Global Connections Television Podcast

Matthew Hoh is a disabled Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War and former Afghan War State Department Officer. He is an analyst and commentator on foreign and military policy issues as a senior fellow with the Eisenhower Media Network.    

In 2009, after appointed to the Foreign Service, he resigned his post in Afghanistan because the war was unwinnable and counterproductive.  It is estimated that the Iran war has cost over a trillion dollars, the military is broken, our allies refused to join because President Trump did not confer with them at the outset. The American Empire is declining as we rapidly move into a multipolar world. President Trump has destroyed relations with most allies, scuttled the petrodollar, driven up inflation, created supply chain shortages, and crippled the US military. The incompetent American envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, did not accurately analyze the Iranians’ history, culture and military goals and resource.

 Stephanie  Michelle Pimentel is a Dominican-American executive and the founder behind a growing body of work rooted in cross-border leadership, people strategy, and operational clarity.  

She earned a Master of Science in Human Resources Management from Florida International University, along with other advanced educational credentials.  Cross-border transactions are difficult if the businesses are fragile internally. Companies need to be flexible due to changing rules and cultural differences, and they need to prepare prior to entering international trade arrangements.  Lating America (LATAM) has been overlooked as a viable market even though it has diverse talent, nearby resources, close physical proximity, and same time zones. The Dominican Republic, as an example, has been a beacon of stability and responsible leadership. All LATAM countries have some resources and areas of expertise. More businesses are moving into an international marketplace since domestic markets reach a saturation point and can consume only so much.  

Dr. Christian B. Milleris the A. C. Reid Professor of Philosophy at Wake Forest University. He was most recently the Director of the Honesty Project. His new book is The Honesty Crisis: Preserving Our Most Treasured Virtue in an Increasingly Dishonest World. Honesty is a character trait that is critical to individual and societal ethics. An honest person does not lie, steal, or deal in self-deception. Often ethical dilemmas arise that pose a philosophical challenge. For example, it is reasonable to protect an innocent person from malicious harm, suffering or death. Assume that an ICE agent is conducting an illegal raid on an innocent migrant or that a Jewish family was pursued by the Nazis in World War 2. It is rational and moral to protect them... Given the fire hydrant of misinformation, disinformation and lies with many public figures, honesty is one of most important values to inculcate.

Jeremy Varon is professor of history at The New School in New York City. He is the author of “Bringing the War Home: The Weather Underground, the Red Army Faction, and Revolutionary Violence in the Sixties and Seventies.” His most recent book is, “Our Grief Is Not a Cry for War: The Movement to Stop the War on Terror.” The majority of recent US wars are widely- viewed as failures and unnecessary. The Trump administration destroyed much of the trust and alliances with US allies, all of whom need treaties, trade agreements and partnerships.   The Obama Nuclear Deal with Iran was very effective, but Trump decimated it in 2018. Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, US’s negotiators, apparently are incompetent and misunderstood the history culture and current conditions of the Persian Gulf States. President Trump launched this unconstitutional, illegal war based on” a feeling” and erroneous reporting by Kushner and Witkoff.

Dr. Richard Sakwa is Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Kent at Canterbury, UK.  He has written widely on comparative politics, international relations and political philosophy, with a focus on Russian and European affairs. A few of his latest books are “The Lost Peace: How the West Failed to Prevent a Second Cold War,” and “The Russo-Ukrainian War: Follies of Empire.” The Ukrainians will not cede the land controlled by the Russians and a cease-fire will not bring a lasting peace, it will only lock in a fragile standoff. Europeans must be more involved in promoting reconciliation and development initiatives. To arrive at a peace agreement, concessions \must be made by both sides. Substantive discussions are critical at several levels The Russian-US relationship, Russian- European relationships, and Russian Ukrainian.  For a just and lasting peace to end the war, Ukraine should become a neutral, nonaligned, tolerant, multicultural entity.

Norman Solomon is the national director of RootsAction and is executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. He’s the author of more than a dozen books including “War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine.” His new book is – “The Blue Road to Trump Hell. “The insane violence in Ukraine and Gaza shows how we desperately need an international order that is rules-based; however, if the world is to limit this war machine madness and militarization of police forces, it must evaluate these disasters and develop the machinery to create equitable rules for everyone.  Many of the legacy media members are captive to the military industrial complex.  The 7-7-7 Rule that limited how many media outlets one entity could control was gutted during the Reagan and Clinton administrations.  Legacy Media should not be scribes and repeat misinformation and lies that many politicians regurgitate.

Felix Dodds is Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina.  Felix chaired the 2011 UN conference that proposed the first set of indicative Sustainable Development Goals.  From 1992 to 2012, he served as the Executive Director of the Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future. He established the Network for Regional Government for Sustainable Development in 2002, the Water and Climate Coalition in 2007, and the Communitas Coalition for the UN’s SDG 11 in 2013. His most recent books are both with Chris Spence: last year's Environmental Lobbying at the United Nations and the 2023 book Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy: Profiles in Courage.  The United Nations, through its international conferences, research studies, agency programs, and collaboration with civil society, has been one of the most significant proponents of discussions on the climate crisis and clean energy. Many countries have bypassed the USA in achieving energy independence and environmental enhancement.

Matthew Davis is the author of “When Things Get Dark: A Mongolian Winter’s Tale.”    He has been an Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fellow at New America, a Fellow at the Black Mountain Institute at UNLV, and a Fulbright Fellow to Syria and Jordan. He holds an MFA in nonfiction writing from the University of Iowa and an MA in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.  His recent book is “A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore.”

 From the grandeur of Mount Rushmore, located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, to the spiritual serenity of the Leshan Giant Buddha in China, Petra in Jordan, Ellora Caves in India. These carvings connect us to our past and inspire us to appreciate the beauty and complexity of our shared heritage, as well as ensure their stories and significance endure for future generations.

WILLIAM “BILL” COSTANZA retired from the Central Intelligence Agency as a Senior Operations Officer after 25 years of service.  He obtained a doctorate in Liberal Studies (DLS) from Georgetown University in 2012. His recent book is ‘Treason, Terrorism and Betrayal.”   A major security problem is how to deal with high-ranking governmental figures, such as Donald Trump, who allegedly took classified information, which was widely viewed as an illegal act.  Another example is Tulsi Gabbard, US National Intelligence Director, who reportedly has shared classified information with Vladimir Putin. As infiltration of the US Government becomes a greater threat, DC policymakers must develop a bipartisan agreement to adopt necessary reforms to be implemented and avoid political partisanship. The experts in this field are professional and not partisan operatives. The US moved from the Jacksonian Period of the Spoils System to a meritocracy based on a person’s skills and loyalty to the Constitution.

Sonali Kolhatkar is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, writer, and author. She is the founder, host, and executive producer of “Rising Up With Sonali” which airs as a radio program on KPFK,  dozens of community radio stations around the U.S. and as a TV show on Free Speech TV. In addition to her journalistic and political work, Sonali is a prolific artist and has won several awards, as well as being a talented singer/songwriter. Her major subjects are racial justice, police divestment, economic justice and income inequality.  The USA needs a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address many of the previous abuses such as racial injustice.  In South Africa, Nelson Mandela did not seek retribution, but a discussion of previous problems, a forgiveness, and involvement of Apartheid supporters. When the current Trump administration is out of office, a reckoning with their nonfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance for America to recover.