The Burn Bag Podcast

This week, Burn Bag co-host Ryan Rosenthal comes to us from Simi Valley, CA,  covering the 2022 edition of the Reagan National Defense Forum, one of the nation's largest gatherings of the defense community. In this mini-episode, Trae Stephens , Co-Founder of Anduril Industries , talks to Ryan about venture -backed defense innovation , startups in defense technology , and Anduril's recent...

In this "Best of" episode from November 2021,  A'ndre and Ryan speak to retired Four Star General Stanley McChrystal about his new book Risk: A User's Guide , applying the principles of risk management to the War in Afghanistan -- a situation the General is very familiar with. We ask General McChrystal to discuss what he defines as the 'Risk Immune System', and to exp...

In this week's episode, the team talks about Israel's new right-wing government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, the Iranian Soccer Team's protest at the World Cup, and the prospects and implications of a U.S. ban on TikTok. We also cover the tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and *high*-light a recent Zoom mishap involving a Colombian judge. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in th...

In this episode, A'ndre and Ryan talk to NYT reporter and author Ken Bensinger about  FIFA and the corruption surrounding the World Cup. Ken's 2018 book, Red Card ,  explores the U.S.-led corruption case into FIFA that upended the world of international football. The conversation begins with Ken explaining the significance of football and the power of FIFA. We then dig into the rise of f...

In this week's episode, the team talks about the 2022 G20 summit in Indonesia. President Biden met with President Xi, world leaders condemned Russia, and PM Trudeau received a stern talking-to. We also cover the alleged Ukrainian missile that landed in Poland, the leaked intelligence report about UAE influence operations in the U.S., and how social media spread misinformation about Iran. Disc...

In this episode, Ryan talks to Professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat about her book, Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present ,  and the contemporary history of authoritarianism.  Ruth begins by defining authoritarianism and the subset known as "strongman" rule. She then tracks the emergence of this phenomenon, beginning with Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini, noting the ways in which these leaders c...

We're back! The Burn Bag is kicking off its re-launch with What in the World? In this week's episode, A'ndre and Ryan are joined by the new team and discuss Burn Bag 2.0. It also wouldn't be a What in the World? without talking about  what in the world happened this week. Elon Musk has turned Twitter upside down and Russia  retreated from southern Ukraine. We also discuss the U...

In this episode, A'ndre and Ryan are joined by University of Michigan Professor John Ciorciari to discuss the Cambodian Genocide and decades-long fight for justice. The conversation begins with how the Khmer Rouge rose to power and the ideological underpinnings of its movement. John also provides a background of the authoritarian leader, Pol Pot, and how he rose to power in relative obscurity...

In this episode of  The Burn Bag Podcast , A'ndre talks with former CIA Paramilitary officer and Alpha Team Leader J.R. Seeger on the CIA's 2001 insertion into Afghanistan in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the early days of the Afghanistan War. Seeger, who's had a 27 year career in federal service, led Alpha Team, one of the first CIA paramilitary teams to be dropped behind e...

In this episode, Ryan talks to Dr. Dimitar Bechev about his recent book, "Turkey Under Erdogan: How a Country Turned from Democracy and the West" . Dr. Bechev begins by contextualizing how Erdogan came to power, noting the liberalization of the 80s. He then discuses the political landscape in Turkey and critical power centers. The conversation then moves to how Turkey's democracy ha...

In this special episode, A'ndre and Ryan discuss the legacies of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and Queen Elizabeth II. Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, is admired in the West but was a political persona non-grata in his own country. We dissect Gorbachev’s leadership, his relationship with Ronald Reagan and their drive for nuclear disarmament, his controversial relatio...

This week, Dr. Ken Dekleva, former State Department Psychiatrist, returns to The Burn Bag Podcast for the third time to discuss his brand new book, The Negotiator's Cross , a thrilling mystery novel following Father Ishmael, a Catholic Priest turned hostage negotiator, through a series of perilous situations. Dr. Dekleva pens Father Ishmael's journey across a series of locations that hav...

In this episode, A'ndre and Ryan are joined by Kyle Bibby, Deputy Political Director for Common Defense and Marine Corps veteran. Kyle reflects on the  War in Afghanistan following the one-year anniversary of the U.S withdrawal. Having served in Afghanistan, Kyle discusses what it was like on the ground, noting the challenges of the U.S. mission in particular. He also highlights his personal...

In this week's episode, A'ndre and guest co-host Drisya Antose talk to Center for a New American Security's Martijn Rasser , Director of the Center's Technology and National Security program, about the recently signed CHIPS and Science ACT , dissecting what's in the bill and how it aims to bolster technological productivity in the United States. Martijn discusses the state...

In this episode, Ryan is joined by Kel McClanahan, Executive Director of National Security Counselors and Adjunct Professor at GW Law. Kel, who is national security law expert, helps breakdown the FBI's Mar-a-Lago search and the types of documents and records they were seeking to recover. He also outlines the various statutes the Mr. Trump may have violated. Kel highlights he important distin...

In this episode, Ryan is joined by Paul Massaro, Senior Policy Advisor for the U.S. Helsinki Commission, to discuss kleptocracy, anti-corruption efforts, and Russia's War against Ukraine. They define corruption, why it impacts everyone, and how the West has been supporting corrupt autocrats for decades. Paul also outlines key legislation to fight corruption and how the U.S. and other countrie...

In this episode, A'ndre and Ryan are joined by Javed Ali to discuss the recent U.S. strike that killed AQ leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.  Javed provides a background on Zawahiri and how he came to lead al Qaeda. The conversation then turns to the operation itself, noting the significance of Zawahiri being in Kabul, Afghanistan. Javed assesses the significance this strike may have on the terrorist...

On July 21st, Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as Sri Lanka's new president after the crisis-laden country's parliament elected him to finish up ousted Gotabaya Rajapaksa's term. A'ndre and Ryan look back at The Burn Bag's August 2021 interview with President Wickremesinghe, when he was the lone MP representing his political party, a year after his prior tenure as Prime M...

In this episode, A'ndre and Ryan talk with Dr.  Sanam Vakil about Iran's history,  politics, and regional security. Dr. Vakil, a Chatham House scholar, begins with an overview of Iran pre-Revolution and how the transition to an Islamic Republic has shaped the country since 1979. She also discusses the domestic politics and institutional structure of the country, noting critical centers o...

We're back! In this week's episode, A'ndre and Ryan go around the world to catch-up on recent developments.  They start with the political chaos in Sri Lanka and then move to the UK where the Conservative Party is holding elections for Boris Johnson's successor. Ryan and A'ndre also discuss last week's shocking assassination of former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, noting hi...

In this episode, A'ndre and Ryan are joined by former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe to discuss cyber vulnerabilities and solutions. As a cyber expert, Andrew helps us understand why state and non-state actors target the private sector and what the threat landscape looks like today. Andrew also discusses what businesses and individuals can do to better prepare for and defend against malign...

This week, A'ndre and Ryan talk to Israeli journalist Neri Zilber about why Israel is now facing its fifth general election in less than four years, as the coalition government led by unusual allies Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid collapsed amidst Benjamin Netanyahu's maneuvering to reclaim his old job as long-time prime minister. Neri takes us through the current underpinnings of Israel&...

In this episode, A'ndre and Ryan talk to geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan about the looming collapse of the world as we know it. With the United States backing away from its post-WWII role, Peter helps break down why the globalized world is on the precipice of rapid change. From demographic decline to the unviability of current economic models, Peter argues that supply chains will shorten...

In this episode, A'ndre speaks to Professor Yoshiko Herrera about the Russian state, its people, and autocratic leader, Vladimir Putin. Professor Herrera begins by breaking down how she understands Russia  and why it is not a democracy and how the turbulence of the 1990s helped cement Putin's power. She also addresses whether or not the Russian people prefer "strongman" leaders...

In this episode, Holden Triplett returns to talk to A'ndre and Ryan about foreign agents and counterintelligence. In the wake of the FBI and DoJ investigation into Brookings Institution President GEN (ret.) John Allen's alleged illegal lobbying for Qatar, Holden, who served in the FBI for over a decade, helps us break down the facts. GEN Allen's actions likely implicate the   Foreig...