The Burn Bag Podcast

On December 3rd, 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.Under Secretary Extetvez talks to Ryan about the China semiconductor rules,  effectiveness of exports controls, and how the U.S. is working with allies and partners. 

This week, A’ndre and Anna (one of our new co-hosts!) talk to writer, filmmaker, and activist Dr. Isabella Alexander-Nathani about the African Migration Crisis, discussing what she saw, heard, and experienced at Europe’s Southernmost border in Morocco and other parts of North Africa. Isabella profiles some of the young migrants at the Moroccan-Spanish border in her book, Burning at Europe’s Borders, and her upcoming documentary, The Burning, and discusses the difficulties and brutalities they endured in the face of stark and rarely reported human rights abuses at the hands of the authorities. Importantly, Isabella highlights the determination of several of these young migrants, outlining why they felt compelled to undertake this dangerous journey – viewing it as a necessity for their family’s survival. We also discuss the politicization of the terms ‘refugee’ and ‘migrant’, the EU’s ignorance in the face of flagrant human rights abuses, Isabella’s views on her own identity’s role in her own anthropological storytelling, and broad implications for U.S. border issues.Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this episode are those of the hosts. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any host’s employer.

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.Joe Laurienti, Founder and CEO of Ursa Major, talks to Ryan about the history of commercial propulsion, how Ursa Major fills a gap for hypersonic engines, and provides his perspective on industry's importance in U.S.-China competition for hypersonic supremacy.Stay tuned for more from the 2022 Reagan National Defense Forum!

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, Rep. Adam Smith, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, talks to Ryan about the United States' role in the world, the importance of supporting Ukraine, and why demonstrating the strength of US democracy combats autocracy.Stay tuned for more from the 2022 Reagan National Defense Forum!

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.Doug Philippone, Global Defense Lead of Palantir Technologies, talks Palantir's mission, the utility of 'big data' through the case of Army Vantage, and potential areas for data-driven solutions in the near future.Stay tuned for more from the 2022 Reagan National Defense Forum!

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 recently announced SeriesE funding round.Stay tuned for more from the 2022 Reagan National Defense Forum!

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 explain the 'Risk Control Factors' that he outlines in the book. General McChrystal, famed for creating a comprehensive counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan, applies those Risk Control Factors to the situation in Afghanistan, talking about how factors such as narrative, bias, leadership, why we shouldn't fall for the 'Myth of Helplessness' in assessing our performance and failures in Afghanistan. General McChrystal also touches on the issue of diversity -- not necessarily simply diversity in identity, but rather diversity of thought, experience, perspectives, skillsets, and expertise -- and why the U.S. Government and U.S. military were not using diversity on the battlefield. The retired General is also candid about his own successes and failures during his service in Afghanistan, while also offering thoughts on solutions for better risk management -- and whether it was ever too late to apply these solutions to Afghanistan.You can check out General McChrystal's new book Risk: A User's Guide here.

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 this episode are those of the hosts. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any host’s employer.

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 former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and how commercial success led to the growth of corruption. The episode concludes with Ken's perspective on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and why FIFA's efforts to increase transparency and accountability are just window dressing.   To learn more, check out Red Card: How the U.S. Blew the Whistle on the World's Biggest Sports Scandal and the Netflix docuseries FIFA Uncovered. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this episode are those of the hosts. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any host’s employer.

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.Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this episode are those of the hosts. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any host’s employer.