The Burn Bag Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Putin Under the Microscope: How the International Criminal Court May Hold Him Accountable with Professor Mark Schrad Jun 18, 2023

Show notes

This week, David and Andrea chat with Professor Mark Lawrence Schrad. A Professor of Political Science and the Director of Russian area studies at Villanova University, along with authoring several books and being a regular contributor to Foreign Policy, Mark brings a wealth of experience in international law and Russian politics. Specifically, David and Andrea chat with Mark on the history of international law, its weight in global politics, its successes and failures, and, most relevant to today, how the International Criminal Court’s recent ruling against President Putin should be interpreted. In this discussion, Mark advocates for a less cynical view on international law, and stipulates that despite some of its shortcomings, we can look to it as a model of success and cooperation.

U.S.-India Relations: A Primer in Advance of Modi's State Visit to the United States with Basant Sanghera, Principal at The Asia Group Jun 13, 2023

Show notes

This week, A'ndre spoke with Basant Sanghera, Principal at The Asia Group and former NSC Director for India and the Indian Ocean, on the state of U.S.-India relations in advance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official state visit this month. We dissect how bilateral relations between the United States and India have evolved since the latter's independence in 1947, and assess whether India's foreign policy truly follows a stance of 'non-alignment'. Basant shares his views on India's tense relationship with China, three years removed from the Ladakh skirmish (a tense situation in which both Indian and Chinese troops were killed), and whether India portends to figure prominently into the U.S. strategy on China. We also chat briefly about India's perceived positive relationship with Russia, particularly in the context of the Russo-Ukraine War, in addition to how India plays 'big brother' to some of its smaller neighbors in the Indian Ocean region. Finally, we discuss what economic relations look like between the United States and India, paying particular focus to India's fast growth in the tech sector, while also touching a bit on issues pertaining to human rights.

Best of: The Psychology of Putin with Former State Department Psychiatrist Dr. Ken Dekleva Jun 05, 2023

Show notes

RE-RELEASE: This episode was originally recorded in March 2022, at the onset of the Russo-Ukrainian War
In this episode, Dr. Ken Dekleva returns for a conversation on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Ken, who served as a Regional Medical Officer/Psychiatrist with the State Department, dissects Vladimir Putin's formative experiences and core characteristics, as well as Putin's inner circle. Dr. Dekleva digs into what he sees as happening with Putin’s leadership during the Ukraine-Russia War, and provides his input on why he doesn’t think Putin “has lost it”. He also discusses his assessment of other world leaders involved with the conflict, including Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.
You can listen to Dr. Dekleva’s prior episode on leadership profiles here.

Space, Satellites, and Start-Ups: True Anomaly CEO Even Rogers speaks on Space Force, Space Defense, and Readiness May 30, 2023

Show notes

This week, A'ndre chatted with Even Rogers, CEO and Co-Founder of space defense start-up True Anomaly, on a range of topics pertaining to space defense, the efficacy of the Space Force, and how his company is aiming to fill in key technology gaps the military is experiencing. Even, who formerly served at U.S. Space Command, discusses why he believes the Space Force is critical to national security and corrects some of the misperceptions the general public has about the newest branch of the Armed Forces. He discusses how the Space Force has fared since its founding, and why the new military branch promotes U.S. interests in the Indo-Pacific, in addition to addressing threats in space from China and Russia. Even then outlines key readiness challenges the Department of Defense is facing in the space domain, and gives his take on the DoD acquisitions process and how venture capital can play a key role bolstering the commercial world to take on space defense. We then discuss True Anomaly, the company's new technologies, and some of the coverage around the company's much publicized 'hunter satellites'.
Some of the resources that Even referenced during the episode are provided here:

Air National Guard Director Lt. Gen. Michael Loh on the National Defense Strategy, Joint Force, and Integrated Deterrence May 22, 2023

Show notes

This week, A'ndre caught up with Lt. Gen. Michael Loh, the Director of the Air National Guard (ANG), to talk about how the reserve force fits into the new National Defense Strategy, how it factors into the Joint Force's strategy, and how it promotes the goal of integrated deterrence. Lt. Gen. Loh shares out areas of the National Defense Strategy that are priorities for the ANG, and the outlines the unique dual state and federal roles that the ANG fulfills. We discuss how the ANG supports the U.S. Air Force and what mobilization of the ANG's resources in the Indo-Pacific may look like in the event of conflict. Lt. Gen. Loh also highlights the biggest challenges he sees facing the ANG, particularly in the realm of modernization and innovation. We also talk about how unmanned capabilities and foreign allies have factored into the ANG's overall performance and capabilities.

China: Challenges, Competition, and Conflict? On China's Foreign Policy Going Forward with Ryan Hass, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution May 15, 2023

Show notes

This week, Burn Bag hosts A'ndre and David chat with Ryan Hass, senior fellow and the Michael H. Armacost Chair in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings, on China's foreign policy decision-making and strategy, from the 1970s through to the present. We discuss how China's sphere of influence, global standing, and relations with the United States have changed over the decades. Ryan provides an overview of China's foreign policy goals under Xi, and whether they're unique when compared to those of his predecessors. We probe whether China's foreign policy approach is sustainable, and evaluate its relations with India, smaller states, and countries in the Middle East, before dissecting China's approach to Russia amidst the War in Ukraine. We then shift to a broader conversation on China's aggression towards Taiwan, and whether a conflict is inevitable.
Ryan's new book (co-authored with Dr. Richard Bush and Bonnie Glaser, “U.S.-Taiwan Relations: Will China’s Challenge Lead to a Crisis?”, is out right now.

Age of Danger: Reimagining the National Security Machine Amidst Threats from Superpowers, Germs, Digits, Drones, and Storms with Andrew Hoehn and Thom Shanker May 08, 2023

Show notes

This week, A'ndre interviewed Andrew Hoehn (Senior Director of Research at RAND) and Thom Shanker (Director of Project for Media and National Security) on their new book Age of Danger, which aims to reassess and redefine how the United States approaches national security, amidst a range of new and emerging threats. Andrew and Thom talk about why the U.S. Government focused too much on the threat of terrorism for twenty years, while missing the mark on the rise of China and Russia. We also discuss the country's long-time focus on hard power (military might, weapons, and more) and why there needs to be a shift to emphasizing soft power (diplomacy, economics, and influence). We call out the emerging threats of pandemics, cyber, autonomous technologies, and climate change, and both Andrew and Thom discuss how they'd retool the $1.25 trillion national security machine to be better able at addressing those threats.
Age of Danger: Keeping America Safe in an Era of New Superpowers, New Weapons, and New Threats is out on May 9th, and you can purchase the book here.

The Burn Bag & Girl Security: Economic Influence, Vitality, and its National Security Scope with Dr. Betsey Stevenson May 03, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to the Burn Bag's collaboration with Girl Security, a workforce mentorship program designed to help young women pursue careers in National Security. This series focuses on how we can reframe our thinking on National Security — what is pertinent to national security in the 21st century? Who, or what, is missing from the national security discussion? Join us as we explore topics within each episode alongside experts in the realm of national security, hosted by Andrea Ochoa and Girl Security Fellows.
As a professor at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and former chief economist of the U.S Department of Labor, Dr. Stevenson was able to speak to Andrea and Aurelia Van der Wilde about the role of economic influence and national security interests at both macro and micro levels. We explore how countries wield economic influence abroad, how we define economic vitality at home, and how having a secure economy is of importance to national security interests.
We later delve a bit more into Dr. Stevenson's work researching labor market experiences and unpaid labor. Are public policy solutions plausible? Tune in to this episode as we discuss!

The Burn Bag & Girl Security: Private Sector Partnerships in National Security with Ellen Chang Apr 26, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to the Burn Bag's collaboration with Girl Security, a workforce mentorship program designed to help young women pursue careers in National Security. This series focuses on how we can reframe our thinking on National Security — what is pertinent to national security in the 21st century? Who, or what, is missing from the national security discussion? Join us as we explore topics within each episode alongside experts in the realm of national security, hosted by Andrea Ochoa and Girl Security Fellows.
This week, Andrea and Sravya Kotamraju speak with Ellen Chang, Vice President Ventures and head of H4X Labs at BMNT, about the breadth of opportunities available in private sector national security work. Ellen touches on her work and prior experience as a former U.S Navy Intelligence Officer and defense industry expert to provide a thorough break down of the dynamics of government and private sector collaboration, international cooperation in advancing technologies, and innovation in this space.
Our hosts learn more about the future of private-public sector partnerships and how younger generations can be involved. Tune in as we expand more upon the various stakeholders involved in our country’s security.

The Burn Bag & Girl Security: Farah Pandith on Global Influence and National Security Apr 20, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to the Burn Bag's collaboration with Girl Security, a workforce mentorship program designed to help young women pursue careers in National Security. This series focuses on how we can reframe our thinking on National Security — what is pertinent to national security in the 21st century? Who, or what, is missing from the national security discussion? Join us as we explore topics within each episode alongside experts in the realm of national security, hosted by Andrea Ochoa and Girl Security Fellows.
Farah Pandith, a pioneer in the field of countering violent extremism, joins The Burn Bag's Andrea Ochoa and Girl Security Fellow Sydney Zulich for a conversation on the role of 'influence' in shaping national security and international policy. Farah discusses what American influence means, and how our country competes for influence with other nations. Farah outlines how powerful democratic values can be powerful in shaping influence, and how globalization may affect America's own position.
Our hosts and Farah also chat about how diplomacy can shape influence, and reflect on how Farah's own former position as Special Representative to Muslim Communities was an example of this. They close out the conversation by talking about misinformation, and the role technology plays in exacerbating key risks.

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