Departures With Robert Amsterdam podcast

29:12

Issues of religious freedom, in theory, should not be controversial or disputed - there is a general consensus among public opinion that all peoples should have the right to worship according to their beliefs. And yet, it seems that we are going backwards on this basic right, with governments and political parties all around the world seeking to weaponize divides among faith communities to their partisan advantages and dubious agendas. This week on Departures we are very privileged to have the special guest Robert Destro, law professor at the Columbus School of Law of Catholic University, who served as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor at State Department from 2019-2021. Destro discusses with host Robert Amsterdam many of the global challenges he faced in his official role in the previous administration, from China to the Middle East, as well as the Ukrainian government's campaign of persecution against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. (Disclosure: Robert Amsterdam is an international lawyer representing the UOC).…

Departures with Robert Amsterdam

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Identities, Rivalries, and Schisms in the modern Middle East 24:50

4 weeks ago24:50

24:50

The Muslim world, despite its sprawling and complex history, is largely understood by outsiders to fall within the Shia or Sunni category, or among the conflict between. This is not just misleading, but also obscures a much more fascinating and colorful human history of the Middle East which continues to shape events today. In this episode of Departures with Robert Amsterdam, we're pleased to feature Barnaby Rogerson, the author of "The House Divided: Sunni, Shia and the Making of the Middle East." Rogerson, who is a seasoned British author, television presenter and publisher explores these complex themes and history, sharing stories dating back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632, the accidental coup against his son, and fast forwarding right up to the Iranian revolution to draw insights on the religious cleavages which have taken root in the region in modern times.…

Departures with Robert Amsterdam

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Why Sanctions Often Backfire 24:20

9 weeks ago24:20

24:20

The imposition of economic sanctions has become Washington's preferred method of expressing disapproval over the conduct of other states. But how effective are sanctions in changing behavior or achieving desired outcomes? This week on Departures with Robert Amsterdam , we are pleased to feature the brilliant former diplomat Vali Nasr, the Majid Khadduri Professor of Middle East Studies and International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC. Professor Nasr is a co-author, along with Narges Vajoghli, Djavad Salehi-Isfahani, and Ali Velez, of the book How Sanctions Work: Iran and the Impact of Economic Warfare . In this insightful conversation, Nasr explores why Iran serves as a pivotal case study for understanding the role of sanctions in foreign policy, their limitations, and why they often fail to deliver the intended results. He also shares his expert perspectives on several critical geopolitical developments, including Israel's Gaza offensive, the fall of the Assad regime, and the internal dynamics within the Islamic Republic.…

Departures with Robert Amsterdam

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Our relationship with the past is in big trouble 27:12

12 weeks ago27:12

27:12

There's an old Soviet joke that goes something like "the future is certain; it's the past that is unpredictable" which continues to have an eerie resonance today, as revisionism seems to be on a constant assault against past events which are challenging or complex for some people to accept based on modern social mores and values. In his new book, "The War Against the Past: Why The West Must Fight For Its History," the renowned sociologist Frank Furedi takes aim at those commiting these acts of cultural vandalism and denounces, in quite strong terms, the damage and disservice they are doing to our society by projecting these modern sensibilities upon the historical record. In this conversation with Robert Amsterdam, Furedi expands on his thesis and delves into some of the examples of victimhood and "grievance entrepreneurs" surrounding the twisting of narratives from events more than two centuries ago. When the past is rendered toxic, Furedi argues, we begin to live in an inhumane society, one where time is divided into a bad past and a rightly engineered future, and which splits people into shamefaced identities and victim identities. The author makes a call to arms to fight back, to celebrate heroes, to stop apologizing, and to embrace history, warts and all.…

Departures with Robert Amsterdam

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The ignominious track record of Africa's foreign saviors 31:17

13 weeks ago31:17

31:17

Throughtout the post-colonial period in Africa, there has been no shortage of economists, non-governmental organizations, diplomats, and aid organizations flying in from the United States and Western Europe with an astonishing array of prescriptions and reform plans to dramatically transform the economies and governance structures of these young nations. With few exceptions, these interventions failed miserably, and arguably made things much worse in a number of countries. This is the focus of Bronwen Everill's new book, "Africonomics: A History of Western Ignorance and African Economics," which explores the history of how the well intentioned foreigners often "enforced specifically Western ideas about growth, wealth, debt, unemployment, inflation, women’s work and more, and used Western metrics to find African countries wanting." In this discussion with Robert Amsterdam, Dr. Everill discusses the findings of her book, explores how new players such as China and Russia are now taking over influence in the region, and what the future role should be for collaborative economic development and trade with the region.…

Departures with Robert Amsterdam

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Reconsidering the Western Response to China's Global Rise 29:07

14 weeks ago29:07

29:07

A popular meme in Kenya goes something like this: everytime China visits, we get a hospital. When the US visits, we get a lecture. That's of course not an accurate picture of the competition between the West and China in the global South, but it does highlight a certain disconnect that can be perceived widely among many in these regions which have been included in the Belt and Road projects, or who have otherwise fallen out of favor in terms of their previous allies. This week on Departures we are pleased to feature a conversation with the author Dr. Oriana Skylar Mastro, a Center Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and a Courtesy Assistant Professor of Political Science at Stanford University. Dr. Mastro's new book, "Upstart: How China Became a Great Power," is a tour de force examining how China was able to climb to great power status through a careful mix of strategic emulation, exploitation, and entrepreneurship on the international stage - which ended up being not so different from a startup business aiming to disrupt a ringfenced status quo. Dr. Mastro's book is enormously helpful in challenging how we understand China's success and aims to offer insights on how the response from Washington and other Western allies to adjust to the geopolitical realities that lie beyond the newspaper headlines.…

Departures with Robert Amsterdam

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Kant, Borges, Heisenberg and the Nature of Observation and Knowledge 28:51

15 weeks ago28:51

28:51

What does it mean to perceive reality? How do art, science, and philosophy converge in shaping our understanding of the world? In this episode of Departures with Robert Amsterdam, we sit down with William Egginton, acclaimed author and professor, to dive into his latest book, " The Rigor of Angels: Borges, Heisenberg, Kant, and the Ultimate Nature of Reality ." Egginton weaves a captivating narrative that bridges the literary genius of Jorge Luis Borges, the groundbreaking physics of Werner Heisenberg, the poetry of Robert Frost, and the profound philosophy of Immanuel Kant. Egginton explores how these thinkers confronted the boundaries of human knowledge, the mysteries of perception, and the paradoxes of existence, fate, and choice. In this conversation with Robert Amsterdam, Egginton shares his insights into the unexpected connections and overlapping themes with these towering figures, the questions they asked, and how their ideas resonate with our quest to make sense of an increasingly complex universe. The remarkable harmony between nature, science, art, philosophy and literature during these critical years resonated deeply with us, and we hope you enjoy this conversation about this special book.…

Departures with Robert Amsterdam

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How the Ukraine war has altered the direction of globalization 29:14

16 weeks ago29:14

29:14

As this coming February will mark the third anniversary of Russia's invasion and occupation of Eastern Ukraine, there is already a clear and tangible impact upon the geopolitical challenges faced by the United States and her allies in Europe in terms of their roles in the international system. This week Departures with Robert Amsterdam is pleased to welcome back past guest Michael Kimmage, noted historian, former State Department official, and Associate Professor of History at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. In this conversation we review his excellent new book, "Collisions: The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability," which critically examines the contributing causes to the outbreak of the war and measures the irrevocable ways in which the conflict has altered the course of US strategic engagement in the international sphere. In his book, Kimmage argues that the war has shattered three critical assumptions - that European peace was permanent, that Europe could continue to sustain this stability without heavy US involvement, and lastly, that Russia would be consigned to a peripheral role. With those assumptions now gone, Kimmage and host Robert Amsterdam discuss what we can expect next.…

Departures with Robert Amsterdam

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A pivotal election brings uncertainty to Japan 26:59

17 weeks ago26:59

26:59

In a week in which most eyes are on the US election, there are other meaningful elections which also merit close examination. On October 27 Japanese voters expressed their pent-up frustration with the growing list of scandals associated with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and ended the party's near 70-year long rule. LDP and their partner Komeito failed to reach a majority in the lower house of the Diet, earning just 215 seats out of 465. With most of the other ascendent parties refusing to enter into coalitions with LDP, the new Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru faces serious vulnerabilities to his agenda, and for the first time in decades, a new level of uncertainty has been introduced to Washington's top ally in Northeast Asia. The reality, however, is altogether much more subtle in terms of what Japanese voters are saying. This week we welcome back Tobias Harris, who is the founder of political risk advisory firm Japan Foresight and the author of the Observing Japan substack. Tobias last appeared on Departures in 2020 to discuss his excellent book, "The Iconoclast: Shinzo Abe and the New Japan."…

Departures with Robert Amsterdam

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Fears, miscalculations, and mistakes which led to the war in Ukraine 27:00

18 weeks ago27:00

27:00

As the war in Ukraine grinds into yet another brutal winter, narratives are shifting in Western capitals regarding the nature of the conflict, its goals, and the longer term meaning of the war in terms of the balance of power on the European continent. Looking back to the war's origins, it is important not only to examine the build-up of Russia's aggression against the sovereignty of its neighboring states, but also the decades of miscalculations and lost opportunities specifically by the United States during the post-Cold War period. This is the central focus of the new book published by Jonathan Haslam, Professor Emeritus of the History of International Relations at the University of Cambridge and one of the UK’s most distinguished and respected experts on the former Soviet Union. In his latest book, "Hubris: The American Origins of Russia's War against Ukraine," Haslam observes that a gross and systemic lack of understanding by Western allies concerning Russia’s intentions and likely actions is ultimately to blame for the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War. In this discussion with Robert Amsterdam about the history of NATO expansion and covert US activity within Ukraine, Haslam argues that even up to the Maidan crisis of 2014, the US could have backed away and avoided the negative outcome which will be dealing with for generations.…

Departures with Robert Amsterdam

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The great rebalancing of the West 26:55

19 weeks ago26:55

26:55

Perhaps one of the most meaningful facts that illustrates the sweeping changes taking place in global affairs is the following: In 1950, nearly one in three people in the world lived in a Western country. By 2050, that number will dwindle to one in ten, bringing with it a wide variety of recalculations by companies, culture, influence, and politics. This demographic change is but one of many interesting pillars supporting the arguments of the Singapore-based political scientist Samir Puri, whose new book, "Westlessness: The Great Global Rebalancing" explores how the gradually diminishing power of the West is mapped onto geoeconomics, technology, popular culture, and identity. In this conversation with host Robert Amsterdam, Puri makes it clear that it is not a total replacement or dislocation of the West from global affairs we will be confronted with, but rather a realignment that has been decades in the making. Puri points to the global economic crisis of 2008 as one of several turning points, when the West's confidence in its economic supremacy began to crack, but also discusses sweeping changes to technology and popular entertainment and global commerce that indicate how the next several decades are quite unlikely to resemble the apex of Western power in postwar period.…

Departures with Robert Amsterdam

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How the Congolese view their relationship to the global big tech supply chain 27:43

20 weeks ago27:43

27:43

The modern world's bottomless demand for precious metals originating in the mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo is covered daily in the news, from the supply chains underpinning the most common consumer electronics in our pockets to the most critical national security and future energy questions. But rarely are these extractive industries understood from the perspective of the people most directly involved on the ground. In his excellent new book, "The Eyes of the World: Mining the Digital Age in the Eastern DR Congo," University of California Davis Professor James H. Smith explores how policy changes in the West aimed at eliminating blood minerals ended up engineering catastrophic civil conflicts and upended social frameworks. In this conversation with Robert Amsterdam, Dr. Smith shares how his ethnographic research informs on a different aspect of the digital age than what we are ordinarily confronted with, bringing light to the understanding of their role in global capitalism from those who dig the minerals from the ground to those who sell, process, and refine them.…

Departures with Robert Amsterdam

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Russia's burning ambition for global power 27:45

34 weeks ago27:45

27:45

Following the end of World War II, Josef Stalin and Russia's leadership had a certain vision of the postwar order, one which ended up being quite different from reality. They had expected to maintain control over the whole of Europe, and have these gains of war legitimized and recognized by the United States - with specific emphasis on the carve up of territory concluded in the Yalta conference of 1945. But these burning ambitions for global power continued long after in the Khruschev and Brezhnev eras and came to define the cold war. On this week's episode of Departures we are very excited to feature the noted historian Sergey Radchenko, whose book, "To Run the World: The Kremlin's Cold War Bid for Global Power," is a tour de force detailing the history of Kremlin thinking throughout this critical period. With a strong focus on archival sources, Radchenko avoids ideological framing in his analysis of Kremlin decision-making, focusing instead on some of the surprising motivations and long-held beliefs of Russian leadership, prompting decisions which eventually turned the tide of US and global opinion against detente. Radchenko's book leaves open a number of questions about Russia's unmet desire for recognition on the global stage, many of which continue to provide relevant insight into Vladimir Putin's current appetite for war.…

Departures with Robert Amsterdam

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The beginning of the end of the old Ottoman world order 28:33

37 weeks ago28:33

28:33

In the early 19th century, the Ottoman empire was facing rebellion, decline, and increasing competition for influence with Europe. The leadership in Istanbul implemented desperate plans to preserve the empire through modernizing reforms, known as Tanzimat, which among other measures declared Muslims, Christians, and Jews to be equal under the law. But things did not go as planned. In Eugene Rogan's richly colorful and kaleidoscopic account, "The Damascus Events: The 1860 Massacre and the Making of the Modern Middle East," the reader is taken deep inside the conspiratorial series of events that led up to the eight-day-long mob violence and execution of some 5,000 Christians, and the world-changing response to restore peace and order to the city. Drawing on original never before seen historical documents and eyewitness accounts, Rogan's narrative reads like a dramatic Hollywood film, focusing on how resentment over growing Christian wealth and trade eventually prompted the violence. With detailed portraits of some of the main protagonists, the book makes a strong case for 1860 as a pivotal turning point that led to much of the structures that can continue to be observed in the modern Middle East.…

Departures with Robert Amsterdam

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Ukraine and its challenges to the international system 30:14

38 weeks ago30:14