Straight from the Shoulder

Betrayal is a complicated act of “deliberate disloyalty” that can shock and unravel the fabric of any relationship. But when an intelligence officer is caught working for the other side, the damage is amplified - shattering the hard-won trust among colleagues and spy agencies that’s essential to doing effective intelligence work. The reasons why an officer might defect, however, can vary widely and have implications of their own.

Join Jack and Julia for a colorful conversation about what motivated historic double agents like Kim Philby and Aldrich “Rick Ames” to defect, and the consequences of their betrayal.

On this episode we’ll discuss:

• Why the famous British intelligence officer Kim Philby chose to defect and how he managed to get away with it for so long
• Jack’s take on the motivations of fellow CIA officer Rick Ames – including personal insights as to why Ames defected
• The dangerous impact of high-level intelligence betrayals on both individual lives and global operations

Hollywood serves as a powerful recruiting mechanism for spy agencies like the CIA- using the screen to glamorize the work of intelligence operatives worldwide- but it also contributes to some of the biggest misunderstandings of what spies do and how they operate. Join Jack and Julia for a fun and enlightening conversation about what Hollywood gets right- and what it gets wrong- in its portrayal of the spy-world.

 On this episode we’ll discuss:

• What’s real and fake about James Bond and other famous spy movies – replete with anecdotes of Jack’s fame-studded encounters.
• The essential but unglamourous aspect of teamwork in accomplishing real-world intelligence operations.
• How Hollywood’s ideas for seemingly unrealistic spy technology can inspire what happens off-screen.
• If Hollywood’s portrayal of the spy-world ultimately helps or hurts the work of clandestine organizations.

Many Americans now consider disinformation to be a key national security threat, and disinformation topped the World Economic Forum’s list of short-term global risks for 2024. But what’s the history of disinformation and how is it increasingly interfering in international relations and eroding the trust of civilian populations? Are democratic nations simply more susceptible to disinformation? Whose responsibility is it to limit the influence of disinformation and can we mitigate the threat moving forward?

Join Jack and Julia as we examine the role and challenge of disinformation. On this episode we’ll discuss:

• What counts as disinformation and its historic role in intelligence operations 
• Examples of what makes an effective disinformation campaign and when it might backfire
• Personal and political strategies for uncovering disinformation and moving closer to a true understanding of what’s happening in the world

Given that hostage taking is again in the spotlight after the October 7 Hamas attacks, what is the latest status of Washington’s hostage policy? What can we learn from a review of the past several decades of hostage crises worldwide? And is it possible for Americans to avoid hostage situations in the coming years, even while tensions between democratic and non-democratic countries appear to be on the rise? 

Join Jack and Julia for a thoughtful discussion about the recent history of hostage taking, where we grapple with the question of how to best respond to the threat, and what the future might hold. On this episode, we’ll consider:

• The evolution of hostage threats to US citizens- from Latin America to the Middle East
• How and why the United States has historically decided to respond to hostage takers, and the use of both policy and force in deterrence
• Why democratic societies are more susceptible to hostage crises in the first place, and what this means for our collective future

“How is the world being reshaped by two active wars involving US allies in Europe and the Middle East? And what will the outcome of these conflicts mean in terms of the world we want to live in? Join us for a thoughtful discussion about these destabilizing global conflicts, where we grapple with the question of what’s really at stake. On this episode, we’ll consider:

• The broader implications of supporting Ukraine and what’s currently happening in Washington
• Parallels between the wars in Ukraine and Israel
• The role of intelligence in mitigating violent outbreaks and how and why intelligence failures have an outsized impact on global stability