International Horizons

Are we in the golden age of conspiracy theories? How can society respond to dangerous theories, such as COVID conspiracy theories and misinformation, that create wide-spread dangers to society? Can, or should, conspiracy theories be ‘deprogrammed’ from society, or would that create a potential for states to intervene in people’s thinking in a way that we would find overreaching? Joseph Uscinski, Professor of Political Science at the University of Miami, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about the psychological conditions underlying support for conspiracy theories, the existence of QAnon, and the role of the media in aggrandizing such theories. Transcript: https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/2021/12/06/you-wish-them-a-good-day-conspiracy-theories-in-the-age-of-information-with-joseph-uscinski/

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What is behind the current standoff over refugees trying to enter Poland from Belarus? Why is the EU supporting Poland’s position? Have asylum seekers become pawns of regional powers seeking political and economic advantage? Nick Micinski, assistant professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Maine, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about the situation at the Polish/Belarusian border and the politics of migration in and around the countries of the European Union. You can find a copy of the transcript on our website: https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/2021/11/22/the-crisis-on-the-poland-belarus-border-with-nick-micinski/

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Why would warring parties turn to the UN, even when they don't have an interest in guaranteeing peace? Have rebel groups learned to manipulate the UN peace process to further their military goals? How can peace keeping missions adapt their approaches to better accomplish their goals? Anjali Dayal, assistant professor of international politics at Fordham University, talks to RBI Fellow Jenna Russo about her new book Incredible Commitments: How UN Peacekeeping Failures Shape Peace Processes and how peacekeeping dynamics have evolved over time. You can find the book here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/incredible-commitments/42CBF9FB8770469896CA1F72E352D8AA You can find a transcript of the episode here: https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/2021/11/15/how-un-peacekeeping-failures-shape-peace-processes-with-anjali-dayal/

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What conditions led to the recent coup in Sudan? Has the international community’s response had a significant impact on the Sudanese regime? Will changing international and regional power dynamics affect domestic politics and international pressures on Sudan? Mohamed Osman, Researcher in Human Rights Watch's Africa division, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about the coup in Sudan, civil society’s response, and efforts to find a solution to the ongoing crisis.

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Is legally avoiding taxes a smart thing to do, or is it dodging one’s social responsibility? Does tax avoidance treat the law as a mere formality to circumvent, a tool to manipulate, or a shield of justification? How can we reform tax codes to prevent tax evasion while ensuring that those legal tools are still usable for legitimate purposes? Katharina Pistor, Edwin B. Parker Professor of Comparative Law at Columbia Law School, talks to RBI director John Torpey about the Pandora Papers, what they reveal about international tax evasion, and how much tax reform we can expect in the foreseeable future.

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Have efforts to make war ‘humane’ made it easier for the United States to undertake military action? How do those efforts balance with efforts that are instead aimed at peace? What can we expect from the laws of war in the future in the face of changing technology that replaces soldiers with machinery? Samuel Moyn, Henry Luce Professor of Jurisprudence at Yale Law School, discusses his new book, Humane: How The United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War, with RBI Director John Torpey. You can read the transcript of the episode here: https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/2021/10/25/do-humane-wars-lead-to-forever-wars-with-sam-moyn/

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In the recent Czech elections, a broad coalition edged out the populist ANO (YES) party and changed the political landscape. Meanwhile, the ailing Czech President must appoint the government from the intensive care unit in order to avoid a constitutional crisis. How relevant is the Czech election in the context of the current international wave of populist politicians? What lessons can be drawn about populism in Eastern Europe and beyond? Petra Guasti, Associate Professor of democratic theory at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University in Prague, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about the recent Czech elections, and what they may tell us about the fate of populism in Central and Eastern Europe and beyond.

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Where do intellectuals fit within the recent resurgence in right-wing populism? What differentiates European and American far-right ideologies? How internationally organized is today’s far right? A. James McAdams, University of Notre Dame, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about trends in far-right thought that are growing in influence in Europe and the United States, and various tactics and ideas that have been instrumental in that rise. For the transcript of this episode, please see https://bit.ly/2YBKLp8

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What are the immediate and long-term political implications of the new Australia-UK-US cooperation agreement, providing Australia with nuclear submarines despite the fact that the French had been contracted to provide Australia with subs? Does the pact signal a return towards the ‘Anglosphere’? How will the arrangement affect Australia’s relationship with other countries, specifically France and China? Gareth Evans, former Foreign Minister of Australia, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about the AUKUS agreement and how it will affect the international security landscape and relations among the relevant countries, especially including France and China.

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What should we expect in Afghanistan’s future? How is the Taliban governing the country, and what challenges will they face? Will the end of the war bring peace, or will it leave a power vacuum that risks even further destabilizing the region? Sarah Shah, PhD candidate in the Political Science program at The Graduate Center, CUNY studying counterinsurgency and post-conflict reconstruction, talks about the prospects for Afghanistan and the region after the end of 20 years of war and failed state building. For the transcript of this episode, please see https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/dev/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Prospects-for-Afghanistan-under-the-Taliban-with-Sarah-Shah.pdf

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