Corruption is often viewed as a byproduct of unrest and ineffective government. Former adviser to the chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff Sarah Chayes, in her book Thieves of State: Why Corruption Threatens Global Security, makes the case that corruption is the single largest source of unrest in the world. With this lens, it is possible to better understand many of the hotspots around the world—including Afghanistan, the counties upended by the Arab Spring, and even colonial America’s revolution.

Show Notes:

Thieves of State

Sarah Chayes: on living in Afghanistan and sleeping with a Kalashnikov

The Afghan Bag Man

Sarah Chayes: Global Kleptocracy

*Music: “Without Limits” Ross Bugden*