Deep Dish on Global Affairs

Guest Aynne Kokas explains China's effectiveness in collecting and trafficking citizen data, giving them a geopolitical advantage. The podcast also discusses the need for stronger privacy laws in the US, China's expansion of cyber sovereignty, the growth of Chinese smart city infrastructure, and China's role in establishing global technology standards.

On Deep Dish, we’re revisiting our conversation about the world of espionage and the secrets of intelligence gathering with Amy Zegart, author of Spies, Lies, and Algorithms. As new technology continues to disrupt all aspects of our lives, Zegart explains how these innovations are changing espionage and why spy myths perpetuated by Hollywood often get in the way of understanding threats. [This episode originally aired: March 24, 2022] Related Content:   Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence, Amy Zegart, Princeton University Press, February 1, 2022  Senate Intelligence Hearing on Worldwide Threats, PBS NewsHour, March 8, 2023  National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, Final Report, March 19, 2021

Since Mahsa Amini’s death in Iranian custody last September, protesters—many women and Gen Z activists—have demanded greater freedom, including an end to the mandatory hijab. Narges Bajoghli of Johns Hopkins University and women of the Iranian diaspora join Deep Dish to explore Iran’s ongoing protests, their significance for the global women's movement, and the push for gender equality.

Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s recent moves to undermine the country’s National Electoral Institute have sparked massive pro-democracy protests and stoked fears that the country is backsliding into authoritarianism. On Deep Dish, Denise Dresser, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, and Guillermo Trejo, Notre Dame and Kellogg Institue, discuss Mexico’s future and why everyone should care that the country’s elites are weakening and dismantling democratic systems.  Reading List: Mexico’s Dying Democracy, Denise Dresser, Foreign Affairs, October 21, 2022  Mexico’s Illiberal Democratic Trap, Guillermo Trejo, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, February 17, 2021 

One year ago, Russia launched its brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, but perhaps the greatest surprise has been the emergence of one of the most significant wartime leaders of the 21st century. How did Volodymyr Zelensky become the guiding force we know today? On Deep Dish, Olga Onuch, author of “The Zelensky Effect,” dives into the story of the ordinary Ukrainian who rose to command the global stage.     Reading List: The Zelensky Effect, Olga Onuch and Henry E. Hale, Oxford University Press, March 1, 2023 

In recent weeks, the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena sightings in North America have left many wondering whether US air defense systems are equipped to handle such threats. Ex-NORAD chief Scott Clancy and Carnegie Council’s Arthur Holland Michel join Deep Dish to discuss how worried Americans should truly be.       Reading List:  The Chinese balloon is hardly alone in watching America from the sky, Arthur Holland Michel, Washington Post, February 3, 2023  If you’re interested in learning more about defending American airspace against unidentified objects, tune into the Council’s virtual event with US Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi. 

About The Episode Globalization is said to have fused our economies, societies, and cultures—but what if our world is not as globalized as we think? On Deep Dish, Shannon O’Neil, author of “The Globalization Myth,” argues that, in fact, regionalization has played a more key role in global economic competition, discussing the implications for the United States and the future of the world’s economy.    Like this episode? Leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Israel’s right-wing legislators have taken aim at the country’s supreme court. Their proposal to overhaul and limit the judiciary has sparked mass protest and debate and could dramatically change the balance of power. Joining Deep Dish from Israel are Times of Israel journalist Tal Schneider and legal scholar Tamar Hostovsky Brandes to examine the judicial reform proposal, its potential impact on political checks and balance, and whether the nation’s democracy is at risk.

Unrest & instability has surrounded Peruvian politics for the last seven years as six different presidents have taken office. Over the past month, anti-government protests have erupted, uniting disenfranchised Peruvians who are demanding that the newest president, Dina Boluarte, step down. Reporting from Peru, Cynthia Sanborn and Ryan Dube explore what is driving the unrest, unpack Peru’s unprecedented political instability and why democracy is at stake on Deep Dish.  Reading List: Peru's Overlapping Messes, Cynthia Sanborn & Beatriz García Nice, Wilson Center, Jan 20, 2023  Peruvian Protesters March in Capital Against Government, Ryan Dube, Wall Street Journal, Jan 20, 2023 

Brazilian authorities swiftly detained more than 1,500 pro-Bolsonaro rioters in connection with the January 8 attack on Brazil's capital and have charged dozens in recent days. Following the insurrection, what deeper challenges lie ahead for Brazil's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva? On Deep Dish, Sarah Esther Maslin and Ryan Berg unpack Brazil’s response and what the future holds for one of the world’s largest democracies. Reading List: A copycat insurrection in Brazil, and its troubling aftermath, Sarah Esther Maslin, The Economist, January 12, 2023