The Think Tank

Latest Episodes:

Moldova's Elections and Political Context Dec 14, 2024

Show notes

What happens in Moldova? Why was the election so close? How has Russia tried to hijack the elections in Moldova? Are Moldovan and Romanian languages different? What are the generational and regional differences in Moldova?

We talked to an actual Moldovan (they aren't that rare..) about this often overlooked country. Recorded in October 2024.

Recommended sources for further information:

Rise Moldova https://www.rise.md/english/

Vlad Lupan, on Twitter: @VladLupan

Paula Erizanu @paulaerizanu

Denis Dermenji https://www.rferl.org/author/denis-dermenji/bmvkqt

Victor's book recommendation: Playing the Moldovans at Tennis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/994023.Playing_the_Moldovans_at_Tennis

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

The US Election 2024 Episode Dec 05, 2024

Show notes

Why did Trump win the election? How did disinformation play a role? Is a Trump administration going to be worse for Ukraine? What does the future of European security look like? All this and more is discussed in this election episode with Dr. Nik Ford and Kevin Gaughen, hosted by Joseph Place and Matt.

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

Victory Plan, Nukes & North Korea Nov 04, 2024

Show notes

Joe and Pingu have a catch up on the victory plan, the status of the battlefield in Ukraine, the ongoing elections, North Korea, and nukes. Recorded on the 20th of October, 2024.

What do we know about the victory plan?

What purpose will North Korean troops play in the war?

What do people misunderstand about North Korea?

Does Ukraine have nuclear weapons?

We discuss, and venture some educated guesses.

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

Why AI is Dangerous for Disinformation Oct 11, 2024

Show notes

Will AI kill us all? Probably not, but it may destroy trust in facts, harm education, and exacerbate a lot of worrying trends. In this episode, Joe and Pingu catch up on some events, such as Kursk updates, the media cycle, and more, and then dive into the terrifying reality of AI, and how it must be taken more seriously, building off the previous episode. With Dr. Joseph Place and Pingu

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

Summer 2024 Catch Up Oct 11, 2024

Show notes

Why did Russia seem totally unbothered by Ukraine’s counter attack into Kursk?

What do the various elections around the world mean for Ukraine?

What happened with the downed F-16 in Ukraine?

Will Joe get over his cold that you can hear?

Why is AI worrying?

Find out in this episode of The Think Tank!

With Dr. Joseph Place and Pingu

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

Episode 17 - Shaun Pinner Aug 16, 2024

Show notes

Dr. Joe and not Dr. Matt talk to Shaun Pinner. One of the British soldiers in the Ukrainian armed forces captured in the defence of Mariupol. They discuss his background, what the media gets wrong about Ukraine and its overlooked successes, what the future of the conflict looks like, why online activism is important, and what's great about life in Ukraine.

Read his book: https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/300663/shaun-pinner

Listen to Letters from Ukraine via Twitter: @UkrainianWriter

Support: https://www.braveu.fund/

https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/300663/shaun-pinner

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

Episode 16: Zakarpattia, Ukraine's Hungarian Minority and Linguistic Realities with Olga of Uzhhorod Jun 19, 2024

Show notes

Joe and Matt chat with Olga of Uzhhorod, a Ukrainian from Zakarpattia, an oblast which borders Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. They discuss Olga’s experience of language in the country, myths about the country, how things are changing, growing up in a multilingual environment, absurdity of russian propaganda, why language is not equivalent to nationality, and how to fight back.

Ongoing Fundraiser for Olga’s friend: https://choko.link/slashsquad

Joe’s Blog Post about Zakarpattia: https://jjplace.co.uk/?p=109

Joe’s article about language policies: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11212-023-09612-3

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

Episode 15: The Taiwan Protests Explained Jun 17, 2024

Show notes

In a The Think Tank first, Joe and Matt get a live call from Pingu (and a not-live explainer) about the protests in Taiwan. They also discuss two years of NAFO, its impact, and highlights of its history.

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

The Think Tank Episode 15: The Georgia Protests Against the Russian Law With General George Fella May 24, 2024

Show notes

Why is the russian law so bad?
Who are the Georgian Dream party?
What is the opposition and protest movement doing?
How can we help Georgia defend democracy?
Elbridge Colby vs NAFO, Kharkiv under attack, and Fico and the disinfo mill.

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

Episode 14: The Episode from the American State May 14, 2024

Show notes

Joe and Matt return (again) to catch up after some time. Matt shares his impressions of the "Victory" parade. Joe has upgraded. They also discuss the events recently and past, and how the modern social media cycle continues to warp our understanding of war. And Brezhnev lives.

Episode Links:

https://x.com/MattPPea/status/1788486814723887163

https://twitter.com/soldier_fella

https://u24.gov.ua/

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

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