For this episode of the Security Studies Podcast I met with Professor Kim Roberts to discuss the influence of multinational corporations - or MNCs.

Our conversation was broken up into about four parts: First, we discussed the historical significance of multinational corporations and went over the case of United Fruit and the consequences of its foreign interests aligning with the US against Guatemala.

We then moved on to Private Military Companies and the role they play in U.S. National Security. Unquestionably important, but at what point do Private Military Companies become more a liability than an asset? We covered both sides.

With Eric Prince in mind, we moved on to lobbyists both inside and outside the government and the role they play in influencing foreign policy. Pew Research says Trump’s cabinet will be one of the most business-heavy in U.S. history - what are the implications?

Lastly, we cover Silicon Valley, Social Media, and Big Data and their increasing influence on the global order - look at the Arab Spring for example. And in despotic regimes, what responsibilities do tech companies have to securing their users’ private information? How does Facebook weigh its business interests with the surveillance “needs” of a host country?

The Security Studies Podcast is produced by Jeffrey Palmer.

Music: www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music