Deep Dish On Global Affairs

China’s latest economic data show the lowest GDP growth expectation in 30 years, rising unemployment, and slowing industrial production in part due to strict COVID-19 lockdowns. Victor Shih joins Deep Dish to explain how inflation and the war in Ukraine will compound this decline, what it means for the Chinese Communist Party and Xi Jinping’s leadership, and whether Xi’s demand for China to match the United States’ growth in 2022 is possible. Don't forget to leave us a review!

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan falsely blamed a United States-led conspiracy for his removal from office last week, feeding anti-American sentiment among his supporters. Brookings’ Madiha Afzal returns to Deep Dish to unpack the ways Pakistan’s political instability interacts with geopolitical competition involving China, Russia, and the United States, and explains why it’s time for the United States to rethink its troubled relationship with the nuclear-armed power. Like the show? Leave us a rating and review! 

In response to Russia’s war on Ukraine, the European Union hopes to decrease its dependence on Russian energy by two-thirds within a year. The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies’ James Henderson joins Deep Dish to look at Europe’s options, how to achieve them, likely effects on energy markets and global politics, and implications for green energy and climate change. Like this episode? Leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Shocking images and accounts emerged from Bucha over the weekend, providing more evidence of Russian atrocities in their war on Ukraine. Forty-one countries, including the United States, have now referred Russia to the International Criminal Court for prosecution. Karen Alter and Rebecca Hamilton join Deep Dish to look at the system for prosecuting war crimes, its record of success and limitations, as well as the politics behind who gets prosecuted and why. Like the show? Leave us a review!

India’s choice to remain neutral on the Ukraine war aligns with their historic foreign policy choices and current security interests, Tanvi Mandan and Srinath Raghavan argue. They join Deep Dish host Brian Hanson to explain the long-term relationship between Delhi and Moscow, why the United States shouldn’t pressure India to choose sides, and where China fits in India’s calculations.  Don't forget to leave us a rating and review!

New technologies like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and social media have transformed the intelligence community and given the United States’ adversaries new tools to observe and influence global politics. The Hoover Institution’s Amy Zegart joins Deep Dish to discuss her new book Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence and why she warns that, faced with these looming threats, the US is losing its intelligence advantage.   Like this episode? Leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts.

For the last three weeks, people around the world have been watching the war in Ukraine unfold on their phones, intimately observing live footage of the conflict’s devastation alongside rampant fake news from Russia claiming the war isn’t real. Disinformation experts Bret Stephens and Julia Davis join Deep Dish to examine why Putin’s narrative isn’t working outside Russia, how long it can dupe the Russian public, and what all of us can do to combat the spread of misinformation.   Like this episode? Leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. 

Around the world, authoritarianism is rising and women’s rights are declining—and it’s not a coincidence that’s happening at the same time. Valerie Hudson and Zoe Marks join Deep Dish to explain how sexism undermines national security, why autocrats are afraid of women, and why progress on gender equality is essential for democracy, prosperity, and stability.  LIke the show? Leave us a review!

The United States, the European Union, and a host of other countries (even Switzerland!) are hoping to stop Putin’s war on Ukraine by placing Russia under the most extreme sanctions package ever enacted on a single country. But will it make a difference? The New York Times’ Matina Stevis-Gridneff and sanctions expert Nicholas Mulder join Deep Dish to explain how sanctions work, what they mean for real people, and whether they are likely to stop the war or make it worse.  Like the show? Subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. 

In a fiery speech on Monday, Russia’s President Putin laid out a stark, politically motivated, and false account of Ukraine’s history to justify his full-scale invasion. His main argument? Ukraine is historically not a sovereign nation, but a long-lost part of Russia. A part Russia wants—and will take—back. Historian Kathryn David joins host Brian Hanson on Deep Dish to explain the real history and how it explains the conflict today.  Like the show? Leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. 

A sharp rise in attempted coups in the last year—more than in the last five years combined—emphasizes democracy’s global decline. Coup d'état experts Jonathan Powell and Erica De Bruin join the Council’s Elizabeth Shackelford on Deep Dish to explore the issues driving coups around the world and how to stop them.  Don't forget to give the show a rating and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts! It helps others find Deep Dish and learn more about global affairs. 

Looking for quick, smart takes on top global affairs news stories each week? This week we're introducing you to a new podcast from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, World Review with Ivo Daalder. In this episode, Karen DeYoung, Peter Spiegel, and Giles Whittell join Ivo to dive into the latest on Ukraine, from war prep to efforts at diplomacy. Then, they unpack the death of ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi during an American raid, look at the Xi-Putin meeting at the Beijing Olympics, and answer the question everyone following “partygate” is asking: is Boris Johnson finally toast? New episodes air every Friday afternoon. If you like the show, subscribe & leave a review. We'll be back next week with a new episode of Deep Dish!

North Korea’s long-range missile launch this week—already the seventh test in 2022—has the potential to reach the US territory of Guam and destabilize regional alliances. Former National Security Council leaders Victor Cha and Sue Mi Terry join Deep Dish to explain why North Korea appears to be acting with impunity and why the United States can’t afford to ignore the situation. Reading The Last Chance to Stop North Korea? U.S. Aid Could Help Revive Nuclear Diplomacy – by Victor Cha, Foreign Affairs  North Korea’s Nuclear Family - How the Kims Got the Bomb and Why They Won’t Give It Up –  by Sue Mi Terry, Foreign Affairs  

Afghanistan is in on the brink of the worst humanitarian crisis in recent memory: the economy is in a tailspin, famine is looming, food prices are skyrocketing, formal sector jobs have disappeared, and cash is scarce. The International Crisis Group’s Laurel Miller and former US Ambassador to Afghanistan P. Michael McKinley join Deep Dish to explain what led us here after the abrupt US exit five months ago and why it’s not too late for solutions.  Take our listener survey! 

At least 164 people are dead and thousands are imprisoned after mysterious instigators overtook Kazakhstan’s peaceful protests and Russian troops brutally cracked down on demonstrators. Journalist Joanna Lillis and researcher Nargis Kassenova join Deep Dish to unpack the domestic politics driving civil society action and whether Kremlin interference is the new norm in a critically important country for Russia, China, and the United States.   Don't forget to share your feedback about our show in our listener survey!

One year after the attack on the United States Capitol, 64 percent of Americans believe US democracy is "in crisis and at risk of failing," an NPR/Ipsos poll revealed this week. Democracy expert Larry Diamond joins Deep Dish to explain why democracy has been declining around the world for the last 15 years and offer urgent solutions to stop its retreat.   If you’re a Deep Dish subscriber, don’t forget to share your thoughts in our listener survey.

A major Russian troop buildup on the Ukrainian border has the international community concerned about the possibility of an invasion. The Atlantic Council’s Melinda Haring and George Washington University’s Maria Snegovaya join Deep Dish to explain the factors driving Russia’s threats against Ukraine, what’s going on in Putin’s mind, and why this conflict matters for the world. Share your feedback about our show in our new listener survey!

Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine is dominating headlines, but another crisis looms in Eastern Europe: the Balkans. Bosnia and Herzegovina experts Jasmin Mujanović and Patrice McMahon join Deep Dish to explain why the risk of conflict is so high and how Europe and the United States can help ensure more than a decade of peace continues.  

This holiday season we’re all seeing the impact of shifts in the global trade system firsthand while shopping: shortages, high prices, and long shipping delays. The Economist’s Soumaya Keynes joins Deep Dish to explain why this situation is about more than just supply chains or COVID-19—it's about politics and the way our world is dismantling the rules-based trade system.  

Deep Dish is taking this week off for the Thanksgiving holiday in the US, but we'll be back next week with a new episode! In the meantime, here’s a quick note about Giving Tuesday. We’re able to make this show because of the support from our community of listeners —people like you!   Would you consider making a tax-deductible gift this upcoming Giving Tuesday so that we can keep bringing you Deep Dish each week? To make a gift, just go to our website.   Thank you for your generosity and join us next week for another slice of Deep Dish!  -The Deep Dish team