Just hours before the United States bombed Iranian nuclear facilities, Nicholas, Stephen, and Matthew joined to talk about the major escalation between Israel and Iran. Special guest Hannah joined as the team discusses U.S. involvement in Iran, what could happen next, and why we continue to get pulled into conflicts in the Middle East.
Why Are We Here, Episode II: Attack of the DOGE
In “Why Are We Here, Episode II: Attack of the DOGE,” we continue our theme of blatantly ripping off episode titles based on Star Wars movies, and will now turn to taking a critical look at America’s international development program. For nearly 75 years, a central piece of American foreign policy has been that U.S. international development aid works hand in hand with military defense and State Department diplomacy to advance America’s interests around the world. How should we evaluate and re-evaluate America’s international development aid in lights of the dismantling of USAID.
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Why Are We Here, Episode 1: The Phantom Presence
As we begin a new administration in Washington, it’s clear that the old way of doing things in American foreign policy needs to be critically evaluated and reconsidered. Core assumptions about why America is involved around the world and why it matters can no longer be taken for granted. The American people have spoken, and it’s time those of us committed to the “traditional” view of American foreign policy need to adapt. So that’s why we’ve decided to shift gears on this podcast with a new series that seeks to challenge long-held beliefs and worldviews about the international order and the “Washington Consensus.” “Why Are We Here” will take a critical look at America’s engagement in places all over the world and try to understand where it makes sense for America to engage, and where it makes sense to pull back our involvement.
In “Why Are We Here, Episode I: The Phantom Presence,” we take a very broad look at the U.S.-led international order that has been in place for over 75 years. The “Liberal International Order” as it’s known, is the set of global organizations like the U.N. and rules like “freedom of trade on the ocean” that America has, for the most part, tried to uphold (as opposed to just letting the strongest country do whatever it wants, they have to follow the rules we all agree to). Was this system really to our benefit? Was it all just an illusion of power?
Episode 41, Catching Up On American Foreign Policy
On this episode, Nicholas is joined joined once again by Stephen and Matthew in our first episode since the 2024 election. In fact, this is our first regular recording in about two and a half years! On this episode, we’ll engage in wild speculation about what American foreign policy might look like for the incoming administration and why it matters to the average American.
Sudan & South Sudan with Lift Up the Vulnerable
On this episode, Nicholas is joined by Sasha Nicolle, founder of the nonprofit Emanate International and currently the Advancement Officer for the local nonprofit Lift Up the Vulnerable (LUV). They are an international NGO working primarily in Sudan and South Sudan to prevent the trafficking and oppression of vulnerable children and women. Sasha also appeared on a previous podcast episode a couple years ago which focused on Emanate International and the critical need for us to change the way we think about international development. She has joined today to talk more about LUV, the status of international development in Sudan and South Sudan, and why international development is important for us here at home.
LINKS
Episode 38: Grant Miller for Utah State House
On this episode we’re taking a deep dive into local politics. In particular, we’re going to address some very particular issues currently impacting Salt Lake City, Utah. We have the honor of being joined once again by Grant Miller. Grant is a public defender in Salt Lake City and has recently announced his candidacy for the Utah State House of Representatives for House District 24. Grant joined to discuss his campaign platform and talk through some of the issues most critical to Utah and his proposed solutions.
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Episode 37, USAID with John Patterson
On this episode, Nicholas is joined by guest star John Patterson. John who works at the U.S. Agency for International Development and is a founding board member and adjunct professor for the University of San Diego's new Master's of Science in Humanitarian Action program. They discuss John’s work with USAID, the link between humanitarian assistance and foreign policy, and Minnesota’s vast connections to international development and refugee assistance programs.
LINKS
University of San Diego Master’s of Science in Humanitarian Action
Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance
Episode 36, The NATO Expansion
Stephen and Nicholas take a deep dive into the latest NATO summit in Madrid. They discuss the importance of NATO’s invitation to bring Finland & Sweden into the alliance, the dramatic increase of NATO forces in Eastern Europe, and NATO’s new Strategic Concept which places a heavy emphasis on countering China’s aggression. They also explain the overall importance of the thawing Arctic region and American leadership during this critical time in international relations.
LINKS
Blog Post: The Return of the NATO Alliance
Blog Post: The Next Phase of the War in Ukraine
Blog Post: Global Policy & Climate Change (Arctic Ocean Shipping Lanes)
Blog Post: South China Sea (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea)
Episode 35, The War In Ukraine
On this special edition of The Orientalist Express podcast, we discuss the devastating invasion of Ukraine by Russia’s military forces. Nicholas and Matthew are joined by returning guest host Toms Ratfelders, who previously worked in the Latvian government, and Steve Hatting, who recently returned from living in Ukraine for the past seven years. The team shares their thoughts on this monumental shift in European security and what it could mean for the future of international relations. Steve also shares his personal experiences in Ukraine and his optimism for the continued survival of Ukraine as an independent nation.
LINKS
Alight (local org) Rapid Response Team in Poland
Support for Kyiv Jewish Community
Euromaidan Press Links for Support
Episode 34, Brianne Wolf On Connecting Nebraska With The World
On this episode, Nicholas is joined by guest star Brianne Wolf. Brianne is a US Global Leadership Coalition Next Gen Leader and was recently appointed to the USGLC Nebraska Advisory Committee. Brianne works as the Director of Global Learning for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She recently graduated from the University of Nebraska with a Master’s in Natural Resource Sciences as well. They discuss her small-town upbringing and her work connecting UNL students with the world. They also go through the ways in which America’s global engagement benefits the people of Nebraska.
LINKS
Blog Post: UN Sustainable Development Goals
Book: The Beauty of what Remains
Episode 33, A Foreign Policy For Iowa With Admiral Franken
On this episode, Nicholas is joined by retired Navy Admiral Michael Franken. Admiral Franken served for years in the U.S. Navy and has held numerous senior posts including the Deputy Director of Military Operations for U.S. Africa Command. More recently, he is currently running for one of Iowa’s U.S. Senate seats in 2022. We discuss his time in AFRICOM and the role of American engagement with Africa and the world. Then, we go through the ways in which American foreign policy benefits the people of Iowa and Admiral Franken’s plans if he is elected to the U.S. Senate.
Links
Blog Post: How U.S. Development & Diplomacy Helps Africa & America
Blog Post: The Future Is Africa
Episode 32, Changing International Development with Emanate International
On this episode, Nicholas talks with Sasha Nicolle who is the founder and CEO of a new nonprofit known as Emanate International. Emanate International is a brand-new organization that is focused on providing resources to help nonprofit, NGO, and social enterprise leaders to think critically about how they do their international work. In particular, Emanate hosts a variety of videos and content centered on ensuring equitable development without disrupting local economies or displacing aid recipients. Sasha discusses how she views international development today and the steps that Emanate is undertaking to change this landscape to do global good better.
Links
Episode 31, How US Global Engagement Benefits Minnesota
This episode features another special guest from the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. USGLC’s Midwest Outreach Director Nezar Jamal joins Nicholas to continue the discussion on the importance of American global engagement and how it benefits the average American. In particular, they highlight the ways in which Minnesota enjoys significant public sector and non-profit growth through investments in America’s international affairs budget. American diplomacy and international development ensure our economic prosperity, national security, and improved public health.
Links
Minnesota International NGO Network (MINN)
USGLC Event with Rep Tom Emmer
Episode 30, The Importance of US Engagement In Afghanistan
On this episode, we are joined by special guest star Nazila Jamshidi. Nazila is a gender equality and human rights specialist involved in Afghanistan’s development and democracy processes during the past decade. Nazila worked with various international organizations, like the U.N., USAID, and IFRC, to integrate gender perspectives and human rights approaches in creating and implementing development and humanitarian programs and policies. Nazila moved to the United States from Afghanistan in 2016, where she pursued her undergraduate education at Georgetown University, and she currently an M.A. candidate at Columbia University. Nazila is also a member of the U.S. Global Leadership’s 2021 Next-Gen Global Leaders Network. She joins host Nicholas Hayen in discussing the role of American engagement in Afghanistan and what this should look like as the last remaining US troops depart the country.
Links
Episode 29, The Importance of US Global Leadership
On a special episode of The Orientalist Express podcast, Nick interviews Alex Grant from the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. Alex is director of the USGLC’s Heartland Initiative which seeks to highlight the benefits of U.S. foreign policy and the federal international affairs budget while showing how those programs benefit the average American. We discuss the importance of U.S. foreign affairs spending, where that money goes, and how it ultimately serves as an investment that provides benefits to Americans here at home. Then, Nick and Alex discuss the broader importance of U.S. global leadership and why it is important for the United States to continue to stay engaged with the rest of the world.
Links
Foreign Assistance Tracking Website
USGLC Next Gen Global Leaders Program
Devex: USGLC FY22 Needs Assessment
Episode 28, What A Biden Foreign Policy Could Mean For You
In our first episode after the contentious 2020 US Presidential election, Nicholas & Stephen take a close look into what to expect out of a foreign policy by the new incoming president Joe Biden. Though President Trump has been defeated and will leave office in January, the isolationist feelings that helped power his candidacy remain within American domestic politics. Will a Biden foreign policy be a return to the Obama years, or a departure to something new? Then, the team discusses how this new foreign policy could impact the average American.
Links
The Iran Nuclear Deal (Article)
Episode 27, What's Law Got To Do With It
As the protests over the death of George Floyd have morphed into a larger conversation about policing in America, the Trump administration has responded by sending federal officers into cities throughout the country. One of the most disturbing parts of this has been unknown officers abducting people off the street and throwing them into unmarked vans. On this episode, Stephen and Nick have brought back guest contributor Grant Miller who is a defense attorney practicing in Utah. We talk about the legality of these actions and the overall trend of degradation of our freedoms in the Bill of Rights.
Links
ACLU Lawsuit: https://aclu-or.org/sites/default/files/field_documents/index_newspapers_-_tro_against_feds.pdf
Three Felonies A Day: https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704471504574438900830760842
The Bill of Rights: https://billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-documents/bill-of-rights/
Giglio/Brady Information: https://www.lexipol.com/resources/blog/brady-giglio-and-you-how-the-duty-to-disclose-exculpatory-information-impacts-police-disciplinary-files/
The Tyranny of Good Intentions (Book): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/155833/the-tyranny-of-good-intentions-by-paul-craig-roberts-and-lawrence-m-stratton/
BONUS DISCUSSION:
Episode 26, Pandemics, Orcs, & Toilet Paper
On this episode, Nicholas, Stephen, and Matthew talk about the major changes facing the world during the global Coronavirus pandemic crisis. Specifically, they look at the ways in which this will radically change the modern economy and workforce. Then, the question of China looms large these days. Is China winning the soft-power battle by projecting confidence and competency in the face of the pandemic while the rest of the world suffers? Finally, the team debates one of Stephen’s long-held theories about the true victims of the Battle for Middle-Earth.
Links
What You Need To Know About The Coronavirus
The Global Response To COVID-19
Bonus Track
During our economic discussion, the team had a detailed debate about the merits of Universal Basic Income (UBI). Here is a bonus track that didn’t make it into the main episode which features that discussion.
Episode 25, Part 4, My Idiot Wife (The Verdict)
On the final episode of the “My Idiot Wife” mini-series, Nicholas, Stephen, and Hannah summarize the verdict of the impeachment trial against the president and what this means for the future of presidential accountability. Then, the team discusses how the verdict could impact the upcoming 2020 elections. Hannah makes a surprise announcement and we give a huge shout-out to Choke Cherry Designs for the new Orientalist Express logo.
Links
Trump Claims His Re-Election Is In The National Interest
Episode 25, Part 3, My Idiot Wife (The Senate Trial)
This episode continues our special impeachment series with a focus on the upcoming Senate trial. Nicholas, Hannah, and Stephen talk about what this trial might look like and why it matters. The team also speculates on the what a surrealist foreign policy might look like. Hannah joins the team as a representative of the average American who does not closely follow these topics. Throughout, Hannah keeps the conversation grounded with questions designed to simply explain the impeachment process and the current charges. In the final episode, the team will discuss the outcome of the Senate trial and what happens next.
Links
Infographic: A Quick Guide To Impeachment
National Security Democrats Push For Impeachment