American Diplomat

American Diplomat

American Diplomat goes behind the scenes to hear real stories from diplomats who lived newsworthy events overseas. Experience the Cuban revolution, Central American insurgencies, the end of apartheid and more through the eyes of those who were there. A project of Arizona State University.

Episodes

November 13, 2025 33 mins

Nepalese democracy is strong but its economy is not. Social platforms gave voice to the aggrieved. When the government threatened access, young folks got down to business, and they got it done. How? Amb. Peter Bodde unpacks.

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Senator/Ambassador Jeff Flake, one of POTUS' first targets, tells us why he believes that inclusiveness will win in the US and beyond.

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POTUS has wide discretion in sending the standing military into American streets. Public and international law expert John Bellinger examines what our courts will do if he tries to deploy them.

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October 23, 2025 27 mins

Ex-National Security Council lawyer John Bellinger takes us into a hypothetical White House Situation Room to advise on the shaky legal grounds for any future attacks on Venezuela. Does Trump care?

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October 16, 2025 34 mins

Amb. Patrick Theros is back to parse just how the Gaza Peace Plan will likely unfold and why Trump will have to marshal his inner Tony Soprano to get it done.

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October 9, 2025 29 mins

Between Trump and the Nobel Peace Prize. Israel's Bibi crossed a redline with his attack on Qatar. The fabulously knowledgeable Amb. Patrick Theros parses this moment and its significance.

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October 2, 2025 45 mins

Blowing up small boats to stop drug trafficking? Or is it like swatting flies with a blowtorch? And what about those drug-laden planes still flying north? Ambassador James Story sets the record straight.

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September 25, 2025 39 mins

Polar opposites: Mexican President Sheinbaum – a fact-based scientist, an introvert, methodical, with high standards…and then there is Trump. Mexico expert Brian Naranjo explains how she manages to tame the beast.

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September 18, 2025 34 mins

After repeated Russian invasions and/or occupations and with a population only 0.89% the size of Russia, how do you defend yourself, particularly in the age of hybrid warfare? Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur breaks it down. And, most importantly, how best to create tolerance for others' views, when the goal is for us all to remain alive under the same sun?

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September 11, 2025 57 mins

Use entertainment as political discourse, distort reality, mock adversaries, distract the public from the real issues. The Romans started it and Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi put it on full throttle. Italy expert Steve Scherer shows us how elected populists gain and keep power.

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September 4, 2025 33 mins

What happens when our president operates from his own alternative reality?  A growing Axis of Upheaval against us? Elizabeth Shackelford is back to clarify the moment.

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August 28, 2025 51 mins

We fought, died, celebrated victories and became prosperous together. Canadians could count on us, until now. Journalist Steve Scherer walks us through the US boycotts and yes, the profound sense of betrayal.

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August 22, 2025 43 mins

What prompts someone to become a violent Muslim extremist? Even more, what would get them to turn against their comrades? Counter-terrorism guru Brig Barker demystifies this dark world.

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August 14, 2025 41 mins

Why is Kazakhstan safe from Russia? It juts into the heart of Russia and shares the longest continuous land border in the world. What is their secret? Ambassador Dan Rosenblum's analogy: walking a tightrope.

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August 7, 2025 38 mins

What happens when you are instructed to treat the aggressor as an innocent? Former Ambassador Bridget Brink's career reaches a fork in the road. What to do? Hint: Who's running in the Michigan Seventh Congressional District?  And most importantly, why?

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He's charismatic, he's exciting, he's strong. How do elected autocrats woo their publics and then destroy the very countries they promised to elevate? What happens to the populace?  Kristie Kenney, ambassador to Ecuador, Thailand and the Philippines has a thing or two to say about these folks and the reasons that people elect them.  Repost from 2020, with oddly entertaining postscript from Pete.  Spolier alert: Things doesn't alway...

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July 24, 2025 32 mins

It is the 1950s. Senator Joseph McCarthy and his henchman Roy Cohn target and humiliate our diplomats for accurately reporting an eventual Mao victory in China. Jack Service and his family are at the center of the storm. Is history repeating itself before our eyes?  Enjoy this snapshot of diplomacy that is more relevant today than it was when we first posted it in 2020.

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July 17, 2025 36 mins

Secretary Rubio's stated goal is to reduce our diplomatic corps by 15%. Does it stop there? After four years of whim and chaos will the world ever trust us to lead again? Will we have the expertise and talent? Ambassador Eric Rubin lays it all out for us.

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What happens when tariff policy becomes a whim? Career commercial officer Dan Crocker peers into the chaos and breaks down the stakes for businesses and national security.

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The old approach to national security is breaking apart.  Americans demand change.  Young diplomats and global service professionals today have a once in a century opportunity to reshape how the US engages in the world.  Amb. Tom Shannon is back to inspire and share his awesome insights.  In his words, Liberate the Future. (FSJ Jan-Feb 2025)

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