Altamar - Navigating the High Seas of Global Politics

Latest Episodes:

Europe’s Surprising Global Reset [S3, E20] Sep 25, 2020

Show notes

For a while, it seemed that the European Union lost some of its international luster. The world’s largest economy has been busily bogged down by internal divisions and domestic woes: financial crunches, Brexit, the ongoing migrant crisis, and nationalist populism. But now, something new is in the air. Europe is taking decisive action and making serious inroads into global politics. EU leaders are signing deals with China, taking on Russia, and recently passed a €750 billion recovery package to combat the internal effects of coronavirus. To make sense of the continent’s seeming resurgence, we are joined by Dr. Daniela Schwarzer, director of the German Council on Foreign Relations. Previously, Schwarzer was the senior director of research for the German Marshall Fund in the U.S., for which she also headed its Europe program in Berlin. Schwarzer has also led the research group on European integration at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs and worked as an opinion page editor and France correspondent for Financial Times Deutschland.

https://altamar.us/europe-surprising-global-reset/

-----

Produced by Simpler Media

Gunshots in the Himalayas [S3, E19] Sep 11, 2020

Show notes

In the barren reaches of the Himalayas, Chinese and Indian patrols keep coming to blows. In June, a deadly clash left 20 Indian soldiers, and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers were killed in their worst cross-border violence in decades. Now, in a marked escalation of tensions, the two nuclear-armed states are accusing each other of firing warning shots at the frontier. Both sides have rushed in tens of thousands of reinforcements, backed by artillery, tanks, and fighter jets. And as New Delhi and Beijing butt heads 14,000 feet above sea level, China is building up its presence in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and other contentious points along the Indian Ocean. Indian citizens are protesting and boycotting Chinese-made goods. Dhruva Jaishankar, Director of the U.S. Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation, joins Altamar Podcast and explains what the fallout means for the region and the rest of the world. He is also a non-resident fellow at the Lowy Institute in Australia and previously worked at Brookings India and the German Marshall Fund. His commentary appears regularly in Indian and international publications, including The Hindu, The Atlantic, and Foreign Policy, and he has collaborated on multiple books and journals.

https://altamar.us/gunshots-in-the-himalayas/

-----

Produced by Simpler Media

Beirut Burning [S3, E18] Aug 28, 2020

Show notes

The deadly blast that rocked Beirut on August 4 left at least 200 Lebanese dead, thousands injured, and hundreds of thousands homeless. Even before that, Lebanon’s economy was in freefall, and tensions were high over chronic corruption and mismanagement. Now, amid devastating physical and political aftershocks, Lebanon is careening toward an unpredictable future. In response to mass protests, the Prime Minister and entire government cabinet have resigned, throwing the country into even greater chaos. Paul Salem, one of the world’s leading experts on the Middle East, joined Altamar to discuss if Lebanon can recover – and can it tackle its underlying flaws and limitations? Salem is the President of the Middle East Institute (MEI), a think tank that evaluates political change, transition, and conflict within regional and international relations of the Middle East. Salem was the former founding director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, as well the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, Lebanon's leading public policy think tank.

https://altamar.us/beirut-burning/

Populist Opposites: Brazil and Mexico [S3, E17] Aug 14, 2020

Show notes

With Brazil’s enormous economy and Mexico’s proximity to the U.S., both are contenders to become economic titans on the world stage. But the nations are burdened by endemic poverty, violence, corruption, and an overzealous central state. And their populist leaders – Brazil’s right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro and Mexico’s traditional leftist President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico – have both downplayed the gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic amid skyrocketing infection rates. These two regional economic locomotives could come screeching to a halt – leaving their citizens and the region in disarray. Michael Reid, senior editor at The Economist and author of the magazine’s Bello column on Latin American affairs, joined Altamar to discuss Mexico and Brazil’s challenges and post-pandemic futures. Born in England and based in Madrid, Reid has lived in Latin America for years, covering the region for outlets like The Guardian and BBC.

https://altamar.us/populist-opposites-brazil-and-mexico/

-----

Produced by Simpler Media

Vaccine Wars [S3, E16] Jul 31, 2020

Show notes

The international hunt for a COVID-19 vaccine is the most consequential medical challenge of the 21st century. The race is marked by both intense collaboration among scientists and fierce competition between governments – particularly between China and the US. As coronavirus cases mount and economies limp through lockdowns, nations are not just competing for a life-saving vaccine – they’re jockeying for political glory and a leg up on the rest of the world. And even after a vaccine is developed, count on clashes over adequate and ethical distributions. Professor Lawrence Gostin joins Altamar to discuss the geopolitics of the global vaccine race – and how countries can mitigate winner-take-all risks. Gostin is the Director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University and Director of the World Health Organization’s Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law. He is also a Professor of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University.

-----

Produced by Simpler Media

Space Is Back [S3, E15] Jul 17, 2020

Show notes

The New Frontier is new again: after years of stagnation, emerging players have reignited the space race in the 21st century. Dramatic technological advances and lucrative business models have changed the conversation, and private companies are making up for lost time. Countries like Japan, China, India and the Emirates are jumping in, too, expanding the borders of geopolitics to new heights. George Whitesides, CEO of the spaceflight company Virgin Galactic, joined Altamar to discuss the future of space travel. The interview came on the heels of a major announcement – Virgin Galactic and NASA are opening a private astronaut program with public accessibility. Previously, Whitesides served as NASA’s Chief of Staff after working on Obama’s transition team for the agency. He’s also served as the Executive Director of the National Space Society and is an advisor for companies and organizations such as the FAA Space Transportation Division, COMSTAC, the Space Generation Foundation, and the Zero Gravity Corporation, among others.

https://altamar.us/space-is-back/

-----

Produced by Simpler Media

Defund the Police? [S3, E14] Jul 03, 2020

Show notes

The killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis has sparked a worldwide reckoning over violent policing practices. “Black Lives Matter” has become a global rallying cry against racism and police brutality alike. By certain metrics, U.S. policing is a success – major cities enjoy low crime rates. But it’s impossible to ignore calls for justice as governments arm police forces with military-grade equipment and super-sized budgets. Protests have given a megaphone to demands for dramatic institutional changes to policing. Is there a better way to keep the world’s cities and populations safe? Dr. Clifford Stott joins Altamar to explain the global principles for smarter policing – and why U.S. policing is an outlier from the rest of the world. He is the Director of the Policing Academy at Keele University in the UK and specializes in crowd behavior, riots, hooliganism, and public order policing. He has advised the EU, the European Commission, various police departments, and the English Football League on crowd management and policing.

https://altamar.us/defund-the-police/

-----

Produced by Simpler Media

Will China Win the Cold War? [S3, E13] Jun 19, 2020

Show notes

China has made a dramatic turnaround since COVID-19 battered the world’s second largest economy. Beijing is flexing its geopolitical muscles abroad while implementing business reforms to woo foreign companies. But while China intends to position itself as the pandemic’s ‘victor’, Beijing faces global scrutiny and a tense trade war with Washington. Will international resentment towards China mean that supply chains and manufacturing begin to steer away from the Asian powerhouse? Or will economic reforms convince foreign investors to stay? James McGregor joins Altamar to discuss the intersection of Beijing’s business reforms with its political agenda. McGregor has lived in China for three decades and is the chairman of APCO Worldwide, Greater China. He is the former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China and is now an advisor to AmCham on U.S-China business trade politics and policy. Previously, McGregor served as The Wall Street Journal’s bureau chief in Taiwan and in Mainland China. He has also authored numerous books on China.

https://altamar.us/will-china-win-the-cold-war/

-----

Produced by Simpler Media

The World Health Wars [S3, E12] Jun 05, 2020

Show notes

As the coronavirus pandemic ravages health and economic structures, the World Health Organization (WHO) is under fire. Amid international spats, politicians have scapegoated the UN agency – and more credibly criticized it for underestimating the dangers of COVID-19. The Trump Administration has now announced that the US is quitting the WHO, accusing the 194-member organization of becoming a puppet of China. Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, joins Altamar to urge a restructuring of WHO to allow monies from private foundations and to counter China’s influence by bringing in a country like Taiwan, a public health leader. He explains the strengths and limitations of the WHO – and the dangers of defunding the global health watchdog. Dr. Adalja is an expert on emerging infectious diseases, pandemic preparedness, and biosecurity. Dr. Adalja is also an Associate Editor of the journal Health Security, co-editor of the volume Global Catastrophic Biological Risks, and a contributing author for the Handbook of Bioterrorism and Disaster Medicine.

https://altamar.us/the-world-health-wars/

-----

Produced by Simpler Media

The World According to Haass [S3, E11] May 22, 2020

Show notes

After months of quarantines, some countries are beginning to shift out of confinement. But the world we knew is already a thing of the past. The health pandemic has laid bare global disparities and the vacuum of international leadership while accelerating nationalist and authoritarian trends. The ripple effects of COVID-19 are likely to amplify further throughout global trade, politics, and economics. Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, joins Altamar to discuss the features of a post-coronavirus world. His new book, The World: A Brief Introduction, provides a window into foreign relations of the present and future. Haass is a veteran diplomat, and global policy expert. During his career, he served as the key US player in Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, South Asia. One of America’s truly global voices, Haass is the author or editor of fourteen books on US foreign policy.

https://altamar.us/the-world-according-to-haass/

-----

Produced by Simpler Media

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Altamar – Navigating the High Seas of Global Politics

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected