The Focus

The broken state of Libya has long been the jump-off point for African and Middle Eastern refugees fleeing the trouble-plagued African continent for a dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean to Europe. But Libya is hardly a place of welcome. Having only just recovered from a brutal civil war, Libya is now an EU-funded holding-pen for African refugees, Brussels and other European capitals eager to avoid a renewed surge of undocumented arrivals as occurred in 2015. In this episode of The Focus John speaks with Sally Hayden. Sally is an award-winning journalist and photographer currently focused on migration, conflict and humanitarian crises. She is also author of the book: My Fourth Time, We Drowned: Seeking Refuge on the World's Deadliest Migration Route published in 2022 by Melville House.Support the show: https://www.sageinternational.org.au/strategikon-merch/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hubble Space Telescope is over 30 years old and is still finding some outstanding new discoveries. Its most recent finding has been the starlight of one of the earliest stars in the known Cosmos, Earendel. In this episode, John speaks with Dr. Victoria Strait. Victoria is DAWN Fellow at the Cosmic Dawn Center within the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen.Support the show: https://www.sageinternational.org.au/strategikon-merch/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the terrible performance of Russian forces in their initial attempt to crush Ukrainian resistance and their complete failure at cowering Kyiv into submission, Russian forces have been reorganised to take advantage of their better showing in Ukraine’s east and south. But by ‘better showing’, we mean more territory captured not better Russian war fighting demonstrated. To look at how the new Russian offensive along the Donbas is being prepared and how effective it is likely to be, John speaks to Senior Lecturer in Military Strategy and Law, University of Portsmouth, Dr. Frank Ledwidge. Frank is a barrister, a former British military intelligence officer and author, his latest book: Aerial Warfare, a Very Short introduction was published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in 2020.Support the show: https://www.sageinternational.org.au/strategikon-merch/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Nicolas Michelon joins John in discussing the key issues and dilemmas surrounding the 2022 French Presidential Election. Macron might be slated to win, but far-right candidates will maintain their growing hold on the French electorate as people are angry at a French EU political class that has abandoned them for the power politics of the European Parliament in Brussels. The Yellow Vest movement and the issues that have sparked this revolt against the French version of ‘the swamp’ are unlikely to go away as Macron seems safe, almost arrogantly so about the inevitability of his second term. But as Nicolas says, the far-right will evolve, as will the Yellow Vest movement leading to a period of profound instability and domestic political violence in the near-term.John apologises for having used the term 'yellow jackets’ for ‘yellow vests’! Sometimes things like this slip out while in full discussion!Support the show: https://www.sageinternational.org.au/strategikon-merch/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode John is joined by Dr. Vittorio Bufacchi from University College, Cork, Ireland, where they spoke on the key themes of Vittorio’s recent book: Everything Must Change: Philosophical Lessons from Lockdown. In this broadranging conversation they talk about life’s fragility, the art of living, death, the media and politics. What lessons have we learnt from COVID-19? Are we any wiser from the misfortune and injustices that have befallen our societies due to the global pandemic?Support the show: https://www.sageinternational.org.au/strategikon-merch/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, John is joined by The University of Chicago’s Prof. Chris Blattman in discussing his new book entitled ‘Why We Fight’. We journey deep within what motivates individuals, groups, and states to take up arms against each other. But as you’ll hear, Chris does come up with a somewhat different thesis that’s a little more optimistic about human nature and political institutions.Support the show: https://www.sageinternational.org.au/strategikon-merch/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is easy to focus just on the Russian-Ukrainian war without looking at this war’s broader global impacts. In this episode, John speaks with US-Palestinian Dr Ramzy Baroud on how Palestine and Israel are affected by this European conflict.Support the show: https://www.sageinternational.org.au/strategikon-merch/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko has been successfully boxed in by Russian president Vladimir Putin. The country is less of a nation and more of an outlying province of Russia. Belarus has been used as a staging base for Russia’s attack on Ukraine and is now host to some of Russia’s nuclear deterrent. Some twenty-to-thirty thousand troops are primed to enter Ukraine to support Russian forces should they be given the order, but will the Belarusian General Staff obey? What of the Belarusian people? Will they willingly sleepwalk their way to war with their neighbour? In this episode, John speaks with high-profile Belarusian journalist Hanna Liubakova to discuss this and much, much more.Support the show: https://www.sageinternational.org.au/strategikon-merch/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the age of COVID, there is little ‘good news’ in how countries have dealt with this global pandemic. However, one good news story comes from an unexpected source - Cuba. This small and isolated Caribbean state, lumbered by US sanctions and with a small, underdeveloped economy, has produced and distributed its own version of the COVID-19 vaccine, even assisting other countries in managing their own relationship to the pandemic. In this episode, John is joined by Prof. Jennifer Ruth Hosek from Queen’s University Ontario, Canada. Professor Hosek recently wrote an article for The Conversation extolling the virtues of Cuba’s actions and what sets it apart from how other countries have countered COVID-19. If you would like to know more about Jenn’s latest article in The Conversation, click the following link: Big Pharma vs. Little Cuba: Why Cubans trust vaccines and how they're helping vaccinate the world.Support the show: https://www.sageinternational.org.au/strategikon-merch/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, John speaks with University College London’s Prof. Mark Galeotti on the ongoing war in Ukraine. This is a very comprehensive discussion on the origin of the war, the conduct of military operations, the future of Ukraine, and Vladimir Putin. Also, we look at how the war fits into Mark’s new book: The Weaponisation of Everything: A Field Guide to the New Way of War, Yale University Press, 2022.Support the show: https://www.sageinternational.org.au/strategikon-merch/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.