The Un-Diplomatic Podcast

In this episode, Dr. Van Jackson sits down with John Feffer, co-director of the Foreign Policy in Focus project at the Institute for Policy Studies.  They talk about John's new book, Right Across the World: The Global Networking of the Far-Right and the Left Response.  They also talk about writing novels and plays as a foreign policy analyst, or doing foreign policy analysis as a playwright.  Remembering the way arms control used to be a reactionary arguments against disarmament.  Institute for Policy Studies: https://ips-dc.orgSplinterlands Trilogy of Novels: https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/1039-splinterlandsFoamers Novel: https://www.abebooks.co.uk/first-edition/Foamers-Berson-Jon-Scribner-New-York/231272502/bdRight Across the World Book: https://www.amazon.com/Right-Across-World-Networking-Far-Right/dp/0745341896

With Van out, guest host Dr. Emma Ashford from The Atlantic Council joins the pod to talk about the credibility problem with extended nuclear deterrence, the restrainer perspective on Russia versus Ukraine, Washington's paralysis on international trade, and the complications with measuring power between China and the US. Contributors: Hunter Marson, Ciara Mitchell, Jake Dellow

Where have all the peace intellectuals gone?  How do you make enemies into friends?  What's it like to be mixed-race in national security?  Should we do away with economic sanctions entirely?  Is it easier to shape the world than to shape China?  What's Russia's freaking problem?  Seva Gunitsky Tweet: https://twitter.com/SevaUT/status/1462766445121650696Ben Scott Tweet: https://twitter.com/Ben_G_Scott/status/1460444100008628224Mike McFaul Tweet: https://twitter.com/McFaul/status/1462624691680514060?t=krF4h150FaPW08quGY0H4A&s=19Law Boy Esq. Tweet: https://twitter.com/The_Law_Boy/status/1462193648586698759?t=j3TbRRLJqxnM9UhEJqDXlA&s=19Lowy Institute Essays on Order in Asia: https://interactives.lowyinstitute.org/features/indo-pacific-operating-system/#articlesContributors: Hunter Marston, Gaby Magnuson, Ciara Mitchell

In this Hustle edition of the show, Dr. Van Jackson sits down with Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, Director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Project at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, author of multiple books including the novel The 2020 Commission, co-host of the Arms Control Wonk podcast, and founder of the Arms Control Wonk blog.  That's a lot of stuff. 

With Van Jackson out, Dr. John Delury (Professor at Yonsei University) joined the crew as guest host. This episode talks about his America's imperial blindspot in the Pacific, what Kissinger can't teach Asia, why historians aren't in the prediction business, China rivalry, and the South Korean presidency.  Contributors: Gaby Magnuson, Hunter Marston, Alex Auty

Rather than the normal show, this week's episode is a recording of Dr. Van Jackson's keynote lecture at Ritsumeikan University, addressing the concept of nuclear precarity and what it means for the risks of nuclear war in East Asia.  

What does the American public think about China, internal v. external threats, and who benefits from US foreign policy?  This week we were joined by Craig Kafura with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs to discuss the results of their recent survey about all things foreign policy.  Also this episode: the Philippines' Duterte problem as a structural issue; a review of a review of Rush Doshi's book on Chinese grand strategy; and North Korean hypersonic glide vehicles.Chicago Council Survey: http://www.thechicagocouncil.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/ccs2021_fpmc_0.pdfB-Minus IT Tweet: https://twitter.com/b_minus_lt/status/1444517854607409152?s=19Anand Giridharadas Tweet: https://twitter.com/AnandWrites/status/1444260873661464579?s=20Christophe Deloire Tweet: https://twitter.com/chrisdeloire/status/1447524766542450693Contributors: Hunter Marston, Gaby Magnuson, Ciara Mitchell

In this special event, Dr. Van Jackson discussed AUKUS and Indo-Pacific strategy at the Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA).  He's joined by Bryce Wakefield (AIIA), Maria Rost-Rublee (University of Melbourne), Nick Bisley (Latrobe University), and Benjamin Zala (Australian National University).

With Van Jackson out on holiday, Sebastian Strangio (Southeast Asia editor at The Diplomat) joined the crew as guest host.  This episode talks about his origins in journalism in Cambodia, Myanmar civil war, the problem with values and ideology in great-power competition with China, and his concerns with the risks of US authoritarianism.  Sebastian's site: https://www.sebastianstrangio.comSebastian's Book: In The Dragon's Shadow: Southeast Asia in the Chinese CenturyContributors: Sebastian Strangio, Hunter Marston, Gaby Magnuson, Ciara Mitchell, Alex Auty

Why South Korea's Bernie Sanders is no Bernie when it comes to foreign policy.  Why Australia's submarine decision is vulgar balancing (but not useless).  Marxism versus liberalism.  Why the pandemic proves the world sucks at collective action.  Xi Jinping's common prosperity drive pits labor against oligarchy, but not the way you think. Lil Uzi Hurt Tweet: https://twitter.com/lostblackboy/status/1437779312174845959Kim Tongfi Tweet: https://twitter.com/tongfi_kim/status/1436407499998081025?s=19Adam Tooze piece: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/01/opinion/covid-pandemic-global-economy-politics.htmlContributors: Hunter Marston, Jake Dellow, Ciara Mitchell, Gaby Magnuson