Global I.Q. Podcast

Throughout her nine terms in Congress, Jane Harman served on all major security committees, including as a ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee in the years following the September 11 attacks. As a recognized expert on national security and public policy – with the resume to back it up – Harman has won numerous awards for her distinguished service.

Now, in Insanity Defense, Harman recounts her decades on the national security front, arguing that no less than four presidential administrations have failed to address the most pressing threats to the nation. In a push to shift away from Cold War strategies, Harman lay outs her solutions for meeting the challenges of our times, in which rapidly advancing technology and multi-faceted global power structures may eventually redefine American dominance.

Jane Harman served nine terms as a U.S. Representative in Congress. She resigned in 2011 to become the first female president and CEO at the Woodrow Wilson Center, where she spent the past decade. Harman currently serves as a member of the Aspen Strategy Group and sits on the advisory board of the Munich Security Conference, as well as the board of Iridium Communication Inc. She is a member of the Presidential Debates Commission and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Harman holds a B.A. from Smith College and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Moderated by Lee Cullum, journalist at Public Media of North Texas (KERA/PBS) and Senior Fellow at the John Tower Center for Public Policy and International Affairs at SMU.

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Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers.

Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

Number one bestselling author of ​The Boys in the Boat,Daniel James Brown has collaborated with a nonprofit that preserves the oral histories of formerly-interned Japanese Americans to produce Facing the Mountain, a heartbreaking and eye-opening account of four Japanese American families whose sons volunteered for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, deploying to the frontlines of Europe while their families were imprisoned at home. A tale of Americans “striving, resisting,” “laying down their lives, and enduring,” Facing the Mountain shines a light on the bravery and patriotism of a few young men during one of the darkest moments in American history.

Daniel James Brown is a narrative nonfiction author who has published three previous books that strive to bring historical events to life. He taught writing at San José State University. As a California native, he received a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.A. from University of California, Los Angeles.

Moderated by Tom Ikeda, executive director of Denshō.

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Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers.

Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

About the author: https://www.workman.com/authors/daniel-levin-1

Daniel Levin was at his office when he got a call from an acquaintance with an urgent, cryptic request to meet in Paris. A young man had gone missing in Syria. No government, embassy, or intelligence agency would help. Could he? Would he? So begins a suspenseful, shocking, and at times brutal true story of one man’s search to find a missing person in Syria over twenty tense days. Levin, a lawyer turned armed-conflict negotiator, uses his extensive contacts to chase leads throughout the Middle East, meeting with powerful sheikhs, drug lords, and sex traffickers in his pursuit of the truth. He also discovers remarkable people who retain their essential goodness and spirit in the face of adversity.



In Proof of Life, Levin dives deep into a shadowy world where few have access—an underground industry of war where everything is for sale, including arms, drugs, and even people. He offers a fascinating study of how people use leverage to get what they want from one another and where no one does a favor without wanting something in return, whether it’s immediately or years down the road.



Proof of Life is a fast-paced thriller wrapped in a memoir, a must-read for anyone interested in power dynamics, international affairs, the Middle East, or our growing number of forever wars. 


Moderated by Michael Judge

Judge, a writer, freelance journalist, and contributing editor at The Dallas Morning News, is a former deputy editorial features editor at The Wall Street Journal and former deputy editorial page editor at The Asian Wall Street Journal. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, his career spans more than two decades on three continents. His work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Japan Times, NPR, The Columbia Journalism Review, Politico, and Smithsonian magazine, among other publications.

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Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers.

Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

When Americans think of a global menace, one of two countries often comes to mind: China or Russia. These global powerhouses are two of the United States’ greatest adversaries on the world stage. But what are the risks they actually pose? In Spymaster’s Prism, 32-year CIA veteran Jack Devine details how Russia’s intelligence apparatus has continuously worked against American national security from the Cold War to the present. He uses the history of U.S. intelligence achievements and failures to help Americans understand what this adversary may be planning in the future. In a similar vein, geostrategic expert John Ward’s China’s Vision of Victory outlines the ways in which “the Chinese Communist Party is guiding a country of 1.4 billion people towards” the “great rejuvenation” of China and the downfall of American dominance. Combining their joint knowledge, Devine and Ward lay out the threats America currently faces, as well as what can be done to neutralize those threats. Jack Devine is a 32-year veteran of the CIA and the founding partner and president of The Arkin Group, an international consulting firm. At the CIA, Devine served as acting director and associate director, chief of Latin America, head of the Counter-Narcotics Center, and head of the Afghan Task Force. He was awarded the CIA’s Meritorious Officer Award and the Distinguished Intelligence Medal. Devine is a published author and op-ed writer. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Jonathan Ward is the founder of the Atlas Organization, a consultancy firm focused on Chinese and Indian national strategy. Before Atlas, Ward was a geostrategic consultant for Oxford Analytica and for the U.S. Department of Defense. He is currently a research associate at Oxford’s Changing Character of War Programme and a visiting academic at the university’s China Centre. Ward holds a Ph.D. from Oxford University in China-India relations, as well as an M.St. in Global and Imperial History, also from Oxford.

Mike Capps is the Director of Strategic Development, Intelligence, Information & Services at Raytheon.

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Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers.

Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

As one of the country’s leading authorities on American foreign policy and what goes on behind the scenes, James M. Lindsay has a wealth of knowledge about where the U.S. stands on the global stage, how it’s affected by shifting power dynamics, and how all these elements come together to shape our understanding of current issues.

Lindsay is the co-author of The Empty Throne: America’s Abdication of Global Leadership and America Unbound: The Bush Revolution in Foreign Policy, for which he has won multiple awards. On his blog, The Water’s Edge, Lindsay writes about the ways in which politics influence U.S. foreign policy decisions and how those decisions affect global power structures and domestic politics – topics that are frequently discussed on Lindsay’s podcasts, The President’s Inbox and The World Next Week. A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Lindsay is a recipient of the Pew Faculty Fellowship in International Affairs, as well as the CFR International Affairs Fellowship.

James M. Lindsay is senior vice president, director of studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg chair at the Council on Foreign Relations. He has held leadership positions across many prestigious organizations, including the Brookings Institution, the National Security Council, the United States Institute of Peace, and the Center for International Affairs. He holds an A.B. in economics and political science from the University of Michigan, as well as an M.A., M.Phil., and a Ph.D. from Yale University.

Moderator

Ryan Sanders started his career in journalism at the Corsicana Daily Sun before moving to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram where he covered education and city government. Later, working in public relations, he wrote speeches for CEOs, politicians, and the owner of the Dallas Stars hockey team. He has written scripts for television and radio ads, contributed to a book of local history for the Dallas mayor’s office, and placed op-eds and feature articles in multiple news outlets. His writing has won awards in community journalism, public relations, and fiction. He currently serves as editorial writer at The Dallas Morning News. Ryan is an ordained minister. He lives in Irving, Texas with his wife, two teenaged children, and a Beagle named after Scout Finch.

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Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers.

Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

When a new president is elected, administration officials change but the White House staff often does not. Many of these “White House lifers” maintain their roles for decades – like Dale Haney, the chief groundskeeper since 1972. In The Secret Life of the White House, Susannah Jacob paints a vivid picture of the daily life of the residence staff behind the scenes – illuminated with interviews from dozens of former and current longtime professionals. Jacob argues these individuals are symbols of the independence of the White House, conserving the legacies of past presidents and “continuing to do their jobs and serve whoever moves in.”

Susannah Jacob is a writer and former speechwriter for President Barack Obama. As a Ph.D. student in Yale University’s Department of History, Jacob's interests focus on twentieth century America, labor, and political history. Her work has been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and the New York Times. She holds a B.A. in history from the University of Texas at Austin.

Jeremi Suri is the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, where he is a professor of history and public affairs. He has authored nine books about contemporary politics and foreign policy. Suri is also a contributor for the New York Times, Washington Post, Dallas Morning News, and Foreign Affairs. He holds an A.B. from Stanford University, an M.A. from Ohio University, and a Ph.D. from Yale University, all in history.

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Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers.

Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

Fifty-three years after the phrase “Space! The final frontier…” entered U.S. pop culture via the television series “Star Trek,” the United States Space Force became the newest branch of the American Armed Forces. Operating within the Department of the Air Force, the USSF began developing military doctrine for space power and military space systems to protect the U.S. and its allies in space in December 2019. In an exclusive, members-only event, Lt. Gen. William J. Liquori will pull back the curtains for an inside view of how the need for a military presence in space came to be – followed by a look ahead to what’s in store for this exciting new endeavor.

Lt. Gen. William J. Liquori is the deputy chief of space operations, strategy, plans, programs, requirements, and analysis for the U.S. Space Force. Lt. Gen. Liquori’s service includes commanding a space operations squadron and the 50th Space Wing, as well as positions within the USAF Space Command, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the White House. He holds an M.A. in computer resources and information management from Webster University, as well as a B.A. in computer science from Boston University.

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Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers.

Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that companies and labor unions enjoy the same right to political speech as individuals, many restrictions on money in American politics were lifted. Super PACs now rule our political landscape and can pour hundreds of millions of dollars into campaigns, as long as their efforts remain independent of candidates. The influx of large sums of money into politics can damage trust in government, suppress turnout, and put corporate interests before the interests of constituents. To what extent is this a uniquely American issue? How much influence is for sale and what can be done about it?

Meridian Young Professionals are invited to join our virtual conversation with Ann Drumm of American Promise on the impact money has in our local and federal system and whether a new constitutional amendment is appropriate to combat this phenomenon.

About Ann Drumm and American Promise:

Ann Drumm is regional organizer for American Promise, a national nonpartisan organization advocating for a constitutional amendment to address big money in politics. https://americanpromise.net/blog/2019/05/29/citizen-leader-spotlight-ann-drumm/

“American Promise exists to empower, inspire, and organize Americans to win the 28th Amendment to the Constitution. This lasting reform will re-balance our politics and government by putting the rights of individual citizens before the privileges of concentrated money, corporations, unions, political parties, and superPACs.”

https://americanpromise.net/who-we-are/about-american-promise/

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Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers.

Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

Fiona Hill, one of the nation’s foremost experts on Russia, is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. She previously served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European and Russian Affairs on the National Security Council from 2017 through 2019. In November 2019, Hill testified before the House Intelligence Committee during the committee’s impeachment hearing.

Dr. Hill has researched and published extensively on Russia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, specifically on issues related to regional conflicts and energy. She is the author of “The Siberian Curse: How Communist Planners Left Russia Out in the Cold” and “Energy Empire: Oil, Gas and Russia’s Revival.” Hill also co-authored “Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin” with Clifford Gaddy.

Dr. Fiona Hill holds a master’s degree in Soviet studies and a doctorate in history from Harvard University. She also holds a master’s degree in Russian and modern history from St. Andrews University and has studied at the Maurice Thorez Institute of Foreign Languages in Moscow. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Moderated by Liz Brailsford.

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Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers.

Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate

John Boehner was a small business owner when he first decided to run for elected office after witnessing what he considered the negative effects of “high taxes and red tape” on American entrepreneurs. After two decades in office, Boehner became Speaker of the House in 2011 and immediately found himself in opposition to President Obama’s vision for America. In On the House, Boehner reflects on his time in Congress, recounting the lessons of success and failure he has learned from leaders – from Gerald Ford to Joe Biden – he has encountered.

John Boehner is the former Speaker of the House of Representatives (2011-2015). From 1991 until his resignation in October 2015, Boehner represented the Eighth Congressional District of Ohio as a Republican. In Congress, Boehner’s stated goals were a “smaller, less costly, and more accountable federal government.” Since 2016, he has been a senior strategic advisor at Squire Patton Boggs LLP.

Moderated by Liz Brailsford, WACDFW President & CEO.

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Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers.

Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate