Are Bilateral Trade Deals a Good Idea? Foreign Policy Association 2023-10-12 | What are the pros and cons of bilateral trade deals? Was the TPP intended as a tool to 'contain China'? "The whole purpose of the bilateral deal is that we can cut a deal that will suit our specific needs," explains Dr. Minyuan Zhao, Associate Professor of Strategy at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. "Expanding those deals defeats the very purpose of bilateral deals." She discusses some of the implementation and enforcement challenges of multilateral trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2018.
Climate Policy and Foreign Policy in the Biden Administration: We need...the power of our example Foreign Policy Association 2023-10-11 | Is President Biden taking a stronger approach to climate policy than previous U.S. administrations? "Certainly, President Biden is using the bully pulpit to say that we have a huge challenge with climate change, that we have to change how we operate here in the United States," argues U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon. But "we need to have the power of our example, not just the power of our words."This interview was recorded in 2021.
The Bloody Rise of Irans Ayatollah Foreign Policy Association 2023-10-10 | During the Iranian revolution, multiple camps struggled for supremacy. How did the Ayatollah end up in charge? "The Ayatollah and the Islamists who backed him emerged as the leaders of the Iran revolution through brute force," says Dr. Bernard Haykel, Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University, drawing parallels with the violent rise of the Bolsheviks during the Russian revolution. This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2018.
Indias Demographic Advantage Foreign Policy Association 2023-10-09 | Which country has the highest population in the world? Soon, the answer will be India. "India is, demographically speaking, in a much more advantageous position than China," explains Dr. Wang Feng, Professor of Sociology at University of California, Irvine. "India will soon surpass China as the largest population, an d also India has a younger population than China." Will these shifting demographic trends translate to an economic or strategic advantage for India?This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2021.
Understanding Earths Shrinking Population Foreign Policy Association 2023-10-06 | "We are entering again in unknown territory," says Dr. Wang Feng, Professor of Sociology at University of California, Irvine. "Back in the late middle of the 20th century, we did not know how quickly and how prevalent the fertility would drop. And as of now, we seem to see no end to this low fertility."This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2021.
Can America Learn from Mistakes in Iraq and Afghanistan? Foreign Policy Association 2023-10-05 | Can the United States learn from mistakes made in Iraq and Afghanistan? “I think Afghanistan and Iraq are both cases where we got involved without studying the problem well enough,” says General Stanley A. McChrystal, former Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and NATO ISAF. “I don' t think we had a choice in Afghanistan…in Iraq, we're a little more guilty. We had a war of choice in Iraq.”This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2017.
The New Space Boom: A UN Perspective Foreign Policy Association 2023-10-04 | What does the rise of the commercial space industry mean for the laws governing outer space? Simonetta Di Pippo, former Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), discusses some of the challenges of the "booming" new space industry.This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2021.
Does America Use Special Ops Too Much? Foreign Policy Association 2023-10-03 | Why does the United States lean so often on special ops? “Special Operations forces are sexy. They're almost seductive. They tend to produce very high profile operations in a very finite amount of time. They look as though they're inexpensive, they look as though they're higher tech, and in some cases, they are. But in reality, they're only a small part of it. When we talk about special operating forces, they're not better operating forces," says General Stanley A. McChrystal, former Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and NATO ISAF. This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2017.
200 Years of Demographics in 5 Minutes Foreign Policy Association 2023-10-02 | Do countries want more people or fewer? Which is better, a growing population or a shrinking one? From Malthus to the 21st century, Dr. Wang Feng, Professor of Sociology at University of California, Irvine, offers an expert overview of key transformations in our understanding of demographics over the past two centuries.This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2021.
What do diplomats do for America? Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-29 | The U.S. maintains a vast network of foreign service officers (FSOs) in its embassies and consulates around the world. How do diplomats benefit the United States? Jake Sullivan, now National Security Advisor to U.S. President Joe Biden, says, "It is absolutely vital...to our very way of life that we have a worldwide network of diplomats."This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2018
Should America Use its Military Less? Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-28 | Should the United States use its military less? Have unsuccessful U.S. military efforts actually weakened the United States' reputation for military strength? "In reality, I think that we should seek to have a very, very strong military that in the minds of our foe is unbeatable, and part of that involves only using it when you absolutely have to," says General Stanley A. McChrystal, former Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and NATO ISAF. This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2017.
Is Europe Becoming Less European? Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-27 | Is Europe really becoming 'less European', as some far-right political movements claim? "This is kind of crisis rhetoric that is designed to scare people. It's designed to build support for right-wing agendas by frightening people thinking that the way of life that they've known for so long is going to cease. Obviously, this is all about perception," says Dr. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Professor of Italian and History at New York University and author of Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present.This interview is from the FPA archives.
THE BUSINESS OF AMERICA AND CHINA IS BUSINESS Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-26 | World Leadership ForumPANEL 2: THE BUSINESS OF AMERICA AND CHINA IS BUSINESSModerator: Professor Sarwar Kashmeri, FPA Fellow and Host, Polaris-Live.comPanelists:Marc Chandler, Chief Market Strategist, Bannockburn Global ForexGeorge Magnus, China Centre at Oxford UniversityShehzad Qazi, Chief Operating Officer, China Beige BookZongyuan Zoe Liu, Maurice Greenberg Fellow, China Studies, Council on Foreign Relations
Can America Avoid Forever Wars? Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-26 | Can the United States avoid future entanglements in protracted and potentially unwinnable conflicts, like those in Afghanistan and Iraq? "It's going to be very difficult," warns General Stanley A. McChrystal, former Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and NATO ISAF. This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2017.
Global Economic Outlook Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-25 | World Leadership Forum 2023PANEL 1: GLOBAL ECONOMIC OUTLOOKModerator: Thomas B. Michaud, President & CEO, Keefe, Bruyette & WoodsPanelists:Marc Chandler, Chief Market Strategist, Bannockburn Global ForexJoyce Chang, Chair of Global Research, JP MorganC. Dean Metropoulos, Chairman, CEO & Founder, C. Dean Metropoulos & Co.
Do laws govern the flow of data? Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-25 | Companies no longer trade and transport only physical objects across borders: there is now a global trade in data. Do laws govern the flow of data around the world? Are these rules enforceable when nations, including China, break them? Timothy Wu, Julius Silver Professor of Law, Science and Technology at Columbia University and special assistant to U.S. President Joe Biden for technology and competition policy, shares his expert perspective.This interview is from the FPA archives.
Xenophobic Political Movements in the US vs Europe Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-22 | Over the past decade, far-right anti-immigration and xenophobic political movements have been on the rise in both Europe and the United States. But how similar are they really? Dr. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Professor of Italian and History at New York University and author of Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present, argues that there is a key difference: the age of their followers.This interview is from the FPA archives.
Irans Influence on Regional Conflicts Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-21 | What is Iran's influence on conflicts and tensions in its region, including in Syria, Yemen and Iraq? Susan L. Ziadeh, former U.S. Ambassador to Qatar and acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, argues that "Iranian interference" plays a role in all three cases.This interview is from the FPA archives
The Nuclear Arms Race Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-20 | What was the logic behind the nuclear arms race? What underlies the 'sanitized' concept of nuclear deterrence? "The logic -- if you can call it that --behind the nuclear arms race was really that this idea if both sides had Earth-destroying levels of nuclear weapons, then no one would use them, so that there was this concept of mutually assured destruction," explains writer and activist Ray Acheson, a researcher from the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2018.
Religion and Xenophobia in Europe Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-19 | Does religion play a role in the rising tide of anti-immigrant sentiment in Europe? Dr. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Professor of Italian and History at New York University and author of Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present, draws examples from history to consider links between some religious movements and xenophobic politics in Europe.This interview is from the FPA archives.
Why Does the U.S. Spend More on Defense Now Than at the Height of the Cold War? Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-18 | “It’s just tremendously expensive,” says General Stanley A. McChrystal, former Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and NATO ISAF. He highlights not only rising military personnel, family and healthcare costs, but the difference between nations committed only to defend their own borders and those like the US, where, “we have traditionally defended forward of our borders…some of that was to guarantee peace in regions or stability or access to raw materials like oil but in other cases it was also to have a network of allies and relationships that we could rely on…And then of course we traditionally have wanted to be able to fight more than one war at once.”This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2017.
The Militarization of China Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-15 | Is the U.S. overreacting to China's increasing military capability? China "was in almost a dormant state...they're back as the Middle Kingdom now and in every regard they're flexing their muscle," says General Stanley A. McChrystal, former Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and NATO ISAF. This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2017.
Does the Media Impact Foreign Policy? Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-14 | Does the media impact U.S. foreign policy choices? Indira Lakshmanan, journalist and former senior executive editor of National Geographic, points to how coverage of the Vietnam War helped shape U.S. public opinion and ultimately turn the tide.This interview is from the FPA archives.
How Could the State Department Modernize? Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-13 | How can the U.S. State Department modernize to the needs of 21st-century diplomacy? Key areas include technology and engaging with non-state actors, says Jake Sullivan, now National Security Advisor to U.S. President Joe Biden. This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2018
Israels Nuclear Status and Its Regional Impacts Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-12 | How does Israel's status as a nuclear power impact other nations in the region? "I think that Israel's nuclear possession certainly has an impact on the region's policies when it comes to nuclear weapons," says writer and activist Ray Acheson, a researcher from the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.This interview is from the FPA archives.
The United States Net Zero 2050 goals Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-11 | What are America's net zero goals? The climate crisis looks likely to have significant impacts on foreign policy in the 21st century as nations, due to extreme weather, climate refugee flows, natural disasters, and even potentially conflict. In an attempt to prevent worst-case scenarios, many nations have launched 'net zero' emissions targets -- for the United States, by 2050. In this interview, U.S. Congressman David Price of North Carolina offers his perspective on the U.S. net zero targets introduced during the Biden administration, what priorities are, and what impacts may be.
Chinas Rise: Possible Outcomes and Americas Response Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-08 | "I think that China's rise is the most consequential event of the 21st century," says Jake Sullivan, now National Security Advisor to U.S. President Joe Biden. He discusses the importance of diplomacy, and possible multilateral responses to China's trade practices.This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2018
Should Unions Help Negotiate International Trade Deals? Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-07 | Multinational corporations often have a voice in international trade negotiations. Should trade unions? Thea Lee, now Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor, shares her perspective. This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2018.
Are Political Appointees Effective Diplomats? Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-06 | The United States uses both career diplomats and political appointees, including special envoys. Are political appointees effective diplomats? "They have to be able to work effectively with and rely on the talents of the career foreign service," argues Jake Sullivan, now National Security Advisor to U.S. President Joe Biden. This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2018
Understanding the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-05 | What is the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (also known as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT)? What did countries agree to? Why have India, Pakistan and Israel chosen not to join the NPT? Writer and activist Ray Acheson, a researcher from the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, gives an expert overview.
South Africas Economy After Apartheid Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-04 | What was South Africa's economy like after apartheid? Liesl Gernthotlz, South African human rights lawyer and Inaugural Director of the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Center describes how an initial flourishing of tourism and openness developed into a more complicated situation.This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2017
What was the Cuban Missile Crisis? Foreign Policy Association 2023-09-01 | What was the Cuban missile crisis? How did U.S. President Kennedy and Soviet Premier Khruschev resolve the crisis? Why didn't the Cuban missile crisis lead to nuclear war? "What we really saw then was some of the most anti-nuclear rhetoric coming from both leaders at that time, where both of them fully understood the dangers of nuclear war and what would happen if they really did launch their nuclear weapons at each other," says writer and activist Ray Acheson, a researcher from the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. "I think that that understanding is ultimately what led them back from the brink but it is one of the closest times that we've come to nuclear war."
American Businesses and China Foreign Policy Association 2023-08-31 | What is the relationship between American companies and China? John Frisbie, President of the Yale-China Association and former leader of the US-China Business Council, discusses China's importance as a market for U.S. goods and a source of U.S. jobs -- and shares his perspective on ways to address "market access barriers".This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2018.
Why Does Iran Want Nuclear Weapons? Foreign Policy Association 2023-08-30 | Why does Iran want nuclear weapons? What problems did the Iran deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA) aim to solve? Writer and activist Ray Acheson, a researcher from the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, gives an expert overview.This interview was recorded in 2018.
Saudi Arabia and Iran Foreign Policy Association 2023-08-29 | What is the relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran? Dr. Dalia Dassa Kaye, adjunct political scientist at the RAND Corporation and a senior fellow at UCLA's Burkle Center for International Relations, explains how Saudi Arabia and Iran are both "geopolitical contenders" and on opposite sides of a Sunni-Shia sectarian divide. How do the two come into conflict? How do they differ in their relationships with the west?This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2018.
The Syrian Civil War Foreign Policy Association 2023-08-28 | How did the war in Syria start? How did it get so bad? How has the war in Syria impacted neighboring countries? "I would say the Syrian conflict is the most tragic and horrific conflict we've seen in the Middle East in this generation. It has had massive spillover effects in every corner of the Middle East," says Dr. Dalia Dassa Kaye, adjunct political scientist at the RAND Corporation and a senior fellow at UCLA's Burkle Center for International Relations, offers an expert analysis of how the civil war in Syria started, and how what started with an act of democratic protest has been transformed into a tragedy for millions of Syrians. This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2018.
Did Nuclear Weapons Destabilize the World? Foreign Policy Association 2023-08-25 | Some argue the possession of nuclear weapons by both the US and the USSR helped stop the Cold War from getting hotter. But did President Truman's decision to drop nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki actually contribute to destabilizing global security over the decades that followed? Writer and activist Ray Acheson, a researcher from the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, argues nuclear weapons have "long term, created instability in the world order" and a nuclear arms race.
Saudi Arabias Involvement in Yemen Foreign Policy Association 2023-08-24 | What is Saudi Arabia's historic involvement in Yemen? In this interview from the FPA archives, Susan L. Ziadeh, former U.S. Ambassador to Qatar and acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, discusses the historic relationship between Saudi Arabia and its southern neighbor, including family, cultural and economic ties. Did Saudi Arabia's perception that instability in Yemen may also be 'existential' for Saudi Arabia contribute to its widely criticized bombing campaign in Yemen and its humanitarian consequences?
Berlusconi and the Rise of the Far Right Foreign Policy Association 2023-08-23 | "Italy is a very interesting case study" for the 21st-century rise of the right wing, argues Dr. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Professor of Italian and History at New York University, and author of Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present. She discusses the emergence of Italy's Silvio Berlusconi, the impacts of the end of the Cold War, and the mainstreaming of the far right.
Who Helped Rebuild South Korea After the Korean War? Foreign Policy Association 2023-08-22 | Over the more than half a century since the end of the Korean War, South Korea (formally the Republic of Korea) has undergone a remarkable renaissance. Thomas Byrne, President and CEO of the Korea Society, argues that economic and political support from the United States played an important role in South Korea's early efforts to rebuild.This interview is from the FPA archives.
What Did Panama Get in Exchange for Recognizing the Peoples Republic of China? Foreign Policy Association 2023-08-21 | In 2017, Panama surprised many by choosing to cut its longstanding diplomatic ties with Taiwan and instead formally recognize the People's Republic of China (PRC). Other countries have chosen to follow a similar path in exchange for Chinese-paid infrastructure projects. What did Panama get in return? Isabel de Saint Malo García de Alvarado, former Vice President of Panama, shares her thoughts.This interview is from the FPA archives
Why did Panama recognize the Peoples Republic of China? Foreign Policy Association 2023-08-18 | In 2017, Panama chose to cut its longstanding diplomatic ties with Taiwan and formally recognize the People's Republic of China, a choice which provoked a strong negative reaction from the United States and from Taiwan. What reasons did the government of Panama give for its pivot to China? Isabel de Saint Malo García de Alvarado, former Vice President of Panama, shares her perspective. This interview is from the FPA archives.
Did Western Indifference in Crimea Embolden Russia? Foreign Policy Association 2023-08-17 | Did ineffective U.S.-led sanctions and perceived western 'indifference' to the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014 inadvertently 'embolden' Russian President Vladimir Putin to pursue even more aggressive foreign policy? "Ian Brzezinski, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO Policy and Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Council, argues that there was an "escalation in the provocativeness and aggressiveness of Russian activities in the face of this incremental response."This interview from the FPA archives was recorded in 2017.
What is Populism? Foreign Policy Association 2023-08-16 | What is populism? Where does populism come from? What are the historic influences and forerunners of contemporary populist movements, from Italy and Hungary to Russia to the United States? Dr. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Professor of Italian and History at New York University, and author of Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present, gives an expert overview in this interview from the FPA archives.
Russias Middle Eastern Ambitions Foreign Policy Association 2023-08-15 | What is Russia's role in the 21st-century Middle East, including Syria? What is the history of Russia's Middle Eastern ambitions, in the Soviet era and even earlier? What is the connection between Russia's support for Assad and its naval ambitions? "Russia has always wanted a permanent role in the Middle East," argues Susan L. Ziadeh, former U.S. Ambassador to Qatar and acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.This interview from the FPA archives was recorded prior to Russia's 2022 invasion of the nation of Ukraine.
The United States and Panama Foreign Policy Association 2023-08-14 | The United States played a crucial role in the construction of the Panama Canal, and still sends more goods through the canal than any other nation--except China. What is the relationship between the United States and Panama today? Isabel de Saint Malo García de Alvarado, former Vice President of Panama describes "a strong bilateral relationship."This interview is from the FPA archives.
The U.S.-China Trade Imbalance: Is It a Problem? Foreign Policy Association 2023-08-11 | The trade imbalance between the United States and China has sparked many headlines and much political rhetoric. Is it actually a problem -- and if so, for whom? "A bilateral imbalance by itself need not be a major cause for concern," says Dr. Adam Tooze, Shelby Cullom Davis chair of History at Columbia University. "China's macroeconomic balance is not fundamentally out of whack...If you look at the bilateral basis, however, you see these fundamental disequilibria." He discusses the key economic variables and shares his analysis.This interview from the FPA archives was filmed in 2018.
The Obama Administrations Diplomatic Track Record Foreign Policy Association 2023-08-10 | The foreign policy legacies of U.S. administrations often continue to impact the world long after an individual U.S. President leaves office. What was the diplomatic track record of the Obama administration? Dr. Ronan Farrow, author of War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence, argues that President Obama's approach to diplomacy evolved over his two terms, from "a lot of ceding of responsibility to generals" to a "course correction" during his second term, resulting in the Iran deal, a thaw with Cuba, and the Paris climate accord.This interview was recorded in 2018.
Chinas Unprecedented Rise Foreign Policy Association 2023-08-09 | Is China's emergence as a global economic power unprecedented? Or is the rise of China in the 21st century comparable to the rise of the British Empire or Japan in the 19th century, or the United States as a global power after the World Wars? "There's really nothing to compare with the dynamism and scale of China's growth since the early 1990s," argues Dr. Adam Tooze, Shelby Cullom Davis chair of History at Columbia University. "The sheer scale of its economy, combined with double-digit growth rates over a period of more than a decade make it a unique moment, really, in global economic history."This interview from the FPA archives was filmed in 2018.
Transnational Crime: U.S. Guns in Mexico Foreign Policy Association 2023-08-08 | Do most illegal guns in Mexico actually come from the USA? The disparity between gun laws in Mexico and the United States, where guns are far more widely sold, has contributed to vast trafficking in weapons from the U.S. across the Mexican border, explains Arturo Sarukhán, former Ambassador of Mexico to the United States.This interview is from the FPA archives.
