Cheap Talk - Jeff Kaplow and Marcus Holmes

Latest Episodes:

The Be-All and End-All of Explaining International Events Mar 05, 2024

Show notes

How leaders matter if you believe countries are people; what would happen if Putin died; the impact of the Russian invasion two years on; what a nuclear weapon in space means for international security; space nukes and the violation of international law; and Marcus thinks every listener would agree

Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice

Please send us your questions or comments! Send us an email or leave us a voicemail

Support the podcast by visiting our online store at cheaptalk.shop

Further Reading:
Rajan Menon. 2024. “Putin Has Already Lost.” New York Times.

See all Cheap Talk Episodes

Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom Feb 27, 2024

Show notes

Special guest Nicholas Wheeler returns to Cheap Talk to explain the English School of international relations; why the English School never took off in the US; methodology in IR theory; the fractionalization of IR; nuclear responsibilities; and Marcus doesn’t love sharing the spotlight

Nicholas Wheeler is @WheelerICCS on Twitter/X. You can also find him on LinkedIn and Google Scholar.

Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice

Please send us your questions or comments! Send us an email or leave us a voicemail

Support the podcast by visiting our online store at cheaptalk.shop

Further Reading:
Too many to list

See all Cheap Talk podcasts

Everyone Has a Theory Feb 17, 2024

Show notes

Nicholas Wheeler joins Cheap Talk to discuss his research program in international diplomacy; personal chemistry among leaders; the security dilemma; explaining Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine; the policy utility of international theory; and Marcus is so excited

Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice

Please send us your questions or comments! Send us an email or leave us a voicemail

Support the podcast by visiting our online store at cheaptalk.shop

Nick Wheeler’s books include:
Saving Strangers: Humanitarian Intervention in International Society

The Security Dilemma: Fear, Cooperation and Trust in World Politics (with Ken Booth)

Trusting Enemies: Interpersonal Relationships in International Conflict

Further Reading:
Marcus Holmes. 2018. Face-to-Face Diplomacy: Social Neuroscience and International Relations. Cambridge University Press.

Robert Jervis. 1976. Perception and Misperception in International Politics. Princeton University Press.

Tuomas Forsberg and Heikki Patomäki. 2022. Debating the War in Ukraine: Counterfactual Histories and Future Possibilities. Routledge.

Stephen M. Walt. 2022. “An International Relations Theory Guide to the War in Ukraine.” Foreign Policy.

See all Cheap Talk episodes

A Joe Biden Meat Suit Feb 09, 2024

Show notes

What the Apple Vision Pro means for the future of international diplomacy; the essential elements necessary to realize the benefits of face-to-face diplomacy; micro-expressions and realism in virtual worlds; barriers to outsiders and the risk of eavesdropping; verifying that you’re talking to the person you think you’re talking to; the promise of training in virtual and augmented reality; and Marcus can’t wait to hear about this

Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice

Please send us your questions or comments! Send us an email or leave us a voicemail

Support the podcast by visiting our online store at cheaptalk.shop

Further Reading:
Marcus Holmes. 2018. Face-to-Face Diplomacy: Social Neuroscience and International Relations. Cambridge University Press.

See all Cheap Talk episodes

Like the Friends We Were in Bali Feb 01, 2024

Show notes

Iran and the risk of a wider war in the Middle East; the likely US response to the recent drone strike; how to cooperate in an age of conflict; barriers to working together; the role of confidence-building mechanisms in international security; the death of the dream of Korean reunification; and Marcus doesn’t want to scare the listener

Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice

Please send us your questions or comments! Send us an email or leave us a voicemail

Support the podcast by visiting our online store at cheaptalk.shop

See all Cheap Talk podcasts

Exercise in Optimism Jan 27, 2024

Show notes

Doomsday clock trivia; the origins of the clock; over-interpreting what time it is; becoming desensitized to global threats; public education and advocacy around existential risk; risk assessment by the global elite; the perils of expert prediction; and Marcus thinks this is a trick question

Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice

Please send us your questions or comments! Send us an email or leave us a voicemail

Support the podcast by visiting our online store at cheaptalk.shop

Further reading:
“2024 Doomsday Clock Announcement.” 2024. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

“Doomsday Clock Timeline.” 2023. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

Kennette Benedict. 2023. “Answers to Common Questions.” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

“Global Risks Report 2024.” 2024. World Economic Forum.

Philip E. Fetlock and Dan Gardner. 2015. Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction. Crown Books.

Seth Walder. 2023. “Going for 2 down 8 points: Explaining NFL analytics strategy.” ESPN.com.

See all Cheap Talk episodes

We're Going To Launch Another Missile at You Jan 21, 2024

Show notes

International bright spots for 2024; democracy is still a thing; a newly aggressive Iran; Iran as a missile power; domestic political imperatives for international conflict; Pakistan’s response and the maintenance of an international reputation; an absence of diplomacy in the region; the US and multinational response to Houthi attacks; where is Saudi Arabia when you need them; whether Iran has changed its strategy; and Marcus is the psychologist in the room

Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice

Please send us your questions or comments! Send us an email or leave us a voicemail

Support the podcast by visiting our online store at cheaptalk.shop

Further Reading:
Lara Jakes and David E. Sanger. 2024. “Iran’s New Missile Fleet: Part Deterrent, Part Sales Pitch.” New York Times.

See all Cheap Talk episodes.

The Gloves May Come Off Jan 12, 2024

Show notes

Happy New Year from Cheap Talk: The top global risks in 2024; the shadow of the US presidential election; the Russia/Ukraine conflict and the dangers of risk-taking; a broader war in the Middle East; accidental conflict and North Korea; China’s economy; AI and misinformation; extreme weather and El Niño; the erosion of limits on nuclear weapons; the decline of global cooperation; and Marcus declines to make a New Year’s resolution

Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice.

Please send us your questions or comments! Send us an email or leave us a voicemail.

Support the podcast by visiting our online store at cheaptalk.shop.

Further watching:
CGP Grey. 2020. “Your Theme” (on New Year’s themes). YouTube.

See all Cheap Talk episodes

When the Bill Comes Due Dec 15, 2023

Show notes

The final Cheap Talk podcast of 2023: Thanks for visiting our store at cheaptalk.shop; Beast Train follow-up; EU regulation and the project of AI governance; the tension between domestic and international action; the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty is a poor analogy for an international agreement on AI; an agreement at the Climate Summit; non-binding agreements and screening for national preferences; the role of nuclear energy in combatting climate change; and Marcus will see you next year

Get all your holiday gifts at the new Cheap Talk shop!

We’ll be back in January, 2024. Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice to be notified about new episodes.

Send us your questions via email or voicemail.

Further Reading:
Oscar Martinez. 2013. The Beast: Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail. Verso.

Pedro Ulteras. 2010. La Bestia.

Ian W. Fieggen. 2023. “Granny Knot Info.” Ian’s Shoelace Site.

Ian W. Fieggen. 2023. “Granny Knot Analyser.” Ian’s Shoelace Site.

See all Cheap Talk episodes

Anti-Diplomacy Dec 09, 2023

Show notes

Check out the new Cheap Talk shop at https://cheaptalk.shop; Chinese asylum seekers at the southern US border; the Beast Train; the latest Cuban espionage case and motivations for spying; why parties to conflict agree to ceasefires; the latest in the Elgin Marbles saga; royal neckwear; and Marcus has strange taste in YouTube videos

Get all your holiday gifts at the new Cheap Talk shop!

Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast player of choice

Please send us your questions! Send us an email or leave us a voicemail

Further Reading:
Eileen Sullivan. 2023. “Growing Numbers of Chinese Migrants Are Crossing the Southern Border.” New York Times.

Glenn Thrush, Ernesto Londoño, David C. Adams and Frances Robles. 2023. “Retired U.S. Diplomat Accused of Working as a Secret Agent for Cuba.” New York Times.

Virginia Page Fortna. 2004. Peace Time: Ceasefire Agreements and the Durability of Peace. Princeton University Press.

Sean Coughlan and Brian Wheeler. 2023. “King’s tie features Greek flag after Elgin Marbles row.” BBC.

See all Cheap Talk episodes