The Rachman Review

By Financial Times

Social Sciences

What's The Rachman Review about?

Gideon Rachman, the Financial Times chief foreign affairs columnist talks to the decision-makers and thinkers who are shaping world affairs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Bidenomics and global trade

09.28.2023

In the second of our three-part series, Gideon talks to WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala about the impact of Bidenomics on countries' attitudes to free and open global trade and the WTO's role in protecting this. Clip: France 24 Free links ...

The Rachman Review episodes:

09.28.2023 Bidenomics and global trade In the second of our three-part series, Gideon talks to WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala about the impact of Bidenomics on countries' attitudes to free and open global trade and the WTO's role in protecting this. Clip: France 24 Free links ...
09.21.2023 What is Bidenomics and is it working? In the first of a three-part series on Bidenomics, Gideon talks to Brian Deese, former head of the National Economic Council in the Biden White House. They discuss how big a change of direction this was for the US, what ...
09.18.2023 Coming soon: Can AI help us speak to animals? Subscribe now to the FT's Tech Tonic podcast: Some scientists believe that rapid advances in artificial intelligence may also hold the key to decoding animal sounds, allowing us to ‘translate’ them into human language. In a new season of Tech ...
09.14.2023 Post-Brexit Britain Opinion polls now suggest that about two-thirds of British people think that Brexit has failed. So was it all a terrible mistake? Gideon talks to FT colleague Peter Foster about his new book, What Went Wrong With Brexit: And What ...
09.07.2023 The nuclear and biological weapons threat Are our politicians doing enough to protect humanity from the potential risk of a nuclear war, a deadly pandemic or AI without guardrails? Gideon discusses these risks with Jason Matheny, president of the Rand Corporation in California and former director ...
08.31.2023 Biden’s plan for a US-Saudi-Israeli peace deal Gideon talks to Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, about the strength of bipartisan support for Ukraine and about President Joe Biden’s proposed “grand bargain” that could see Saudi Arabia and Israel normalise diplomatic ...
08.24.2023 The end of Prigozhin Gideon talks to political commentator and economist Sergei Guriev about the lessons Russians and the outside world will draw from the apparent killing of Yevgeny Prigozhin. How does this affect the stability of the Russian regime and the outlook for ...
08.21.2023 Introducing: The Russian Banker Who is Sergei Leontiev? To the US asylum system, he’s an exiled Russian banker who was persecuted by the state and forced to flee. To Russia, he’s said to be responsible for massive fraud. On The Russian Banker, a new ...
08.17.2023 Sanctions, global terror and the drugs trade Gideon talks to the FT’s Miles Johnson, author of a new book called Chasing Shadows about the links between international crime and geopolitics. They discuss how wars and the breakdown of democratic accountability have contributed to the ability of criminals ...
08.10.2023 Japan’s role in US-China strategic rivalry China’s assertiveness on the global stage has reinvigorated economic and political ties between the US and Japan. Leo Lewis, the FT’s Asia business editor, discusses what’s changed with Rahm Emanuel, the US ambassador to Japan. Want more? Free links: Corporate ...
08.03.2023 Will Donald Trump end up in prison or the White House? Donald Trump was indicted this week on charges related to his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. But the former president is also in the running for the 2024 presidential election and polls suggest he’s likely ...
07.27.2023 Sudan power struggle risks turning into civil war The Sudanese people are being held hostage by warring generals in a power struggle that has already lasted 100 days. With no solution in sight, the fighting risks drawing in outside actors like Russia’s Wagner group and destabilising neighbouring countries. ...
07.20.2023 Spain's lurch to the right The government of Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez looks set to lose Sunday's elections to the centre-right People's party. But the PP may be unable to form a government without the participation of the hard-right party Vox. Henry Mance, standing in ...
07.13.2023 Will this year’s climate talks be a washout? The UAE, host of this year’s UN climate conference, has pushed for a “global stocktake” of progress towards Paris targets, aimed at triggering fresh climate action. But it has also been criticised for its choice of an oil executive, Sultan ...
07.06.2023 How much should we fear artificial intelligence? Scientists have been sounding the alarm about the potentially catastrophic dangers posed by artificial intelligence. Gideon talks to Anu Bradford, professor at Columbia University and author of a forthcoming book on the global battle to regulate technology about the different ...
06.29.2023 Has the Wagner revolt fatally undermined Putin? Gideon talks to Edward Lucas, author and senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, about the stability of Vladimir Putin’s regime in Russia. With his weaknesses exposed by the Prigozhin rebellion, how will rival centres of power respond? ...
06.22.2023 When should countries intervene to prevent mass murder? Gideon talks to Indian opposition Congress politician and former diplomat Shashi Tharoor about the concept of the 'responsibility to protect', which allows countries to intervene militarily in order to protect a population from mass murder. This was first mooted by ...
06.15.2023 How Ukraine’s fightback could change the world Gideon talks to Karin von Hippel, director-general of the UK defence think-tank RUSI, about Ukraine’s counteroffensive and the discussions that are already taking place about a new world order once the fighting is over. Clips: Channel 4 News More on ...
06.08.2023 David Lammy on Britain’s place in the world Gideon meets Britain’s shadow foreign secretary on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, the main forum for discussion of security issues in the Indo-Pacific, in Singapore. They discuss Britain’s relations with China, Ukraine, Brexit and the Commonwealth. Clips: ShanghaiEye, CNA ...
06.01.2023 Is the Ukraine war reaching a turning point? Gideon talks to the FT’s Chris Miller about the recent upsurge in military operations between Ukraine and Russia. Is this the start of Kyiv’s long-awaited offensive and if so, what would constitute a successful fightback? Clip: NBC More on this ...
05.25.2023 Modi’s moment in the spotlight Gideon talks to strategist Raja Mohan about India’s rising geopolitical influence. As the countries of the world form alliances to counterbalance the power of China, India is being courted for its support. How is India responding, and what are the ...
05.18.2023 China’s next generation Gideon talks to economist Keyu Jin about China’s goal of becoming the world’s biggest economy despite a falling population, the impact of the deterioration in US-China relations, and the way in which the aspirations of its younger generation are shaping ...
05.11.2023 Putin’s historical magical mystery tour Gideon talks to Russia expert Fiona Hill about the forthcoming Ukrainian counter-offensive, the state of Russia and the similarities between the leadership styles of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Clips: Daily Telegraph, PBS More on this topic: Russia’s invasion of ...
05.04.2023 How far will the rehabilitation of Assad go? Leaders in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan have decided that they need to work with the regime in Syria to solve problems ranging from the return of refugees to curbing the local drugs trade. Gideon talks to Kim Ghattas ...
04.27.2023 Is Turkey about to see the end of the Erdoğan era? President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been in power for 20 years - and he has every intention of carrying on. But the Turkish leader faces a serious challenge in May’s general election. A change at the top in Turkey could ...
04.20.2023 Is there such a thing as a rules-based international order? Gideon talks to the US political theorist John Ikenberry about why the Ukraine war has been both a challenge and a spur for those who want to see liberal democratic values thrive. Clip: Global News More on this topic: The ...
04.13.2023 Macron’s flawed diplomacy in China Emmanuel Macron sparked an international backlash over remarks he made to the press about Taiwan after a visit to China. The French president is also facing growing opposition at home after he pushed through an unpopular policy to raise the ...
04.06.2023 Ukraine's other battleground: the economy Gideon talks to Hlib Vyshlinsky, director of Ukraine's Centre for Economic Strategy, about keeping Ukraine's economy alive while the war goes on. Despite a shortage of cash and labour, efforts are under way to try to build a more dynamic ...
03.30.2023 The rise and fall of Yevgeny Prigozhin Gideon talks to the FT’s Max Seddon and Miles Johnson about Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group and its once secretive leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. They discuss how Prigozhin came to prominence during the fighting around Bakhmut in Ukraine and whether he can ...
03.23.2023 Divided Iran makes peace with its neighbours Gideon talks to the FT’s Middle East editor Andrew England about his recent visit to Iran in the aftermath of some of the worst unrest since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979. Iran’s reconciliation with Saudi Arabia and ...
03.16.2023 Israeli democracy at a crossroads Israeli journalist Nadav Eyal tells Gideon why he believes Israel is on course for a full-blown constitutional crisis. The Netanyahu government’s plan to curtail the power of the judiciary, he says, will remove democratic checks and balances that are crucial ...
03.09.2023 Is Mexico slipping into autocracy? Gideon talks to academic and writer Denise Dresser about President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s autocratic tendencies and why she thinks the leader she once voted for is dismantling democracy in Mexico. Clips: France 24, Andrés Manuel López Obrador Amlo’s strongman ...
03.02.2023 Bill Gates on Ukraine’s ‘shock to the system’ The Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist talks to Gideon about his efforts to keep global development goals alive amid rising geopolitical tensions. They discuss shrinking aid budgets, climate, technology, China-US tensions and whether Gates remains an optimist about the future. Bill ...
02.23.2023 Ukraine series: the battle for Bakhmut Christopher Miller moved to the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in 2010 as a volunteer for the US Peace Corps. Now an FT correspondent in Kyiv, he tells Gideon about how the eastern city came to play a central role in ...
02.16.2023 Ukraine series: how long will the war last? In the second episode in our special series, Gideon talks to war historian Hein Goemans about what it would take to end the fighting in Ukraine. FT podcast survey More on this topic: A year of war in Ukraine has ...
02.09.2023 Ukraine series: life in a war zone In the first of a three-part series, Gideon talks to Ukraine MP Lesia Vasylenko about what it was like to wake up in a country at war, how Ukrainians surprised the world with their fightback, and the need for reparations ...
02.02.2023 How to fix our flawed democracies Gideon talks to Martin Wolf, the FT’s chief economics commentator, about his new book, The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism. They discuss why the post-war settlement between democratic governments and their people is no longer fit for purpose and what can ...
01.26.2023 Philippines caught in the line of fire The Filipino people are paying a heavy price for regional tensions between China and the US, Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr tells Gideon. He explains how he hopes to steer clear of conflict, build up the economy and focus on ...
01.19.2023 The global battle against impunity The war in Ukraine has had dire consequences for millions of people beyond Europe. Gideon talks to David Miliband, IRC president, about why Putin's challenge to the world order must not go unpunished. Clips: CNN More on this topic: Geopolitics ...
01.12.2023 America’s hard right A small group of Republican party zealots, backed by former president Donald Trump, have forced their way into a position of power in the US Congress. Gideon talks to Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of the National Interest magazine in Washington and ...
01.05.2023 What next for Putin’s Russia? How has Russia changed since Putin embarked on his Ukraine war nearly a year ago? Gideon talks to Angela Stent of Georgetown University about the origins of Russia’s imperialist ambitions, its rupture with Europe and reliance on revived alliances with ...
12.22.2022 2022 Year In Review Gideon Rachman is joined by a panel of colleagues: FT editor Roula Khalaf, Moscow correspondent Max Seddon and US editor Edward Luce. This year was defined by Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Will 2023 be any different? Meanwhile, in China, ...
12.15.2022 Qatar’s soft power play Qatar’s decision to host the World Cup was mired in controversy from the start but ultimately seems to have paid off, bringing the tiny Gulf emirate new friends and winning over old enemies. Gideon talks to Simeon Kerr, the FT’s ...
12.08.2022 How threatened is Australia by the rise of China? Australia’s relations with China have taken a dive in recent years, forcing Canberra to reassess regional security and trade ties. Gideon talks to Michael Fullilove, director of the Lowy Institute, Australia’s leading foreign-policy think-tank, about how Australia is adapting to ...
12.01.2022 China protests test the limits of Xi Jinping’s authority Severe lockdowns associated with China’s zero-Covid policy have combined with economic woes to incite the most widespread protests since Tiananmen Square. President Xi Jinping is now under pressure to address this discontent. Gideon discusses what his options are with the ...
11.24.2022 90,000 migrants arrive in Italian ports Italy has become one of the main entry points to the EU for irregular migrants but its new nationalist prime minister Giorgia Meloni has taken a hard line and is demanding Europe do more to help. Why has Meloni taken ...
11.17.2022 Brazil’s Lula joins leftist leaders pushing for change in Latin America Brazil joins a group of Latin American countries that have elected leftwing leaders. What kind of change will they bring to the region and its relations with the rest of the world? Michael Stott, the FT’s Latin America editor, discusses ...
11.10.2022 How the Ukraine war reshaped US alliances Thomas Wright, director of strategic planning at the National Security Council in the Biden White House, tells Gideon how the war in Ukraine changed US thinking about the need for broader alliances. Clips: The White House, Channel 4 News More ...
11.03.2022 US midterms: Republicans on the rise Joe Biden’s Democrats look set to lose control of Congress in this month's elections. But many of the Republicans poised to take office support Donald Trump's claim that the last presidential election was stolen. Gideon discusses his prospects for a ...
10.27.2022 Xi consolidates his rule as economic problems mount Gideon talks to economist Linda Yueh of Oxford university about recent dramatic developments at the Chinese Communist party’s congress in Beijing. They discuss what the growing centralisation in China tells us about how Xi Jinping will handle the private sector, ...

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