American Diplomat

ตอน

• "This Golden Land" 28.05.2026 37นาที

  Is it Burma, or is it Myanmar? Did its former leader Aung San Suu Kyi bring democratic reform or did she commit genocide? Both? Chris Milligan, former Agency Counselor for USAID, highlights breathtaking human resilience and the strategic value of foreign assistance.
• USAID: Into The Wood Chipper 22.05.2026 38นาที

  What was USAID? How did DOGE destroy it, and with what impacts to global health and stability? Nick Enrich's book "Into the Wood Chipper" details the demolition of the agency that for less than 1% of the US budget saved 92 million lives globally. Listen to him tell the tale.
• The Case of the Powdered Orange Drink 14.05.2026 34นาที

  What is "dumping"? How does it hurt us? Who comes to the rescue? The Foreign Commercial Service! Judy Reinke, after leading the FCS, became Ambassador to Montenegro. Listen to her tales of service near and far.
• Loose Nukes 07.05.2026 44นาที

  How to get bomb-ready uranium out of the wrong hands? It's the mid-90s. The Soviet Union just fell. Andrew Weber, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical & Biological Defense Programs, tells of moose hunts, wild turkey, black ice and convoys under cover of night. How does past diplomacy help us understand the nuclear situation in Iran today?
• Diplomat Lounge: Iran, A Way Out of the Mess 30.04.2026 38นาที

  Can the US get out of its own way and turn this into a win? Ambassador Gary Grappo tells us how to do that, in a conversation with Pete and ASU Barrett Honors students. And yes, the solution involves diplomacy with a touch of humility. The Diplomat Lounge is a spinoff project of American Diplomat. This is its third of its three pilot episodes.
• Remember the Old Days (Say, 2020)? 23.04.2026 30นาที

  By what dirty tricks exactly did Orban seize control of his country? And how then did his rival Magyar beat him? And between those bookends, we offer a look at what it was like to run the embassy in Budapest under Trump I. Could it be any more different than Trump now? Dave Kostelancik, former Chargé d'Affaires, regales us.
• The Rise and Demise of The House of Orban 16.04.2026 26นาที

  AMB Kurt Volker, who has known Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban for 30 years, helps us understand the man, his early vision for Hungary, how his quest to "never lose another election" led him to become the model for would-be authoritarians everywhere — and also led to his downfall in last Sunday's election. Things are never quite as simple as they may appear!
• "That Devil Feltman" 09.04.2026 57นาที

  After a long and successful career as a U.S. diplomat, AMB Jeff Feltman went on to places where no US official has ever gone before, as the UN's Under Secretary General for Political Affairs. What was it like to meet with Ayatollah Khamenei or Iranian President Ahmadinejad? Or to visit Pyongyang and relay messages from the US president to the North Korean leadership? When is the UN at its most effective? Plus a bonus discussion of the best way to evacuate US citizens when their lives are in danger.
• Diplomat Lounge: How To Fix Fear and Loathing in a Post Trump World 03.04.2026 54นาที

  It's not too early to start thinking about the recovery of US influence in a post-Trump world. Gen Z has some answers that align with their (our) values. The kids are alright. The Diplomat Lounge is a spinoff project of American Diplomat. This is its second episode.
• Saudi and Israel – It's Complicated 26.03.2026 52นาที

  In Saudi Arabia women now drive, work and travel as they please, and the country has moved toward normalizing relations with Israel. Amb. Michael Ratney tells of change in Saudi and shares stories of Israel, where the only way forward is for all of us – Israelis, Palestinians and everyone – to humanize each other. Does the present war boil down to Iran against everybody in this intensely multifaceted part of the world? And what will Saudi do?
• Sampling Shawarma on the Champs-Elysees in Za'atari Refugee Camp 20.03.2026 50นาที

  For many of us, the Middle East is a place of intractable conflict and endless complexity. Ambassador Stuart Jones lived those complications for much of his diplomatic career. Whether studying maps with Iran-backed militia leaders in Iraq, arguing troop withdrawals at the salad bar with John McCain, or sneaking food for hungry refugeess over the Syrian border, Stu Jones was there when it mattered. His insights may not end the current war — but will surely help you understand it better!
• Is "Soft Power" Really So Soft? 12.03.2026 51นาที

  US Ambassador to Zambia Mark Storella helps us understand why support for democracy and public health achieves the same objectives as "hard power": using our influence to advance US objectives overseas. For the cost of one aircraft on one aircraft carrier, we can save hundreds of thousands of lives. And what is the benefit to us? And who is Kennedy Mweene, anyway?
• How the Sausage is Made: 25YA 05.03.2026 48นาที

  First, we welcome the wonderful Ambassador Dan Rosenblum as new co-host for the show. And we at American Diplomat still believe that the world will return to diplomacy! To help our youngest listeners prepare for that moment, our guest, Henry Haggard, has created a resource: The 25 Year Apprenticeship. So get in the room, listen and learn! As Henry likes to quote his mentors, "This is your apprenticeship, Henry! Pay attention!"
• Gen Z And Their Take on America's Future 26.02.2026 50นาที

  Is the Gen Z drive for authenticity exactly what the country needs now? Our guests ASU Barrett Honors Students Kate Kelley and Sophia Agelastos elucidate how they parse fact from fiction. Join Pete Romero, Ambassador Deborah McCarthy and our student guests to hear what really matters to the Zs.
• Special Envoys: Cleanup on Aisle Seven 19.02.2026 54นาที

  At a time when Trump wages war against expertise, with scores of career ambassadors being recalled and a thinning of officers in the field, Undersecretary of State John Bass holds forth on why real estate and business experience, as well as AI, cannot substitute for diplomatic tradecraft.
• Now That's Incredible! (Yes, it is.) 12.02.2026 48นาที

  You probably thought that an ambassador's job was to help Americans and work with local governments. And so did Ambassador Dan Rosenblum! But to his amazement he discovered that he was in charge of bioweapons campaigns designed to infect populations and plots to overthrow governments and destabilize society overseas! Not true, of course, but the disinformation machinery is hard at work. At what cost? And what can we do to combat this form of warfare? Listen to Dan's personal experience in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
• Where Intelligence Meets Diplomacy 05.02.2026 44นาที

  Have you ever heard of the teeny tiny Bureau of Intelligence and Research within the State Department? Pull up a chair, because we have Phil Goldberg and Dan Smith here – both career ambassadors (highest rank in the Senior Foreign Service), and both Assistant Secretaries of State for this small but mighty intelligence service. Have a look under the hood at what may be the coolest job in the world.
• PoliticsUS/Israel: Does the Tail Wag the Dog? 29.01.2026 35นาที

  Israeli security has been the third rail of public discourse. Support all that Israel does or Hamas owns you. The result: waning support. Joel Rubin is back to unpack how Trump is changing the script.
• What Explains The Global Rise of Anti-Semitism? 22.01.2026 33นาที

  Jewish-American political analyst Joel Rubin unpacks the reasons for the increase in hate crimes and why Jewish-American groups did not expect a rise in anti-Semitism.
• Strategic Patience: Can We Return to Diplomacy? 15.01.2026 32นาที

  Must our foreign policy be based on ego, resources and might-makes-right? Can we effectively meet future challenges with policies based on American values? Ambassador Mike Polt hopes so, and ASU is developing a plan for the long game.