Carnegie Council Audio Podcast

Korea expert Geoffrey Cain talks about his forthcoming book, "The Republic of Samsung," which reveals how the Samsung dynasty (father and son) are beyond the law and are treated as cult figures by their employees--rather like the leaders of North Korea. He also discusses the prospects for peace on the Korean peninsula--is Trump helping or hurting?--and the strange and sensational story behind the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.

The rise of global populism is the greatest threat to global democracy, and it's mainly driven not by economics, but by people's demand for public recognition of their identities, says political scientist Francis Fukuyama. "We want other people to affirm our worth, and that has to be a political act." How is this playing out in the U.S., Europe, and Asia? What practical steps can we take to counteract it?

There are three major technological developments that are transforming the way we live, says Jamie Susskind: increasingly capable systems, increasingly integrated technology, and increasingly quantified society. With these we are moving into the "digital lifeworld," which is basically a different stage of human existence. What will these momentous changes mean for the future of politics and society--i.e. how we order our collective lives?

Responding to excerpts from U.S. Naval War College's Professor Tom Nichols and best-selling author and economist Dambisa Moyo--and the hostile anti-expert tone of the Trump era--Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal discusses how he approaches his area of expertise, international relations. How did we end up here? And is there reason for optimism when looking at younger generations?

"There is a significant counterintelligence threat on the West Coast of the U.S., and it differs in meaningful ways from what is commonly perceived of as counterintelligence work and targets on the East Coast," says Senior Fellow Zach Dorfman. He discusses shocking examples of Chinese espionage in particular, such as technology theft and spying on local politicians. The Chinese also exert pressure on diaspora communities to become more pro-PRC.

Who are behind the fake news and political disinformation campaigns that plague the Philippines? "They're not exactly who you think," says Jonathan Corpus Ong, co-author of a recent study on this. The most important players are not the notorious bloggers and social media influencers as you might expect. "The people who are the chief architects of network disinformation are people in the ad and public relations (PR) industry."

Senior Fellow Nikolas Gvosdev looks at the reasons for the growing favorability ratings towards Putin's Russia among a certain segment of the American population. Is this a function of Trump's personal affection for the Russian president? Or, as has been seen in France and other European nations, are there deeper cultural and political connections?

"Disinformation, fake news, online propaganda is a problem that has gotten attention all over the world, and we're seeing very divergent responses," says Schiffrin, author of "Bridging the Gap: Rebuilding Citizen Trust in Media." "I think the U.S. is going to do what it always does, which is look for free-market solutions and try lots of small-scale initiatives, and Europe is going to do what it tends to do, which is have more regulation."

Historian Andie Tucher takes us through 400 years of fake news in America, starting with a fake story published in 1690. But today, she says, given the the speed, anonymity, and reach of the Internet it's a lot easier to get away with faking news in dangerous ways--and harder to push back, especially given the president's attitude that the press is the enemy of the people.

Responding to an excerpt from a talk by Brookings Institution's William Galston, Senior Fellow Kavitha Rajagopalan and host Alex Woodson discuss immigration from a few different angles, including in the contexts of economics and English language competence. Plus, they look at the under-reported issues facing undocumented Asian immigrants in the United States.

The Chinese Communist Party's main goals for influence operations in the U.S are "to make sure that the U.S. does not stand in China's way in terms of its global, foreign policy, and economic goals, and second, to silence or marginalize critics," says Allen-Ebrahimian, a security reporter for "The Daily Beast." Who are the principal targets? Elites, Chinese-American communities, Chinese students in U.S. universities, and American academics.

"I see Russia as conducting more smash-and-grab type influence operations. China is in it for the longer term," says author and former U.S. government intelligence analyst Darren Tromblay. China is pursuing multiple campaigns, including efforts to infiltrate politics or pressure politicians on specific issues, leveraging business deals to support Beijing's objectives, and carrying out numerous academic and cultural initiatives.

Carnegie Council Senior Fellow Alexander Görlach and host Alex Woodson speak about identity politics in the United States and Europe from their different perspectives. They also discuss how religion and the recent Mexican election fits in to these narratives.

Jeffrey Mankoff and Olga Oliker of CSIS host a podcast called "Russian Roulette" on all things Russian (and Eurasian), from food and wine to politics. What is the Russian perspective on U.S.-Russia relations and what are the goals of Russia's covert influence operations in the U.S.? Do they all originate with Putin or are some of them bottom-up? Are the Russians happy with Trump's performance as president? Find out in this lively podcast.

The term "fake news" is a little too tame, says Ann Ravel of the MapLight Digital Deception Project. Actually, this is foreign and domestic political propaganda aimed at undermining U.S. institutions and democracy. Maplight also tracks the enormous, pervasive problem of "dark money"--contributions by undisclosed donors to influence U.S. campaigns. Yet Ravel is optimistic that once Americans understand what's happening, it can be stopped.

From the unprecedented Trump-Kim meeting, to what some call a treasonous press conference in Finland, to growing tensions between America and its closest allies, as well as its adversaries, this has been a historic summer for international affairs. RAND Corporation's Ali Wyne unpacks these developments and looks at a potentially busy September for North Korea and the continuing schism between Trump and his top foreign policy advisers.

What's the "anaconda in the chandelier" in China that looms over foreign scholars, journalists, and Chinese citizens expressing their opinions? Find out in this podcast with political scientist and China scholar Andrew Nathan of Columbia University.

"Post-truth doesn't mean that no one cares about truth, it doesn't mean that there isn't any such thing as truth, it just means that there's a critical mass of people who no longer think that they have to form their beliefs based on what's true," says philosopher Lee McIntyre. This is not new; it probably goes back to Galileo and science denial. But today post-truth is more virulent than ever, from Trump to Brexit. What can we do about it?

Boise State University's Jack Marr discusses how China's approach to the world has changed, from keeping a low profile to "a great push outward." Last year there were over 360,000 Chinese students in the U.S. These students are a great resource, says Marr, and we should welcome them and engage with them. "You don't want [them] just to come, study for a while, and then leave. I think that's not in the United States' best long-term interest."

The world's worst humanitarian crisis is ongoing in Yemen, as the Saudi-led coalition, with the support of the U.S., continues its brutal campaign against the entrenched Houthi rebels. Waleed Alhariri, U.S. director of the Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies, details the military stalemate centered on a Red Sea port, the debate about America's role, and the prospects for peace, with a UN-led conference in Geneva scheduled for early September.