The World Unpacked

At eight billion people, humanity has reached a major demographic milestone. Yet with a growing population, questions arise over whether nations can keep up. While developed Western countries struggle to take care of aging populations and low birth rates, many developing countries need to find answers to support a booming young population ready to work. 

Jack Goldstone, a political demographer and a professor of public policy at George Mason University, joins the show to talk to Stewart about the world at eight billion, the regional trends in population growth and decline, and how governments around the world can meet the moment to promote human flourishing across the globe.

This week, world leaders and delegates have gathered in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt to commence COP27. Despite the intensified calls for wealthier countries to deliver on reparations and help climate-vulnerable countries with the impacts of climate change, geopolitical and economic realities may complicate these objectives. Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, and surging global inflation, climate diplomacy has taken a back seat to other pressing issues. So, what can we expect from COP27? 

Joining The World Unpacked’s new host Stewart Patrick is Dan Baer, the senior vice president for policy research at Carnegie, to unpack what’s happening on the ground at COP27 and the state of climate action. 

Want more on the ground coverage of COP27? Make sure to follow Dan Baer, Amr Hamzawy, Zainab Usman, and Olivia Lazard on Twitter for updates from Egypt!

Europeans are bracing for one of the toughest winters yet. As Europe levied tough sanctions on Russia following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin is punching back by using its energy exports as leverage over Europe, plunging the continent into a spiraling energy crisis.

Doug welcomes back Judy Dempsey, editor-in-chief of Strategic Europe, from Carnegie Europe to talk about Europe’s dire energy crisis, divisions within the EU ranks over energy policy, and whether Europe is in for a long and dark winter.

This week, we also say goodbye to our host Doug as he moves on to an exciting new opportunity. But don't go anywhere! The World Unpacked will go on with a new host after a short break. Make sure to subscribe so you know when a new episode comes out!

1. Rosa Balfour. (2022, September 8). European Unity Can Endure the Winter of Discontent. Carnegie Europe
2. Judy Dempsey. (2022, July 19). Europe's Continued Commitment to Ukraine Hinges on Germany. Carnegie Europe

From Russia’s increased military activity to more dire warnings about climate change in the region, the Arctic has been drawing prominent attention in the news lately. A few weeks ago, President Biden announced that he will name a U.S. ambassador to the Arctic to solidify U.S. foreign policy and diplomacy in the critical region. Meanwhile, Russia’s war in Ukraine has muffled what was once a ripe area of cooperation for science and exploration between Russia and the West, all while China has sought to make its own mark in the region as a so-called “near-Arctic state.”

Paul Stronski, a senior fellow in Carnegie’s Russia and Eurasia Program, joins Doug on the show to talk about the geopolitics in the Arctic, who the key players are in the region, and whether states can cooperate on key issues such as climate change, trade, and more.

1. Paul Stronski. (2021, March 29). Russia in the Arctic—A Critical Examination. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
2. Paul Stronski. (2021, May 17). A Fresh Start on U.S. Arctic Policy Under Biden. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Influence operations are not a new or even recent phenomenon, but in today’s digital age, it is spreading faster and farther than ever before. From the spread of Covid vaccine misinformation to Russia’s propaganda campaign against Ukraine, the urgency to combat influence operations, such as disinformation, is critical. All the while, authoritarian governments like Russia and China are at the forefront of this issue, strategically framing the global approach to align with their anti-democratic vision.        

Joining Doug this week is Alicia Wanless, director of the Partnership for Countering Influence Operations at Carnegie, to unpack her path-breaking research on the information environment. She has more than a decade of experience researching and analyzing propaganda and information warfare. In this episode, Alicia also discusses her work in helping to counter disinformation campaigns in Ukraine and how authoritarian countries are taking the lead in developing the global approach to disinformation. 

Follow Doug on Twitter @DouglasLFarrar.

1. Alicia Wanless. (2022, March 28). "One Strategy Democracies Should Use to Counter Disinformation." Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 
2. Jacob N. Shapiro and Alicia Wanless. (2021, December 28). "Why Are Authoritarians Framing International Approaches to Disinformation?" Lawfare.  
3. Alicia Wanless. (2021, September 22). "What's Working and What Isn't in Researching Influence Operations?" Lawfare. 

China, India, and Pakistan have all possessed nuclear weapons for decades and kept each other in check through mutual deterrence. New technology, different leaders, and a shifting geopolitical landscape have also led to the constant development and transformation of each country’s nuclear capabilities. China in particular has ramped up its own nuclear arsenal as it seeks to take on the United States, while still keeping a wary eye on neighboring India.

Ashley J. Tellis, the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs at Carnegie, has mapped the evolution of the nuclear strategies and arsenals for all three of these powers in his groundbreaking report, Striking Asymmetries: Nuclear Transitions in Southern Asia.

Ashley joins Doug on the show to unpack the transformation of the three major nuclear powers in Asia and how the United States can respond to a Chinese state acquiring more powerful nuclear weapons.

Follow Doug on Twitter @DouglasLFarrar

Read Ashley’s report.

The last few months saw a buzz of activity in Asia. The Biden administration just launched its signature Indo-Pacific Economic Framework to jumpstart trade relations with regional partners. Meanwhile, China stirred the pot as it inked a controversial pact with the Solomon Islands. And just a few weeks ago, members of the G20 convened in Bali, while news of the assassination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe shocked the world. 

At the forefront of the recent developments in the Asia Pacific has been State Department Counselor Derek Chollet. Counselor Chollet returns to The World Unpacked to talk about his trip with Secretary Blinken to Asia, Shinzo Abe’s legacy, U.S.-China competition, and more.

Follow Doug on Twitter @DouglasLFarrar

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Tomorrow, President Biden heads to Saudi Arabia as part of his much-anticipated trip to the Middle East. Countering Iran, resetting Saudi Arabia’s relations with Israel, the civil war in Yemen, and, of course, skyrocketing oil prices, are all on the table. Yet Americans across the aisle have been quick to condemn Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia for lending legitimacy to a regime accused of human rights abuses in Yemen and the killing of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Can the United States still lead with its democratic values while cooperating with authoritarian regimes?

Aaron David Miller,  a senior fellow in the American Statecraft Program and the host of Carnegie Connects, joins Doug this week to unpack Biden’s complicated visit to Saudi Arabia and the future of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. A veteran State Department diplomat, Aaron also gives his take on how and if the United States can still lead with its values in the 21st century.

1. Aaron David Miller. (2022, July 7). "What to Expect From Biden's Big Middle East Trip." Foreign Policy. 
2. Aaron David Miller. (2022, June 23). "Opinion: Biden and the Saudi Crown Prince rehab project." CNN.
3. Aaron David Miller. (2022,  May 5). "Opinion: What Biden needs to get if MBS wants to reconcile." CNN. 

It’s a little over four months into Putin’s war in Ukraine with no immediate end in sight. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has pumped out state propaganda to lift up public morale, while some Russians have turned to alternative media platforms like YouTube for outside information or have sought refuge and escape through fiction novels. 

Andrei Kolesnikov, a senior fellow at Carnegie based in Russia, discusses life under Putin’s regime today, Russian public opinion, this week’s NATO summit, and the prospects of a post-Putin Russia.

Follow Doug on Twitter @DouglasLFarrar. 

1. Andrei Kolesnikov. (2022, May 26). “Putin Against History.” Foreign Affairs
2. Andrei Kolsesnikov. (2022, June 15). “Putin the Emperor: From Annexing Crimea to Restoring the Empire.” Russia Post.
3. Andrei Kolesnikov. (2022, June 7). “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: Why the Russian Public is Tired of the War in Ukraine.” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
4. Andrei Kolesnikov. (2022, May 24). “Russia’s Unlucky Past Has a Stranglehold on Its Future.” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
5. Andrei Kolesnikov. (2022, May 18). “Putin Has Finally Given Russians a Goal: “Victory.”” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
6. Andrei Kolesnikov. (2022, April 19). “Putin’s War Has Moved Russia From Authoritarianism to Hybrid Totalitarianism.” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Last month, new photos and documents surrounding China’s internment camps in Xinjiang came to light. These documents further exposed China’s efforts against the minority Uyghur population through forced labor, sterilization, and even torture. Holding China’s suppression campaign together is a sophisticated mass surveillance infrastructure comprised of advanced facial recognition, mobile phone tracking, and more.

BuzzFeed’s Megha Rajagopalan, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her coverage on Xinjiang, helps Doug unpack the significance of the leaked documents, how China’s campaign against the Uyghurs has evolved in recent years, and China’s intricate mass surveillance apparatus.

Follow Doug on Twitter @DouglasLFarrar.

1. The 2021 Pulitzer Prize Winner in International Reporting: Megha Rajagopalan, Alison Killing and Christo Buschek of BuzzFeed News. (2021). The Pulitzer Prizes.