The Focus

Join us for an exclusive dive into the July 4, 2024 British election with UK political warhorse Chris Mullin! From insider perspectives to strategic analysis, unlock the secrets of UK politics in our latest podcast episode. Listen now and stay ahead of the electoral game!   Show Notes: Books by Chris Mullin –  1982 A Very British Coup 1986, Error of Judgement 2009, A View from the Foothills 2010, Decline & Fall 2011, A Walk-On Part 2016, Hinterland 2019, The Friends of Harry Perkins 2023, Didn’t You Used to be Chris Mullin? Social Media –  Website: https://www.chrismullinexmp.com/ X: @chrismullinexmp See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us for an electrifying episode as John reunites with Harvard's esteemed Professor Avi Loeb! It's been almost 11 months since their last conversation, and the world of UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) has been buzzing with groundbreaking developments. From a U.S. Congressional Inquiry shaking up the discourse to the dramatic resignation of the head of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, the landscape has never been more intriguing. Plus, delve into the fascinating details of Avi's Silver Star Expedition, where fragments of the mysterious IM1 meteor have undergone rigorous testing. Tune in as we unravel these astonishing updates and much more. Don't miss it! Show Notes: https://avi-loeb.medium.com/embracing-nicolaus-copernicus-in-toru%C5%84-6ad3072da35d https://avi-loeb.medium.com/lessons-from-the-2024-munich-security-conference-78995ef580a9 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw9l0mK466ISee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The upcoming U.S. presidential election between incumbent Democrat Joe Biden & presumptive Republican candidate, former president Donald Trump is likely to be a bang-up contest between two very old men. The most pressing touch-button issue they’ll be facing is the number of undocumented arrivals from Mexico and Latin America. Both candidates admit the current American migration system is broken. But who will have the best fix? Also, as John discussed with guest Assoc. Prof. Julia G. Young, hasn’t America - indeed every settler society - gone through these sorts of issues before? For more information about the American Immigration issue see: https://www.pewresearch.org/ & https://www.migrationpolicy.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, John speaks with former Executive Director of Human Right’s Watch (HRW) & Princeton’s Prof. Kenneth Roth on Netanyahu v. Hamas. In a war known for having broken the laws of war on both sides, can anyone really say either Hamas or Netanyahu holds the moral high ground? Show notes: The Roth & Sparrow piece in Foreign Policy (February 2024) can be seen here - https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/02/09/israel-gaza-health-care-hospitals-genocide-icj/  The Forensic Architecture website can be seen here - https://forensic-architecture.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

🔥 Unraveling Yemen's Political Maze: The Shocking Truth Revealed! 💥 Brace yourselves for an eye-opening conversation that shatters every preconceived notion about Yemen! In an exclusive episode, John delves deep into the heart of Yemen's political labyrinth with none other than the European Institute of Peace's Senior Advisor, Hisham Al-Omeisy. 🌍 Prepare to have your worldview rocked as Hisham and John dissect the enigmatic layers of Yemen's intricate politics. Forget everything you thought you knew about this tumultuous nation because the truth is far more baffling than you could ever imagine! 💣 But that's not all! Dive into the murky waters of Yemen's maritime chaos as Hisham and John uncover the startling motivations behind the Houthi attacks on commercial shipping. Spoiler alert: It's not what the mainstream media wants you to believe! 🔍 Don't miss out on this riveting discussion that challenges the very fabric of conventional wisdom. Buckle up as we embark on a journey through Yemen's untold stories – the revelations will leave you speechless! Click now to uncover the shocking truth that's been hiding in plain sight! Show Notes: Hisham Al-Omeisy’s bio - https://www.eip.org/team-organisation/hisham-al-omeisy/ Hisham’s story as a prisoner of the Houthis - https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/prominent-yemeni-activist-detained-houthis-sanaa Hisham’s take on the West v. Houthis - https://www.aa.com.tr/en/politics/west-vs-houthis-experts-warn-middle-east-a-powder-keg-call-for-political-solution-to-red-sea-standoff/3112691# Hisham speaks with CNN’s Christine Amanpour - https://edition.cnn.com/videos/tv/2024/02/06/amanpour-yemen-houthis-hisham-al-omeisy.cnnSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode John speak with Associate Fellow of the German Council on Foreign Relations, Dr. Karl-Heinz Kamp. Karl-Heinz is a specialist on German foreign and strategic policy and we’ll be delving deep into what appears to be a German military resurgence in Europe. Will this strengthen the Continent, will it be destabilising? And probably most importantly can it be sustained? Links German Council on Foreign Relations website can be accessed - here The Alphen Group website can be accessed - here University Roma Tre website can be accessed - hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, John is again joined by US Army LTG Ben Hodges (Ret.) where they discuss noted historian, author and commentator, Professor Niall Ferguson’s notion that we are currently in Cold War 2.0. Show Notes -  For those of you who’d like to know more about the work of The Alphen Group (TAG), please access via the following Link: https://thealphengroup.com/ Our interview on the darker aspects of AI with Steven Feldstein can be seen here – video: https://youtu.be/MpyBcwVmExI?si=Wg9gEJpfAgPvAl5h audio: https://omny.fm/shows/the-focus-1/repressive-aiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this espisode, the first one for 2024, we start off hot by speaking with Scott Lucas on events in the Middle East from Gaza to Lebanon and from Yemen to Jordan and Iran, why have things gone so wrong and what lies ahead? Scott’s latest piece in The Conversation can be found - here 927 Magazine can be found - here Scott’s website EA Worldview can be found - hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this, our last episode for 2023, we have a treat for all you geopolitical junkies out there! We speak to Jonathan Powell, former Chief of Staff to the Blair government (1997-2007). 2024 will be a big year of elections around the world. One of which, the U.S. presidential election, due in November of next year, will prove decisive for a whole bunch of countries and may impact on our futures in a negative way. Here we analyse the problems and prospects of Britain under a potential Starmer leadership, should Labour win in 2024. What will change and what will remain the same? How to contain a recalcitrant Russia? - Financial Review - David Manning & Jonathan Powell Talking to Terrorists: How to End Armed Conflicts, Jonathan Powell, Vintage Digital, 2 October, 2014  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, one of the last for 2023, we take a lighter turn as John speaks with Prof. Kenneth Womack, Professor of English and Popular Music at Monmouth University, New Jersey, talking about his latest book – a biography on Mal Evans – the Beatles’ Mr Fixit. This is a fascinating look at the rock and roll industry in the 1960s, how it compares to that of today and the seductive, corrupting influence of the rock and roll lifestyle and how it took its toll on the guy who took care of one of the greatest bands in the world. Book - Living The Beatles Legend - The Untold Story of Mal Evans by Kenneth WomackSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.