Right now it's very hard to credibly stand up for human rights, just given the actions and commitments and practices of the trump administration. But i actually look at it a little bit differently, which is that in an age of china's increasing aggression beyond its borders,. It's, you know, crack down and increasing assertiveness in the near abroad. And so they're out there being china. They're not yet in a fully in a full mode of let us export r domestic values internationally. That is not their number one game plan right now. Theirnumber one game plan is interinternal stability above everything else - sustained economic growth and economic sustenance or provision for for their people
A former war correspondent and UN ambassador, Samantha Power has had her share of tough assignments. But writing a memoir about it all is also a daunting prospect. The format itself is a challenge: how do you convince the reader you’re worth spending time with? How do you paint a relatable portrait without oversharing and losing your dignity? For Samantha the answer was settling upon a purpose for her memoir and ruthlessly cutting out everything not in service of that.
Tyler and Samantha discuss that purpose and more, including what she learned as an Irish immigrant, the personality traits of good diplomats (and war correspondents), relations with China, why democracy is so rare in the Middle East, the truth about Richard Holbrooke, what factors mitigate against humanitarian intervention, her favorite memoir, how to get NATO members to spend more on defense, and whether baseball games are too long.
Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links.
Recorded July 30th, 2019 Other ways to connect