Departures Podcast with Gulnaz Sharafutdinova, author of ‘The Red Mirror: Putin’s Leadership and Russia’s Insecure Identity’
Vladimir Putin never seems to go away. No matter what economic or political crisis, invasions of neighboring nations, or crushing oppression of basic civil liberties, he somehow manages to sustain enough of a perception of popular support and legitimacy to keep on going. Why? That’s the question studied in the terrific new book “The Red […]
Departures Podcast with Jing Sun, author of ‘Red Chamber, World Dream: Actors, Audience, and Agendas in Chinese Foreign Policy and Beyond’
Since Xi Jingping rose to power in 2012, China has embarked on a new phase of expanding their role as a global superpower. Gone are the days of the charm offensive and the peaceful rise, here come the ‘wolf warriors.’ Xi’s “Chinese Dream” has been pitched by state propaganda as a visionary plan for a […]
Departures Podcast with Marie Favereau, author of ‘The Horde’
In the 13th and 14th centuries, the Mongol horde exercised control over an unfathomably large empire, spanning thousands of miles from Europe to Russia, Central Asia, and the Middle East. History has often not looked kindly upon these nomadic civilizations, which has led to some major blindspots regarding astonishing achievements, explosive growth in trade, commerce, […]
Departures Podcast with Mahmood Mamdani, author of ‘Neither Settler nor Native: The Making and Unmaking of Permanent Minorities’
This week we are beyond thrilled to have Mahmood Mamdani on the podcast, one of the world’s most highly regarded public intellectuals, author of dozens of books, and a decorated professor at Columbia University. Dr. Mamdani has had diverse life experience, from marching on Birmingham for civil rights to being chased from Kampala by the […]
Departures Podcast with Jack Devine, author of ‘Spymaster’s Prism: The Fight against Russian Aggression’
As competition in the field of cyberwarfare heats up between Russia and the United States, there are few other experts with more experience working inside the Central Intelligence Agency than Jack Devine. For 32 years Devine worked as a US spymaster, serving as Acting Director and Associate Director of CIA’s operations outside the United States […]
Departures Podcast with Nicole Perlroth, author of ‘This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race’
When a government wants to break into someone’s iPhone or Android device, there’s a marketplace where that kind of vulnerability hacking service is bought and sold – costing sometimes as much as $2.5 million. The very fact that such a marketplace exists for cyberwarfare is an illustration of the rapidly growing field of threats we […]
Departures Podcast with Gregory Afinogenov, author of ‘Spies and Scholars’
Imagine you are trapped in a far-flung foreign compound with 10 other people, none of them want to be there, but you have a seemingly limitless supply of alcohol. Oh, and you are charged with developing critical intelligence and knowledge for Imperial Russia’s ambitions to gain global power. That’s among the many fascinating stories in […]
Departures Podcast with Timothy Frye
For decades, academics and journalists have struggled to explain Russia by attempting to better explain Vladimir Putin, endlessly debating his background, his personal character, and his thinking. Many of them argue that his personal power is at the heart of decision-making, that his will alone drives events. And we couldn’t be more wrong. Timothy Frye, […]
Departures Podcast with Will Grant
From the first election of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela in 1998 to the death of Fidel Castro in Cuba in 2016, Latin America experienced a vast “pink tide” of left-leaning leaders often described as populist. And while it would be a mistake to consider all these diverse personalities and governments under a single banner, it […]
Special Departures Podcast on the Crisis in Israel featuring Ron Robin
In light of the escalating violence taking place in Israel this week, we reached out to our friend and colleague Ron Robin, a scholar, author, and the President of Haifa University. In this brief interview, which was interrupted at several points by air raid sirens nearby Prof. Robin’s location, we discuss the origins of the […]
Russia News Blast
-
RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 17, 2021
Today in Russia: Moscow’s change in tone about the Taliban; Russia ready to work with Taliban, which it says is “restoring order; Russia jails 4 Crimean Tatars for “extremism”; Russia’s battle for the Black Sea; Russia’s inflation battle paying dividends in bond market; Hackers against drugs
» Read More -
RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – August 16, 2021
Today in Russia: Russia to partially evacuate staff from Kabul embassy; Russia in talks with the Taliban; Moscow envoy demands that ex-President Ashraf Ghani be “punished” for leaving his country, denied landing rights in Tajikistan; Likely winners in September Duma elections; US to review Russia’s status as ‘market economy’
» Read More -
RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – July 15, 2021
Today in Russia: Prosecutor wants 6-year suspended sentence for Calvey; Election monitor decries new restrictions on live polling feeds; Proekt and more declared undesirable foreign agents; Russian swimmers suspended from Tokyo games over doping allegations; Get out, stay out of Central Asia, Russia tells US post-Afghanistan on post-Afghanistan presence in the region; Biden and Merkel to discuss Nord Stream 2
» Read More - » More
