemning China's decision. Luxon responded saying it was not a matter for Australia to be involved in, but today he stated he was 'appreciative' of the support anyway. A focus of the trip was economic integration in a 'volatile world', including facilitating infrastructure partnerships. Luxon said "my job on those things is to be like the super salesman for New Zealand, really is how I look at the international part of my job." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, Israel has faced an escalating threat on its northern border as Hezbollah, backed and armed by Iran, amassed an arsenal of rockets aimed at Israeli civilians. In this episode, Andrew Parker examines the history behind the conflict, the promises made by the international community following the 2006 Lebanon War, and why those promises failed.Andrew argues that Hezbollah's continued presence in Lebanon represents not only a direct threat to Israel's security, but also a barrier to freedom and stability for the Lebanese people themselves. He explores the role of Iran in fueling regional instability, critiques the West's response to Israel's security concerns, and offers a candid assessment of President Trump's current approach toward Iran and the broader Middle East.Can peace be achieved without confronting the forces that seek to undermine it? And what happens when ceasefires become substitutes for lasting solutions?This episode tackles the difficult questions surrounding freedom, security, terrorism, and the future of the Middle East.Sponsored by Parker Daniels Kibort, a premier litigation law firm based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.Support the showThe Andrew Parker Show - Politics, Israel & The Law.  Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and X. Subscribe to our email list at www.theandrewparkershow.comCopyright © 2026 The Andrew Parker Show - All Rights Reserved. 

Reflections from host Sarah Olivieri ... The Underfunding You Accept Is a Design Choice, Not a Destiny There is a belief running quietly through most of the nonprofit sector. It says that being underfunded is just part of the deal. That if you chose this work, you also chose to do it with too little money, too few people, and salaries that would never fly in the for-profit world. That belief feels like realism. It is actually a design choice. When the rules that govern your funding are unclear, unfair, or built by people who have never done your work, the organizations living inside those rules compensate. They compensate with effort. They compensate with unpaid hours. They compensate by paying staff so little that the staff themselves would qualify for the services the organization provides. Nonprofit financial sustainability does not fail because leaders aren't trying hard enough. It fails because the systems shaping the money were built badly, and most leaders treat those systems as fixed. They are not fixed. They were designed. And anything that was designed can be redesigned. The Conversation That Sharpened This I've been thinking a lot about this lately. I recently had a conversation about exactly this with Charity Fain, and it sharpened how I think about what actually creates staying power in nonprofits. Not because the ideas were new, but because they explained why certain approaches hold up over time while others quietly collapse. Underfunding Is Downstream of Rules Someone Else Wrote Here is the part most leaders miss. The reporting requirements, the admin caps, the grant structures that make no sense on the ground, none of those are facts of nature. They are decisions. Someone sat in a room and decided that 10% of a grant could go to admin, and then defined admin so broadly that it swallowed the actual cost of the work. That decision becomes your reality. You receive the grant, you read the rules, and you think, whoever designed this has no clue what it takes to do this work. You're right. They usually don't. The mistake is stopping at frustration. The structural move is recognizing that the people writing those rules are reachable. They are sitting in committees, rulemaking processes, and advisory groups, and most of those rooms are starving for the exact knowledge your organization holds. They need what you know, even when they don't know it yet. When you treat funding rules as weather, you adapt to them. When you treat them as decisions, you start influencing them. Get In The Room Before The Rule Is Written The leaders who change their funding landscape do one thing differently. They stop waiting for the grant to show up and start shaping the grant before it exists. That means putting yourself and your staff on every committee you can find. It means sitting in rooms where you are not the technical expert, saying plainly, I don't know this part yet, and I will learn it, and you don't know what low-income households actually need, so we are going to teach each other. It means being willing to be a beginner in someone else's domain in order to be the expert in your own. This is slower than writing another grant application. It is also the only thing that changes what the applications ask for in the first place. Influence happens before the rule is written, not after the grant is awarded, and the payoff is structural. You change what future funding looks like, not just what you receive this cycle. Charity put it more bluntly than I would have. As she described getting her staff onto policy committees, she said: "I just really wanted us to be sitting in those groups that were making decisions so that people had to listen to us." What I appreciate about this framing is that it explains the mechanism. Visibility inside decision-making rooms is not networking. It is infrastructure. When your organization is consistently present where the rules get made, your reality becomes part of the design input, and the rules start to fit the work instead of fighting it. Your Staff Are Part Of The Community You Serve There is a second belief that quietly drains nonprofits, and it is even more damaging than the first. It says that because you are a nonprofit, you shouldn't make money, and neither should the people who work for you. The truth is, you cannot uplift a community while keeping the people who serve it in poverty. Your staff are not separate from your mission. They are inside it. When a leader decides to pay well, the usual fear is that expenses are now permanently higher with nothing to show for it. That fear is loud, and it is wrong. Paying people properly reduces turnover. It attracts more qualified people. It keeps the talented person who would otherwise do the math and leave for a sector that pays. Over time, it pays for itself, and then some. This is not a soft, feel-good position. It is an operational one. A well-paid, stable team is a more resilient organization. Resilience is what you draw on when the hard times come, and they come for everyone eventually. Nonprofits Are Businesses, And Harder Ones SSomewhere along the way, the sector absorbed the idea that nonprofits are not real businesses. That if you worry about making payroll, you're doing something wrong. That you should never have to manage cash flow month to month. Anyone who has run a nonprofit knows this is fantasy. You do worry about payroll. You do manage cash flow. And you do it inside a model that is more complex than the for-profit version, not simpler. I've written before about the things nonprofits can learn from for-profits, and the core point is this. A nonprofit is two businesses in one, a fundraising business and an impact business, each with its own audience and its own demands. That complexity creates a specific danger. In a for-profit, if you deliver something nobody wants, the bank account drops fast and the signal is unmistakable. In a nonprofit, the signals are weak. You can run excellent programs and still struggle to raise money. You can raise plenty of money and still fail to make an impact. The feedback that tells a business something is wrong arrives late and muddy. The problems have to be hunted proactively, because they will not announce themselves. So you have to go looking. You cannot wait for the system to tell you something is broken, because by the time it does, the damage is already done. Proactive leaders build the habit of checking their own plumbing before anything floods. Build The Team That Outlasts The Crisis When I ask seasoned executive directors what makes everything else easier, the answers vary. But underneath the good ones is almost always the same move. They stopped trying to be the expert in everything. You cannot do it all yourself. You were never supposed to. The job is to build a team good enough that you can trust the finance person to know more than you about finance, and the program staff to know more than you about the program. That is the point of hiring them. New leaders often get caught believing they have to know everything and do everything. That belief is a fast track to burnout, and burnout at the top harms the entire organization, not just the person carrying it. I've talked about this at length in why one person should never carry it all. A real team is what gives an organization resilience. When the hard season arrives, and it always does, the organizations that hold are the ones where the load was already shared. What Becomes Possible When you see underfunding as a design problem instead of a fixed condition, something shifts. The frustration stops being a dead end and becomes a starting point. You stop adapting to bad rules and start influencing the rooms where they are made. Paying your people well stops feeling like a risk and starts looking like the obvious operational choice. The weight of carrying everything alone lifts, because the team is built to carry it together. None of this makes the work easy. It makes the work hold. The Work That Holds This isn't about doing less work. It's about doing work that holds up. Nonprofits can have enough money. They can pay people well. They can stop accepting rules that were never built for them. Not by suffering more quietly, but by getting into the rooms, building the team, and designing the systems that make it possible. About the Guest Charity Fain has over 25 years of experience building stronger, more resilient communities in the US and around the world. As the Executive Director, she is responsible for overall leadership and management, ensuring financial stability and growth, setting policy positions, and advancing strategic direction with the Board.   Prior to CEP, Charity worked as Executive Director at the City Club of Portland, keeping Oregonians informed about pressing public issues. Before moving to Portland, Charity also served as the Country Director for Internews Network in Kyrgyzstan, directing a program to build stronger journalists, radio stations and public interest television. Charity has a BA in International Relations from The American University in Washington, DC and also speaks Russian. Connect with Charity: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charity-fain-8003234/ Website: https://www.communityenergyproject.org/  Be sure to subscribe to Inspired Nonprofit Leadership so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated! Let us know the topics or questions you would like to hear about in a future episode. You can do that and follow us on LinkedIn.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Professor of History and International Relations at Vassar College. He is a specialist on the history of US foreign policy Robert Brigham, Former Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association and Former Longtime Editor of 'The Daily Gazette' Judy Patrick, and Diplomat in Residence at Bard College. She retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2025 after over 30 years in public service. Her last post was ambassador to the SE Asian country, Timor-Leste Donna Welton.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, CIA and MI6 launched an audacious series of clandestine operations to infiltrate and destabilize Communist Albania — and lost nearly every agent they sent in. Historian Stephen Long, Assistant Professor in International Relations at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and author of A Rich Harvest of Bitter Fruit, reconstructs how the Albanian Sigurimi, one of Eastern Europe's most formidable counterintelligence services, turned the West's covert action program into a catastrophe — aided, from the inside, by British Russian spy Kim Philby. Long examines the fractured exile networks that became the human raw material for these missions, the diverging British and American strategic objectives, and the 1952 Apple mission's disastrous double cross. He traces how Albania's failures quietly shaped the covert interventions to come — in Iran, in Guatemala — and what the human cost demands of the institutions that ordered it.Subscribe and share to stay ahead in the world of intelligence, global issues, and current affairs.Order A Rich Harvest of Bitter Fruit: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/A-Rich-Harvest-of-Bitter-Fruit-by-Stephen-Long/9781837732241Connect with Stephen: https://scholar.xjtlu.edu.cn/en/persons/SteveLong/Support Secrets and SpiesBecome a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3/$4: https://www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpiesBuy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/secretsandspiesSubscribe to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dgFor more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.comConnect with us on social mediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.socialInstagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspiesFacebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspiesSpoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpiesFollow Chris and Matt on Bluesky:https://bsky.app/profile/chriscarrfilm.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/mattfulton.netSecrets and Spies is produced by Films & Podcasts LTD: https://filmsandpodcasts.co.uk/Music by Andrew R. BirdPhoto by AFP, CanvaSecrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode examines the very topics that real intelligence officers and analysts consider on a daily basis through the lens of global events and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and journalists. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Featuring: Daniel Levy, Dr Julie Norman, Nomi Bar-Yaacov, Shawan Jabarin, followed by Q&A.As the conference drew towards its conclusion, this panel tackled one of the most pressing questions of the day: what practical action can be taken internationally to advance Palestinian rights, uphold international law and create meaningful political change?Chaired by Sir Vincent Fean, the discussion brought together Daniel Levy, Dr Julie Norman, Nomi Bar-Yaacov and Shawan Jabarin to explore the shifting global political landscape, the role of governments and civil society, and how pressure can be translated into action.Dr Julie Norman argued that despair and inaction are not options. While acknowledging the scale of suffering in Gaza and the West Bank, she highlighted practical policy measures including recognition of the State of Palestine, banning settlement goods, supporting Palestinian businesses, and ensuring that any future reconstruction of Gaza prioritises Palestinian agency and dignity. She also reflected on the Britain Palestine Project's Statement of Principles, emphasising the importance of maintaining a broad coalition while continuing difficult conversations about how principles become policy.Shawan Jabarin offered a stark assessment of international efforts to date. Drawing on his experience as Director General of Al-Haq, he warned that many reconstruction proposals risk entrenching Israeli control rather than advancing Palestinian self-determination. He argued that Palestinians have been systematically excluded from decisions about their own future and stressed the need to challenge policies that seek to normalise occupation, displacement and inequality.Daniel Levy focused on the political realities of building influence and power. He argued that international law alone will not change outcomes unless governments are willing to create consequences for violations. Levy explored the growing global movement around Palestine, the shifting geopolitical landscape and the importance of creating political pressure that changes Israeli calculations. He also examined changing attitudes within Jewish communities worldwide and challenged assumptions about the future of Zionism, accountability and coexistence.Nomi Bar-Yaacov highlighted the urgency of implementing the International Court of Justice advisory opinion and ending the occupation in practice rather than merely in rhetoric. She outlined concrete measures governments could take, including restrictions on settlement activity, support for accountability mechanisms, action on Palestinian prisoners, and stronger coordination among European states. Bar-Yaacov also stressed the importance of maintaining hope through dialogue, cooperation and future political solutions grounded in justice and equality.The panel concluded with a lively audience discussion covering Palestinian political leadership, the imprisonment of Marwan Barghouti, the role of Hamas, changing attitudes among younger Jewish communities, international sanctions, and whether emerging global alliances may offer new opportunities to uphold international law.Throughout the discussion, speakers returned to a common theme: meaningful change will require more than statements of concern. It will require sustained political pressure, international accountability, grassroots mobilisation and a commitment to ensuring that Palestinian rights remain central to any future political settlement.Speakers:Daniel Levy, President, US/Middle East ProjectDr Julie Norman, Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations, UCLNomi Bar-Yaacov, International Negotiator and MediatorShawan Jabarin, Director General, Al-HaqChair:Sir Vincent Fean KCVO, Trustee, Britain Palestine Project

Four New Zealand politicians have been barred from entering China for a year after they visited Taiwan last September, but China's embassy says the ban could be reduced or lifted if the MPs apologise. The four MP's facing the sanction are Maureen Pugh, David Wilson, Laura McClure, and Labour's Duncan Webb. Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee told Andrew Dickens, "I think it's disappointing because we have a very different political system to their own and MPs in New Zealand can make their own decisions about these sort of invitations that come periodically." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Renowned historian Professor Avi Shlaim examines Britain's historic role in Palestine, the legacy of the Balfour Declaration, and the continuing impact of British policy on Palestinian self-determination.Tracing the roots of the conflict through the late Ottoman period, the British Mandate and the creation of Israel, Shlaim argues that Britain played a central role in shaping the political conditions that led to the dispossession of Palestinians and continues to bear responsibility for the consequences today.The talk explores:Britain's role in supporting the Zionist movement during the Mandate period.The significance and legacy of the 1917 Balfour Declaration.The suppression of Palestinian political representation and resistance under British rule.The Palestinian Revolt of 1936–39 and its long-term consequences.The Nakba of 1948 as part of a broader historical process rather than a single event.The work of the Britain Owes Palestine campaign and its efforts to seek acknowledgement, accountability and reparations from the British government.Britain's contemporary political, military and diplomatic relationship with Israel.The destruction of civilian, educational and cultural infrastructure in Gaza.Ongoing debates around international law, accountability and the recognition of Palestinian statehood.Professor Shlaim reflects on more than a century of British involvement in Palestine and argues that meaningful recognition of Palestinian rights requires more than symbolic gestures. He contends that acknowledgement of historical responsibility must be accompanied by practical political action and a commitment to accountability.Recorded at the Britain Palestine Project annual conference, Recognition is the Beginning, held at the Greenwood Theatre, London, on 2 June 2026.Professor Avi Shlaim is Emeritus Professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford and one of Israel's leading "New Historians". His groundbreaking research on the Arab-Israeli conflict, Zionism, British policy in Palestine and the creation of Israel has challenged many established historical narratives. He is the author of numerous influential works, including The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World, Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew and Genocide in Gaza: Israel's Long War on Palestine.

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The summit in Beijing produced a "constructive strategic stability" framework and a warming of tone between the two presidents. But heads of state can announce a multi-year horizon; somebody else has to operationalize it. Does the United States have the people — the linguists, the regional experts, the long-haul institution-builders — to do that work?This week, I chatted with two Texans answering that question from very different directions. David Firestein is the inaugural president and CEO of the George H.W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations in Houston. A career State Department officer who served four administrations and spent five years in Beijing, he's one of the few Americans concurrently affiliated with both a Republican and a Democratic presidential legacy institution. Eddie Conger is a retired Marine major and the founder and superintendent of International Leadership of Texas (IL Texas) — a public charter network of 26 campuses serving 26,000 K-12 students and now the largest K-12 Chinese language program in the country. In January, IL Texas became the first-ever K-12 recipient of the Bush China Foundation's George H.W. Bush Award for Educational Excellence in U.S.-China Relations, joining past honorees including Jimmy Carter and Henry Kissinger.The conversation tackles what David calls the Texas paradox: the same state that just forced its cities to dissolve their sister-city ties with China, that pioneered the closure of Confucius Institutes, and that has restricted Chinese land purchases is also where the country's deepest K-12 Mandarin pipeline is taking root — and where the most institutionally Texan China foundation has chosen to plant its flag. David and Eddie talk through engagement honestly (no straw-man Jeffersonian-democracy fantasies), the erroneous strategic assumptions undergirding U.S. China policy, what real national-language capacity would look like operationally, what they each saw in the Trump–Xi summit, and what 5,000 IL Texas graduates are already doing in the world.05:40 — Eddie's path: Marine infantryman to fifth-grade math teacher to the country's largest K-12 Mandarin program09:12 — David on when the Nixon-through-Obama engagement consensus broke (fall 2017) and how the lexicon shifted13:30 — Engagement honestly defined: what its architects actually believed vs. the Jeffersonian-democracy straw man18:30 — The Texas paradox: HB 128, sister cities, Confucius Institutes — and the country's biggest Mandarin program in the same state31:26 — Texas business, Tim Dunn, faith, and the gap between political rhetoric and where Texans actually are41:54 — The Defense Department safety/security story: when one Chinese word ate an entire bilateral agreement46:16 — David's six (or seven) erroneous strategic assumptions: China doesn't want to be us, and it has benefited more than anyone from the current order52:28 — What real national-language capacity would actually look like: NSLI, WALARA, and why the pipeline still runs through one Marine major in Texas01:06:07 — Reading the Beijing summit: the warmth, the "constructive strategic stability" framing, and whether Trump's Taiwan call could blow it all up01:17:10 — Where 5,000 IL Texas graduates are now — White House interns, service academies, doctors, entrepreneurs, and one high-schooler who pulled a stranger out of the surfPaying it ForwardEddie: Carlos Carrasco; Emily, who is heading to Taiwan this fall on a one-year high-school program; and another student bound for the University of Texas at Austin who will be sent to South Korea for a semester as a freshman — a rarity at UT. And he closes with Miles, a high-school senior and Marine scholarship recipient who, just weeks ago at a national competition in Florida, heard someone screaming for help in the ocean, called for a boogie board, and swam out to save a drowning swimmer while a crowd of adults stood on the beach. "Others before self," as Eddie puts it — the IL Texas mission statement made flesh.David:Frank Zhou, who just graduated from Harvard and chaired the Harvard College China Forum; Selina Gong, a recent graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School involved in its annual China conference; and Dean Dai, a recent graduate of Columbia's SIPA who has been deeply involved in many of the most significant student-run China conferences in the country — and who, as it turns out, was one of the organizers of the University of Chicago U.S.-China Economy and Business Summit where Kaiser spoke earlier this month.Recommendations:Eddie: John Pomfret, The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom: America and China, 1776 to the Present (Henry Holt, 2016)David: Stephen Roach, Accidental Conflict: America, China, and the Clash of False Narratives (Yale, 2022)Kaiser: David Grann, The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder (Doubleday, 2023)Also mentioned: Stephen R. Platt, The Raider: The Untold Story of a Renegade Marine and the Birth of U.S. Special Forces in World War II (Knopf, 2024) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Preston Stewart is a highly successful YouTube host, who makes videos about the military, national security and foreign affairs. His desire is to make these topics more accessible and easier for the public to understand. He studied International Relations and Terrorism at West Point and from there entered the Army as a Field Artillery officer. Today, he calls Murfreesboro, Tennessee home.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------LINKS:https://www.youtube.com/@PrestonStewart https://www.linkedin.com/in/prestonstewart1/ https://x.com/prestonstew_https://www.patreon.com/prestonstewhttps://www.tiktok.com/@prestonstewhttps://x.com/prestonstew_https://www.instagram.com/prestonstew_ UNCLASSIFIED Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@TheUnclassifiedPodhttps://open.spotify.com/show/4YmaFZihykI0iov9XgQ0uD?si=917d2d83cea844f6&nd=1&dlsi=afc05340aab14acc----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------

Today on Uncommon Sense, we're discussing what may be the most consequential political moment of Donald Trump's career. With Trump's approval ratings slipping, the Iran conflict escalating, renewed questions surrounding the Epstein files, and the assassination of Charlie Kirk continuing to reverberate through the conservative movement, many Americans are asking whether these events are isolated, or part of a much larger story.In this episode, I examine the connections I believe may exist between these developments, including my view that the Epstein files may have been used as leverage against powerful political figures and that foreign interests have exerted significant influence over American policy in the Middle East.We'll discuss:Trump's declining support among his baseThe growing controversy surrounding U.S. involvement with IranThe unanswered questions surrounding the Epstein filesThe political impact of Charlie Kirk's assassination and its aftermathWhy I believe these stories intersect in ways the mainstream media refuses to exploreMy goal is not to tell you what to think, but to encourage you to question narratives, follow incentives, and examine who benefits from the decisions being made in Washington.--https://www.bible.com/

Christians have done plenty of thinking about faith and domestic politics — poverty, abortion, local justice. But almost no one has systematically asked what it looks like to follow Jesus in international relations. Robert Joustra, author of Christ and Covenant in Global Politics: A Christian Introduction to International Relations, joins Brian From to fill that gap. He tackles America First nationalism head-on, arguing that loving one's country is genuinely biblical — fifth commandment stuff — but that ordered love is very different from whitewashed love or willful blindness. He applies the just war tradition to the war in Iran, making the case that all war properly conceived is a form of neighbor love aimed at reconciliation. And he closes with a biographical story about his Dutch father, born under Nazi occupation in 1943, who got his first taste of chocolate from a Canadian soldier — a picture of what war at its most just can look like. A timely, unusual, and genuinely illuminating conversation for anyone trying to think Christianly about a complicated world. Robert is joining the faculty at Calvin University in Michigan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who wields power in Iran? How much sway do the military, religious, and political figures have? We'll spend a little time with Kian Tajbaksh, Visiting Professor of International Relations at NYU. He is a former political prisoner released as part of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, and he is the author of The Iran Crisis Notebook on Substack

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

Clement Manyathela speaks to Ronald Lamola, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation about the diplomatic outcry from African countries following anti-immigrant protests in the country. The Clement Manyathela Show is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg based talk radio station, weekdays from 09:00 to 12:00 (SA Time). Clement Manyathela starts his show each weekday on 702 at 9 am taking your calls and voice notes on his Open Line. In the second hour of his show, he unpacks, explains, and makes sense of the news of the day. Clement has several features in his third hour from 11 am that provide you with information to help and guide you through your daily life. As your morning friend, he tackles the serious as well as the light-hearted, on your behalf. Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Clement Manyathela Show. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 09:00 and 12:00 (SA Time) to The Clement Manyathela Show broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/XijPLtJ or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/p0gWuPE Subscribe to the 702 Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc 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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The LSE Middle East Centre hosted the launch of Richard Barltrop's paper, 'Sudan's Current War: A Longer View on Peacemaking and Prospects'. This hybrid event launched a new paper examining the ongoing war in Sudan, which broke out in 2023. Drawing on lessons from the history of peacemaking in Sudan and comparative insights from other civil wars, the paper reflects on pathways toward ending the conflict, including the urgency of de-escalation, the need for sustained, long-term peacebuilding efforts, and the importance of Sudanese leadership and ownership in shaping a durable peace process. Richard will be joined by discussants Raga Makawi and Abdel Salam Sidahmad, and the event will be chaired by LSE's Laura Mann. Meet our speakers Richard Barltrop is a Visiting Senior Fellow at the LSE Middle East Centre researching contemporary approaches to peacemaking and peace processes. He has worked for the UN in the Middle East, North Africa and the Horn of Africa and is the author of Darfur and the International Community: The Challenges of Conflict Resolution in Sudan (IB Tauris, 2011). Abdel Salam Sidahmed is Chairperson of the Sudanese HR Monitor (SHRM) and an academic and human rights specialist with a PhD in Political Science. He previously served as Senior Human Rights Advisor to the Sudanese Prime Minister and Minister of Justice during the transitional government (2020–2021). Dr. Sidahmed brings over two decades of international human rights experience, including nine years with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, where he served as Regional Representative for the Middle East (2013–2021). Prior to that, he spent ten years at Amnesty International (1995–2005) as a Researcher and later Program Director for the Middle East and North Africa. In academia, he served as Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada (2005–2011). Raga Makawi is a Sudanese British researcher on Sudan's civic politics and social movements at the London School of Economics. She is the ex Editor at African Arguments curating topical themes on the Sudan's, the larger Horn and the general political and social affairs of the continent at large. She is co-author of the book Sudan's Unfinished Democracy: The Promise and Betrayal of a People's Revolution and is currently working on a number of publications in edited volumes including; the sudanese revolution and authoritarianism, the sudanese social movement contribution to security sector reform and new civic formations and the future of peace politics and political settlements in Sudan. Meet our chair Laura Mann is a sociologist whose research focuses on the political economy of development, knowledge and technology. Her regional focus is East Africa (Sudan, Kenya and Rwanda) but she has also worked on collaborative research on ICTs and BPO in Asia and has conducted fieldwork in North America as part of a project on digitisation within global agriculture.

Eric Olander on how the Global South is reading the Beijing summitsThis week I'm joined again by Eric Olander, founder of the China Global South Project, which runs the most indispensable English-language operation going for understanding China's engagement with Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.I came in with a plan: map, region by region, how the capitals of the Global South were reading the back-to-back Trump and Putin visits to Beijing — relief at a steadier U.S.-China modus vivendi, or foreboding at a G2 condominium squeezing shut their room to maneuver. Eric dismantled the premise within ten minutes. The honest answer, he warned me, is that most of the Global South simply isn't watching the way we are — and the disappointment turned out to be the most interesting thing in the room. What looked like the absence of a story was the story. I'd built my questions around one assumption about what mattered; Eric had built his answers around another, and I cop to being schooled.Once you set the summit framing aside, what Eric's contributors are actually seeing comes into focus: Japan racing to recenter an Asia-Pacific security architecture, a region quietly de-risking from an unreliable United States, fresh cracks in the BRICS, Justin Yifu Lin's “three moves” for Chinese manufacturing, Latin America's “find out” phase, and a Gulf where the Chinese setback so many in Washington insist must exist simply isn't there. We get into all of it — and close on the summit as a remarkable piece of theater, the first since 1945 at which no one quite knew who the most powerful person in the room was.04:27 — The dominant mood: pro forma coverage, exhaustion, and bigger problems at home08:15 — Breaking news: the paused $14B Taiwan arms package and the canceled Colby trip11:15 — The dog that caught the truck: China and the costs of a receding U.S. umbrella13:00 — "Constructive strategic stability" — new equilibrium or just choreography?28:23 — The snub: Beijing sends only an ambassador to the BRICS meeting in New Delhi37:56 — Africa: tariff-free access, the trade imbalance, and Kenya's "collapsed" exports44:34 — Justin Yifu Lin's "three moves": move up-market, localize, move south51:00 — Latin America's "find out" phase in Panama, and very low China literacy57:35 — The Gulf after the war on Iran: who really won?Paying it Forward:Boston University's Global Development Policy (GDP) Research CenterRecommendationsEric: A “rabbit hole” of books on Xi Jinping, currently Party of One by Chun Han Wong (after Kevin Rudd's On Xi Jinping).Kaiser: Angine de Poitrine, a “microtonal math rock” duo from Quebec — think Frank Zappa meets King Crimson — possibly the thing to breathe new life into progressive rock.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jeffrey Whyte's book The Birth of Psychological War: Propaganda, Espionage, and Military Violence from WWII to the Vietnam War (Oxford UP, 2023) explores the history, politics, and geography of United States psychological warfare in the 20th century against the backdrop of the contemporary 'post-truth era'. From its origins in the Second World War, to the United States' counterinsurgency campaigns in Vietnam, Whyte traces how the theory and practice of psychological warfare transformed the relationship between the home front and theatres of war. Whyte interrogates the broader political mythologies that animate popular conceptions of psychological war, such as its claim to make war more humane and less violent.  On the contrary, The Birth of Psychological War demonstrates the role of psychological warfare in expanding the scope and scale of military violence amidst ostensible efforts to 'win hearts and minds'. While casting a critical eye on psychological warfare, Whyte establishes its continued significance for the contemporary student of international relations. Dr. Whyte earned his Ph.D. with the Department of Geography, University of British Columbia and before that a MA with School of Communication, Simon Fraser University, also in beautiful British Columbia. He is currently Lecturer in International Relations at the Department of Politics, Philosophy, and Religion, Lancaster University. Michael G. Vann is a professor of world history at California State University, Sacramento. A specialist in imperialism and the Cold War in Southeast Asia, he is the author of The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt: Empires, Disease, and Modernity in French Colonial Vietnam (Oxford University Press, 2018). When he's not reading or talking about new books with smart people, Mike can be found surfing in Santa Cruz, California. 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

Jeffrey Whyte's book The Birth of Psychological War: Propaganda, Espionage, and Military Violence from WWII to the Vietnam War (Oxford UP, 2023) explores the history, politics, and geography of United States psychological warfare in the 20th century against the backdrop of the contemporary 'post-truth era'. From its origins in the Second World War, to the United States' counterinsurgency campaigns in Vietnam, Whyte traces how the theory and practice of psychological warfare transformed the relationship between the home front and theatres of war. Whyte interrogates the broader political mythologies that animate popular conceptions of psychological war, such as its claim to make war more humane and less violent.  On the contrary, The Birth of Psychological War demonstrates the role of psychological warfare in expanding the scope and scale of military violence amidst ostensible efforts to 'win hearts and minds'. While casting a critical eye on psychological warfare, Whyte establishes its continued significance for the contemporary student of international relations. Dr. Whyte earned his Ph.D. with the Department of Geography, University of British Columbia and before that a MA with School of Communication, Simon Fraser University, also in beautiful British Columbia. He is currently Lecturer in International Relations at the Department of Politics, Philosophy, and Religion, Lancaster University. Michael G. Vann is a professor of world history at California State University, Sacramento. A specialist in imperialism and the Cold War in Southeast Asia, he is the author of The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt: Empires, Disease, and Modernity in French Colonial Vietnam (Oxford University Press, 2018). When he's not reading or talking about new books with smart people, Mike can be found surfing in Santa Cruz, California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

This week on Sinica, I speak with Andrew Seth Meyer, professor of history at CUNY Brooklyn College and the author of a remarkable new book from Oxford University Press, To Rule All Under Heaven: A History of Classical China from Confucius to the First Emperor. Sixteen years in the making, it's the first proper one-volume narrative history of the Warring States in English aimed at a general reader — a gap in the field that Andy has now decisively filled. We talk about why this period — the roughly 260 years between Confucius's death and Qin's unification in 221 BCE — really is the deepest layer of Chinese political history that still genuinely matters, and we try together to find the line between responsible historical reasoning about modern China and the kind of lazy essentialism that reaches for Han Feizi every time Xi Jinping makes a speech. Along the way we get into the displacement of the hereditary aristocracy by the shi, the Lüshi Chunqiu as a piece of political genius, why the standard caricature of “Legalist” Qin is wrong, and what it means that the Chinese state is still, in some real sense, running on operating software written in the 4th century BCE.8:14 – The 16-year gestation, why no general-reader Warring States book existed in English, and what made Andy think he could be the one to write it11:06 – The romanization headaches: Wei vs. Wey, King Zhao of Qin vs. King Zhao of Yan, and the special agonies of writing about early China for an English audience14:31 – Why he organized the book by state rather than strictly chronologically — and what that structure lets him do18:14 – The relevance question: how to take the deep continuity of Chinese political life seriously without falling into the orientalist “eternal China” trap25:52 – Why the Warring States is properly called a revolution: the destruction of Zhou-era hereditary aristocracy and the rise of the shi33:15 – Fukuyama's claim that Qin built the world's first genuinely modern state — is “modern” the right word?36:30 – Qin's 38 commanderies, why the radical version lasted only 15 years, and the Han retreat: aristocracy or regional autonomy?39:46 – Reading the Hundred Schools as embedded political actors rather than tidy textbook categories — and the Jixia Academy as ancient Brookings44:06 – The Lüshi Chunqiu as a brilliant piece of political propaganda, and what its tripartite cosmological structure was actually arguing52:31 – Why the cartoon-legalist version of the Qin is wrong: the 70 erudites, the Taishan stelae, and what the book-burning episode really was57:05 – The axial age question: pattern-matching or something real?1:00:40 – What the Warring States actually has to teach us about China in 2026: zhong guo as aspiration, not description1:05:08 – How the Warring States is taught in China and Taiwan today, and what archaeology is doing to the field1:08:36 – Constant self-reinvention as the real Chinese legacy, and why no plausible future China fully repudiates the CCPPaying it forward:Avital Rom (postdoc at Cambridge, early Chinese cultural history, editor of a forthcoming volume on disability and impairment in early China)Liang Cai (Notre Dame, new book on Han-era jurisprudence and legal traditions)Recommendations:Andy: Hadestown on Broadway — and Anaïs Mitchell's original concept albumKaiser: To Say Nothing of the Dog: or, How We Found the Bishop's Bird Stump at Last by Connie Willis (audiobook especially recommended)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode unpacks the key discussion points from the U.S.-China summit, including Taiwan, the Iran war, AI regulation, and the future of U.S.-China relations.   Host: James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR   Guest: Nicholas Burns, Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government; Former U.S. Ambassador to the People's Republic of China (2021–2025) We Discuss: Whether the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing represented a genuine diplomatic breakthrough or merely a cooling of tensions without resolving underlying conflicts. What the dueling U.S. and Chinese post-summit statements reveal about each country's divergent priorities and negotiating strategies. How significant the summit's economic deliverables—agricultural sales commitments, Boeing aircraft sales, and a potential tariff truce—actually are. How Xi Jinping's early and deliberate warning about Taiwan set the tone for the summit, and what his decision to leak that statement mid-meeting signals about Chinese tactics. Whether President Trump's equivocation about U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and the One China policy constitutes a major strategic mistake and what it means for American credibility with allies in the Indo-Pacific. What the presence of Putin in Beijing immediately after Trump's visit reveals about Chinese strategic alignments. Why an emerging U.S.-China dialogue on artificial intelligence regulation could prove to be the most consequential and underappreciated outcome of the Beijing summit. What concrete benchmarks—from tariff agreements to arms sales to Chinese follow-through on commitments—will determine whether this summit actually put U.S.-China relations on a more stable footing. Mentioned on the Episode: "Joint Statement Following Discussions with Leaders of the People's Republic of China (Shanghai Communiqué)" U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian   "President Reagan's Six Assurances to Taiwan" Congressional Research Service   "Readout of President Joe Biden's Meeting with President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China" The White House   "Taiwan Relations Act" Pub. L. 96–8, enacted April 10, 1979   "United States-China Joint Communiqué on United States Arms Sales to Taiwan" Ronald Reagan Presidential Library   "U.S.-PRC Joint Communiqué (1979)" U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President's Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/what-trump-and-xi-didnt-settle-in-beijing   Opinions expressed on The President's Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.