Fault Lines

Latest Episodes:

Episode 229: Alien Pilots: The Truth is Out There Jun 07, 2023

Show notes

Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss Air Force veteran and former member of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, David Grusch’s claims of the US government secretly recovering alien spacecraft accompanied by “pilot” remains for decades as part of a top-secret UFO retrieval program.

What does the Fault Lines crew think of the possibility of UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena)? How credible are David Grusch’s claims? Are there alien life forms surveilling Earth?

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/06/ex-intel-official-government-hiding-alien-tech.html

https://thedebrief.org/intelligence-officials-say-u-s-has-retrieved-non-human-craft/

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@lestermunson

@NotTVJessJones

@jamil_n_jaffer

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And don’t forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 228: Top Gun China Policy Jun 05, 2023

Show notes

Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss rising tensions between the U.S. and China due to recent encounters between Chinese and US aircraft over the SCS, and in the Taiwan Strait between a US destroyer and a Canadian ship that were intercepted by a Chinese destroyer. Furthermore, at the Shangri-La dialogue over the weekend in Singapore, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin shook hands with Chinese Defense Minister, Li Shangfu, but they did not have a meeting.

What does the Fault Lines crew think of the “new” tension between Washington and Beijing? Is there hypocrisy in China’s surveillance criticisms? Should we redefine China as an adversary as opposed to a competitor?

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/06/05/china-ship-us-destroyer-taiwan-strait/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-30/us-accuses-china-of-aggressive-encounter-over-south-china-sea

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@lestermunson

@NotTVJessJones

@jamil_n_jaffer

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And don’t forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 227: Hey Siri: Is AI Taking Over? Jun 02, 2023

Show notes

Today, Jamil, Jess, and NSI Senior Fellow Andy Keiser discuss the dangers and benefits of AI in a national security context and questions whether government regulation is needed. This conversation was prompted after a joint statement where AI experts concluded that “artificial intelligence may lead to human extinction and reducing the risks associated with the technology should be a global priority.”

Should (and will) the U.S. government take action to limit the proliferation of U.S.- or allied-developed algorithms? Could early and overly prescriptive regulation limit the massive potential benefits that the rapid development of AI capabilities could provide?

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/25/technology/microsoft-ai-rules-regulation.html

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/05/31/ai-poses-human-extinction-risk-sam-altman-and-other-tech-leaders-warn.html

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@andykeiser

@NotTVJessJones

@jamil_n_jaffer

Like what we're doing here?

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And don’t forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 226: Uganda Loses Its Mind May 31, 2023

Show notes

Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss Uganda’s passage of one of the world's toughest anti-gay laws that calls for life imprisonment for anyone convicted of homosexuality. The legislation received widespread condemnation from many Western governments and human rights activists.

How should the international community push back? Should the US cut off aid to Uganda? If not, what can be done to influence Uganda’s - and potentially other countries' similar - laws?

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://www.npr.org/2023/05/29/1178718092/uganda-anti-gay-law

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/ugandas-museveni-approves-anti-gay-law-parliament-speaker-says-2023-05-29/

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@lestermunson

@NotTVJessJones

@jamil_n_jaffer

Like what we're doing here?

Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.

And don’t forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 225: China Attempts Guam Tip-Over May 26, 2023

Show notes

Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss this week’s announcement by Microsoft and the U.S. government that they detected a Chinese cyber hack by hacking group, Volt Typhoon, directed at critical infrastructure systems, including telecommunications gear, located in Guam and elsewhere in the United States.

Is China hacking Guam a prelude to a Taiwan invasion? Should the U.S. ramp up its response against China? Is the U.S. prepared to deter enemy action in the cyber domain?

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/24/us/politics/china-guam-malware-cyber-microsoft.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/05/24/china-hack-guam-taiwan/

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@lestermunson

@NotTVJessJones

@jamil_n_jaffer

Like what we're doing here?

Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.

And don’t forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 224: Let’s Make A Deal: Saudi Edition May 24, 2023

Show notes

Episode 224: Let’s Make A Deal: Saudi Edition

Today, Les, Jess, and special guest host and NSI Senior Fellow, Morgan Vina, discuss NSA Jake Sullivan’s meeting with Saudi Crown Prince MBS last week to discuss, among many things, about the possibility of Saudi-Israeli normalization. MBS does not want to take any more incremental steps toward warming relations with Israel, but instead, wants to work towards US deliverables like advanced weapons systems and US-Saudi civil nuclear cooperation agreement.

What does the Fault Lines crew think of Saudi’s requests? Would US cooperation on a nuclear program be a good development for the region? Are MBS’s requests worth the normalization of relations from a U.S. perspective?

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://www.axios.com/2023/05/08/saudi-arabia-israel-normalization-netanyahu-sullivan-biden

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/11/us/politics/biden-saudi-arabia-oil-production-cut.html

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@lestermunson

@NotTVJessJones

@morganlroach

Like what we're doing here?

Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.

And don’t forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 223: Gaga at G7 May 22, 2023

Show notes

Today, Les, Jess, and special guest host and NSI Senior Fellow, Morgan Vina, discuss the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan last week. During the meeting, the Biden Administration agreed to not oppose the transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine and to help train Ukrainian pilots. President Biden also called for “de-risking” the US-China economic relationship rather than “de-coupling” the world’s two biggest economies.

What does the Fault Lines crew think of Biden’s timing and stance on F-16s for Ukraine? Is the semantics surrounding “de-risking” vs. “de-coupling” significant? How productive was the G7 Summit?

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/21/russia-ukraine-war-news/

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/20/world/decoupling-china-de-risking.html

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@lestermunson

@NotTVJessJones

@morganlroach

Like what we're doing here?

Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.

And don’t forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 222: Harvard in Bangkok? May 19, 2023

Show notes

Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss how the progressive Move Forward Party in Thailand, led by 42-year-old Harvard-and-MIT-educated business executive Pita Limjaroenrat, gained over 150 seats in the lower house of Thailand’s bicameral parliament.

How will the political landscape of Thailand continue to change? How will Thailand balance its relationship with the U.S. and its willingness to also work with China? Should the U.S. be pushing back more aggressively against human rights violations and its military’s efforts to control politics?

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://www.ft.com/content/16b1f836-3d66-43e9-a9f6-1c2fc4ea0ed2

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/17/thailand-youth-election-military-protest-move-forward/

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@lestermunson

@NotTVJessJones

@jamil_n_jaffer

Like what we're doing here?

Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.

And don’t forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 221: The Khan Kerfuffle May 17, 2023

Show notes

Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest by almost 100 paramilitary forces on charges of corruption. The Pakistani Supreme Court subsequently declared Mr. Khan’s arrest unlawful but said he should remain for now at a police guest house under court supervision. He was then granted bail and released from police custody.

Does the Fault Lines crew think a coup will emerge – as Pakistan has suffered four coups in its first fifty years of independence? If Pakistan's unsteady democracy is threatened, how should the West respond? What does this all mean for the Pakistan-China relationship?

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/14/imran-khan-arrest-pakistan-military

https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/03/20/pakistan-imran-khan-coup-china/

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@lestermunson

@NotTVJessJones

@jamil_n_jaffer

Like what we're doing here?

Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.

And don’t forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 220: Turkey Votes May 15, 2023

Show notes

Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss yesterday’s vote in Turkey, which will result in a runoff vote on May 28 between President Erdogan and his chief rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, as neither candidate received over 50% of the vote. If Kilicdaroglu wins, which would end Erdogan’s 20-year rule, he indicated that he will seek better ties with the United States and the West.

Do we expect that bilateral relations will improve if Kilicdaroglu wins? If Erdogan prevails again, how should President Biden handle Turkey? How problematic is Turkey’s relationship with Russia and China?

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/14/turkey-erdogan-election-opposition-kilicdaroglu/

https://www.wsj.com/articles/having-established-turkey-on-the-world-stage-erdogan-faces-risky-vote-at-home-fd0793d9?mod=hp_lead_pos8

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@lestermunson

@NotTVJessJones

@jamil_n_jaffer

Like what we're doing here?

Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.

And don’t forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.