Stay ConnectedAs the United States confronts an ever-changing set of international challenges, our foreign policy leaders continue to offer the same old answers. But what are the alternatives? In None Of The Above, the Eurasia Group Institute for Global Affairs’ Jonathan Guyer asks leading global thinkers for new answers and new ideas to guide an America increasingly adrift in the world.
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Copyright: © Copyright 2019, Eurasia Group Foundation
Nightmares of mushroom clouds and fears of mutually assured destruction plagued many during the Cold War. But by the early 1990s, both the United States and Russia promised a world with fewer nuclear weapons. Together, they agreed to dismantle 80% of their strategic nuclear warheads. Meanwhile, other countries such as North Korea and Pakistan saw value in nukes amid a less balanced world, and raced to acquire them.
In this episode of None Of The Above's '90s Rewind miniseries, the Institute for Global Affairs' Mark Hannah explores the decade's mixed track record on nuclear arms control and nonproliferation. He is joined by Emma Belcher, president of Ploughshares Fund. Historian Susan Colbourn and retired ambassador Thomas Pickering return to provide insights and commentary.
This is the story of how a CIA covert action program inadvertently created the conditions for the Taliban to seize control and provide safe haven for Osama bin Laden. Following a Cold War proxy battle between the Soviet Union and the United States, al Qaeda gained strength throughout the 1990s, leading to the deadliest attack on American soil on September 11, 2001.
In this episode of None Of The Above's '90s Rewind miniseries, the Institute for Global Affairs' Mark Hannah explores America's misplaced trust in partnerships with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, and the lack of coherent US policy toward the Taliban and al Qaeda during the 1990s. He is joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Coll. NPR's Deborah Amos and retired ambassador Thomas Pickering return to provide insights and commentary.
America was on top of the world in the 1990s as its erstwhile rival, Russia, was struggling to find its footing. President Boris Yelstin's liberal reforms were soon dashed by economic crises and infighting among Russian elites. US policymakers also contributed to this tragedy, which would lead to Vladimir Putin's rise by the end of the decade. In their zeal to promote democracy and capitalism, they failed to anticipate how Russians would see the West as meddling from within and, with NATO enlargement, encroaching from without.
In this episode of None Of The Above's '90s Rewind miniseries, the Institute for Global Affairs' Mark Hannah explores where the 1990s went wrong for post-Soviet Russia, from shock therapy to NATO enlargement. He is joined by former diplomat Thomas Graham and historian Susan Colbourn. NPR's Deborah Amos and retired ambassador Thomas Pickering also return to provide insights and commentary.
The 1990s were a decade of transformation and optimism. Teenagers were listening to grunge rock and hip hop on their walkmans. Flannels and jean jackets became staples of '90s fashion. And seemingly without warning, the Cold War was over, the Soviet Union had dissolved, and the United States emerged as the sole superpower. Today's world seems more dangerous and competitive than that of 30 years ago. So how did we get here?
In this episode of None Of The Above, the Institute for Global Affairs' Mark Hannah revisits some of the most pivotal events of the 1990s with the help of Stephen Walt, a professor of international relations at Harvard University. They discuss promises and follies of America's efforts to shape the new world order. Former NPR correspondent Deborah Amos and retired ambassador Thomas Pickering also provide personal insights and commentary.
The surprising election of Argentina's controversial new president, Javier Milei, captivated international media attention. Milei just passed his first major legislative package, and promises to further slash state spending and promote policies to privatize much of the Argentine economy. What drives his support beyond voters' weariness of the country's economic woes and political stagnation?
This episode of None of the Above features interviews from IGA's trip to Buenos Aires after the election. Host Mark Hannah delves into the extraordinary rise of Javier Milei with insights from Jorge Liotti, the chief editor of the political section at La Nacion newspaper, and Augusto Reina, director of PULSAR at the University of Buenos Aires. They explore Milei's blend of libertarianism, populism, and ultra-capitalist economic philosophy.
In the aftermath of 9/11, America's political leaders lept to action based on, what turned out to be, a series of misplaced and untested assumptions. From conflations between the Taliban and Al Qaeda to misguided theories about nation building, these assumptions drove two decades of policy failure in Afghanistan. Critical missteps came with a human cost for both American soldiers and Afghan civilians.
In this episode of None Of The Above, IGA's Mark Hannah sits down with Michael Cohen and Monica Duffy Toft of the Afghanistan Assumptions Project to analyze the key beliefs and decisions that shaped America's longest war.
Haiti has been in a state of political uncertainty since its president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated two years ago. Ariel Henry assumed power with the backing of the US – but not of most Haitians – and promptly suspended elections. Competing gangs jockeyed for political power, and have seized control of the capital city Port-au-Prince. The proposed solution – a United Nations security mission led by Kenya and a US-backed transitional government that lacks domestic legitimacy – threatens to recreate the mistakes of the past.
In this episode of None Of The Above, the Institute for Global Affairs' Mark Hannah sits down with Dan Foote, who was America's special envoy for Haiti until he resigned in protest of US policy there. They discuss the island's recent history, the role of international intervention, and the urgent need to rebuild Haitians' trust in their democracy.
From the Crimean War of 1853 to Russia's war inUkraine, journalists, reporters, and the media have shaped the public's understanding of war. But do the stories we read and the photos we see provide an impartial picture of the wars they document? As the Institute for Global Affairs' Mark Hannah explained in his 2022 Foreign Policy piece, certain aspects of American war coverage—reliance on government sources and incentives to simplify geopolitics as battles between good and evil—have long compelled news organizations to tilt toward military action.
In this archival episode of None Of The Above, host of WNYC's On The Media Brooke Gladstone and Slate's "War Stories" columnist Fred Kaplan, are interviewed by Mark at the American Academy in Rome. Together, in these excerpts from that conversation, they unpack the media's coverage of the Russia-Ukraine War and the biases which influence how the media understand and depict these conflicts.
Many have argued that NATO, the transatlantic alliance forged at the dawn of the Cold War, is merely a vestige of another era. But Russia's invasion of Ukraine thrust NATO back into the spotlight, and reignited debates about the value and strategic imperatives of America's alliances. With a distinguished career of over three decades in the United States Navy, Admiral James Stavridis (Ret.) was the 16th Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. He oversaw operations in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, and the Balkans. He has since become an author of 10 nonfiction books and two novels.
In this episode, Admiral Stavridis talks about his motivations for venturing into the world of fiction, and the value of his novels as cautionary tales about the threats facing the nation. Drawing on historical parallels and his professional experience, he offers lessons for foreign policy leaders, discusses the value of NATO, and explores the transformative impact of technology on warfare.
In December 2023, South Africa brought human rights law into the fold of the Israel-Hamas war when it filed a genocide case against Israel in the World Court. South Africa's unprecedented move sparked conversation surrounding the line between collateral damage and indiscriminate bombing campaigns.
In this extended cut of a recent episode of None of the Above, the Institute for Global Affairs' Mark Hannah sits down with Kenneth Roth, who was executive director of Human Rights Watch for more than three decades. He shares his perspectives on Israeli violence enacted against Gazans, South Africa's arguments to the World Court, the legal application of genocide, and international law.
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