The Burn Bag Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Race for Critical Minerals: A Primer on Renewable Energy and Foreign Relations with Anne Clawson Sep 11, 2023

Show notes

This week, Christina interviews Anne Clawson, Principal and Head of Policy & Government Affairs Practice at Cascade Strategies. With an extensive portfolio in the manufacturing, natural resources, and clean energy space, Anne gives an extensive background on the state of critical minerals today. She discusses the race for critical minerals, rising tensions with adversaries and allies alike, and predicts what the future will look like for the United States in a setting where they are not the only dominating power. Anne gives insight into the complexities of critical minerals, from China's overwhelming refining capabilities, to developing nations' desire to capitalize on their raw resources.

Democracy, Migration, and Climate Change: An Assessment of the Intersectional Crisis in Latin America with Rebecca Bill Chavez, President and CEO of the Inter-American Dialogue Sep 04, 2023

Show notes

The Burn Bag is collaborating with the Climate Migration Council to conduct several episodes on the security risks surrounding climate change, amidst severe heat and climate-related crises that are gripping the country and the world.
This week, A'ndre spoke with Rebecca Bill Chavez, the President and CEO of the Inter-American Dialogue, on the migration crisis in Latin America -- discussing why democratic decay across the region has factored in, and how the effects of climate change intersect. Rebecca, who worked on Latin American issues at the Department of Defense during the Obama Administration, talks about the key drivers of migration in Latin America and the internal dynamics of countries that are both the sources and receivers of migrants. We discuss why anti-democratic political cultures have exacerbated migration, and touch on how governments (across the right and left) have leveraged militarized law enforcement arms. Rebecca then outlines how climate change has intensified these relevant challenges, but provides some examples of hope on international cooperation, particularly highlighting how local and municipal leaders (such as Mayors) across Latin America are aiming to collaborate via dialogue in engaging with climate change and climate-driven migration.

Former Colombian President Iván Duque on Climate Change, The War on Drugs, and the Latin American Migration Crisis Aug 28, 2023

Show notes

The Burn Bag is collaborating with the Climate Migration Council to conduct several episodes on the security risks surrounding climate change, amidst severe heat and climate-related crises that are gripping the country and the world.
This week, A'ndre spoke with Iván Duque, who served as President of Colombia from 2018 to 2022, on a range of topics related to climate change, the Latin American Migration Crisis, and the War on Drugs -- and how all three issues intersect with each other. President Duque outlines the key challenges he faced during his tenure and the specific actions his government took on environmental policy, energy consumption, and deforestation. The former President also provides his view on the environmental impacts of drug trafficking, highlighting the ecological cost of cocaine production, while also responding to claims that his government didn't do enough to stop the killings of land defenders and environmental activists. A'ndre and President Duque then open up a lengthy conversation on the Latin American Migration Crisis -- specifically discussing migration from Venezuela, and President Duque's actions to take in 2.5 million refugees from the country into Colombia. The President provides his view on whether the United States and Colombia should engage with Venezuelan President Maduro, and whether the world is doing their 'fair share' on engaging with the Latin American Migration Crisis. We close out the conversation with President Duque's takes on why migrants are traveling to the Southern Border of the United States via the Darien Gap, and his prognosis on the severity of climate-driven migration in the coming years and decades.

Ecosphere Security: Unsustainable Natural Resources and how Human and Food Insecurity Drive Climate Migration with Sharon Burke, President of Ecospherics Aug 21, 2023

Show notes

Can (or Should) the Military Address Climate Change? Former PACFLT Commander Admiral Scott Swift, USN (Ret.) on Climate Change and Climate Migration as a National Defense Issue Aug 10, 2023

Show notes

The Burn Bag is collaborating with the Climate Migration Council to conduct several episodes on the security risks surrounding climate change, amidst severe heat and climate-related crises that are gripping the country and the world.
This week, A'ndre spoke with former PACFLT Commander Admiral Scott Swift, USN (Ret.) on how we can view climate change and climate-driven migration through an operational defense lens. Admiral Swift provides his takes on why climate change is a national security issue, but explains why he doesn't believe it's not simply a defense issue. We discuss the Admiral's experience as PACFLT Commander and how climate issues intersected with his own military service, and open up a conversation on whether climate change impacts force posture and defense readiness. Admiral Swift talks about how we can apply a war-footing mentality to the fight against climate change, and why some governments have not yet taken effective action. We talk about the importance of climate-driven migration and the Admiral shares why he thinks the displacement of populations can de-stabilize countries around the world, and why the Admiral fears a 'Pearl Harbor' moment may be what forces ultimate action on this issue.

Former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff: Climate Change as a Security Risk and Why Climate-Driven Migration Matters Jul 31, 2023

Show notes

The Burn Bag is collaborating with the Climate Migration Council to conduct several episodes on the security risks surrounding climate change, amidst severe heat that is gripping the country.
This week, A'ndre spoke with former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff on climate-driven migration and the national security threats spawned by climate change. The Secretary provides his perspectives on how marginalized communities are most at risk from the effects of climate change, and how climate change has driven recent migration crises around the world. The Secretary highlights how climate change has contributed to political turmoil in Latin America and Africa, and the conversation even touches on how extremism and public health risks can be driven by the impacts of climate change. A'ndre and Secretary Chertoff also discuss how we navigate the partisan nature of climate change conversations, and why U.S. action on the issue is imperative in the context of great power competition from adversarial nations such as China and Russia. Secretary Chertoff also highlights some of the work that the Climate Migration Council is doing, and why the private sector needs to engage with these challenges.

Former CIA Director John Brennan on Presidents, Classified Documents, Leaks, and the Future of Intelligence Jul 24, 2023

Show notes

This week, A'ndre spoke with former CIA Director John Brennan on a range of topics pertaining to some of the recent controversies that relate to the intersection of politics and the Intelligence Community. Director Brennan discusses controversies behind President Trump's handling of classified documents, and provides an overview of how Presidents typically receive classified information while in office. A'ndre and the former CIA Director also discuss concerns on whether more partisan members of the U.S. Congress may use classified information for political gain, and the Director's thoughts on the recent 'top secret' leaks by a member of the Air National Guard. We round out the conversation with Director Brennan's takes on the future of the Intelligence Community, including his thoughts on how artificial intelligence may impact espionage operations, and how his definition of the term national security has changed since his entry into the CIA in 1980.

Prigozhin’s Covert Success: An Analysis of the Wagner Group’s Leader and the Situation in Ukraine with Verkhovna Rada Chief of Staff Andrii Bondarenko Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

This week, The Burn Bag's new co-host Christina Oh interviews Andrii Bondarenko, Chief of Staff for Oleksiy Goncharenko in the Ukrainian Parliament. Andrii discusses his unique views on Prigozhin’s short-lived uprising as a covert success and his maintained influence and popularity in Russian social media channels. We also discuss President Zelenskyy’s continued aspirations to join NATO’s ranks, and the stark reality of these ambitions following the conclusion of the war. Andrii provides further insight into the Ukrainian populace’s rising negative sentiments regarding China and Iran, and the nation’s increasing regard for democratic values globally.

Can We Play Tough With China? Leveraging Diplomacy and Information Tactics to Our Advantage with Ret. General David Stilwell Jul 09, 2023

Show notes

This week, A'ndre chats with retired Air Force Brigadier General David Stilwell, who most recently served as the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs during the Trump Administration, to get his views on the current state of U.S.-China diplomacy. General Stilwell has extensive experience on East Asian affairs (having also served as Asia Advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Director of the China Strategic Focus Group at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command), and provides his perspective on why the United States needs to come at the relationship with China from a "position of strength". The retired General and diplomat provides some interesting commentary on how the U.S. Government can leverage better messaging and information tactics to gain the upper hand, emphasizing a more psychological approach to the relationship. We also discuss the state of China's military, and why General Stilwell believes a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is NOT imminent.

Former CIA Director General David Petraeus on the Iraq War at 20, Ukraine, and Lessons for the Future Jun 26, 2023

Show notes

This week, A'ndre hosts former CIA Director and retired General David Petraeus for a conversation on the 20th Anniversary of the Iraq War, the War in Ukraine, and the U.S. Defense Department's preparedness for the next great power conflict. General Petraeus reflects on the run-up to the Invasion of Iraq, and outlines where he believes mistakes were made in the war's onset. The General also discusses the strategy, planning, and execution of 'The Surge' in 2007 which he commanded — controversial at the time, but since described as a success. We then chat about the General's recent visit to Ukraine — what he did there and what he learned. General Petraeus shares his initial reactions to Ukraine's counteroffensive, and discusses why the current conflict is not necessarily indicative of the future of warfare, as others have asserted. We close out the conversation with the General's thoughts on DoD preparedness, particularly with his views on the greatest threats in the logistics space, in a day and age with a multitude of new threats, and a looming munitions crisis.
General Petraeus is co-authoring a book with Andrew Roberts, entitled Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine, which you can preorder here.

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