China, Russia, Ukraine, oh my!
Вставка
- Опубліковано 6 кві 2024
- Don’t miss our newsletter! www.themerge.co/
Former Australian diplomat John Fowler joins Mike Benitez to discuss what’s happening around the world through the lens of international relations.
John is a repeat guest. In this episode, we discuss China, the South China Sea, the Taiwan elections, Russia in Ukraine, and even cautiously venture a bit into how US domestic politics is muddying the waters with Ukraine aid.
Should we even be involved? Why or why not? We look at both sides from a few perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else.
We also make a detour into AUKUS, Japan’s rebuilding of its military, and discuss what the real superpower of the US is.
John Fowler runs International Intrigue, a daily newsletter
written by a team of former diplomats (link below!). It’s packed with great, easy-to-consume content and helps you keep a pulse on what’s happening in the world-and why it matters.
For those interested in #military #technology #strategy
#diplomacy #china #asia #security #government #nationalsecurity #defense #nationaldefense #russia #ukraine #podcast #education #politics #knowledge #new #newvideo #subscribe #news
----
Links
● Sign up for our amazing newsletter! www.themerge.co/
● Support us on Patreon! / the_merge
● Mike Benitez (LinkedIn) / mike-benitez
● John Fowler (X) / johnsnonsense
● International Intrigue www.internationalintrigue.io/
● Dickerpicss (IG) / dickerpicss
----
Follow us on...
● Instagram / merge_newsletter
● Facebook / themergenews
● Twitter / mergenewsletter
● LinkedIn / themerge
● Website www.themerge.co
----
Show Notes
(01:04) Intro
(05:06) China’s economic shifts
(08:14) China’s real estate crisis
(11:48) Taiwan elections
(18:22) South China Sea
(19:40) the “9-dash line”
(21:30) the Second Thomas Shoal
(31:08) coalitions and consensus
(34:37) Russia in Ukraine
(36:55) Ukraine aid in Congress
(41:02) the real superpower of the US
(45:06) the risk of hedging
(46:21) AUKUS, Japan, and China
(53:54) good for Russia, good for China
(55:11) China using history as a weapon
(58:02) outro - Розваги
Let's go Merge. Yours is a unique and valuable perspective.
Great return guest. Pleasant to see an individual not insulting people repeatedly for having different opinions on Ukraine.
Great episode. I always look forward to these conversations. Thanks for the link to International Intrigue.
Excellent in all respects, thank you gentlemen!
Great broadcast. I now subscribe to his newsletter
Great discussion! Not a fan of broccoli, but definitely a fan of this.
Excellent informed episode. Real discussion is a rare find. Thanks Pako.
Great content...thanks Mike.
I second that. This one's kinda special for me, I grew up in Australia, moved to Ukraine a decade ago.
Having spent nine of my twenty years in the military, both in Southeast Asia, NorthEast Asia (Japan, Korea) and Europe (England, Turkey), four of those in a Headquarters positions. had lots of liaising with other national officials, loved every minute of it, and all, at that level were professionals and all had the same goal, prevent other countries from dictating world/regional policy. Status Quo is NOT a bad thing but some countries like Russia and the CCP use world power politics to hide 'behind the curtain' domestic failures. We in the 'Status Quo' world just need to stay aware and ready to tamp down these 'adventures', or as in WWI and WWII, we'll need to help put out Amazonian Forest Fires, that all started as a back yard BBQ brush fires. The best prevention for that is for us to not put up with BS and NEVER be accommodating to these rogue nations, NOR look like we can put up with shenanigans, unlike what the current administration has done with Chamberlain type appeasement of Russia, China and Iran, and the results thereof. Not saying 'the other guy' either can fix it or would have prevented it, but none of these nations 'got busy' when he was in.
Thanks Mike and John, for an excellent overview inside the 'politics of intrigue'!!!!.
Great discussion gentlemen. For those not subscribed to John’s newsletter, it’s very, very good a well worth a few minutes of your day.
Thanks Mike for the drill down on the South China Sea with John, all be it a short shaft primarily due to time constraints. Please continue to keep us up to date. Although there are other 'hot spots' in the world, SCS is definitely Yosemite. I also subscribe to International Intrigue and enjoy their take on international affairs.
Great coversation! It really breaks it all down in an easily digestible manner. I look forward to the next convo on the Houthis and the Red Sea AO.
Joined the II newsletter. Thanks for the broccoli as I want it all.
Very interesting information. Your program along with Mooch really make my day. Thanks
Glad to hear it!
Peace through strength!
I think Justin Bronk did a paper for RUSI about the “pennys on a dollar” argument for Ukraine.
Very informative
Great interview and discussion points, cutting through some of the mist and myths on public narratives about various hot spots. There aren't many politicians these days that can cut to the chase on complex international issues. One of the greats was New Zealand Prime Minister David Lange, now deceased. A journalist asked him if they could get a word from him about Australia, "Wombat!" he replied.
Great discussion
This is so well said.
Love The Merge!
The US has been the chief beneficiary of the global order that it largely setup, funded and maintained since WW2? I mean who else should be the chief beneficiary?
People, Europeans in particular make this argument all the time. They would have you think that Europe and other allies of the US have gained absolutely nothing from the global order that the US has funded. European countries like Germany for example rely on global trade alot more than the US economy does. The US Navy has largely footed the bill to patrol the oceans so Germany and others could safely and freely trade all over the world.
True. And they need oil from the middle east more than we do.
Loved yo and Gunny on War Stories, would love to know how we would fair against China in an air fight!
It’s a good thing I like broccoli!
Love me some broccoli!
Kevin Miller’s “Fight, Fight” (available for free to Amazon Prime members) has realistic start to a fictional U.S. - Sino war.
I wouldn't mind Japan joining AUKUS, but do have memories of Toshiba selling sub tech to Ivan. 688 attack sub simulation even had "Toshiba" in the background on Russian subs as an Easter egg.
42:30 In 2016, the actor Steven Seagal was personally given a Russian passport from the president, a decision that led to him being banned from entering Ukraine for five years. Two years later, he was appointed as “a special representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry in charge of Russian and American Humanitarian ties.” Demonstrating his unwavering support for the Russian leader, Seagal attended the inauguration ceremony for Putin’s fifth consecutive term in office
Steven Frederic Seagal is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, martial artist, and musician. A 7th-dan black belt in aikido, he began his adult life as a martial arts instructor in Japan where he became the first American to teach in an aikido dojo
56:45 I think it’s a bad habit that we always focus on the western benefits in the global world order. We aren’t the only one ones who benefit. I’d argue the “global south”, whatever that’s supposed to mean, so I’ll say the global disenfranchised, are the largest beneficiaries. They’ve gained the most independence from foreign interference than they have in centuries. They’ve been able to independently develop themselves faster than they have been able to, while doing it under their own agency. And they benefit MASSIVELY from the maintenance of borders given the insane number of historical conflicts that would occur without the global order reinforcing the current borders. And we don’t even need to dig through history to find these l feuds, they’re still present in the societies today. They’ve been able to (mostly) get put on hold (except for the occasional genocide) by the external factors benefiting them to not escalate in conflict. If you take those external benefits and replace them with a global norm of fighting for your “historic” territorial rights, then you’re going to face an immense conflagration of conflicts in Africa and a massively steep decline in standard of living. In the current world order the weakest countries can still exert their agency with near certain guarantees they won’t be immediately destroyed and occupied by a global power. I’d argue that’s more important and interesting at a fundamental humanitarian level than just looking at how the US benefits. Especially since you can then add on how western countries do still benefit while also enabling others to benefit and grow as well. It’s no longer a world of if I gain you lose, it’s much much more a world if we can both gain together.
👽👽👽👽🌎👽👽👽👽
Where does North Korea fit into this global thinking?
Firmly in the FFS category.