Diplomates – A Geopolitical Chinwag

Dr. Thomas Mahnken is President and CEO of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. He currently serves as a member of the Congressionally-mandated National Defense Strategy Commission and as a member of the Board of Visitors of Marine Corps University. 

His career in defence is extensive and includes service as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Policy Planning.  He is the author of numerous books, including The Gathering Pacific Storm: Emerging U.S.-China Strategic Competition in Defense Technological and Industrial Development.

MIsha Zelinsky caught up with Tom to discuss all things nuclear subs, including why this is was the right call for Australia, the significance of the AUKUS agreement, restoring diplomatic relations with the French, how Australia can get subs before 2038 to avoid capability gaps, the lessons from historic great power competition and what total technological competition with the Chinese Communist Party looks like.

Please keep rating and reviewing the show! We ranked 7th in our category this month, so thank you for your ongoing support. 

If you have a question you'd like Misha to answer, send it through to us on any of our social media channels or directly to Misha.

Show notes:

CSBA reports can be found here: www.csbaonline.org

Follow on CSBA on Twitter: @CSBA_

Follow Misha and the Show here: @mishazelinsky @diplomates.show

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Ben Rhodes was the Deputy National Security Advisor for President Barack Obama.

A foreign policy expert, he is the host of ‘Pod Save The World’ and appears on MSNBC. His latest book ‘After the Fall: Being American in the World We've Made’ is a study of the rising tide of global authoritarianism, exploring why democracy did not prevail as expected after the fall of the Soviet Union. 

Misha Zelinsky caught up with Ben for a chinwag about his new book, including how the failure to punish bankers responsible for the GFC helped fuel the global rise of authoritarianism, why democracy needs to materially deliver in order for people to believe in it, how an obsession with profits is undermining the fight against the Chinese Communist Party, how democracy itself is becoming a partisan issue in the US, why social media must be regulated, how Joe Biden was right about Afghanistan all along, what Obama is like a person, and how fighting for democracy in America should give confidence to global democratic activists fighting for their own.

Be sure to tune in for his 'BBQ' answer which is a lot of fun. Ben also reveals his favourite Australian Prime Minister!

If this is your first time tuning in, please make sure to rate and review the show. it really helps spread the word.

Other show notes:

After the Fall: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/609428/after-the-fall-by-ben-rhodes/

Pod Save the World: https://crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-the-world/

Ben Rhodes: @brhodes

Misha Zelinsky socials: @mishazelinsky

Diplomates socials: @diplomatesshow

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Nathan Law is a young Hong Kong democracy activist, currently in exile in London. 

A key figure in the Umbrella Movement in 2014, Nathan and other student leaders founded the pro-democracy Demosistō party in 2016. Nathan then became the youngest Legislative Councillor in history, but his election was overturned on spurious grounds by the Chinese Communist Party. He was later jailed for his participation in the Umbrella Movement as part of a government crackdown. After the recent introduction of the ‘National Security Laws’ by the CCP, Nathan left Hong Kong due to fears for his safety. He continues to speak up for Hong Kong people at international events and forums and is a global leader of their movement. A nominee for the Nobel Peace Price, in 2020 Nathan was named as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine.

Misha Zelinsky caught up with Nathan for a chinwag about his path to activism, taking on the might of the CCP in elections and civil demonstrations, how the democracy movement has been crushed by the CCP under the cover of COVID-19, why democracy matters to everyone everywhere, what the democratic world must do to help Hong Kong, the battle for freedom in Taiwan and how he hopes to return home one day. 

It’s a truly inspiring chat and we loved having Nathan on the show. Nathan is an absolute hero, an incredibly brave young man who is not yet 30 and yet has already achieved so much. Nathan is someone we should all look up to in the global struggle for democratic freedom. 

Apologies for the gap in episodes, but we plan to have more regular Diplomates content coming atya down the line! Stay tuned.

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Rob Wilcox is the Federal Legal Director at ‘Everytown for Gun Safety’, the leading gun safety movement in the United States.

A qualified commercial lawyer, Rob’s life changed forever when his family was tragically touched by gun violence. 

Misha Zelinsky caught up with Rob for a Chinwag about the US gun violence epidemic, the political polarisation underpinning this issue, what sensible reform looks like, how to build a movement for change from the ground up, the role of Second Amendment in gun ownership, misinformation online and whether meaningful gun law reform is actually possible.

It’s a really insightful conversation on an issue that touches many people. A big thank you to Rob for coming on to share his personal story; he’s a great guy and he’s tackling an issue that needs to be addressed. 

Show notes:

Learn about Everytown for Gun Safety here: https://www.everytown.org

Follow the show and Misha Zelinsky here: @mishazelinsky @diplomatesshow

BIG NEWS!

We’ve partnered with the team at Diamantina Media - the people who give you The Betoota Advocate amongst other things. 

They are also home to the ‘The Jolly Swagman’ podcast hosted by our mate Joe Walker (www.joewalker.com.au) It’s a brilliant show where he digs into some really interesting intellectual conversation with all types of global leaders like Mark Cuban and Malcolm Turnbull.

On a personal note, our host Misha Zelinsky will be heading over to Washington DC on a Fulbright Scholarship. Misha will be studying political warfare by autocracies and how we can restore democracy at home. We’ve got some really cool interviews lined up while he is in the States; so keep your eyes peeled for those!

Please give the show 5 stars and review it and share it with your mates. We’re growing all the time and it really helps!

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Luke de Pulford is a global human rights campaigner, particularly in the areas of modern slavery and human rights abuses in China

He is a co-founder of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China and the creator of ‘Arise’ an anti-slavery charity.

Luke sits as a Commissioner on the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission and advises the World Uyghur Congress. In 2020 he was awarded the Bene Merenti medal by Pope Francis for his contribution to the anti-slavery movement—the youngest ever recipient.

Misha Zelinsky caught up with Luke for a chinwag about why human rights abuses matter to us all, the abuse of Uyghurs in China and what can be done, the fight for democracy in Hong Kong, why global coordination is more important than ever and how the democracies can prevail over autocracies in the long run.

Luke de Pulford is a global human right mpaigner, particularly in the areas of modern slavery and human rights abuses in China

He is a co-founder of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China and the creator of ‘Arise’ an anti-slavery charity.

Luke sits as a Commissioner on the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission and advises the World Uyghur Congress. In 2020 he was awarded the Bene Merenti medal by Pope Francis for his contribution to the anti-slavery movement—the youngest ever recipient.

Misha Zelinsky caught up with Luke for a chinwag about why human rights abuses matter to us all, the abuse of Uyghurs in China and what can be done, the fight for democracy in Hong Kong, why global coordination is more important than ever and how the democracies can prevail over autocracies in the long run.

KEEP AN EYE OUT: We have some big announcements coming soon! There are lots of exciting things coming up in the show and we can't wait to share them with you all soon. 

Please rate and review the show, it really helps! And keep sending us questions; we do read them all even if we can't answer all of them.

Follow Misha and the Diplomates Show on all social media channels:

 @mishazelinsky @diplomatesshow

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Chris Pyne was the Federal Member for Sturt for 26 years.

He was Leader of the House and held a number of senior Cabinet ministries, including that of defence.

Pyne's autobiography ‘The Insider’ is a fantastic account of life in the Canberra Bubble but also a deep dive into serious public policy and defence policy in particular. 

Misha Zelinsky caught up with Chris for a chinwag about his career in politics. They talk about his bruising preselection in his 20s, the politics of politics, the horror show that was the 43rd Parliament, the task of rebuilding Australia’s military capabilities, what’s holding back an Australian nuclear industry, dealing with a rising Chinese Communist Party superpower, how the west can address the Uighur challenge and why politics shouldn’t be personal.

Show notes:

@mishazelinsky @diplomates.show

Keep sending your questions through, we love reading and answering them!

We were in the top 15 shows in Australia last episode - so thanks for your ongoing support. 

Please rate, review and share! 

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Malcolm Turnbull was Australia’s 29th Prime Minister. 

Before entering Federal Parliament, Malcolm had a distinguished career as a Rhodes Scholar, in law, media, tech, finance and public advocacy.

He’s the author of several books, including his autobiography ‘A Bigger Picture’.

Misha Zelinsky caught up with Malcolm Turnbull for a chinwag about his famous Spycatcher trial against the Thatcher Government, the failed ‘Republic’ Referendum vote in 1999, why Australia’s climate debate has been so bruising and who’s to blame for the inaction, his professional rivalry with Tony Abbott, why China’s bullying of Australia will prove to be unsuccessful, the problem with misinformation and lies in our public discourse, Australia’s attempts to bring big tech to heel, the art of leadership challenges, handling Donald Trump, fixing our political culture and why we must not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

As you can see, it’s a long and wide ranging chat and Malcolm is extremely generous with his time and insights - so we hope you enjoy it. 

Please rate and review us on your favourite podcasting apps! It really, really helps.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @diplomatesshow @mishazelinsky 

Enjoy the episode!

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Clare O’Neil is the Labor Shadow Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services.

A qualified lawyer with a background in business consulting, Clare is a Fulbright Scholar and a graduate from the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. 

Misha and Clare caught up for a chinwag about how we can make working work for people, why we need to rediscover class in our political discourse, Australia’s guest worker visa disaster, the short term obsessions undermining our policy making, bringing tech giants to heel and how we can improve the culture of our politics.

It’s a fascinating chat and we hope you enjoy it!

Ever since Clare lobbed on the scene as the youngest woman to be elected as mayor in Australian history she’s been a rising superstar in Australian politics and this chat really shows why Clare is so highly rated.

Clare is also a fellow podcaster! Clare’s podcast The Long View focuses on long term policy challenges and recovering from COVID-19.

Enjoy the episode!

EXTRA INFO:

Check out Claire’s podcast: The Long View here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-long-view/id1509383397

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook: @mishazelinsky @diplomatesshow

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Nicole Hemmer is an associate research scholar at Columbia University. A prominent American historian, she is the author of Messengers of the Right: Conservative Media and the Transformation of American Politics. She is a columnist for CNN as well as the host of the podcast ‘Past Present’ and ‘This Day in Esoteric Political History’.

Misha Zelinsky caught up with Nicole for a chinwag about the shocking events of 6 January at the US Capitol, what the hell the Qanon conspiracy theory is all about, President Trump’s culpability, the role of Right Wing media in radicalising politics, how social media giants can be held to account for promoting misinformation, what history tells us about the dangers of ignoring extremist movements and how we can save democracy.

Show notes

It’s been a bit of a break on the show, due to Misha’s commitments in editing a new book ‘The Write Stuff: Voices of Unity on Labor’s Future’. The book includes 30 essays from 30 leading Labor figures. If you’re are interested in buying it, you can get it below.

‘The Write Stuff’ Voices of Unity on Labor’s Future’: https://www.connorcourtpublishing.com.au/The-Write-Stuff-Voices-of-Unity-on-Labors-Future--Edited-by-Nick-Dyrenfurth-and-Misha-Zelinsky_p_416.html

If you aren’t following Misha or Diplomates on socials: @mishazelinsky @diplomates.show Instagram and Twitter.

Nicole Hemmer’s details:

You can follow Nicole on Twitter @pastpunditry and see below for links to her podcast! 

Past Present Podcast

www.pastpundit.com: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/past-present/id1043954557

This Day in Esoteric Political History

www.thisdaypod.com: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/victory-sausages-1943/id1502728938?i=1000505070903

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Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at the Australian National University. 

A journalist, intelligence agency analyst, diplomat, academic and thinker - Rory is one of the world’s leading experts on geopolitical strategy and his work has contributed to recent Australian government defence policy including the Defence Whit Paper of 2016. 

Rory is recognised as a thought leader internationally via his acclaimed 2020 book - Contest for the Indo-Pacific. 

Misha Zelinsky caught up with Rory for a chinwag about the US election and why the stakes are so high for Australia, whether the CCP or Russia might pull a move in the case of a litigated US election, how Australia should manage an assertive CCP, why democracies should be more confident in themselves, why minilaterialism is the new multilateralism and why its time Australia got serious about India and Indonesia.

Don’t forget to rate us on Apple Podcasts or where you get your podcasts! We love and appreciate (and need!) your support. 

Please keep sending us comments and questions on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook: @mishazelinsky @diplomates.show

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