The World Unpacked

Author Kim Ghattas joins Laura as part of Carnegie’s new digital magazine, “The Day After: Navigating a Post-Pandemic World.” Kim and Laura discuss how countries across the region are handling the coronavirus pandemic and its devastating economic and social impacts. As we look ahead to a post-pandemic world, they talk about what governments should ask themselves to help mitigate the damage, the contrasting views from Tehran and Riyadh, and the hope of the region’s youth. To read Carnegie’s digital magazine, click here.

Bishop Garrison, Director of National Security Outreach at Human Rights First, joins Laura for a wide-ranging discussion about how human rights issues impact policymaking at home and abroad. They talk about the evolution of norms and values, how government leaders grapple with sometimes competing goals, and the role of nonprofit, corporate, and civil society actors in promoting human rights. Bishop also tells Laura about his work supporting former U.S. military translators in Iraq and Afghanistan, the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement on national security, and what makes him hopeful for the future. Reading list:An Appeal to the National Security Community to Fight Racial InjusticeCongress Must Act to Protect Those Who’ve Supported Us in SyriaVeterans Praise Bipartisan Legislation Providing Lifelines to Afghan Allies

In late June 2020, Beijing passed a new national security law for Hong Kong. Among other things, the law carries harsh penalties for acts of secession, subversion of the government, and collusion with foreign powers. It also tightens government oversight of media outlets and NGOs. And it creates parallel law enforcement and judicial channels in the city that answer to Beijing.Shibani Mahtani, the Hong Kong bureau chief for the Washington Post, joins Laura to talk about what the changes mean for the people of Hong Kong and the city's identity as a cosmopolitan center of global commerce.Read more from Shibani here.

In October 2019, millions of Lebanese demonstrators took to the streets to protest widespread corruption amid deteriorating economic conditions. Since then, the economy has plunged into free fall, with simultaneous banking, currency, and public finance crises. Laura talks to Maha Yahya, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, about what Lebanese citizens are experiencing, how the country’s economy got to the breaking point, and what meaningful reform would look like.Programming note: This episode of The World Unpacked was taped one day before this week’s tragic set of explosions in Beirut, which killed more than 100 people and wounded thousands more. While the full details of the incident are still becoming known, we have added a brief addition from Maha about how this week’s tragic events are likely to impact the country’s already fragile state. Read more from Maha:All Fall DownAt A Breaking PointA Storm of ImperfectionLebanon’s Economic Crisis: A Ten Point Action Plan for Avoiding a Lost Decade

In the months since George Floyd’s murder by the police, protests have erupted across the US and spread around the world. Demonstrators are not only standing in solidarity with Black Americans but also confronting systemic racism and legacies of colonialism in their own societies. This week, Laura speaks with Carnegie visiting scholar Ashley Quarcoo about how Western democracies must address the role racism plays in undermining the legitimacy of their institutions and the strength of their global example. Note: Both Ashley and Laura recorded this podcast from home, so children playing upstairs made some unexpected cameos. Please excuse any imperfect audio.Read more from Ashley:Global Democracy Supporters Must Confront Systemic RacismThree Takeaways on the Protests for Racial Equality

In January, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced sweeping reforms to the country's constitution, resulting in the surprise resignation of his entire cabinet. The 200+ amendments make a number of changes, including outlawing gay marriage, increasing the minimum wage, and removing term limits for the Russian presidency. The amendments were put to a referendum, with voting taking place June 25 - July 1.Andrei Kolesnikov, senior fellow and the chair of the Russian Domestic Politics and Political Institutions Program at the Carnegie Moscow Center, joins Laura to discuss what the referendum results suggest about Russian support for Putin and his ideology.Read more from Andrei:The Eternal PutinPutin’s Majority 3.0Did Putin Just Appoint Himself President for Life?Planning for a (Not-So) Post-Putin RussiaWhat Are Russians Protesting About?

The coronavirus pandemic, coupled with a massive reduction in global demand for oil, has left Saudi Arabia in a dire economic state. MBS has been forced to sideline his ambitious Vision 2030 plan while implementing a series of austerity measures that could undermine the regime’s stability. Add in pressing foreign policy challenges, including the humanitarian disaster in Yemen and the complexities of the US-Saudi relationship, and the kingdom is facing a perfect storm.This week, Laura talks to Yasmine Farouk about how the kingdom and MBS can weather the storm. They discuss  Saudi Arabia's rapid and effective containment of the coronavirus, the implications of the country’s economic downturn, and how it should best navigate its foreign policy struggles.Additional reading:Updating Traditions: Saudi Arabia’s Coronavirus ResponseSaudi Arabia: Aid as a Primary Foreign Policy Tool

Managing the coronavirus has been a challenge for both democracies and authoritarian regimes. In particular, the pandemic has further exposed the inequities and lack of trust present in many democratic countries, including the United States, where protests against police brutality and systemic racism come amid the wreckage of COVID-19.This week, Laura sits down with Rachel Kleinfeld to talk about how the coronavirus pandemic is amplifying worrying trends worldwide, including a rise in autocratic power grabs, increased polarization, and the reemergence of nativist rhetoric. The two also talk about the links between the pandemic and the protests in the United States and how to leverage pockets of progress.

Jen talks to longtime diplomatic correspondent Paul Richter about his book, The Ambassadors: America's Diplomats on the Front Lines.  Paul talks about four diplomats - Ryan Crocker in Afghanistan, Anne Patterson in Pakistan and Egypt, Robert Ford in Iraq and Syria, and Chris Stevens in Libya - who “do the hardest things in the hardest places.” Paul talks about the role of America’s diplomats in the wars in the Middle East, from running local government, directing drone strikes, nation-building, and risking their lives on the front lines. Jen also asks Paul about the hollowing out of the State Department and the implications for foreign service. 

During the past several years, large-scale protests by citizens against their governments have erupted all over the world. Jen talks to Kai Thaler about what drives protest movements, the methods they employ, and how governments respond.  As protests continue to evolve, what should we watch for?