Carnegie Council Podcasts

Can violent societies get better? Rachel Kleinfeld discusses her latest book, "A Savage Order: How the World's Deadliest Countries Can Forge a Path to Security." Her conclusion is ultimately optimistic: Though it's never easy, real democracy (not autocracy in disguise) and a vibrant middle class can provide a path out of violence.

When most Americans think about the Taliban, their minds go to Osama bin Laden, terrorism, and the endless war in Afghanistan. But as Jonathan Cristol writes in his book, "The United States and Taliban before and after 9/11," there is much more to the story as both sides met countless times in the 1990s, with the Taliban eager to have good relations with America. What was the bigger stumbling block for the U.S.: women's rights or al-Qaeda? What are the lessons for today?

In this illuminating conversation, China scholar Joshua Eisenman discusses his two latest books: "Red China's Green Revolution," which overturns the conventional wisdom (both in China and abroad) that Chairman Mao's commune system was a failure; and a co-edited volume "China Steps Out," which explains why for China (unlike the United States), developing regions are a cornerstone of its foreign policy.

As activists, politicians, and environmentalists come to terms with a dire report on global warming from the UN's IPCC, Janos Pasztor, executive director of the Carnegie Climate Geoengineering Governance Initiative (C2G2), remains focused on the governance of the potential use of climate change "mitigation" technologies. What do these discussions look like in China? What do smaller countries think? And how challenging is it that climate change remains a political divisive issue in the U.S.?

In this interview with the Council's John Krzyzaniak, James Pattison (University of Manchester, UK), discusses his book, "The Alternatives to War." Taking what he calls a "pragmatic approach," Pattison outlines seven sets of alternatives, including economic sanctions and positive incentives. His goal is to offer policymakers a moral map of the main alternatives to war, thinking through the considerations for each one.

Henry Kissinger is smart, charming, and a great writer, says historian Robert Brigham. But when it came to Vietnam, his arrogance and deceit made a bad situation worse. Kissinger altered the logbooks for military bombings and misled the president on the content of the secret talks in Paris. "He was a theorist who stuck to theorist dreams, and it cost the country dearly." What are the lessons for today's administration?

The Middle East and North Africa has a huge youth and young adult population--65 percent of the people in the region are under 30--but unfortunately unemployment among this group remains high. Education for Employment's Mariel Davis details how the organization is working to change this. She also discusses the challenges facing refugees, with a focus on Jordan.

"Much has been said and written about the long and difficult road that led us to the Agreement in April of 1998. Many have deservedly received credit for their roles, but the real heroes of the Agreement were the people and the political leaders of Northern Ireland," declares Senator George Mitchell, who played a leading role in the Belfast Good Friday Agreement. Don't miss this moving and very personal speech.

We live in a time when liberal democracy is on the defensive, not only in the U.S. but around the world. Yet these speakers, whose roots reflect the political spectrum, are optimistic that having a fresh discussion on moral values and basic principles such as freedom of speech, a free press, and the rule of law can help bring democracy back to health. Don't miss this valuable discussion.

Malka Older has spent time as an aid worker in Darfur, Indonesia, and Japan, as was discussed in last week's podcast, but she also has another role: science fiction novelist. Her latest book, "State Tectonics," is the third in a series that explores the concepts of "micro-democracy" and a "global information management bureacracy" in the near future. How have separatists from East Timor to Catalonia influenced Older's novels?