David's Politics Show

Day 12 of the Russian invasion and I am joined by a returning guest on the podcast, Michael O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution, to discuss the war: how it has unfolded so far, and what we should expect in the weeks and months ahead.

We continue our series on India by talking about the consequences for India of the Russia-Ukraine standoff with Professor Rajagopalan (JNU), one of the country’s foremost experts on Indian foreign relations.

What is behind the polarization that characterizes so much of American politics these days? And how would one go about reconstructing a sense of national cohesion, of common purpose? Could the answer lie in a reinvigorated “national” conservatism? And what would some of its policies be? With me to discuss all this and more is Christopher DeMuth, distinguished fellow at the Hudson Institute and for...

In our ongoing series focusing on India, today we talk about the very interesting relationship between India and Israel. Both nation-states the product of decolonization, they initially remained far apart but in recent years have developed strong and even close ties. With me to discuss past, present, and future of the relationship is India’s foremost expert on Israel, Professor P.R. Kumaraswamy of...

What comes “After Europe”? That was the intriguing title today’s guest gave to his 2017 book. Five years later, the question seems more pertinent than ever. Beset by unprecedented challenges all along its periphery, and deeply divided along numerous fault lines, the EU appears helpless, at the mercy of events beyond its control. Ivan Krastev joins me on the podcast to talk about the multiple crise...

Before the latest war in Afghanistan there was the one before: the Soviet one. Now largely forgotten, it set the stage for one of the U.S.’s most successful covert operations ever. Bruce Riedel of the Brookings Institution joins me to discuss the American role in defeating the Soviets in Afghanistan in the final years of the Cold War.

The India-Russia relationship. It's very warm – and has been for a long time. But what are its strengths and weaknesses today? And what future lies in store for the entente between New Delhi and Moscow? I’m joined by the distinguished Indian commentator Nandan Unnikrishnan to talk about past and present of India-Russia relations.

I discuss the life and times of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India with Dr. Benjamin Zachariah, the author of a brilliant biography of this important and fascinating protagonist of the 20th century.

You might think that insider trading has been regulated away or is normally enforced with an iron fist in the United States. Not so, says my guest today, Professor Daniel Taylor of the Wharton School, an expert on insider trading and corporate governance. We talk about how much insider-trading abuse there still is, how it functions, what could be done to combat it – and even whether insider tradin...

Populism – the word has been on everyone’s lips in the past few years. Populist leader here, populist uprising there. But what does this word, so often thrown about and so little understood, really mean? And what is its intellectual history? The acclaimed writer and historian, Thomas Frank (author of “What’s the Matter with Kansas?”), is here to tell us where and when this concept originated and t...

Shahin Vallée of the German Council on Foreign Relations is here to discuss the outcome of the recent German election and what it portends for the EU on a range of issues.

My thoughts on Sir Keir Starmer's speech at the British Labour Party's annual conference.

The AUKUS announcement and the first in-person meeting of the Quad, in rapid succession -- thoughts on a changing strategic landscape.

The First World War has been described with some justice as the seminal catastrophe of the twentieth century. It left behind, besides millions of dead and wounded, a legacy of bitterness, national and ethnic hatred. My guest on today’s episode, the historian Alexander Watson, has written a magisterial account of the war from the Central Powers’ perspective. Why did these societies’ elites risk war...

There is a lot of talk these days about which apple cart China may or may not decide to upset next in its neighborhood (looking at you, Taiwan). To have an informed conversation about that, however, it’s important to keep abreast of the latest military developments, which is why I’m delighted to be joined by Sam Roggeveen, Director of the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program and noted e...

With all the cyber-espionage it’s been up to lately, surely China will be able to rapidly catch up with the U.S. and close the technological gap between the two militaries, right? Not so fast, says today’s guest, Dr. Mauro Gilli, senior researcher in military technology and international security at ETH Zurich. The latest stealth jet-fighter technology, drone proliferation, and the future of warfa...

Well, that sure happened fast. The Taliban have waltzed into Kabul, essentially unopposed. The so-called Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is no more. Was Biden right to pull out the troops or did he act too fast? Was something wrong with the intelligence assessments? And where does Afghanistan go from here? Professor John Mueller is back on the show to discuss all this and more.

On today’s episode I’m delighted to be joined by Professor Pieter Judson, whose most recent book, “The Habsburg Empire: A New History” is now available in paperback. Join us for a rich discussion about what made the Habsburg Empire so unique, what really brought about its demise, and why it remains more relevant than ever.

My guest today is the well-known Israeli journalist and writer, Gideon Levy. Join us for a lively discussion about the nature of Israeli society, why he no longer avoids the “A” word when talking about Israel, and what to make of (and expect from) the new government.

On today’s episode I’m delighted to welcome Michael O’Hanlon, whose new book, “The Art of War in an Age of Peace: U.S. Grand Strategy and Resolute Restraint,” is out now with Yale University Press. Join us for a lively discussion about the challenges facing U.S. foreign policy today, the role of historical thinking in crafting a grand strategy, how all this relates to American domestic politics, a...

On today’s episode I’m delighted to welcome a special guest: Professor John Mueller, whose new book, "The Stupidity of War: American Foreign Policy and the Case for Complacency," is out now with Cambridge University Press. Join us for a lively discussion about U.S. foreign policy, the international state system, the use and abuse of concepts in political science and international relations, and mu...

Troubling times in Israel - but what should one make of the multiplicity of conflicts, from East Jerusalem to Gaza and Lod? An attempt to understand the present situation of borderline incipient civil war in terms of the deeper ideological forces at play in Israeli society.

President Biden has delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress. What can be deduced from it about the tenor and direction of travel of American politics at the moment? And which are the greatest obstacles in Biden's path?

China is often understood to be reacting to, or lashing out against, the West. But a look at its relations with India, from colonial times to the present, offers a different -- and more troubling -- perspective.

President Biden has just called the troops home. An appraisal both of the decision and of America's "longest war."