Counterbalance

82 | The Wisdom of the Ancients (feat. Jakub Grygiel)

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 09:00:00 +0000

What do classical authors have to teach us about the global brawl that is international affairs? Catholic University professor, Jakub Grygiel, joins hosts Mike Doran and Peter Rough to provide the historical context behind the show's new exploration into "real-realism."

81 | Exploring Our New Worldview: "Real-Realism"

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 4 Apr 2024 09:00:00 +0000

After internal dialogues revealed that the team was feeling a bit "strategically rudderless," hosts Mike Doran and Peter Rough sit together to launch a new thesis for Counterbalance. Together they explain what's wrong with foreign policy "experts" today and why an interest-based foreign policy is needed over the dominant, but flawed, values-based outlook of today's elites. They're calling this new school of thought "real-realism."

80 | Can the US Withstand An Economic Standoff with China? (feat. Jonathan Ward)

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Hudson Senior Fellow Jonathan Ward joins co-host Peter Rough to discuss his new book The Decisive Decade: American Grand Strategy for Triumph Over China. In his book, and during the episode, Ward lays out how the US gave up many of its economic advantages while allowing China's rise. Thankfully, according to Ward, it's not too late to reverse course, but America has to start by winning one decade at a time.

79 | The Facts: Is Ukraine Losing? Can It Still Win? (feat. Peter Rough)

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Is Ukraine losing? Can it still win? Where does international support stand now, and where will it be going forward? Host Peter Rough addresses these questions and more having just returned from an overseas study trip to Moldova and Ukraine. Mike Doran joins him to discover what Peter saw, heard, and learned from his travels.

78 | US-Israel: Will Biden Recognize a Palestinian State? (feat. Gadi Taub)

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 13:12:43 +0000

On this special edition of Counterbalance, co-hosts Mike and Peter are joined by Israeli intellectual Gadi Taub. Mike and Gadi recently started the Israel Update Podcast with Tablet magazine. This week on Counterbalance, the trio discuss the Biden administration’s attitude towards the war in Gaza, including the president calling Israel’s response in Gaza “over the top.” They also float the possibility of the Biden administration recognizing a Palestinian state as early as the summer.

77 | Taiwan 101 (feat. Peter Rough)

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 8 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

This week, host Michael Doran is joined by co-host Peter Rough, senior fellow and director of the Center for Europe and Eurasia at Hudson Institute. Peter offers an overview of his recent visit to Taiwan and discusses with Mike his thoughts on Beijing's increasing economic and military pressure on Taipei. The duo also talks about the current state of Taiwanese domestic politics and how it affects U.S. foreign policy.

76 | October 7 Was an Intelligence Failure for Israel and the US

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 1 Feb 2024 14:39:37 +0000

Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel was a clear intelligence failure, but for whom and in what ways? Counterbalance co-hosts Mike Doran and Peter Rough are joined by Hudson colleague Ezra Cohen, who, fresh off a trip to Israel, provides his view on what led to the failure of intelligence we now know as October 7. A former Pentagon official, Ezra also outlines how each US administration sets intelligence priorities for the entire intelligence community and how the Biden administration may have changed course from its predecessor’s priorities.

75 | The Future of Zionism and the Israel-Hamas War

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 10:00:00 +0000

This week, host Peter Rough is joined by co-host Michael Doran, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at the Hudson Institute. They recap Mike's recent trip to Israel, and why he thinks the war that sparked by the October 7th atrocities is actually a war for the future of Western civilization. Additionally, they discuss his observations on Israel's current political climate, and the Biden administration's Iran policy.

74 | The Future of Taiwan, ROK-DPRK Relations, and the Threat of War

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 10:00:00 +0000

This week, co-hosts Mike Doran and Peter Rough are joined by Allison Hooker, seasoned Asia hand with extensive experience working on issues relating to the Korean Peninsula and the broader Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan. The trio discuss key developments to watch out for in the year to come, beginning with Taiwan’s presidential election that gave the ruling DPP a historic third straight term.

73 | The Origins of Hudson, and Abe's Transformation of Japan

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Peter Rough talks this week with Ken Weinstein, Hudson’s Japan Chair and former president and CEO of Hudson. Peter and Ken talk about Hudson’s founding and the instrumental role Herman Kahn, Max Singer, and Wally Stern played in making it what it is today. The two also delve into the role Shinzo Abe played in transforming Japan’s foreign and security policy.

72 | China’s Hobbled Economy (feat. Thomas Duesterberg)

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 10:00:00 +0000

For decades after its accession to the WTO, China got rich, and the average Chinese citizen became accustomed to a certain rise in living standards. Now, with Xi Jinping undermining the most innovative parts of China’s private economy and further centralizing power, China’s economy is stalling. Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Thomas Duesterberg joins host Peter Rough to discuss his new report on China’s economic weakness and how the U.S. should respond.

71 | Anti-Zionism, Soviet Propaganda, and the Left (feat. Izabella Tabarovsky)

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 17:02:33 +0000

Host Mike Doran is joined this week by Izabella Tabarovsky, the Kennan Institute senior advisor on regional partnerships and programming at the Wilson Center. They explore the origins of anti-Zionism by examining the evolution of Soviet anti-Zionist propaganda and its effects on Israel and the Middle East. How did Soviet anti-Zionist propaganda target American institutions? How did it infiltrate political movements on the left? To what extent does it influence the current experiences of American Jews?

70 | Matt Karnitschnig on the Reporter’s View of Europe

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 7 Dec 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Veteran reporter Matt Karnitschnig, POLITICO’s Chief Europe Correspondent, joins the podcast to discuss the differences and similarities between European and America media. Matt, Peter, and Mike also delve into Germany’s approach to foreign affairs and view of the world, with special attention on Berlin’s approach to relations Russia and Iran.

69 | Offensives, Escalation, Offramps, and the Way Forward in Ukraine (feat. Luke Coffey)

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 16:20:27 +0000

This week, Peter and Mike are joined by one of Washington’s foremost experts on US policy and strategy towards Ukraine, Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Luke Coffey. The trio take a wider view of this year’s Ukrainian counteroffensive, discuss the Biden administration’s fears of escalation, and talk about how to enable Kyiv to prevail on the battlefield. (And for the first time, a video recording of this episode will air on the Hudson Institute YouTube page.)

68 | The Explosion of Antisemitism in Europe and the United States

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 18:06:17 +0000

Anti-Semitic incidents in the West have significantly increased since the October 7 massacre in southern Israel by Hamas. Daniel Schwammenthal, director of the AJC Transatlantic Institute, joins co-hosts Peter and Mike this week to discuss the root causes of antisemitism and its manifestations in both Europe and the US.

67 | What China Wants in Europe and the Middle East (feat. Miles Yu)

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 9 Nov 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Why hasn’t China named or condemned Hamas? What role does China see for itself in a potential broader Middle East conflict? What is Beijing’s preferred outcome in Ukraine? This week, Director of Hudson Institute’s China Center Miles Yu joins co-host Peter Rough to discuss Beijing’s view of the war in Gaza and how the CCP envisions China’s role in Europe and the Middle East during these times of instability.

66 | Israel’s Delay in Gaza, and the Likelihood of a Multifront War

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Ken Pollack, Senior Fellow at AEI, joins host Michael Doran to reflect on the mistakes made and lessons learned from October 7th and what is holding Israel back from its operations in Gaza. Additionally, Pollack discusses why Hezbollah and Iran may, or may not, open another front in the war against Israel.

65 | The US, Israel, and the War

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Peter Rough and Mike Doran are joined by their Hudson Institute colleague Jonathan Schachter, a former advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The trio discuss Israel at war, with an emphasis on relations between the the Biden administration and Israel. What were President Joe Biden's goals in his visit to Jerusalem? Why did the United States let United Nations sanctions on Iran’s missile program expire last week? What steps should the US and European allies take going forward?

64 | Jan Havranek on America's Focus and Strategic Alliances in Europe

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 15:18:54 +0000

Jan Havránek, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington, DC, joins the show to discuss the U.S. and NATO postures in Europe, as well as Russia's aims in Ukraine and the larger Eastern European front.

63 | Gov. Doug Burgum on Energy, Foreign Policy, and Hamas’s War against Israel

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 15:45:59 +0000

Hosts Peter Rough and Mike Doran are joined by Presidential candidate Governor Doug Burgum of North Dakota. Gov. Burgum delivered a key foreign policy speech at Hudson on Wednesday, but joined the show beforehand to discuss a everything from energy security to the southern border to the ongoing war against Israel.

62 | Mario Mancuso on Economic Statecraft

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 5 Oct 2023 09:00:00 +0000

This week, Mario Mancuso, former undersecretary of commerce for industry and security and Hudson Institute visiting senior fellow, joins host Peter Rough for a wide-ranging discussion of economic statecraft and its role in U.S. national security and strategy.

Ep. 61 | The Biden Administration’s Shadow Relationship with Iran (Via Lebanon)

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 09:00:00 +0000

The Biden administration's backroom deals with Iran have made headlines recently, with prisoner swaps and $6 billion payments. This week, Mike Doran hosts Tony Badran, research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Badran argues that the administration's Lebanon policy sheds light on Biden's shady Iran deals, showing them to part of a broader "backdoor" policy designed to subordinate US-Israel relations to the Iran realignment.

Ep. 60 | Ukraine, Taiwan, and the Dawn of Great Power Competition

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 09:00:00 +0000

On this episode, Peter is joined by Wess Mitchell, co-founder and principal of the Marathon Initiative who previously served as Assistant Secretary of State for Europe from 2017-2019. Peter and Wess talk about the challenge of China, the dilemma of multipolarity for U.S. strategists, Russia’s war on Ukraine, and the fundamentals of U.S. foreign policy.

Ep. 59 | Africa's Recent Contagion of Coups with Josh Meservey

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 7 Sep 2023 09:00:00 +0000

With the recent military coup in Gabon, the continent of Africa has seen nine governments overthrown by coups in three years. Hosts Mike Doran and Peter Rough talk with Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Josh Meservey to investigate what's behind the trend. They also weigh the shifting international influence from Western powers to a new international oppositional bloc led by Russia and China.

Ep. 58 | Sen. Joni Ernst on the NDAA's Fall Fate

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Host Peter Rough is joined by US Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa to talk about the timely Iowa State Fair, her work on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and the state of national security policy as we head into election season.

Ep. 57 | Rebeccah Heinrichs On the State of Nuclear Weapons

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 15:44:35 +0000

With Mike Doran on leave, host Peter rough sits down this week with Hudson Institute colleague, Rebeccah Heinrichs, as she talks about her career in foreign policy and her primary area of study: nuclear weapons and deterrence theory. Heinrichs illustrates how the U.S. stacks up globally in terms of nuclear capabilities and missile defense innovations.

Ep. 56 | Lessons of the Forgotten War

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +0000

The Korean War is often referred to as the “forgotten war” by Americans, happening somewhere between World War II and Vietnam. But the one belligerent who hasn’t forgotten about the Korean War is China. Congressman Mike Gallagher and FDD Senior Fellow Aaron MacLean sit down with co-hosts Peter Rough and Mike Doran to talk about their recent Foreign Affairs article, “Why America Forgets—and China Remembers—the Korean War.”

Ep. 55 | Ending Aid to Israel?

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 3 Aug 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Co-hosts Mike Doran and Peter Rough are joined by Tablet’s Liel Leibovitz and Jacob Siegel to discuss their recent article, “End U.S. Aid to Israel,” which contends that this aid has become a tool to hamper Israel and a cudgel for Israel’s opponents. The article has caused quite a stir, generating thoughtful responses from prominent figures on the left and the right. Tune in with Peter and Mike to join the discussion.

Ep. 54 | Ukraine’s Floundering Counteroffensive, and How to Turn It Around

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 09:00:00 +0000

This week, Peter and Mike are joined by their Hudson Institute colleague Can Kasapoğlu, who specializes in open-source defense intelligence, geopolitical assessments, and the international arms market, for a discussion on the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive. The trio discuss why the offensive has been slow to take off, the state of the front lines, and the fallout from Yevgeny Prigozhin’s June mutiny.

Ep. 53 | Morality and Power Politics

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Father John Sawicki joins hosts Mike Doran and Peter Rough this week to discuss Catholic teachings and US foreign policy. In this episode, the trio discuss how to reconcile the pursuit of national strategic interests with Christian moral principles, as well as how prudence can guide decision-making and the complex interplay between ethics and power.

Ep. 52 | Gadi Taub on Biden versus Netanyahu

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Prominent Israeli intellectual Gadi Taub joins hosts Mike Doran and Peter Rough for an update on Israel’s judicial reform, the uproar it has caused in Israel, and the attacks it is receiving from President Biden and his friends in the American press. The trio discuss whether those attacks are truly over the substance of the judicial reform or whether they are actually a stealthy means of pursuing their disagreement with Prime Minister Netanyahu over his Iran policy.

Ep. 51 | Inside the Digital and Informational Trenches with Ukraine's Yuri Sak

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 09:00:00 +0000

This week, Peter Rough and Mike Doran welcome Yuri Sak, senior advisor to Ukraine’s minister of defense, to the podcast. Yuri is the brains behind the social media and messaging operation of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, and he tells Peter and Mike about the dynamics of communicating to friendly and hostile audiences alike during a time of war.

Ep. 50 | Saudi Transformation (and Welcome to Peter Rough)

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 09:00:00 +0000

Counterbalance is back and welcomes new co-host Peter Rough, Director of Hudson Institute's Center on Europe and Eurasia. In this episode, Peter interviews returning co-host Mike Doran about his recent trip to Saudi Arabia. A longstanding pillar of American security architecture in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is increasingly demonstrating autonomy in foreign policy. Peter and Michael discuss the reasons for the kingdom's opening to China and its implications for regional security and Great Power competition.

Ep. 49 | Iran in Turmoil

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 15:20:45 +0000

Ahmed Obali, founder of Gunaz TV and human rights activist for the Iranian Azerbaijani people, joins Mike and Marshall to discuss the on-going protests in Iran. The death of the young Iranian Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini on September 16 provoked unprecedented protests and riots against the Islamic Republic. Obali offers his insights on the current demonstrations, on the ethnic divisions that might lead to the Islamic Republic’s demise, and the implications for the United States. O

bali discusses the risks of easing the sanctions placed on the Islamic Republic at a time when the Biden administration lacks a comprehensive Iran strategy.

Ep. 48 | Andrew Hastie on the China Challenge

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 17:40:55 +0000

Australian Shadow Defense Minister and Member of Parliament, The Hon. Andrew Hastie, joins Mike to about the West’s strategy toward China as well as the importance of the US-Australia alliance. Chinese leader Xi Jinping clearly seeks to dethrone the United States as the leader of the international order, he does not hesitate to threaten Australia in pursuit of that goal. Hastie offers his views on China’s ambitions, its intimidation tactics, and how the West should respond.

Ep. 47 | Will the US Lose Israel to China?

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 19:06:06 +0000

Ep. 46 | China’s Dominance of Commercial Maritime Industry Should Serve as a Warning

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Michael Doran hosts Hudson Institute Adjunct Fellow, Michael Roberts, to investigate the place of the United States in the global commercial maritime industry. Not only does China dominate the production of ships, but also largely controls shipping operations around the world. Doran and Roberts discuss the roots of the imbalance, its significance for American national security and the economic health of the United States, and the kinds of policies that will redress it.

Ep. 45 | The Arc of a Covenant

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 20:00:00 +0000

This week's episode features audio from a public event hosted at Hudson Institute where Hudson Institute Distinguished Fellow Walter Russell Mead and Senior Fellow Michael Doran discussed Mead’s new book on the history of U.S.-Israel relations, "The Arc of a Covenant." Mead and Doran discussed, among other things, the themes of the book, the current trajectory of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, and the future of U.S. grand strategy globally.

Ep. 44 | Interpreting Israel’s Domestic Politics

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 08:00:00 +0000

On June 20, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid announced their intention to dissolve the Knesset, teeing up the fifth round of elections in four years and setting the state on a course for the formation of a new government. Until the elections, Yair Lapid will serve as Interim Prime Minister while parties attempt to cobble together another governing coalition, including, perhaps, one that sees former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reclaim his former post. Jonathan Schachter, a Senior Fellow with Hudson Institute’s Peace and Security in the Middle East and a former foreign policy advisor to Prime Minister Netanyahu, joins Mike to discuss what to expect from the upcoming elections, how Israeli foreign policy, especially with respect to Iran, might change, and the significance of President Joe Biden’s impending trip to Saudi Arabia.

Ep. 43 | Navigating the Lebanese Labyrinth

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 18:48:21 +0000

This week, Amos Hochstein, the Senior Advisor for Energy Security in President Biden's State Department, travelled to Lebanon where he attempted to broker an agreement between Lebanon and Israel over their maritime boundary. If successful, Hochstein's mediation will potentially allow Lebanon and Israel to exploit the offshore gas fields in currently disputed waters. Tony Badran, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and one of the most insightful Lebanon analysts in America, is a sharp critic of Hochstein's initiative, which he sees as the latest iteration of a bipartisan American strategic mistake. Tony joins Marshall and Mike to explain his thinking.

Ep. 42 | Evaluating Biden's Indo-Pacific Strategy Amidst Coming Conflicts with China

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Fri, 27 May 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Host Marshall Kosloff is joined by Senior Fellow and Director of Hudson's new China Center, Miles Yu, and Distinguished Fellow, Ken Weinstein to react to the Biden administration's new China strategy and refreshed comments claiming the US would defend Taiwan. China will use all means necessary to gain and maintain regional power, but what is on the table for the US response, and what should be? Yu and Weinstein analyze what the Biden administration's recent comments mean for our relationship with the CCP, and how Xi Jinping is really looking at Taiwan in light of lessons learned in Ukraine and values established from a long line of communist dogma.

Ep. 41 | Does the U.S. Need To Be (More) Involved in Central Asia?

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Fri, 20 May 2022 14:57:56 +0000

Svante Cornell joins the Counterbalance hosts to discuss the recent unrest in Kazakhstan and to argue that it’s in the best interest of the U.S. to engage with countries of Central Asia and the Caspian regions. If we are now in an era of competition with Russia and China, we should care about the interests of the countries sandwhiched between these two powers. Too few people look at this region as the economic and security asset that it could be. In light of the war in Ukraine, now might be the time to shift our eyes to new partnerships in Central Asia.

Ep. 40 | The Fall of Afghanistan and Invasion of Ukraine Tell a Story of American Grand Strategy, or Lack Thereof

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 12 May 2022 08:00:00 +0000

With the world still reeling from the fall of Afghanistan and the invasion of Ukraine, Host Marshall Kosloff talks with Hudson Senior Fellow Rebeccah Heinrichs to evaluate the state of American grand strategy. Moscow is acting. Europe is responding. Beijing is watching. But, is the United States leading? Heinrichs explains how the two monumental events are in fact closely linked, and together paint a worrying picture of American commitment to allies and security agreements in the face of Russian and Chinese aggression.

Ep. 39: | How the U.S. & Saudi Arabia Could Reshape the Middle East

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Hosts Marshall Kosloff and Mike Doran are joined by Visiting Fellow, Mohammed Khalid Alyahya, to evaluate how the U.S. strategy has evolved (or devolved) in the Middle East. Malign actors have been on the rise from Russia's involvement in Syria to a resurgent Iranian Regime empowered by the prospect of a new nuclear agreement with the Biden administration. Alyahya explains why U.S. engagement and cooperation with partners like Saudi Arabia and Israel are crucial to establishing order in the divisive region.

Ep. 38 | Messages of Unity and Strength From the Front Lines in Ukraine

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Host Marshall Kosloff talks with Hudson Institute Research Fellow, James Barnett, about his recent trip to western & southern Ukraine to discover what life in embattled Ukraine is like amidst the ongoing Russian invasion. Barnett’s dispatches from his stay in the country reveal that morale remains high among Ukrainians, and that (contrary to Putin’s desire) the war is becoming a nation-defining moment for the Ukrainian people as they unite against the oppressive and brutal actions of their neighbor.

Ep. 37 | Ukraine & Iran Demonstrate the Need for True American Deterrence

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 7 Apr 2022 07:30:00 +0000

The Counterbalance Podcast returns with hosts Marshall Kosloff and Mike Doran assessing the state of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and rising tensions with Iran in the Middle East. Primarily, Doran dismantles the politically trendy idea that the U.S. doesn't need explicitly military tools to deter global threats anymore. This modern philosophy of deterrence centered around economics and "moral suasion" dominates the Biden administrations foreign policy, but at what cost? Doran argues that we are doomed to think that we will deter Putin from war by embarrassing him. Instead, a more traditional approach of military deterrence paired with strategic ambiguity could have possibly spared us the current war in Europe.

Ep. 36 | China's Culture War with Hollywood

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 08:30:00 +0000

Host Marshall Kosloff talks with Erich Schwartzel, author of a new book titled "Red Carpet: Hollywood, China, and the Global Battle for Cultural Supremacy." The Chinese film industry has risen to become a lucrative market, but Communist Party control and censorship has Hollywood movie-makers caught between big payouts and blatant infringement on free speech. Schwartzel explains how this tension plays out with your favorite movies, and what American legislators should do to push back on China's attempts to control the Hollywood culture machine.

Ep. 35 Special | Russia/Ukraine Crisis: The View from Estonia

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 22:53:14 +0000

Estonian Foreign Minister, Eva-Maria Liimets, visited Hudson Institute last week to meet with experts in the midst of the crisis developing with Ukraine and Russia, and sat with host Mike Doran to discuss how the conflict is seen through the eyes of the neighboring Baltic states.

Ep. 34 | Can Ukraine "Not Lose" Against a Russian Invasion?

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 08:30:00 +0000

Hudson Senior Fellow, Bryan Clark, joined Marshall and Mike to analyze the military developments surrounding Ukraine. Bryan explains why Putin's Ukraine strategy is an effective example of "decision-centric warfare" and what the U.S. can learn from the Russian military's reformed structure. The episode also examines what the conflict could mean for China-Taiwan tensions, and how the U.S. military needs to adapt to the new-age reality that it could be trading paint with near-peer competitors like Russia & Ukraine on multiple fronts.

Ep. 33 | Azerbaijan and America's Russia Strategy

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 3 Feb 2022 08:30:00 +0000

Russia is on the doorstep of Ukraine and testing the Transatlantic Alliance more than at any time since the end of the Cold War. Counterbalance returns in 2022 with host Mike Doran explaining in depth why he believes Azerbaijan can help the United States meet the twin imperatives of respecting an electorate that has grown weary of far-flung military adventures and of meeting the responsibilities of global leadership. Thanks to its capable military, abundant energy resources, and nimble diplomacy, Azerbaijan, in return only for diplomatic support, could help the United States perform the hard work on the ground of containing Russia.

Ep. 32 | Why the Middle East Will Continue To Be at the Center of American Foreign Policy

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 2 Dec 2021 16:36:16 +0000

Mike talks with Hudson Institute’s Rob Greenway to provide a regional diagnosis of the Middle East. Greenway demonstrates how important American leadership in the region is to building partnerships & managing a mixed bag of local interests. The pair show why the embattled region will remain a centerpiece of American interests & resources whether we like it or not. Even in the midst of a global shift of focus to East Asia, emboldened malign actors can (and will) continue to disrupt the Middle East, a region still very much at the center of the global energy & communication markets. Finally, they address how the U.S. can and should influence the region in a global context.

Ep. 31 | The Gaza War, 2021

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 16:48:04 +0000

Jonathan Schanzer, the Senior Vice President for Research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies has written the first book-length assessment of the latest round of fighting in Gaza. He joins Mike and Marshall to discuss, who won, who lost, and what is to come in the long running conflict between Israel and Hamas. v v

Ep. 30 | The Geopolitics of Energy

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 14:39:56 +0000

Professor Brenda Shaffer, Research Faculty Member at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Senior Advisor for Energy at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, and Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, joins Mike and Marshall to discuss the state of global energy markets, energy policy’s impact on geopolitics, and how global production impacts American domestic consumption and prices.

Ep. 29 | Great Power Competition and Future of American Defense Policy

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 16:21:23 +0000

Elbridge Colby, author of The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict, joins Marshall to discuss how great power competition in the Asia-Pacific will reconfigure the American approach to China, Taiwan, defense spending, and economic policy.

Ep. 28. | The Dream Palace of American Foreign Policy

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Fri, 8 Oct 2021 16:31:00 +0000

Mike & Marshall return from their fall break to reflect on how group-think within academia today has created a dangerous culture of consensus of analysis on American foreign policy. Additionally, they debate the pros & cons of isolationism versus a forward-leaning military presence around the globe.

Ep. 27 | What the Fall of Afghanistan Means for the Future of Geopolitics

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 9 Sep 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Senior Fellow Husain Haqqani joins Mike & Marshall to reflect on how and why we misunderstood the Afghanistan project. Ambassador Haqqani details how ethnic, tribal and historical divides required greater emphasis in supporting the development of a national government in Kabul. Additionally, he forecasts the regional troubles on the horizon as an axis forms between the Taliban, Pakistan and China.

Ep. 26 | Was Afghanistan A Failure of Intelligence?

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 2 Sep 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Ezra Cohen has served, among other roles, in senior intelligence and policy positions in both the White House and the Defense Department. He joins Mike and Marshall to discuss the role of intelligence in the miscalculations that marred the Afghanistan withdrawal, as well as the impact of the withdrawal on America’s intelligence capabilities.

Ep. 25 | Afghanistan, Assessing the Failing Withdrawal

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Fri, 27 Aug 2021 14:03:49 +0000

Rich Outzen, career military officer and senior State Department advisor on the Middle East, rejoins the podcast to diagnose the politics, strategy and military realities that led to the current collapse of the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. Is the foreign policy establishment to blame? Does this blunder really compare to Saigon? Will the Taliban use the "Hezbollah-model" too find international sympathy in its governance of a fractured state?

Ep. 24 | Afghanistan, What Just Happened?

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Dr. Thomas Lynch, a Distinguished Research Fellow at the National Defense University and a retired army officer with extensive experience in Afghanistan, joined Mike and Marshall to discuss the chaotic American withdrawal from that country and the swift return of the Taliban. What went wrong in American thinking? Dr. Lynch sees a set of multilayered mistakes made over the course of many years.

Ep. 23 | Ahmad Obali on Iran's Cultural, Ethnic and National Future

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Mike and Marshall are joined by Ahmad Obali, founder of GunazTV, which broadcasts via satellite into Iran and primarily services the Azerbaijani ethnic community. Obali discusses how the Iranian regime’s hardline leaders rule a culturally and ethnically diverse population, and what the rise of the newly-installed President Raisi means for Iran and the world.

Ep. 22 | John Lee on China's Regional Strategy & Ambitions

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 5 Aug 2021 17:23:39 +0000

Hudson Senior Fellow and former Australian national security advisor John Lee sits down with Mike and Marshall to discuss the Chinese Communist Party’s ambitions in the Indo-Pacific and across the globe. The trio examines what drives Xi Jinping to exercise power the way he does, how the U.S. and China view alliance-building in the region, and the evolution of the Sino-Australian relationship.

Ep. 21 | Ed Husain, An Insider’s Look into Britain’s Muslim Communities

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Mike brings Ed Husain back to the show to discuss the author’s new book, Among the Mosques: A Journey Across Muslim Britain. Husain takes Mike on a journey into different mosques throughout Britain to see how various Muslims are wrestling with issues such as free speech and gender equality. The interview explores how British Muslims are finding their place is Western culture, and how they’re reckoning with more extreme views within the global Islamic movement.

Ep. 20 | Matthew Kroenig, The Case for Optimism on China

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 22 Jul 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Matt Kroenig of the Atlantic Council and Georgetown University has written a new book, The Return of Great Power Rivalry, which lays the basis for a very optimistic view of how America's competition with China will unfold. He joins Mike and Marshall to explain his argument in detail and defend it against alternative views.

Ep. 19 | Central Asia as a Strategic Concept

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Fred Starr, the former president of Oberlin College and Chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute, joins Mike and Marshall to discuss the role that Central Asian countries might play in stabilizing Afghanistan after the American military withdrawal. Starr is the foremost proponent of the idea of Central Asia a strategic concept in American foreign policy. He describes and defends the idea.

Ep. 18 | The State of the Foreign Policy Apparatus

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 8 Jul 2021 17:00:44 +0000

Mike and Marshall take a step back to evaluate where the foreign policy apparatus stands today on issues like the Middle East, the China question, multi-lateral institutions, Russia and more. They also reflect on what topics and issues they're looking to cover next on Counterbalance.

Ep. 17 | Mike Doran on the Overlooked Strategic Importance of Central Asia

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Co-host Mike Doran fills the roll of "guest" this week to detail what he saw and learned during his travels in Central Asia and the South Causasus earlier this month. Mike discusses how a region of the world positioned between Russia and China has been overlooked, and why the U.S. and other international players are beginning to notice its importance.

Ep. 16 | David Asher on the True Origins of COVID-19

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Hudson Event: Uncovering the Origins of COVID-19: A Scientific Discussion

Hudson Event: The Origins of COVID-19: Policy Implications and Lessons for the Future

Memo: A Just Response to Beijing’s COVID-19 Abuses

Ep. 15 | Rebeccah Heinrichs, Comparing the Trump & Biden Foreign Policy Approaches

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Hudson Institute Senior Fellow, Rebeccah Heinrichs, joins the show to compare and contrast the foreign policy agendas of the Trump and the Biden administrations. Rebeccah addresses the shortfalls in President Biden's approach to multi-lateral institutions, alliance-building, and global strategic deterrence in the face of an encroaching Chinese Communist power.

Ep. 14 | Peter Rough, Europe is Caught Between Globalization & Geopolitics

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 3 Jun 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Hudson Institute Senior Fellow, Peter Rough, joins the show to look at the world through the lens of our European counterparts. What is the state of the European project in the midst of Brexit and the election of Joe Biden? How is the continent adjusting to a world increasingly dominated by geopolitical competition rather than globalization? Marshall finds Peter’s answers to these questions and more.

Ep. 13 | Rich Outzen on The Return of Geopolitics

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 27 May 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Rich Outzen, career military officer and senior State Department advisor on the Middle East, sat down with Mike and Marshall to discuss the challenge that geopolitics in a multipolar world poses for the United States.

Ep. 12 | War in Gaza: A Pessoptimistic Assessment

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 20 May 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Efraim Inbar, the president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, talks to Mike and Marshall about the conflict between Hamas and Israel. Who's winning? Who's losing? Where do we go from here? His answers were bleak yet he remains an optimist.

Ep. 11: Biden's Realignment in the Middle East

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Thu, 13 May 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Read Mike & Tony's article: https://www.hudson.org/research/16906-the-realignment

Ep. 10: Xiyue Wang on Being an Iranian Hostage

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Wed, 5 May 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Princeton graduate student Wang Xiyue sat down with Mike and Marshall to discuss how being held hostage in the notorious Evin prison in Iran changed his worldview. In 2016 the Iranian authorities convicted him, on trumped up charges, of spying, purely in order to use him as a bargaining chip. The experience changed not only his view of Iran but of the Progressives on American campuses who are incapable of acknowledging his experience.

Ep. 9: CROSSOVER – The Global Effort to Combat Corruption and Kleptocracy

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Marshall talks with Nate Sibley, host of the Making a Killing podcast (a project of Hudson's Kleptocracy Initiative), about KI's work investigating and exposing corruption across the globe. Nate goes over the tools kleptocrats use to steal and launder dirty money--including in the United States--and what the U.S. government can do to fight back. Listen and Subscribe to Making a Killing here: https://making-a-killing.simplecast.com/

Ep. 8: The True Cost of Biden’s Iran Gambit

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Mohammed Alyahya, the editor in chief of AlAl Arabiya English, sat down with Mike and Marshall to discuss the impact of the Biden administration's Iran policy on Saudi Arabia and the entire Middle East.

Ep. 7: Gadi Taub on the Political Deadlock in Israel

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Israel just had its fourth election in two years and is still struggling to form a government. Israeli professor, pundit, and screenwriter Gadi Taub talks with Mike (Marshall was out) about the impasse, and offers his views on the good, the bad, and the ugly of Israeli politics.

Ep. 6: Mike Pompeo on China, Iran, and the Future of American Foreign Policy

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Wed, 7 Apr 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Former Secretary of State and former CIA Director Mike Pompeo sat down with Mike and Marshall to discuss the foreign challenges the United States faces, his experiences in the Trump administration, the role that his personal faith plays in foreign policy, China and Iran, and more.

Ep. 5: Ed Husain, Islam and the West

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Mike and Marshall talked to Ed Husain, the author of The Islamist, a memoir of his time inside radical Islamism, who long ago rejected extremism and now advises governments and political leaders on Islam and the Middle East. Ed shared his views on the relations between the Islam and the West today, the fate of secularism in the Muslim Middle East, the Abraham Accords and more.

Ep. 4: Miles Yu, Framing the Free World's Struggle with the CCP

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Mike and Marshall speak with recently announced Hudson Institute Senior Fellow, Miles Yu. Dr. Yu illustrates the wide array of threats that the Chinese Communist Party poses to the West, including economic pressures, regional alliance building, and authoritarian policies threatening freedom's around the world. Dr. Yu uses his expertise in academia and government to answer questions like: Are we winning the struggle with the CCP? Can we? What must be done to do so?

Ep. 3: Clive Hamilton, China's Hidden Hand

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 07:30:00 +0000

Australian public intellectual Clive Hamilton, author of Silent Invasion and Hidden Hand, helps Mike and Marshall understand how China seeks to infiltrate and manipulate democratic societies.

Ep. 2: Alana Newhouse, Everything is Broken

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 08:30:00 +0000

Alana Newhouse, the founder and editor of Tablet magazine, explains to Mike and Marshall how conformists with approved viewpoints came to dominate American culture. Read Alana's piece in Tablet: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/everything-is-broken.

Ep. 1: Rep. Mike Gallagher on the Competition with China

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Wed, 3 Mar 2021 08:30:00 +0000

Mike and Marshall discuss with Congressman Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin about the nature of the conflict with China and whether the United States can prevail.

Trailer: Introducing "Counterbalance" with Mike Doran & Marshall Kosloff

phegseth@hudson.org (Hudson Institute) — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 20:11:58 +0000

Hosts Michael Doran and Marshall Kosloff welcome you to the newest podcast from the Hudson Institute, “Counterbalance,” focusing on foreign policy that embodies Hudson’s tradition of challenging conventional wisdom.