Cheap Talk

Russia’s international status and reputation after the invasion of Ukraine; TikTok and Huawei as threats to US national security; the status of Iran’s nuclear weapons development; and Marcus has too many distractions in his life

Send us feedback or ideas for future podcasts at [email protected] or leave us a voice message

Further reading/watching
Jonathan Renshon. 2017. Fighting for Status. Princeton University Press.
“Putin’s Missed Handshakes” video
@unclogging_drains on TikTok

See all Cheap Talk episodes

Russia bails on the New START arms control treaty; Putin and prospect theory; the short and long term effects of the treaty suspension; why we have arms control treaties in the first place; overlapping international agreements; taking stock of Russia’s invasion one year in; European security transformed; the relevance of nuclear risk and nuclear deterrence today; and Marcus embraces conspiracy theories

Send us feedback or ideas for future podcasts at [email protected] or leave us a voice message

Further listening:
On the nuclear taboo: Cheap Talk Podcast. 2020. “Outside the Bounds of Reasonable Behavior.” Season 1, Episode 3.

On international institutions: Cheap Talk Podcast. 2020. “Our Expectations Are Too High.” Season 1, Episode 4.

See all Cheap Talk episodes

We’re on Apple Podcasts and Spotify; an excellent book is on sale; the Last of Us is not a zombie show; China threatens a balloon response; we are seeing more flying objects; risk reduction and diplomacy between the United States and China; President Biden visits Kyiv; and Marcus explains the role of aliens in political science theory

What should we talk about in future episodes? Let us know at https://www.speakpipe.com/cheaptalk or [email protected].

Further reading:
Now on sale! Signing Away the Bomb, by Jeffrey M. Kaplow (https://www.amazon.com/Signing-Away-Bomb-Surprising-Nonproliferation/dp/1009216732)

Zack Sharf. 2023. ‘The Last of Us’ Crew Was ‘Banned’ From Saying Zombie on Set: ‘We Weren’t Allowed to Say the Z Word.’ Variety. (https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/the-last-of-us-crew-banned-saying-zombie-set-1235522423/)

Alexander Wendt and Raymond Duvall. 2008. “Sovereignty and the UFO.” Political Theory 36(4): 607–633. (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0090591708317902)

Cheap Talk’s very special balloon-themed episode: China’s spy balloon; the effect on diplomacy when spying becomes public; the intelligence value of spy balloons; why the US failed to deploy its giant balloon net; the risk of balloon-related escalation; the trajectory of the US-China relationship; and Marcus explains his criteria for riding in flying objects

Recommended Valentine's Day gifts for loved ones or enemies:

Signing Away the Bomb, by Jeffrey M. Kaplow (https://www.amazon.com/Signing-Away-Bomb-Surprising-Nonproliferation/dp/1009216732)

Face-to-Face Diplomacy, by Marcus Holmes (https://www.amazon.com/Face-Face-Diplomacy-Marcus-Holmes-ebook/dp/B07952GT58/)

Give us feedback or ask a question for a future podcast at https://www.speakpipe.com/cheaptalk

Cheap Talk’s triumphant return from its winter hiatus: Evaluating the lasting impact of the COVID pandemic (if any) on international affairs; preparedness for the next pandemic; COVID and domestic politics; the supply chain and decoupling from China; domestic protests in China; the nonissue of vaccine diplomacy; and Marcus misattributes an often misinterpreted quote

Leave feedback or ask a question for a future podcast at https://www.speakpipe.com/cheaptalk

Further Reading
W. Joseph Campbell. 2011. “‘Too early to say’: Zhou was speaking about 1968, not 1789.” Media Myth Alert. https://mediamythalert.com/2011/06/14/too-early-to-say-zhou-was-speaking-about-1968-not-1789/

See all Cheap Talk episodes

Cheap Talk ends the semester with a mailbag episode: State dinners; celebrities and national interest; AI and international relations; sports diplomacy and the World Cup; President Biden’s willingness to meet with Vladimir Putin; and Marcus admits he doesn’t like soccer

Thanks to all those who contributed questions. Leave a message for a future podcast at https://www.speakpipe.com/cheaptalk

Looking for a holiday gift for the international affairs nerd in your life? We humbly suggest the following:

Signing Away the Bomb, by Jeffrey M. Kaplow (Coming out on December 22!) (https://www.amazon.com/Signing-Away-Bomb-Surprising-Nonproliferation/dp/1009216732)

Face-to-Face Diplomacy, by Marcus Holmes (https://www.amazon.com/Face-Face-Diplomacy-Marcus-Holmes-ebook/dp/B07952GT58/)

AI Links:

ChatGPT (https://chat.openai.com)

Kelsey Piper. Aug. 13, 2020. “GPT-3, explained: This new language AI is uncanny, funny — and a big deal.” Vox.com (https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/21355768/gpt-3-ai-openai-turing-test-language)

Ethan Mollick. Dec. 8, 2022. “Four Paths to the Revelation.” One Useful Thing Substack. (https://oneusefulthing.substack.com/p/four-paths-to-the-revelation)

Movie and TV Recommendations:

Welcome to Wrexham (Streaming on Hulu)

Slash/Back (Streaming on AMC+)

The Bureau (Streaming on AMC+)

Dispatches from Elsewhere (Streaming on AMC+)

Pepsi, Where’s My Jet? (Streaming on Netflix)

We’ll be back with new episodes in late January. Subscribe now in your podcast player of choice so you don’t miss anything. Just enter this custom URL: http://www.jkaplow.net/cheaptalk?format=rss


- In Apple Podcasts, tap “Library” on the bottom row, tap “Edit” in the upper-right corner, and choose “Add a Show by URL...”


- In Google Podcasts, tap the activity icon in the lower-right, tap “Subscriptions,” tap the “...” menu in the upper-right, and tap “Add by RSS feed.”


- In Overcast, tap the “+” in the upper-right corner, then tap “Add URL.”

Best wishes for a happy holiday and new year! We'll see you in 2023.

Garage door updates; the information and cyber war in Ukraine; academics in the press; the ethical implications of AI art; and Marcus discusses his turkey options

Ask a question or leave a comment for a future podcast episode at https://www.speakpipe.com/cheaptalk

Further Reading

On Thanksgiving menus:

“2022: Kenji on T-Day.” 2022. Special Sauce Podcast. https://www.thespecialsaucepodcast.com/podcast/special-sauce-2022-kenji-on-t-day/ (Quick summary of Kenji’s tips: - add soy sauce to your gravy, - use a small turkey, - spatchcock the turkey, - dry-brine the turkey or cover with mayo)

Sunny Lee. 2020. “Celebrate the Sides With a Korean-American Banchan Thanksgiving.” Serious Eats. https://www.seriouseats.com/korean-american-thanksgiving-menu

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. 2020. “Crisp-Skinned Spatchcocked (Butterflied) Roast Turkey With Gravy Recipe.” Serious Eats. https://www.seriouseats.com/butterfiled-roast-turkey-with-gravy-recipe

“Those Are Not Their Actual Faces.” Nov 21 2022. Cheap Talk Podcast. http://www.jkaplow.net/cheaptalk/2021/11/21/those-are-not-their-actual-faces

On Ukraine:

“Matt Tait on Cybersecurity in Ukraine.” 2022. The Lawfare Podcast. https://www.lawfareblog.com/lawfare-podcast-matt-tait-cybersecurity-ukraine

Mstyslav Chernov. 2022. “20 Days in Mariupol: The team that documented city’s agony.” Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-edf7240a9d990e7e3e32f82ca351dede

On the Xi/Biden meeting (featuring an interview with Marcus Holmes at about 7:30):

“US and China Meetings.” 14 Nov. 2022. BBC Newshour. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w172yfc9phms8w4

John Mearsheimer’s interview with Isaac Chotinier:

Isaac Chotinier. Nov 17 2022. “John Mearsheimer on Putin’s Ambitions After Nine Months of War.” New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/john-mearsheimer-on-putins-ambitions-after-nine-months-of-war