Best Internationalaffairs Podcasts (2024)

1
Assessment: Middle East Outlook 27:43

2h ago27:43

27:43

Ambassador Ryan Crocker presents a frank assessment of the situation in the Middle East after the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. He served as US Ambassador to 6 nations, (Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, and Lebanon). He serves today on the Afghanistan War Commission. Former President George W. Bush called him “America’s Lawrence of A…

1
The Future of Taiwan's Silicon Shield 28:13

1d ago28:13

28:13

It was just three years ago when the Economist magazine ran a cover story on Taiwan, describing it as "the most dangerous place in the world." With intensifying competition with China and deteriorating global security following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, there are many arguments that continue to support that negative outlook. But that's not the …

1
Episode 3: Beyond Borders: Navalny, Argentinean Election Result, Trump's Nomination, Potential French Intervention in Ukraine 17:55

28d ago17:55

17:55

Explore the latest geopolitical shifts in our newest episode! Delve into Navalny's defiance, Argentina's political upheaval, Trump's resurgence, and the potential deployment of French soldiers to Ukraine .From political intrigue to international tensions, we unravel the complexities shaping our world today. Don't miss out on this compelling discuss…

1
Understanding the Ukraine War through the Lens of Greek Tragedy 30:22

1M ago30:22

30:22

As the war in Ukraine rages on into its second year, there remains little consensus or understanding of how the conflict could be resolved outside of military outcomes, and a persisting misunderstanding on behalf of the West regarding Ukraine's own internal preexisting social divisions. This week we're pleased to have a special guest, Dr. Nicolai P…

1
You can't understand the Soviet system without understanding the daily lives of its people 36:06

2M ago36:06

36:06

From the Russian Revolution of 1917 to the chaotic disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, there is a dazzling and disorienting array of histories. While many books detail the lives and politics of Soviet leaders, Karl Schlögel invites us to better understand the experience of the country through the lives lived by more common Russians, from th…

1
The enduring legacy of the Great Arab Revolt 31:23

3M ago31:23

31:23

There is a strong argument to be made that the root of Palestinian identity can be traced back to the 1936-1939 Great Revolt, which united rival families and communities, melded urban with rural, and joined rich and poor together in a struggle against Zionism and the British Empire. This is the starting point in Oren Kessler's exquisitely detailed …

1
When China gave up on its peaceful rise 28:08

3M ago28:08

28:08

Formulated by PRC think tanks in the mid-1990s, China's official slogan of the "peaceful rise" sought to calm Western fears regarding its blossoming economic, military, and political power as the nation resumed an outsized role in global affairs. However the mood did not last long, as in the later years of President Hu Jintao's administration, poli…

1
The more a Canadian academic learned about China, the less the West wanted to hear 27:28

4M ago27:28

27:28

As 2023 draws to a close, it has become increasingly clear that there are profound misunderstandings and misapprehensions running amok in Western media narratives regarding the pecularities of the current state in China. That's precisely why there should be a high level of interest in a book of personal experience, nuanced narrative, and thoughtful…

1
How a decade of street protests changed the world 28:45

4M ago28:45

28:45

In June 2013, the journalist Vincent Bevins found himself covering a mass street protest in São Paulo, originally sparked by a rise in bus fares. As the tear canisters rained town and violent clashes with police began, the protesters began chanting "Love is over. Turkey is here," making a intentional connection to another uprising taking place acro…

1
The US is trying to get the Cold War band back together 32:54

4M ago32:54

32:54

Following the October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas terrorists, President Joe Biden began to refer to America's support for the Israeli offensive into Gaza as one that was equally aligned with US support for the war in Ukraine. This was a narrative that proposed that in both cases evil forces had attacked the innocent, and that it was America's role…

1
The Economic Aims of Russia's Invasion of Ukraine 31:00

5M ago31:00

31:00

As Russia's conflict with Ukraine grinds deep into year 2, there are signals of impatience and exhaustion among the country's key supporters in the United States and Europe, and increasing chatter about "stalemate" and pushing Kyiv to the negotiating table. But even for the staunch isolationists who view the outcome of the conflict through the shor…

1
An assassination, a coup, and thwarted independence in Congo, 1960 29:11

5M ago29:11

29:11

The early period of the Cold War in Africa includes some of the most shocking episodes of foreign intervention by the US Central Intelligence Agency, to the point that many of these histories would seem a bit too farfetched for Hollywood. Such was the chaos in 1960-1961, right around the time that Congo achieved its independence from Belgium. Ameri…

1
What does the post-neoliberal world order look like? 29:59

6M ago29:59

29:59

In an increasingly complex and fractured international system, the norms and expectations of how nations and markets interact is changing from one era into the next before our very eyes. That is the main focus of inquiry for Gary Gerstle, whose new book, "The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order: America and the World in the Free Market Era," chro…

1
Episode 2: Ghosts, Gavels, and Gaza: The International History of Halloween, Trump Trials and Gaza conflict 16:23

5M ago16:23

16:23

In this episode, we embark on a journey through the global significance of Halloween, delve into the latest headlines surrounding Trump's indictments, and approach the Israel-Palestine conflict with sensitivity and empathy. Our goal is to shed light on these complex issues, fostering understanding and promoting thoughtful discourse. Join us for a r…

1
Crisis at the Ukrainian Orthodox Church 15:50

6M ago15:50

15:50

This week we're doing something different at Departures - Robert Amsterdam surrenders the host chair and joins as the interviewee to discuss Amsterdam & Partners LLP engagement on behalf of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is facing an existential threat following the Rada's passage of Draft Law 8371. Amsterdam discusses how the draft law repre…

1
A dispatch from Israel 37:54

6M ago37:54

37:54

In the weeks following the October 7 Hamas terror attacks against Israel, Departures with Robert Amsterdam welcomes special guest Prof. Ron Robin, the President of the University of Haifa in Israel, who provides an assessment and analysis of what the country is going threre and what paths we see coming ahead. Amsterdam and Prof. Robin discuss the a…

1
Episode 1: Season 10 Premiere: Global Turbulence - India-Canada Tensions, US Debt Limit, and Russia-Ukraine Update 20:57

6M ago20:57

20:57

Welcome to Season 10! This episode, meet your new Right of Reply co-hosts Sean and Charlotte and get ready for a dynamic and informative conversation about current pressing world issues. Our journey commences with an in-depth exploration of the recent India-Canada tensions, a continuously unfolding situation stemming from the murder of Hardeep Sing…

1
What We Know 50 Years after the Yom Kippur War 29:16

6M ago29:16

29:16

In October of 1973, Israel's existence as an independent state was shaken to its core when Egyptian and Syrian forces crossed into the Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights, triggering a conflict of sprawling geopolitical scale. This week, in October of 2023, following an unprecedented series of violent terror attacks against Israel by the Palestinian …

1
The weaponization of memory and nostalgia in Russia 27:34

7M ago27:34

27:34

As Russia's catastrophic war in Ukraine lurches its way toward another winter, an interesting debate is emerging regarding some of the fundamental ideas of Russian nationalism which has underpinned Vladimir Putin's casus belli, often including specifically misleading characterizations of history being used as a mobilizing force. In considering the …

1
Balkans Mission: A Perspective on Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia 42:14

8M ago42:14

42:14

Join Ambassador G. Philip Hughes and Ambassador Thomas Riley on American Ambassadors Live! with host, Ambassador Jim Rosapepe in a debrief of the Council of American Ambassadors' recent Mission to the Balkans. The three countries visited during the Mission were: Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. Discussed in the podcast are the aspirations of e…

1
The fragile ties that bind Eastern Europe 27:35

8M ago27:35

27:35

Eastern Europe, from the northernmost reaches of of the Baltics and down to the Balkan statelets strung along the Adriadic Sea, is one of the most perplexing, conflicted, and interesting regions of the world which still today remains the subject of myths and misunderstanding. Since the end of the Cold War, one could say that the region barely exist…

1
The legal wasteland of UN sanctions 32:58

9M ago32:58

32:58

In the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks, a sweeping transition took place across the international counter-terrorism space. Instead of responding to threats with law enforcement, numerous multilateral bodies instead respond with preemptive actions based on uncertain information - lists of names for sanctions are drawn up, very often directly violati…

1
The fallacy of empires 27:25

9M ago27:25

27:25

For more than one thousand years, the Roman Empire ruled over a vast territory that was unprecedented in both scope and scale. When it finally did fall under pressure from barbarian invasions and internal political divisions (among many other factors), many historians argue that the Romans sowed the seeds of their own demise. Is the same set of pro…

1
Inside the mind of George F. Kennan 25:36

10M ago25:36

25:36

George F. Kennan is arguably the most important American diplomat of the modern era, whose "long telegram" and strategy of containment shaped the Cold War and postwar period. And yet, at critical moments later in his career, he was cast aside and shut out by the institutions he once led. In his new book, "Kennan: A Life Between Worlds," acclaimed h…

1
Is China challenging the world order or contributing to its stability? 30:46

10M ago30:46

30:46

As China and the U.S. increasingly compete for power in key areas of U.S. influence across the Middle East and African continent, competition has grown in linear succession, and is increasingly adversarial. Often cynical of Chinese involvement and intentions, the U.S. points to blunders of the Belt and Road initiative, fears of neocolonialism, and …

1
MAGA Stands for 'Make Attorneys Get Attorneys' 36:21

11M ago36:21

36:21

There is no historical precedent for a former US president who is facing a more complicated web of both civil and criminal liabilities than Donald Trump, let alone for a former president who again intends to run in the upcoming election. To help sort through this mess and understand what the cases mean and what kind of risks they pose to his candid…

1
Russia's fragile but important presence in Africa 33:05

11M ago33:05

33:05

Amid a slew of headlines highlighting Vladimir Putin's efforts to expand Russia's footprint in Africa since the beginning of the Ukraine war, a certain narrative is emerging regarding Moscow's aims, tactics, and results in this crucial but often neglected region. Is Russia's presence in Africa a threatening menace or merely an empty gesture? As it …

1
The brazen deceptions of wartime collaborators 26:54

11M ago26:54

26:54

It takes a certain kind of person to become a collaborator for Axis powers during World War II - a level of self-delusion and survival instinct that is off the charts. In Ian Buruma's latest book, "The Collaborators," he paints in-depth portraits of three such figures - Felix Kersten (masseur to Heinrich Himmler and others in the Nazi elite), Yoshi…

1
A toolkit for defeating dictatorships 31:29

12M ago31:29

31:29

Democracy, in terms of its branding, has had a fairly rough decade. Numerous authors we have had on this podcast have highlighted and explained its global decline, discussed the expansion of nationalist movements which have eaten away at rule of law and institutional integrity, and the frustrating resilience of some of the world's most established …

1
Zelensky: From TV president to real president 29:55

1y ago29:55

29:55

Before becoming one of the world's most recognizable heads of state, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was a comic actor and entertainer, whose most famous show, "Servant of the People," imagined him in a role he would one day, unbelievably, come to hold in real life. But how was it possible for someone with so little political experience to u…

1
Episode 2: Episode 2: Questioning capitalism, a discussion with Professor Eleanor MacDonald 22:54

1y ago22:54

22:54

In this week's episode, we asked one of our Queens professors from the Political Studies department to join us in a discussion regarding capitalism. We discuss the common misconceptions people have about how capitalism works. From this, we are able to better understand how it's been deeply rooted in various parts of our lives, as seen through econo…

1
The evolving history of the Holocaust 36:36

1y ago36:36

36:36

The gradual breakdown of the prevailing geopolitical order has brought to the fore numerous far right parties and politicians across Western democracy, bringing with them some very old (and very dangerous) tropes of anti-Semitism. In light of these frightening trends, it is more important than ever for us to confront the often difficult and challen…

1
The legal cases that birthed the civil rights movement 29:16

1y ago29:16

29:16

The end of slavery in the United States was an arduously complex process, which beyond simply the issues surrounding cultural and social norms, not to mention the conflicts remaining at the end of the Civil War, the dismantling of established racist institutions began with critical cases going through the courts. In historian Kate Masur's new book,…

1
The Murderous Ideology of Franco's Spain 23:04

1y ago23:04

23:04

The story of the rise of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in 1936 is often overshadowed by that of the country's civil war and its entanglement across the other major developments in Europe at the time. But Spanish fascism was also driven by an enduring set of beliefs - which were so thoroughly odious and absurd - that it is a significant challeng…

1
Surviving Putin 24:45

1y ago24:45

24:45

Marina Litvinenko has seen a lot in her life. In 2006, her husband, the former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, was assassinated by radioactive poisoning by agents of the Russian government. Her unrelenting quest for justice and answers has led through the courts, the media, and the highest levels of diplomacy - and yet, after all this time, there…

1
Italy's indulgent nostalgia for Mussolini 26:54

1y ago26:54

26:54

The period during which 'Il Duce' Benito Mussolini ruled Italy as prime minister from 1922 to 1943 remains as confusing and contested today as it did during the disastrous postwar years, due mainly to a series of myths about the man, his government, and facism in general. In the new book from the decorated historian Paul Corner, "Mussolini in Myth …

1
Nobody wants a war fought over the South China Sea 24:23

1y ago24:23

24:23

It may just be a smattering of insignificant rocks and reefs along the Nine-dash line between the Philippines and China, but in recent years this area has become the focus of the world's most complex and dangerous maritime dispute. China's growing influence and willingness to project its will against smaller neighbors and US allies has drawn Washin…

1
Manipulating Information and faking democracy 29:37

1y ago29:37

29:37

In the age of information and with growing calls around the world for democracy, Vladimir Putin, Lee Kuan Yew and Alberto Fujimori are redefining what it means to be a dictator in the 21st century. Through the manipulation of information, media, and using censorship, this new breed of despots are covertly monopolizing power under the guise of democ…

1
Episode 1: Season 9, Episode 1: International Development Week 15:15

1y ago15:15

15:15

Right of Reply's first episode of season 9 and 2023 features Queen's International Affairs Association's directors for International Development Week (IDW). In this episode Ammia Zafar, Taylor Bourne and Stéphanie Parent address the importance of discussing issues surrounding poverty reduction, the climate crisis and gender based violence. Don't fo…

1
Playing in the grey in the shadow economy 28:42

1y ago28:42

28:42

In international finance, the difference between what is legal and normal and what is criminal and corrupt is often unclear, a disparity made worse by an overlapping series of laws and regulations which in some cases can put U.S. competition at a disadvantage. These networks of illicit finance, shell corporations, and offshore structures used by gl…

1
Inside the Kremlin Groupthink that led Russia into a disastrous war 30:14

1y ago30:14

30:14

As we approach the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a number of journalists and authors have published highly detailed chronicles from the battlefield, stories of resilience and heroism of the Ukrainian resistance, and geopolitical analyses across the spectrum. But quite few of these books view the war through Russian eyes, und…

1
Drinking, sex, and journalism on the cusp of WWII 30:19

1+ y ago30:19

30:19

The role of foreign correspondents, especially during times of war, can be extraordinarily important not only in shaping public perceptions and strategic decisionmaking at the highest level, but also in informing on revolutionary shifts in social norms, as these reporters find themselves bringing their personal lives into the public and the newsmak…

1
Mastering the Art of Diplomacy: an Interview with Ambassador Sondland 26:54

1+ y ago26:54

26:54

Join Ambassador Sondland on American Ambassadors Live! with host, Ambassador Jim Rosapepe discussing Ambassador Sondland's recent book, The Envoy. Ambassador Sondland shares his experiences while Ambassador to the EU, examining the real job of the ambassador, his relationship with President Zelenskyy, and the differences between career and politica…

1
Endgame for Vladimir Putin? 26:32

1+ y ago26:32

26:32

After almost 23 years in power, Russian President Vladimir Putin currently appears more weakened and vulnerable than during any other period of his presidency, thanks in large part to his disastrous decision to invade Ukraine. On this week's Departures, we bring back the veteran journalist Luke Harding, who for years serving the Guardian's correspo…

1
Sweden - Partnership for Peace to NATO 22:53

1+ y ago22:53

22:53

Join Ambassador Siebert on American Ambassadors Live! with host, Ambassador Jim Rosapepe in a discussion of Sweden's history, partnership with Peace, and the path to joining NATO. Ambassador Tom Siebert, the guest for today’s podcast, was the Ambassador to Sweden from 1994 to 1998. In 1998, he served as Chairman of the International Telecommunicati…

1
There is nothing inevitable about the war in Ukraine 28:33

1+ y ago28:33

28:33

When we talk about the gig economy, we usually are referring to rideshare drivers, errand runners, and all sorts of service industry freelancers. But we rarely think about the freelancers and non-state actors which take part in wars and armed conflict, doing the sometimes violent fighting and often disruptive hacking, as playing a very important ro…

1
China's ambitious future in Central Asia 32:10

1+ y ago32:10

32:10

Though we often view China's increasingly activist foreign policy in its trade wars, territorial disputes, and frequent collisions with Western states, less attention is paid to its gradual and quiet expansion of influence in the 'Stans of Central Asia. But it is here, among the populations of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenist…

1
In China's political history, numbers don't always add up 24:56

1+ y ago24:56

24:56

China's recent political history has taken place at breakneck speed. A historic economic transformation, the consolidation of centralized power not seen since Mao, and the eager but then later truculent participation in the global economy. How do we measure this progress and its costs, and how do we measure its shortcomings? The numbers matter, and…

1
Mafias matter, especially with state formation 36:37

1+ y ago36:37

36:37

When we think of networks of organized crime, we tend to place them in their own category, occupying an "underworld" of its own rules separate from the norms and laws that guide our states operate in societies. In his new book, "Gangsters and Other Statesmen: Mafias, Separatists, and Torn States in a Globalized World," Danilo Mandić, a political so…

1
Departures LIVE on Russia, Ukraine, and the future of the rules-based order 1:16:18

1+ y ago1:16:18

1:16:18

To celebrate the 150th episode of Departures, we held a live recording with a terrific group of invited guests in London. We're grateful to John Lough, a former NATO officer, a Senior Vice President at the consultancy Highgate, and the author of the book, "Germany's Russia Problem," who provided introductory remarks. Our longtime friend and colleag…

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