Kellogg's Global Politics

In this episode, we feature an interview with Sam Erhlich, a manager at McKinsey and Company and a student in my Strategic Materials Industry Study. We discuss why critical minerals are crucial to national security and how best to strengthen the U.S. industry First, however, we look at the runoff elections in Colombia and what a far-right win would mean for the country and the region. We next turn...

In this episode, we continue our coverage of the war with Iran. Where are we on the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran? How soon can we expect the Strait of Hormuz to reopen? We then discuss the stunning upset of Orban in Hungary. How far will his successor go in returning the country to a liberalized democracy? What does this mean for far-right movements across the globe? Finally, we return t...

This episode follows up on our previous two, focusing on Iran. Where are we one month into this war? When and how is it likely to end? We also wonder about the U.S.’s strategic plans for this war. And does regime survival in Iran mean that it may be losing battles but ultimately winning the war? Topics Discussed in this Episode 1-month In: What has the US and Israel accomplished? Iran’s Strategy t...

We are bringing you an emergency podcast on the war with Iran.  It seems like only yesterday that we put out a bonus podcast on the strikes in Venezuela. That’s because it was just two months ago, and it may have encouraged a sense of military adventurism that has led to full-on war with Iran. Today, we are talking about who is currently ruling Iran at present. What are the U.S. goals? And what is...

The protests in Iran are largely over, but will the heavy-handed crackdown result in the U.S. taking military action? Is Iran poised to be the next Venezuela? Trump demanded, then backed down over U.S. ownership of Greenland. What was the final agreement, and was anything really accomplished? Greenland wasn’t the only thing that grabbed headlines at Davos. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney decla...

On Saturday, the U.S. announced that it had captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who, along with his wife, arrived in New York a few hours later to be tried on drug trafficking charges.  Then, President Trump said that the U.S. would be running Venezuela in the near term. So what does this all mean? We cover the latest on this stunning development and what is likely to happen over the next f...

The United States has a new National Security Strategy. What does the world look like under the Second Trump Administration? Should the U.S. no longer strive to be a superpower? We take a look at what in the document seems to strengthen U.S. security, as well as what elements might undermine it and alarm us the most. Next up, we discuss whether progress has been made on the Ukraine Peace Plan. Are...

President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping reached a consensus on trade between the two countries. We discuss what each side gave up and who appears to be winning. Next, we address the possibility of a war with Venezuela and why all signs seem to be pointing to yes. Finally, Trump is going after Nigeria for a supposed slaughter of Christians in the country. We get after the truth of these claim...

Trump and Netanyahu agreed to a Gaza Peace plan. How much should Trump be lauded for the deal and will Hamas sign on? Trump was also busy bailing out his friend, Argentina’s President Javier Milei, announcing a $20 billion bailout of the economy. Was this deal really necessary, and will it be enough to lift Argentina out of its economic woes? Finally, we discuss the growing popularity of far-right...

Trade has been a major issue for the Trump administration, and Anita recently spoke with William A Reinsch, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, on all aspects of this topic. They discuss what Americans really think about trade, tariffs and why they might be around to stay, why some of our trading partners are getting extensions, and the need to work with our all...

We look at the current state of U.S. trade deals. Who has a deal? How many will get signed by August 1st? Will there be another extension? And what is their economic impact on the U.S.? We then discuss the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, which has recently turned deadly for the first time since 2011. What are they fighting about, and what are the political consequences for both coun...

In this episode, Anita speaks with Lt. Col. Alex Montgomery and Lt. Col. Shannon Waller about the Autonomous Systems and Robotics Industry and how these technologies are changing how wars are fought. They also share insights about the industry in South Korea and what the U.S. can learn from the Korean experience. But first, Anita and Ryan discuss the latest events between Israel, the U.S., and Ira...

In this episode, Anita speaks with Daniel Markey, who is an expert on South Asia. They cover a host of issues, ranging from the India-Pakistan conflict, Pakistan’s relations with the U.S. and China, India as a potential replacement to China as a manufacturing hub, and India’s vision for a multipolar world. They also talk about the U.S. Institute of Peace on its importance to policy, particularly w...

In this episode, I spoke with Dr. Robert E. Kelly, who is a professor at the Pusan National University in South Korea. We talked about the recent impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, changes that we might see to the U.S. - South Korea alliance under Trump, and whether South Korea should develop its own nuclear weapons. But first, Ryan and I talk about April 2nd's liberation da...

Ukraine has agreed to a U.S. cease-fire deal that resumed American aid and intelligence. How will the Trump administration get Russia on board with this proposal? Moving on to China, which recently held its annual National People’s Congress meeting, we discuss how the country is growing its global leadership by taking advantage of the U.S. withdrawal from the liberal international order. Finally,...

Trump’s plan to end the Russia - Ukraine war heated up with Wednesday’s call to Putin. With Ukraine and Europe sidelined from negotiations, can this administration bring about a lasting peace that both sides agree to? Also hot are Trump’s trade wars, which include a directive to impose reciprocal tariffs on all countries. How practical is this plan, and what will it achieve? Finally, most U.S. for...

President-elect Donald Trump recently made his own challenge to the liberal rules-based global order by articulating an expansionist U.S. foreign policy focused on regaining control of the Panama Canal, owning Greenland, and referring to Canada as the 51st state. We discuss the likelihood of such a foreign policy agenda and how seriously we should address Trump’s tendency towards blustering remark...

It has been an eventful week with the declaration of martial law in South Korea and the sudden collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria. We analyze both events and their impact on the United States. Additionally, we look at Donald Trump’s picks for key foreign policy positions and what they bode for the future. Topics Discussed in this Episode 09:20 South Korea’s Wild Week 29:00 Syria’s Ass...

On this episode, we react to Donald Trump’s historic victory for the U.S. presidency and what it means for the world. Will Trump be able to end the Ukrainian war on day one? How will he pursue this goal? What will be his policy in the Middle East? How will he show strength towards China? And what does this election mean for NATO and other U.S. allies? But first, is this the end of democracy as we...

This is a special 50th Episode recorded live with Pyotr Kurzin of the Global Gambit. The discussion was wide-ranging, including China's growing international influence, geopolitics at the UN, The Israel-Iran conflict, and the growing global demand for energy. You can watch the video stream at: https://www.youtube.com/live/hFWcI2bri80?si=F_fmr_szagNJhwk- While you are there, check out the Kell...

On this episode, we are delving into the foreign policy vision of Project 2025 and to what extent it previews what we can expect from a Trump administration. What will the world look like if we reshape our relations with competitors and allies? We discuss what the report says about our relationships with China, Ukraine, Iran, and Mexico. We also address how the culture wars influence foreign polic...

What a difference a month makes! The Democrats have a new Presidential nominee in Kamala Harris. But what are her views on Foreign Policy? We talk about the potential differences between her policies and those of the Biden Administration. Also in this episode, Anita had the pleasure of speaking to Angela Stent, a senior non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institution and Senior adviser to the U.S...

In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking to Sameer Lalwani, a senior expert on South Asia at the U.S. Institute of Peace on India’s Foreign Policy. We touched on topics ranging from how India would likely respond to a Chinese invasion of Taiwan to technological and defense cooperation between the U.S. and India. We also discussed the importance of the U.S.-India alliance with respect to str...

The past few weeks have seen several important elections in India, the EU, and Mexico. We discuss the impact in their respective regions and to the larger international environment. We also discuss the latest in the EV battery wars. Is there a path forward for the U.S. to decrease dependence on China, and does it come at the cost of meeting U.S. environmental climate goals? Topics Discussed in thi...

Anita has been traveling all month, and there are a lot of big stories that have happened in the meantime. We begin with China and the surprising passage of a ban on TikTok. We also discuss a provocative article arguing that we need to change our policy to win the war with China. In the also surprising, but welcome category, an aide to Ukraine bill finally passed. What was behind Speaker Johnson’s...