American Diplomat
370 episodes - English - Latest episode: 14 days ago - ★★★★★ - 234 ratingsAmerican Diplomat goes behind the scenes to hear real stories from diplomats who lived newsworthy events overseas. Experience the Cuban revolution, Central American insurgencies, the end of apartheid and more through the eyes of those who were there. A project of Arizona State University.
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Episodes
Anwar Awlaki and Abrar
February 02, 2019 00:22 - 29 minutes - 40.1 MBAnwar Awlaki destroys, Abrar starves. Yemen today, with Gerald Feierstein.
Hysteria or Reality? China in Panama
January 24, 2019 17:07 - 42 minutes - 58.6 MBWhat do Teddy Roosevelt, China, and the band Afrodisiaco all have in common? Panama! Learn why concerns that Pete once thought were partisan paranoia might be a serious, unrecognized source of concern today.
Counterterrorism - The Diplomat's Perspective
January 17, 2019 05:58 - 28 minutes - 39.7 MBGerald Feierstein, counterterrorism expert for the State Department, helps us understand how violent extremist groups attract young men, and what different nations do to bring them back to the fold, according to local values and customs.
More Fun Facts about Trade
January 10, 2019 19:09 - 30 minutes - 41.9 MBDid you know that over 11 million jobs in the U.S. come from exports? And that they pay U.S. citizens 15-20% more than non-export related jobs? Dan Crocker debunks our most intrenched myths about trade. Plus, why does Pete ask if he's a meatball? Learn this and more, workin' at the Car Wash! (If you weren't alive in the 70s, this song will fill your heart with longing for the decade you missed.)
Questions, Questions...
January 03, 2019 21:47 - 29 minutes - 40.4 MBWhy do we care about diversity in the Foreign Service? When did you know this job was "the one"? How do you do your job with so much danger out there these days? Students visiting the State Department as Cox Fellows have some pretty good questions. Julie Chung, Stacy Williams and Luis Mendez, plus of course Pete, give their two cents. Even Laura chimes in, when truly moved.
College Students Visit State
December 27, 2018 21:23 - 27 minutes - 37.9 MBThe American dream is alive and well at the U.S. Department of State. Stacy Williams, Luis Mendez and Julie Chung share with visiting Cox Fellows inspiring stories of their journeys from where they began to leadership roles in the Foreign Service. And to keep the inspiration going, music from Funkadelic: One Nation Under a Groove!
A Public Servant in the Private Sector
December 20, 2018 01:49 - 18 minutes - 25.3 MBDid you know that 95% of the world's consumers live outside the United States? As President, Global Public Affairs at UPS, former Economics Officer Laura Lane helps reduce corruption at borders, in turn helping small and midsize businesses prosper, while advancing global rights for women and reducing poverty throughout the world.
When You Shouldn't Follow the Rules
December 14, 2018 02:31 - 23 minutes - 32.2 MBEconomics Officer Laura Lane served in Rwanda during its period of genocide in the 1990s and learned when you should, and when you should not, follow the rules. Here is the audio track of her TED talk on the subject, bookended with comments from Pete.
Secretary of State James Baker Reflects on Bush and Our Times
December 06, 2018 18:47 - 21 minutes - 29.5 MBJames Baker, Secretary of State under George H.W. Bush, remembers President Bush and puts today's foreign policy events in perspective as he receives the Walter and Lenore Annenberg Award for Excellence in Diplomacy. "A golden age for humanity," he calls our times, and recalls a day when "we all sang from the same hymnal, which meant that our allies and our adversaries clearly understood U.S. policy and could not twist differences to their advantage."
The Dictator Hit Parade
November 29, 2018 10:50 - 20 minutes - 28.6 MBAmbassador Joe Sullivan has known a lot of dictators. Who are they? What are they like? How do they do it? "All I want to do is make this a prosperous, democratic country," is a good thing to say to Americans, these charming men have found.
President vs. Strongman: No Peace in Angola
November 23, 2018 08:00 - 32 minutes - 45.1 MBDiamonds, Petroleum, widespread human suffering and a decades-long civil war. Ambassador Joe Sullivan talks about the U.S. role as monitor of the peace and demobilization process: "It was time to choose, and choosing was not between the angel and the devil; we had to chose the less bad option."
Bonus Chat - Is It Happening Here?
November 21, 2018 03:31 - 9 minutes - 13.5 MBTurkey, Russia, Venezuela: In what ways is the rise of strongmen in those countries similar and different from what we're seeing in the United States? What role do press freedom and demonizing adversaries play in the rise of a dictator?
The Cult of Jim Jones - Murder-Suicide in Guyana
November 15, 2018 14:41 - 35 minutes - 49.1 MBNovember 18 is the anniversary of the Jonestown massacre (40th, can you believe it?). Chuck English walks us through his experience as the first American diplomat to witness the aftermath. With bonus discussion about Congressman Leo Ryan, an "experiential congressman", whose arrival on the scene immediately preceded the tragedy.
How Did Erdogan Do It? - Is it Happening Here?
November 08, 2018 13:59 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MBPopulism and religiosity: Erdogan begins as a reformer, then builds a corrupt government that leads Turkey into economic peril and total political control through a narrative that stokes fear of victimization at the hand of external enemies. Bob Pearson shows us how Turkey got where it is today in the second part of our discussion with him as part of our series, "Is It Happening Here?"
Turkey's Erdogan - Is It Happening Here?
November 02, 2018 02:25 - 33 minutes - 45.3 MBCorruption, hostage-taking, and a populace divided over Erdogan's Muslim Brotherhood-style government. Ambassador Bob Pearson helps us understand Turkey's era of us-vs.-them politics in the newest episode of our series Is It Happening Here?
Stove-piped to Death?
October 25, 2018 10:51 - 21 minutes - 19.3 MBWhy was the Nairobi attack not prevented? How was it planned, and why did al-Qaeda choose that embassy? Ambassador Prudence Bushnell helps us answer these questions and tells how she led in the aftermath, in ways that only a woman can lead.
Take Care of Your People: Bombing in Nairobi, 1998
October 18, 2018 12:36 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MB"I could not take away people's pain or anger or injuries or post-traumatic stress, but I could accompany them." Ambassador Prudence Bushnell leads the US Embassy in Nairobi through the aftermath of a massive bomb attack on August 7, 1998. 213 people died instantly, 500 were wounded, 750 businesses were blown up. Says Bushnell, "Take care of your people, the rest will follow."
Expeditionary Diplomacy is What, Exactly?
October 14, 2018 02:01 - 31 minutes - 28.8 MBMongolia, Turkmenistan and the Marshall Islands: What do they all have in common? Mike Senko opened the first American embassies in each one! And he lived to tell the tale.
Can We Make a Diplomat of Laura? Laura in the Hot Seat
October 04, 2018 13:13 - 26 minutes - 35.7 MBReporting from fictional Sulandia, a skill that can be developed. Dorothy Mayhew and Michael Gray, diplomats who teach at The Foreign Service Institute, lead the way. Plus bonus info on the life of a State Department cable: What is it? Who writes it and who reads it? What is its impact?
Who Knew? Diplomatic Training, Revealed
September 27, 2018 13:50 - 29 minutes - 26.8 MBAre Foreign Service Officers made or born that way? And what, exactly, is a "demarche"? A tour through basic training, Foreign Service style, with Dorothy Mayhew and Michael Gray.
Bouazizi, Arab Spring, SiriusXM and Is It Happening Here?
September 20, 2018 04:01 - 23 minutes - 32.4 MBPete and Laura's recent appearance on SiriusXM with host Eric Ham, bookended by discussion of the psychology of frustration, even humiliation, that can lead whole populations to support strongmen.
Tamil Genocide - History Repeats Itself?
September 18, 2018 19:23 - 30 minutes - 41.3 MBBob Blake offers an alternative to genocide, but his help is refused. How similar is the tragedy in Sri Lanka to the current crisis in Myanmar?
Tamil Tigers - The Memory Still Haunts Sri Lanka
September 13, 2018 02:55 - 29 minutes - 40 MBWant to go to jail in Sri Lanka today? Just mention the Tamil Tigers in a positive manner and you will be on trial. That's how upset people still are about the war that ended almost ten years ago. Bob Blake unpacks this time of terror in Sri Lanka.
Russia - Is It Happening Here? Putin Consolidates Power
September 08, 2018 12:59 - 32 minutes - 44.3 MBSandy Vershbow, US Ambassador to Russia 2002-2005, recounts Putin's gradual seizure of power over more and more of the Russian State, leaving ordinary Russians with little, if any, voice in the policies that affect their lives.
Russia - Is It Happening Here? "He Must Be Like Putin"
August 30, 2018 17:03 - 25 minutes - 35.7 MBConditions precedent and the rise of populist autocrat Putin, via Sandy Vershbow, US Ambassador to Russia, 2001-2005. Plus bonus Russian hit song "One Like Putin". Your internal soundscape may never be the same. The second country in American Diplomat's series, "Is It Happening Here?"
Pete Goes Native - Second Part of Pete's Visit with the Indians
August 23, 2018 18:25 - 32 minutes - 44.7 MBPete visits the Huarani Indians, botches up a boar hunt, drinks the mystery drink chicha, and receives upon his departure a marriage proposal, ambiguously addressed either to himself one of the other fine young gringos. Follows first episode, titled "Cowboys and Indian at the Embassy."
Cowboys and Indian at the Embassy
August 16, 2018 17:02 - 37 minutes - 52.1 MB"Embassy death squads? Sure, I made that up!" ~ Moi, Huarani Indian and tribal ambassador
Soybean Laura Goes to Washington
August 09, 2018 06:40 - 30 minutes - 41.9 MBTrade, demystified. And accompanied by a stiff drink. Plus bonus song "Soybeans!" Shaun Donnelly tells all.
Venezuela: Is it Happening Here? Chavez Takes Control
August 03, 2018 11:31 - 30 minutes - 41.8 MBOnce elected, how does Chavez systematically seize control of the politics and economy of his country, and how does this erode Fulano's choices and way of life?
Venezuela: Is It Happening Here?
July 27, 2018 04:26 - 34 minutes - 47.6 MBBrian Naranjo describes life for a middle-class voter during the lead-up to the election of Hugo Chavez, a former coup plotter who becomes the elected dictator of Venezuela. This is the first episode in a series within American Diplomat titled, "Is it happening here?"
Is It Happening Here?
July 19, 2018 09:40 - 11 minutes - 15.1 MBPete and Laura introduce a new series within American Diplomat, in which they talk with diplomats who witnessed the beginning phases of democracy's doom and who can tell the story from the perspective of the individual voter who unwittingly elected a dictator.
I've Been Kicked Out of Better Countries Than This
July 12, 2018 12:31 - 26 minutes - 30.2 MBA social media battleground for hearts and minds in Venezuela, an American in prison on false charges of espionage and terrorism, and a prison riot. Brian Naranjo puts his neck way out there to protect Joshua Holt.
Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places
July 05, 2018 12:25 - 29 minutes - 41 MBVenezuela today: People are starving and the currency is almost worthless. The government is stealing as much as it can and destroying democratic institutions. The message to American diplomats: Welcome to Venezuela, let me show you the door.
Send Lawyers, Guns and Money
June 28, 2018 08:12 - 23 minutes - 32.2 MBTwo air traffic controllers, fired for going on strike, go into (very) private industry. A naked American, on a balcony and intent on self-destruction, finds safety. More tales of what can go wrong in Tijuana, via Kate Canavan, plus tips on how to make your own travels abroad much safer.
Who Says America Never Wins Anymore?
June 21, 2018 20:25 - 29 minutes - 40.4 MBWe're here to show you how America wins on a grassroots level every single day. We share with you our interview with Eric Ham on the Midday Briefing, POTUS channel, SiriusXM.
Tijuana: What Could Go Wrong?
June 14, 2018 19:01 - 22 minutes - 30.5 MBAssault, conviction, life and death across borders. US Citizen Services, with courage and commitment, helps Americans abroad in every imaginable conundrum. Kate Canavan shares her tales.
Go With God, Children!
June 07, 2018 09:07 - 22 minutes - 31.6 MBCherie and John Feeley find a way to care for a child with learning differences in Columbia, a country riven by violence from insurgencies and narco trafficking.
Little Elian Gonzalez
June 01, 2018 09:40 - 27 minutes - 37.8 MBPoor Elian! He's left Cuba with his mom, who has now drowned. Possibly aided by dolphins, he arrives alone on the shores of Florida, to be made into perhaps the youngest pawn ever to be used in international and domestic policy wars.
Fidel's Eyes Are Everywhere, and Cuba's Special Period
May 25, 2018 08:56 - 36 minutes - 50.7 MBSurveillance can be good - if you need a potato, just ask. But if you're a Marine, be careful! And what made Cuba's Special Period in Time of Peace so special? Deprivation, starvation and flight. Vicki Huddleston connects the dots and helps us understand our relationship with Cuba today.
Fidel and Our Woman in Havana
May 18, 2018 04:54 - 22 minutes - 30.9 MBVicki Huddleston spars with Castro, as one of the few women in senior roles in the State Department, and one of the only people who actually stood up to the dictator.
John Feeley & the FARC: Colombia's Guerilla Revolutionaries
May 11, 2018 03:14 - 25 minutes - 23.2 MBFeeley visits FARC guerrillas and records the group's fantastical vision of world leadership, and upon his return is faced with politicized accusations of negotiating with terrorists.
Iran Deal - Wendy Sherman Negotiates
May 09, 2018 14:16 - 21 minutes - 29.8 MBThe Iran nuclear deal explained. What was it, and how did our chief negotiator Wendy Sherman help make it happen?
John Feeley - Panama Papers
May 04, 2018 07:44 - 32 minutes - 44.9 MBFeeley's ambassadorship begins with the leak of the Panama Papers, a trove of documents exposing massive international financial fraud. When the US is accused of orchestrating the leak, what's an ambassador to do? Video diplomacy is born.
Andrew Albertson - Three Explosions in Afghanistan
April 27, 2018 06:15 - 17 minutes - 23.7 MBFrom an evangelical upbringing, Albertson studies in Kenya and then devotes his life to international development. He survives three bombs in Afghanistan while working with USAID, and now leads the diplomacy advocacy organization Foreign Policy for America.
Gina Winstanley, Oman and Saudi Arabia
April 20, 2018 05:33 - 26 minutes - 36.3 MBDo you know where to find a hooker in Oman? Go to the hospital! And what happens when your boss nixes your husband's job choice in Saudi Arabia, and you are intent on preserving your marriage? Reposted from October 2017
Jonathan Addleton - The Dust of Kandahar
April 13, 2018 08:54 - 18 minutes - 24.8 MBAddleton shares his haunting experience as the only one left standing after a suicide bomber attacks his party while visiting a school in Afghanistan. Was it worth it?
Ajani Husbands - Islamabad and Port Au Prince
April 06, 2018 07:04 - 30 minutes - 41.3 MBIn places like Pakistan where governments may not be friendly, cultural diplomacy, a form of "soft power", is power indeed. And in Haiti, Husbands gains the nickname, "dread la ki te refize m '," or "the dread who refused me."
Desiree Cormier - Africa and Tijuana
March 22, 2018 02:43 - 29 minutes - 41 MBHow does diplomacy help stem a public health crisis like Ebola? And what can a diplomat do (and not do) to help Americans in Mexican prison?
Desiree Cormier - Creole, Colored or Black?
March 16, 2018 08:22 - 28 minutes - 39.3 MBCormier, raised in part by her civil rights activist grandfather, identifies as African American, or, black. So why does everyone in Pretoria tell her she's not black at all, but instead, "colored"? And how does she persuade our government to stop considering Nelson Mandela a terrorist? Also hear how she comes to dance to Pata Pata during Barack Obama's state visit.
Robert Blake - Sri Lanka, Terror Escalates
March 08, 2018 05:01 - 29 minutes - 40.3 MBSecrecy, executions, and human shields in Sri Lanka. Our diplomats make a difference in thousands of people's lives.