The American Interest

 Relevant Reading: Same Old, Same Old? Hannah ThoburnMisconnecting the Dots Simond de Galbert, Benjamin Haddad, & Iskander Rehman Good evening, listeners! We have another great episode for you this week as our host, Richard Aldous, discusses Ukraine’s new Prime Minister with Hannah Thoburn before speaking with Simond de Galbert about homegrown terrorism in Europe.First, Hannah Thoburn, a research fellow at the Hudson Institute, tells us all about Ukraine’s new Prime Minister, Volodymyr Groisman, and describes why he’ll need the help of his mentor—President Petro Poroshenko—if he wants to make any important reforms.Then, Visiting Fellow at CSIS Simond de Galbert talks about the rise of homegrown Islamic terrorism in Europe, and examines the dangers of hasty generalizations regarding this rise of radicalization and francophone countries.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can also leave a review, and follow Hannah Thoburn @HannahThoburn, Simond de Galbert @simonddegalbert, and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

 Relevant Reading: What Minsk Means Lilia ShevtsovaThe Sanctions on Russia: How Hard Do They Bite? Lilia Shevtsova Good evening, listeners! We have an excellent episode for you this week, as host Richard Aldous speaks with Lilia Shevtsova about her recent series of essays focused on how the West misjudged Russia.Lilia Shevtsova, a member of The American Interest‘s editorial board and a nonresident scholar in the Foreign Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, discusses how pragmatists have repeatedly misread Russia. She looks back at the past two decades and describes how the Western world has time and again failed to accurately judge Moscow, from Medvedev to Ukraine.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can also leave a review, and follow Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

 Relevant Reading: The Raqqa Imperative Henri J. Barkey Good evening, listeners, we have another great episode for you this week!First we welcome the London Editor of the Irish Times Denis Staunton onto the program to discuss how the Panama Papers have affected British prime minister David Cameron. He also offers valuable insight into the current debate over Brexit, and how the American presidential election campaign is being received in Ireland and Britain.Then, Henri J. Barkey, the director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, comes back to the show to examine the state of the fight against ISIS. He describes how the U.S. and its allies have a choice of where next to target the Islamic State: Mosul in Iraq, or Raqqa in Syria.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can also leave a review, and follow Denis Staunton @denisstaunton, Henri J. Barkey @hbarkey, and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

 Relevant Reading: Twilight of the Climate Change Movement Mario LoyolaCondemned to Frustration Kirk Bennett Good evening, listeners! We have an excellent episode for you this week, as host Richard Aldous speaks with Mario Loyola about the troubled state of the climate change movement before discussing the relationship between Russia and the West with Kirk Bennett.First, senior fellow at the Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty Mario Loyola pours cold water on the post-Paris climate summit hype, pointing out that the deal negotiated there last December is non-binding. He argues that the climate change movement is facing some big trouble ahead—and that it only has itself to blame.Then, former U.S. Foreign Service officer Kirk Bennett brings expertise gained in his career working on post-Soviet issues to a discussion about what Russia really wants. He illustrates how Russia’s idea of a sphere of influence is markedly different from that of most other countries, and makes the case that Moscow’s goals cannot be accommodated by the West.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can also leave a review, and follow Mario Loyola @Mario_A_Loyola and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

 Relevant Reading: Two Cheers for the Paris Agreement on Climate Change Michael A. Levi All Is Forgiven? Dalibor Rohac Good evening, listeners! We have an excellent episode for you this week, as our host Richard Aldous welcomes Michael Levi back to the show to reflect on the climate deal signed in Paris this weekend, before speaking with Dalibor Rohac about Hungarys Viktor Orbán and Frances recent regional elections. First, the Council on Foreign Relations David M. Rubenstein Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment Michael Levi returns to the program to parse the recent Paris climate deal. He looks at how negotiations were able to succeed in ways they failed at the 2009 Copenhagen summit, and makes the point that the details of the agreement, to be hammered out in the next year or two, are of vital import. Finally, he talks about what the outcome of the Paris summit means for President Obamas climate legacy. Then Dalibor Rohac, a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, discusses how Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán has benefitted from the wave of fear gripping Europe in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks, as it has enabled his party to lure back voters. He places Hungarys experience in the broader European context, and discusses the rise of the far-Right across Europe, before looking at what lessons can be gleaned from the Front National defeat in French regional elections this weekend. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and follow Michael Levi @levi_m, Dalibor Rohac @DaliborRohac, and our host Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

Relevant Reading: The Uber Disruptor Dee Smith The Unintended Consequences of the U.S.-Turkey Deal Dov Friedman Good evening, listeners! This week host Richard Aldous invites two excellent guests to the show. First, Gordon Dee Smith speaks with Richard about car-hailing app Ubers travails in Europe, and then we welcome Dov Friedman to discuss the recent deal to bring Turkey into the anti-ISIS coalition. First, Gordon Dee Smith, founder and CEO of the private intelligence agency Strategic Insight Group (SIG) and the current President of the Board of the Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations (DCFR), points out that the debate over Uber has taken on larger dimensions in Europe. He says that while we might be specifically talking about an on-demand taxi service, more broadly the discussion is about the long-term struggle between disruptive innovators and those comfortable with the status quo. He looks at Ubers recent efforts to reshape its image and seek more solid political ground, and at how the matter of regulating new tech startups is straining the relationship between member states and the central EU bureaucracy. Then, Dov Friedman, an independent analyst specializing in Turkey and Kurdistan, joins us to discuss the recent dispatch of six F-16 fighters to Turkey as part of a deal with Ankara to increase strikes on ISIS. He takes us through the broad outlines of that deal and what both the U.S. and Turkey are hoping to gain from it, and explains how recent Turkish elections earlier this year affected the negotiation of this agreement. Finally, he takes a look at the broader consequences of the arrangement for the region and for the fight against ISIS. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and follow our host Richard Aldous @RJAldous and Dov Friedman @DovSFriedman on Twitter.

Relevant Reading: The Islamic State’s Christian and Yizidi Sex Slaves Nina Shea Obama to Versailles Paul Carrese Good evening, listeners! We have an excellent show for you this week, as our host Richard Aldous invites Nina Shea to the show to discuss ISIS and sex slavery, and speaks with Paul Carrese about Obamas Iran strategy in a historical context. First, senior fellow and director of Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom Nina Shea comes on to the show to tell the horrifying story of ISISs policy of selling women and young girls into sexual slavery, especially to the young jihadis that make up the core of the caliphate. Then, professor of Political Science at the U.S. Air Force Academy Paul Carrese joins Richard to ground the Iran deal in its appropriate historical context, arguing that President Obama more closely resembles Wilson than he does Nixon in his pursuit of the agreement. He reminds us that the views expressed are his own, and not those of any U.S. government agency. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and follow our host Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

Relevant Reading: What Comes Next in Russia Andrew Wood Spies, Lies and the Power of Truth Jeffrey Gedmin Good evening, podcast listeners. On todays show, host Richard Aldous first talks to Sir Andrew Wood about his most recent essay speculating on the succession struggles awaiting Russia after Vladimir Putin leaves office (one way or another). He also discusses the new Chatham House report on Russia, which argues that the West has not fully come to terms with the challenges that Vladimir Putins regime presents to a stable world order. Next, Richard welcomes back Jeffrey Gedmin to talk about the legacy of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and how we might consider fighting back against the torrents of propaganda being belched forth by the media masterminds of Moscow.

Relevant Reading: The Second Nuclear Age: Strategy, Danger, and the New Power Politics Paul Bracken The Waverly Vet Jim Remsen Good afternoon, listeners! We have a great show for you this week as host Richard Aldous welcomes Paul Bracken to the show to discuss the strategic implications of the Iran deal, before speaking with Jim Remsen about the story of a former slave who fought for the Union in the Civil War. First, Richard speaks with Paul Bracken, professor of management and political science at Yale University, about the recent Iran deal, who says this agreement will be looked back upon as the abandonment of the strategy of preventing a second nuclear age, and the adoption instead of a policy of management in a new nuclear epoch. He explains why hes optimistic about the future of arms control despite his pessimism about Iran specifically, and addresses what these negotiations with Tehran will mean for nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. He explains how advances in cybersecurity technology are in many ways a destabilizing development because of the manner in which the technology can be used to combat nuclear deterrents. Then, Richard welcomes retired Philadelphia Inquirer editor and author of the historical novel Visions of Teaoga Jim Remsen to the show to discuss his essay on a civil war veteran that survived his return to the South with the Union army after escaping north along the Underground Railroad. He explains how he came upon the story and how it relates to his hometown of Waverly, Pennsylvania, and tells the history of George Keys, one of the first fugitives to arrive in Waverly. He describes the magnitude of the decision for Keys and others like him to join the Union army and return to the South to fight in the civil war, and looks at why these former slaves made the decision to put themselves back in the fray. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and follow our host Richard Aldous @RJAldous and Jim Remsen @JimRemsen on Twitter.

Relevant Reading: A Doctor in the House Philip Auerswald Good evening, podcast listeners! Weve got a great episode for you this week as Richard Aldous speaks with his Bard colleague Pavlina Tcherneva about the recently announced deal with Greece before discussing the promise of disruptive new healthcare technologies with Philip Auerswald. First we welcome Pavlina Tcherneva, Associate Professor of Economics at Bard College and a research scholar at the Levy Economics Institute, to the show to help explain what happened with the latest bailout of Greece to allow it to stay in the eurozone, and what this means for the future of Europe. She describes a deal that seems to contain more austerity than was initially proposed, and calls some of its economic incentives perverse. She discusses why the economic situation in Greece today is in some ways worse than was Americas Great Depression, and compares the decision to bail out Greece to Irelands austerity experience. Were then joined by Philip Auerswald, Associate Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University and the cofounder and co-editor of Innovations, a quarterly journal from MIT Press about entrepreneurial solutions to global challenges, to discuss how we might reduce spiraling costs of healthcare. He describes how innovative new technologies might help us cut costs in the system, pointing to mobile platforms as critical new tools for boosting efficiency and curtailing waste. He also discusses the challenges inherent to the implementation of these disruptive new approaches to healthcare, including the protection of data and the governments role in regulating these new methods. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and follow our host Richard Aldous @RJAldous, Pavlina Tcherneva @ptcherneva, and Philip Auerswald @auerswald on Twitter.

Relevant Reading: Grexit May Be Europes Teaching Moment Andrew A. Michta Good evening, listeners! We have an excellent episode for you this week. Our host, Richard Aldous, welcomes Andrew A. Michta back to the program to discuss the unraveling situation in Greece. Andrew A. Michta, the M. W. Buckman Professor of International Studies at Rhodes College, an adjunct fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and the incoming professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, returns to the show to reflect on the looming Grexit and what it will mean for Europe. Michta sees the present crisis as a wake-up call for the leading countries of Europe, especially Germany and France, as well as a sign that the bill for Europes growing democracy deficit is at long last beginning to come due. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and follow our host Richard Aldous @RJAldous and Andrew A. Michta @andrewmichta on Twitter.

Happy Thursday, listeners! Apologies for the publishing delay this week, but perhaps its appropriate that the show missed its usual release date as its topic—the ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran—have also run past their deadline. This week we bring you a retrospective, as we look back to some stellar guests from past episodes to help provide context for what is being discussed in those talks today. First we hear from Aaron David Miller, vice president at the Woodrow Wilson Center, about his own experience as a Middle East negotiator. Then Michael Mandelbaum, TAI editorial board member and the Christian A. Herter Professor of American Foreign Policy at The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, helps place these talks in a regional context. Adam Garfinkle, Editor of The American Interest, tells us why we ought to be skeptical of monitoring provisions. And finally we hear from Gary Samore, President Obama’s White House Coordinator for Weapons of Mass Destruction Arms Control and Counterterrorism from 2009 to 2013 and executive director for research at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and follow our host Richard Aldous @RJAldous and Aaron David Miller @aarondmiller2 on Twitter.

Relevant Reading: China’s Hong Kong Problem Is Not Going Away Yevgen Sautin Erdogan Isnt Finished Claire Berlinski Good evening, listeners! Weve got a treat for you today as our host Richard Aldous speaks with two expert guests about Chinas Hong Kong problem and the shake-out from Turkeys recent elections. First were joined by Yevgen Sautin, a strategic risk analyst at U.S. Bank and former Boren Fellow at the National Taiwan University, to discuss Hong Kong lawmakers rejection of an election blueprint for Hong Kongs chief executive. He talks us through what happened, explaining the somewhat convoluted elections procedure currently in place in Hong Kong, and looks at how Beijing might react. He reflects on how China is studying Gorbachevs Soviet Union to help it craft its Hong Kong policy, and discusses what this means for Americas strategic interests in the region. Richard then welcomes to the show Claire Berlinski, senior fellow for Turkey at the American Foreign Policy Council and Manhattan Institute scholar, to discuss whats next for Turkey and President Erdogan after the countrys recent inconclusive elections. She focuses on what lies ahead for the so-called Kurdish peace process, now that a party with roots in the Kurdish national movement has entered parliament for the first time. She also situates the uncertainty of Turkeys political future in a regional and global context, explaining how outside events are putting the country in a pressure cooker. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and follow our host Richard Aldous @RJAldous, Yevgen Sautin @YSautin, and Claire Berlinski @ClaireBerlinski on Twitter.

Relevant Reading: Turkey Comes Undone Steven A. Cook Humiliation as a Tool of Blackmail Lilia Shevtsova Swimming With Sharks Lilia Shevtsova Good evening podcast fans. Tonight, our host Richard Aldous welcomes onto the show Steven A. Cook, the Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations to discuss his essay on the recent elections in Turkey. Cook argues that though Turkeys electoral institutions were able to deliver a rebuke to President Erdogans ambitions for expanding his powers, neither is the rebuke complete, nor is stability anything close to guaranteed. Next, Richard talks to a longstanding friend of the podcast Lilia Shevtsova, who discusses her two recent pieces for TAI. Why is it that so many Western experts have bought into the Weimar Syndrome explanation for Russias recent behavior? And what is it, anyway? Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and follow our host Richard Aldous @RJAldous and Steven Cook @stevenacook on Twitter.

Relevant Reading: Burma in Play Rena Pederson The Burma Spring: Aung San Suu Kyi and the New Struggle for the Soul of a Nation Rena Pederson Your Brain on Screens Richard E. Cytowic Wednesday Is Indigo Blue: Discovering the Brain of Synesthesia Richard E. Cytowic Good evening, listeners! We have an excellent episode for you this week as host Richard Aldous speaks with Rena Pederson about the Burma Spring before discussing what ubiquitous technology is doing to our brains with Richard E. Cytowic. First, Richard welcomes Rena Pederson, former adviser on strategic communications at the U.S. Department of State and the author of The Burma Spring: Aung San Suu Kyi and the New Struggle for the Soul of a Nation, to the show to discuss dichotomous Burma. She describes Burma as a beautiful, beguiling country rich in resources but faced with widespread poverty, with an estimated two-thirds to three-quarters of its citizens lacking access to electricity. She points to a distressing increase in political prisoners and new draconian anti-Muslim laws as worrying signs for the country, even as it enjoys economic growth and a rapid increase in foreign investment. Then she touches on opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyis upcoming visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, and what that means for Burmese elections and more broadly for Burmas relationship with China. Then, author and professor of neurology at George Washington University Richard E. Cytowic examines the seldom-discussed tradeoffs that come with technological advances, focusing on what increased screen time—whether on phones, tablets, computers, or television—is doing to our brains, and especially to the still-developing brains of children and teens. He discusses his own as well as others research on the topic, explaining the loss of the connection between the brain and the hand that comes with typing, and the loss of motor skills that this new way of writing brings. He discusses the benefits of reading on paper as opposed to on screens and the dangers of blithely adopting each new technology as it comes along. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and follow our host Richard Aldous @RJAldous, Rena Pederson @PedersonR1, and Richard E. Cytowic @Cytowic on Twitter.