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Transcripts
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Robert Kuttner,
Joanne J. Myers
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11/18/08
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For 30 years, the economic condition of most Americans has become ever more precarious. To change this requires a cogent ideology and politics of a managed, rather than laissez-faire, brand of capitalism.
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Karl E. Meyer,
Shareen Blair Brysac,
Joanne J. Myers
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11/12/08
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How did the modern Middle East come about? Who were the British and Americans who shaped this region, from the 1882 British invasion of Egypt to today's Iraq War?
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Andrew J. Bacevich,
Joanne J. Myers
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11/11/08
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America is facing a profound triple crisis: the economy, the government, and an involvement in endless wars. This threatens all of us, Republicans and Democrats alike, says Andrew Bacevich.
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Ted Widmer,
Joel H. Rosenthal,
Joanne J. Myers
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11/04/08
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Ted Widmer shows that from its beginnings, the United States, for all its shortfalls, has been by far the world’s greatest advocate for freedom.
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Mark A. Noll,
Joanne J. Myers
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10/29/08
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"The reason that Barack Obama's candidacy is such an important matter for the American history of race, religion, and politics goes back to the 1830s."
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James Traub,
Joanne J. Myers
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10/14/08
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According to James Traub, although Bush bungled his famous Freedom Agenda—that American liberty is dependent on liberty in other lands—the concept still holds true.
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Joseph S. Nye,
Joanne J. Myers
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10/13/08
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What qualities make a leader succeed in business or in politics? Joseph Nye contends that modern leadership requires "smart power," which is a judicious situational balance of hard power and soft power.
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Michael W. Doyle,
Harold H. Koh,
Joanne J. Myers
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10/01/08
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Is the Bush Doctrine of aggressive preventive action a justified and legal recourse against threats posed by terrorists and rogue states? Does the United States have the right to defend itself by striking first, or must it wait until an attack is in progress?
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Philip Bobbitt,
Joanne J. Myers
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09/26/08
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The world is in the midst of a great transition from nation states to "market states", says Philip Bobbitt, and consequently almost every widely-held idea we currently have about 21st century terrorism is wrong.
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Bing West,
Joanne J. Myers
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09/16/08
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There has been a fundamental disconnect between the Bush Administration and the reality in Iraq, says Bing West. But nevertheless, the strongest tribe in Iraq--the U.S. army--managed to turn things around.
"To be a moderate in the Arab world today," says Jordanian diplomat Marwan Muasher, "is to be a very, very tiny minority." The reason is that all the Arab center's energy has been focused on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
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Mike Moore,
Joanne J. Myers
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06/18/08
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Except for the U.S. and Israel, every nation favors a treaty to prevent the weaponization of space. China has been pushing the U.S. on this since 1999. What are we waiting for?
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Marshall I. Goldman,
Joanne J. Myers
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06/17/08
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"There's no one to talk to since Mahatma Gandhi died," sighs Putin. In a funny and frightening talk, Marshall Goldman unravels the tangled links between Putin, Russia's new elites, the petroleum industry, and Russia's resurgence.
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Ted Sorensen,
Joanne J. Myers
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06/12/08
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Special Counsel and Advisor to John F. Kennedy Ted Sorensen recalls his life and times with JFK, including the dramas of desegregation and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
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Ahmed Rashid,
Joanne J. Myers
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06/09/08
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"Almost every single important extremist leader is living on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan," says Ahmed Rashid. Compared to this threat, Iraq is a sideshow.
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Sir Lawrence Freedman,
Joanne J. Myers
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05/22/08
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Looking back over the last 30 years, historian Sir Lawrence Freedman analyzes the complex politics of the Middle East and shows how America's policy choices in previous crises have led to the current dilemmas
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Kimberly Dozier,
Jeffrey D. McCausland
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05/16/08
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Kimberly Dozier, a veteran Middle East journalist who was critically wounded in a Baghdad bomb blast, talks about the difficulties of reporting from Iraq. It's dangerous, it's expensive, and people don't want to hear it.
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Noah Feldman,
Joanne J. Myers
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05/16/08
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In the West the idea of governance by Sharia law is radioactive, says Noah Feldman, yet for many in the Muslim world it represents their aspirations for rule of law. Can Islamic States succeed?
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Ashraf Ghani,
Joanne J. Myers
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05/06/08
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Drawing on his background at the World Bank and as the first post-Taliban finance minister of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani (and co-author Clare Lockhart) develops a comprehensive framework for understanding the problem of state-building.
Quil Lawrence tells the story of the Kurds, the only Iraqi ethnic group that want the Americans to stay. Divided among Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria and numbering 25 million, the Kurds are the largest ethnic group without their own nation.
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Parag Khanna,
Joanne J. Myers
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04/28/08
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Americans ask, "Why do they hate us? Is this country pro or anti-American?" But what Khanna finds as he travels the world is that increasingly, many just don't care about the United States. Countries are going their own way and making multiple alliances.
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Guy Sorman,
Joanne J. Myers
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04/15/08
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"There are not six million Tibetans in China," says Guy Sorman. "There are one billion." If the many Chinese who are not beneficiaries of economic development could express themselves, they would say the same things as the Tibetans.
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Paul Krugman,
Joanne J. Myers
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04/11/08
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How can we reclaim the relationship between America's government and its citizens? What will it take to achieve a new New Deal?
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H.E. Dr. Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, President of Iceland,
Joanne J. Myers
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04/07/08
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H.E. Dr. Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, President of Iceland, discusses how Iceland has successfully reduced its use of oil and coal, and how the fate of nations large and small is being affected by climate change.
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Darius Rejali,
Joanne J. Myers
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04/04/08
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In his exhaustive study, Rejali traces the history of torture through the ages. "It's not so much that torture never works," he says. "The point is, works better than what?" There are better alternatives.
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Jan Egeland,
Shashi Tharoor,
Joanne J. Myers
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03/18/08
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"In spite of being stingy, and in spite of being late, and in spite of being half-hearted, we are making progress," says Egeland. But we must respond to all disasters, not just those that hit the headlines.
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Kishore Mahbubani,
Joanne J. Myers
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03/04/08
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Western dominance is waning, says Kishore Mahbubani, and Asia has adopted many Western best practices, from meritocracy to free-market economics. Therefore it's high time that the West gives up its domination of global institutions, from the IMF to the UN Security Council.
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George A. Lopez,
Thomas E. McNamara,
Joanne J. Myers
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03/04/08
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George Lopez gives an overview of effective, multilateral counter-terrorism measures, and as an illustration, Ambassador McNamara analyzes how Libya went from rogue state to member of the Security Council.
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Martin Evans,
Joanne J. Myers
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02/22/08
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After the bloody war of independence, Algerians hoped for a brighter future. Yet an estimated 200,000 people were killed in the 1990s, and today Islamic terrorism is on the rise. What went wrong?
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Bernard Haykel,
Joanne J. Myers
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02/21/08
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Bernard Haykel sheds light on the inner workings of Saudi Arabia, from the relationship between the government and various Islamic groups, to the position of women and the Kingdom's relationship with the U.S.
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Peter Ackerman,
Larry Diamond,
Arch Puddington,
Jennifer L. Windsor,
Joanne J. Myers
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02/15/08
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Freedom House representatives and Larry Diamond discuss the findings of the FH annual survey, "Freedom in the World 2008," which shines a light on the decline in freedom around the world.
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Mokhtar Lamani,
Joanne J. Myers
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02/11/08
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Appointed by the Arab League as Special Envoy to Iraq, Mohktar Lamani spent a
year in Baghdad's dangerous Red Zone trying to bring about peace between
Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds, and Christians. But his efforts were crippled by
sectarian conflict and he resigned in February 2007.
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Jean-Marc Coicaud,
Joanne J. Myers
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01/24/08
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Why do so many UN peacekeeping operations end in mixed results or outright failure? Reasons include the indecisiveness and bad financial management of the UN and the fact that member states almost invariably put national interests first.
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Bill Bradley,
Joanne J. Myers
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01/23/08
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What will it take to make America better and stronger? We can solve such problems as health insurance and our addiction to oil, says Senator Bill Bradley. But first, politicians must tell the American people some hard truths.
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Paul Collier,
Joanne J. Myers
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01/07/08
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Global poverty is falling, but a minority of developing countries are stagnant and diverging from the rest of mankind, says Collier, which is a danger to global stability. He identifies four poverty traps and in this talk focuses on one of them--resource riches.
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Ahmed Rashid,
Joanne J. Myers
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12/12/07
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Created as a Muslim state 60 years ago this August, Pakistan is in crisis, wrestling with Draconian laws, the conflict between secularism and Islam, and an increasing terrorist threat. Ahmed Rashid, author of "Taliban," analyses the situation.
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Srgjan Kerim,
Joanne J. Myers
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12/10/07
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We need to involve individuals more and give a lot of what we call our sovereignty to the individual, says Kerim. Shared responsibilities should be the value of such a new culture of international relations, together with freedom, equality, tolerance, and respect.
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Garrett M. Graff
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12/06/07
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The Internet has transformed the election process, says Graff,
and whether candidates like it or not, fundraising and campaigning will never be the same again.
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Matthew Levitt,
Joel H. Rosenthal,
Joanne J. Myers
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11/29/07
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Levitt discusses the behind-the-scenes work that Treasury is doing to cut off funds for terrorism, with particular focus on Iran.
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Shashi Tharoor,
Joanne J. Myers
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11/07/07
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Diversity, says Tharoor, is the very essence and strength of India. Rather than a melting pot, it is more like an Indian "thali," with each dish separate but combining in the mouth to make a harmonious whole.
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Olivier Roy,
Joanne J. Myers
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11/05/07
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What we are witnessing in Europe," says Roy, "is a transformation from an ethnic
minority into a faith community. These people want to be considered as citizens
and Muslims. They don't consider themselves as a diaspora."
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Richard Rhodes,
Joel H. Rosenthal,
Joanne J. Myers
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11/01/07
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It's time to finish the work that Reagan and Gorbachev began and get rid of all the nuclear weapons in the world, says Rhodes. And led by George Shultz, a group of Reagan-era hawks have a step-by-step proposal on how to do it.
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Walter Russell Mead,
Joanne J. Myers
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10/31/07
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Walter Russell Mead wittily explains how the individualistic faiths of Britain and America lent themselves so well to the creation of the modern economic and political order.
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John Bowe,
Joanne J. Myers
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10/17/07
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Do labor abuse and outright slavery still exist in the United States? Yes, says John Bowe, who travels from Florida to U.S.-owned Saipan to investigate modern global slave labor.
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Garry Wills,
Joanne J. Myers
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10/11/07
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The U.S. separation of church and state both unleashed evangelical feelings and tempered them with reason and rationality, says Wills. "Putting together the head and the heart is not easy, but we have been most successful as a country when that has happened."
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Robert B. Reich,
Joanne J. Myers
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10/10/07
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With the advent of global capitalism, consumers have many more choices and investors are doing well. But democracy, charged with caring for all citizens, is becoming less and less effective, says Reich.
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Alan B. Krueger,
Joanne J. Myers
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10/03/07
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If we are to address terrorism successfully, we need to make a more rigorous
examination of its causes. Many believe that it springs from poverty and
lack of education, yet as Krueger shows, the evidence is all to the contrary.
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Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu,
Joanne J. Myers
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10/02/07
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The 57-member OIC has embarked on an ambitious 10-year plan, which includes setting up a 10-billion-dollar fund for poverty alleviation and eventually establishing an independent body on human rights.
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Mark Lilla,
Joanne J. Myers
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09/26/07
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"It's not contemporary Islam that's the exception," says Mark Lilla. "We are the exception. We live on the other shore from those who see political theology as the only way of life, and we need to drop the illusion that we share a common vocabulary."
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D. Michael Lindsay,
Joanne J. Myers
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09/20/07
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Evangelicals have become the new internationalists, says Lindsay, working for more American engagement abroad at both policy and grassroot levels. How does this affect America and the rest of the world?
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Muhammad Qasim Zaman
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09/18/07
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Transcript coming soon.
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Robert D. Kaplan,
Joanne J. Myers
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09/17/07
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The Pacific is no longer an American lake, says Robert Kaplan, and with the rise of China and India, we should accept that we are moving once again towards a multipolar world.
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Philippe Legrain,
Joanne J. Myers
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09/10/07
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It's inevitable that more and more people will move across borders, says Philippe Legrain, and rather than put obstacles in their way, we should welcome them. They do the jobs we can't or won't do and their diversity enriches us all.
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Cass Sunstein,
Joanne J. Myers
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09/07/07
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The internet offers us unprecedented access to information. Yet it also allows us to block out diverse ideas, selecting only articles and blogs that reinforce our existing opinions. What does this mean for democracy?
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The Hon. Mr. François Delattre,
Joanne J. Myers
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06/27/07
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Nicolas Sarkozy is pro-business, a longtime friend of the United States, and the diversity of his new Cabinet is unprecedented. His victory is a turning point for France.
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Major General John D. Altenburg (U.S. Army ret.),
Jeffrey D. McCausland,
Joanne J. Myers
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06/20/07
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We don't need new laws, says Altenburg. We need to comply with those we already have, and to educate the public about the definition of terms such as "unlawful enemy combatants" and why, if captured, they are not entitled to habeas corpus.
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Norman Pearlstine,
Joanne J. Myers
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06/19/07
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Norman Pearlstine gives the scoop on Time Inc.'s role in the Scooter Libby/Valerie Plame case. He supports creating federal shield laws so that reporters can protect their sources.
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Allan Rock,
Joanne J. Myers
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06/05/07
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There are now 250,000-300,000 child soldiers, deployed in 20 countries across three continents. Allan Rock discusses the UN's efforts to change this, with special reference to Sri Lanka.
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Michael Oppenheimer,
Joanne J. Myers
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05/23/07
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Michael Oppenheimer explains climate change and discusses ways to deal with this mounting crisis. A self-described optimist, he believes that we can change our behavior and prevent complete catastrophe.
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Andrew Kohut,
Bruce Stokes,
Joanne J. Myers
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05/15/07
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Once America was considered the champion of democracy, but now we are seen as a militant hyperpower. Why has the world turned against America and what can we do about it?
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Robert Hormats,
Joanne J. Myers
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05/10/07
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Hormats compares the fiscal policies made in previous American wars to those of the current administration and argues that today's decisions place America's future at risk.
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Martha Nussbaum,
Joanne J. Myers
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05/03/07
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The Hindu right poses a threat to India's secular democracy, says Martha Nussbaum, and this example of the impact of religious nationalism is relevant to democracies everywhere.
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Sari Nusseibeh,
Joanne J. Myers
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04/24/07
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In spite of the hatred and frustration on the surface, Palestinian activist and scholar Sari Nusseibeh optimistically believes that deep down there is readiness on the part of both Israelis and Palestinians to make peace.
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Ali A. Allawi,
Joanne J. Myers
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04/11/07
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Ali A. Allawi, until recently a senior minister in the Iraqi government, discusses the Iraq crisis. How did it get to this point, and what will be the longterm repercussions on Iraq and the rest of the world?
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Susan L. Shirk,
Joanne J. Myers
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04/05/07
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The more developed and prosperous China becomes, the more threatened its leaders feel. What are the internal issues that create this insecurity?
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Fabrice Weissman,
Joanne J. Myers
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04/04/07
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The Darfur crisis is one of the most serious in the world, says Weissman of MSF.
But contrary to many reports, it is neither a racial war, nor genocide. "The war
in Darfur is better characterized as a very nasty civil war which is in the
process of spiraling out of control."
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Barbara Bodine,
John H. Gill,
John Tirman,
Joanne J. Myers
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03/27/07
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The panelists discuss newly emerging relationships between the Persian Gulf States and India, two regions with close ties for millennia, and which have increasingly convergent trade and strategic interests.
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Zahid Hussain,
Joanne J. Myers
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03/12/07
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This is a tense time in Pakistan and Afghanistan, says Zahid Hussain. The Pakistan intelligence service and militant Islam are connected, Musharraf is walking a tightrope, and the Taliban is back in force in Afghanistan.
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Kenneth Roth,
Joanne J. Myers
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03/07/07
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With Washington's reputation as a leader on human rights gravely damaged by abuses committed in its five-year-old "global war on terror," who will fill the vacuum?
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Paul M. Barrett,
Joanne J. Myers
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03/01/07
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Over six million Muslims of different backgrounds live in the United States, and for the most part, says Paul Barrett, they are highly assimilated. But in certain areas this group has very different views of the world, and we need to understand their complexity.
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Margaret MacMillan,
Joanne J. Myers
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02/21/07
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How did this momentous meeting between two leaders lay the foundations for today's complex and difficult relationship between the United States and China?
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Simon Chesterman,
James Traub,
Joanne J. Myers
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02/12/07
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Known as the most impossible job on earth, the tensions between the roles of being Secretary or General have confronted every UN Secretary-General. What will be Ban Ki-moon's strategy be?
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Gernot Erler,
Joanne J. Myers
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02/05/07
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As European energy demands continue to grow, Russia maintains its position as the primary source for Europe's energy supplies. Can Europe persuade Russia to guarantee its future energy needs?
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Edward Luce,
Joanne J. Myers
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02/01/07
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Despite problems such as poverty and corruption, India is undergoing an extraordinary transformation, says Luce, emerging as an economic powerhouse and an important geopolitical force.
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Peter Ackerman,
Andrei Illarionov,
Jennifer L. Windsor,
Joanne J. Myers
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01/30/07
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The panelists discuss Freedom House's latest survey which shows that Russia has descended into the ranks of "Not Free" States.
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General Sir Rupert Smith,
Joanne J. Myers
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01/24/07
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The new paradigm is war amongst the people, where the strategic objective is to win hearts and minds, and the battle is for the people's will, rather than the destruction of an opponent's forces.
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Michael B. Oren,
Joanne J. Myers
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01/18/07
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"Few Americans know of their very rich, centuries-long legacy in the Middle East," says Oren. "It’s a multifaceted heritage of war and statecraft, altruism and beneficence, wild artistic imaginings, and swashbuckling adventure."
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John B. Taylor,
Joel H. Rosenthal,
Joanne J. Myers
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01/11/07
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What steps did the U.S. government take to freeze terrorist assets worldwide, plan the financial reconstruction of Afghanistan, and oversee the development of a new currency in Iraq?
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H.E. Mr. Young-jin Choi,
Joanne J. Myers
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12/12/06
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If unattended, failed states will become hotbeds of international terrorism, nuclear proliferation, environmental degradation, communicable diseases, and overpopulation. Thus it is in our own-self interest not to turn a blind eye.
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Joseph Cirincione,
Joanne J. Myers
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12/05/06
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We are at a nuclear tipping point, says Joseph Cirincione, and the policy decisions the United States makes over the next 3-5 years will decide whether or not we launch another great wave of nuclear proliferation.
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David M. Malone,
Joanne J. Myers
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11/30/06
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What role did the UN Security Council play in the international struggles over Iraq?
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Ian Buruma,
Joanne J. Myers
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11/20/06
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What happens when political Islam collides with a secular Western European nation? Ian Buruma discusses the events that led to the brutal murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh.
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Yoram Peri,
Joanne J. Myers
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11/16/06
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In Israel's political system, the military was once the servant of civilian politicians. Today, however, Yoram Peri argues, generals lead the way when it comes to foreign and defense policymaking.
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James Traub,
Joanne J. Myers,
Barbara Crossette
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11/15/06
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James Traub discusses the troubled relationship between the UN and the world's only superpower.
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Ethan B. Kapstein,
Joel H. Rosenthal
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11/01/06
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In a lively session, Ethan Kapstein proposes just what the international community can reasonably do to build a global economy that will be fairer to all.
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Ronald Dworkin,
Joanne J. Myers
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10/31/06
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If we want substantial political argument—and without it, true democracy is impossible—both "the red" and "the blue" must recognize shared moral principles, says Ronald Dworkin.
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Vali Nasr,
Joanne J. Myers
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10/18/06
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Vali Nasr argues that the Shia Crescent—stretching from Lebanon and Syria through the Gulf to Iraq and Iran, finally terminating in Pakistan and India—is gathering strength in the aftermath of Saddam's fall.
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Philip Jenkins,
Joanne J. Myers
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10/11/06
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By 2025, Africa and Latin America will have the largest number of Christians in the world, says Philip Jenkins, and theirs is a different Christianity from that commonly found in the Global North.
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Joseph E. Stiglitz,
Joanne J. Myers
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10/05/06
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Stiglitz offers new thinking about the questions that shape the globalization debate, including a plan to restructure the global financial system, ideas for how countries can grow without degrading the environment, and a framework for free and fair global trade.
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Niall Ferguson,
Joanne J. Myers
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09/26/06
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The twentieth century was by far the bloodiest in all of human history. How can we explain the astonishing scale and intensity of its violence when, thanks to the advances of science and economics, most people were better off than ever before?
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John Danforth,
Joanne J. Myers
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09/20/06
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Religious people should engage in politics, argues Senator John Danforth, "but there is a difference between engaging in politics and transforming politics and government into an extension or an enforcer of your religious point of view."
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Gordon Corera,
Joanne J. Myers
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09/07/06
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"Khan has wreaked havoc on attempts to restrain the spread of nuclear technology," says Corera. "He has lowered the barriers of entry for the nuclear game. He has irreversibly changed the mechanics of supply and demand, and left a really damaging legacy."
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Charlayne Hunter-Gault,
Warren Hoge,
Joanne J. Myers
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06/21/06
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Journalist (and South Africa resident) Hunter-Gault gives a surprisingly optimistic assessment of modern Africa, revealing that there is more to the continent than the bad news of disease, disaster, and despair.
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Shashi Tharoor,
Ruth Wedgwood,
James Traub,
Joanne J. Myers
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06/12/06
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Is the UN "I" for irrelevant, or "I" for indispensable, as Shashi Tharoor would have it? While conceding that the UN is relevant, Ruth Wedgwood argues that "competing multilaterals" should also play a role in solving the world's problems. This witty but deeply serious debate will give both sides of the argument food for thought.
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Jan Eliasson,
Joanne J. Myers
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06/07/06
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H.E. Mr. Jan Eliasson discusses recent steps forward at the U.N., such as the creation of the Peacebuilding Commission, the Central Emergency Fund, and the Human Rights Council.
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