The DSR Network

Donald Trump ends the DACA program. He tacitly supports white supremacists. He goes after Muslims. He wants a wall. He attacks the courts. He can’t get anything done but can’t stop talking about it. He’s a mess. But he’s not just our mess. When the guy who holds the job of “leader of the free world” cedes the moral high ground, is incompetent, and actively undermines our values and those of our allies, it has a big effect on the way the world works. Has the world reached the point where it has concluded Trump is incapable of global leadership and they are either waiting for his replacement or taking advantage of America’s newfound absence of influence? Is this where we will be for years to come? Our panelists, Rosa Brooks and Colin Kahl of Georgetown and Kori Schake of Stanford, discuss. And hijinx ensue.

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Donald Trump has taken establishing foolish redlines into the 21st Century with the use of social media. In the case of North Korea, he is threatening devastating outcomes if they go one inch further…and then they do…and do it again…and he doesn’t act. Is he all talk? Or is he the irrational maniac he seems to be, the kind who could trigger a catastrophe on the Korean Peninsula? Our loyal band of deep staters—Rosa Brooks, Kori Schake and Colin Kahl—discuss and lament the current state of play of this most serious crisis of the young Trump administration. Join them for this special back-to-school episode of Deep State Radio…and the most rational discussion of the North Korea crisis you will hear anywhere!

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President Trump has a new Afghanistan strategy, just like the old Afghanistan strategy. Are we starting our seventeenth one-year war in Afghanistan, or is the 17th time the charm? On this episode, Rosa Brooks hosts in David's absence, and Kori Schake and Heather Hurlburt offer insights and diverging perspectives on Afghanistan - with special bonus snark on India and Pakistan.

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Trump's racism and affinity for the worst sorts of right wing extremists poured forth defiantly in the wake of the unrest in Charlottesville. The result was an avalanche of criticism and waves of defections from presidential advisory groups and companies supporting his resorts with events. Is this a watershed? Can Trump no longer perform even ceremonial roles as president? And should his cabinet continue to cover for his glaring defects? That's what Heather Hurlburt of New America, Stanford's Kori Schake, Georgetown's Rosa Brooks and host David Rothkopf discuss on this fun and sun-filled episode of Deep State Radio.

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While you were busy fretting about Nazis and the sudden implosion of Donald J. Trump, the Deep State Radio team maintained its steady focus on nuclear apocalypse. With David still away in an undisclosed location, Rosa, Kori and special guests Jeffrey Lewis and Alice Hunt Friend wonder about Trump and the nuclear codes, and argue about whether military personnel have a duty to obey a presidential order to launch a preemptive nuclear strike, or a duty to disobey. Moving along, they ask whether the Iran deal is on the chopping block, when Japan and South Korea will demand nukes of their own, and why everyone seems to have lost interest in Pakistan.

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It’s been a validating week for apocalypse watchers. On this episode of Deep State Radio, David hides in his hardened bunker while Rosa, Kori and guests Alice Hunt Friend and Jeffrey Lewis wonder what should scare us more, heavily armed white supremacists marching through Charlottesville, or the prospect of imminent war with North Korea? Jeffrey – a.k.a. Arms Control Wonk – explains North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, Rosa wonders if deterrence theory applies to Donald Trump, Alice argues that the moral arc of the universe is still bending towards justice, and several rhinestones fall off Kori’s tiara of optimism.

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In the latest episode of Deep State Radio Julia Ioffe of the Atlantic, Rosa Brooks of Georgetown University and host David Rothkopf take a look at the current state of Washington, DC and the world...and conclude that Rosa's earlier idea of buying up used missile silos and hardened bunkers in order to live out the apocalypse was great real estate advice. We also discuss the merits of having a deli in the silo...and substance...lots of discussion of crises of every variety. Just what a Deep State Radio nerd needs to help get them through the end of a very long, scary week. Join us.

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What is the geopolitical significance of Putin's torso? What do his exposed nipples say about Russia and its people. Why is it absolutely vital that the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, never ever ever never sees Putin's fondness for exposing his naked chest as he did recently on a fishing expedition to Siberia as a challenge? Why must America never see the First Torso? Rosa Brooks of Georgetown University and Julia Ioffe of The Atlantic join host David Rothkopf for an in-depth discussion of these and other issues regarding the US-Russia relationship today. These other issues may also lead you to lose your appetite...but in a different way. Tune in.

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We present you, our beloved Deep State nerds, with the face-off you've been anticipating all summer. Our expert team breaks down rising powers, ruling powers, and the forces that drive war. Graham Allison and Kori Schake debate The Thucydides Trap, Rosa Brooks and David Rothkopf help us make sense of the similarities between ancient and modern history, all while convincing us to read The History of the Peloponnesian War. Come for the cage match and stay until the very end for some chilling insights into North Korea.

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Clearly the world has gone, in the words of one Deep State Radio listener nerd, "nuclear grade bonkers." On this episode of the pod, Rosa Brooks, Kori Schake, Julie Smith, and, host, David Rothkopf discuss the latest examples of this including the departure of the worst and shortest lived communications in White House history (with the best nickname...we won't miss you, Mooch) and they debate the prospects of former Secretary of Homeland Security, General John Kelly to bring order to this White House. From there the conversation turns to a world in chaos and Rosa tries to wrestle the "tiara of optimism" away from Kori as Julie slowly bangs her head on the acoustic foam covered walls of our tiny studio in the third sub-basement of the Ministry of Snark. Outrage fatigue? We're not there yet! Tune in!

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This week, Ben Wittes of Brookings and Lawfare and David Sanger of the New York Times chat with David Rothkopf about the global consequences of domestic scandals. The President continues to argue that Russia didn’t interfere with the 2016 U.S. elections -- how does this affect his relationship with the intelligence community, constituencies, and the world? At what point does Trump become a direct line of communication between Putin and the American people? We also discuss the policy process of the National Security Council and the President’s approach to nuclear negotiations with Iran and North Korea, with analysis from observations at the Aspen Ideas Festival. Join us for another episode recorded deep within the Ministry of Snark.

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Jared Kushner took centerstage in the America's favorite circus as the week began and in this episode of Deep State Radio, our excellent guest, Lawfare editor Ben Wittes, joins David Sanger of the New York Times and David Rothkopf of somewhere in New Jersey to discuss the pros and cons of how America's Secretary of Everything presented himself. They even found some nice things to say. Also: a discussion of where the investigation is taking us, the consequences of the President's latest Twitter storms, and how all this is making everyone feel and the U.S. government work during this cheerful summer holiday season of 2017.

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If we didn't have Trump we would have to go back to watching "House of Cards" and "Scandal" for completely implausible, mind-boggling dramas about public officials with no morals and no understanding of how the U.S. government does work or should work. But we do have Trump (for a while anyway) and in this edition of Deep State Radio we discuss the state of the scandals, the president, the president's men and women and where things are headed. You won't want to miss Kori Schake, Ed Luce and David Sanger as they tell like it is while host David Rothkopf weeps quietly in a corner imagining what might have been.

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Is Trumpism a philosophy? Does it have any hint of a philosophy within it? Is there any philosopher that ever existed that would embrace Trump? Does David Sanger remember any of his college philosophy courses? On this episode, Stanford's Kori Schake, Ed Luce of the Financial Times, David Sanger of the New York Times, and David Rothkopf, who grew up in New Jersey, walk us through how Trump may have developed what pass for his philosophies and consider the nature and origins of the ideas that drive his world view. Kori Schake also brings up Thucydides again and Ed uses the term "obscurantism." Don't miss it.

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On this episode of Deep State Radio, Lawfare managing editor Susan Hennessey, Georgetown Law School Associate Dean Rosa Brooks and perennially optimistic Stanford military historian Kori Schake take a good hard look at the good hard time some of America's leaders may be doing soon. From recent revelations about Trump, Jr. and his secret meetings with a Russian lawyer to seek dirt on Hillary Clinton to the will of the U.S. Congress to seek justice, we leave no stomach unturned. Tune in!

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If you were playing in the Trump Division of a Fantasy Felony League, who would you pick in the draft to accumulate the most points for subpoenas, indictments, convictions, appeals, counts of perjury, lawyers, lawyer resignations, and/or denigrating “Godfather” movie references in the press? Fredo (Don, Jr.)? Jared? Flynn? Manafort? Roger “Crazy Eyes” Stone? Agent Orange himself? Our experts including Georgetown’s Rosa Brooks and Colin Kahl, New America’s Heather Hurlburt and our host, David Rothkopf, debate and discuss the breaking news about America’s favorite crime family, the state of the investigation, next steps, and what this all means for the world. Plus, in a Deep State Radio first…we end with a brief reading from Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov. Join us.

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Rotten Tomatoes gives "National Lampoon's European Vacation" a score of 39 percent. But if they had rated "Donald Trump's European Vacation" the score would have been a lot lower--especially if they were listening to our panel. Rosa Brooks of Georgetown, Kori Schake of Stanford, Susan Hennessey of Lawfare and David Rothkopf of somewhere in New Jersey, join for a play-by-play breakdown of the president's trip, gaffes, missteps, and outrages. Suffice it to say Chevy Chase would have done better...even the old, cranky, not-funny-anymore Chevy Chase of today. Also explored on this episode: the very big idea of a Kori Schake-Graham Allison cage match over the use of the term "Thucydides Trap." Deep State Radio Nerd heaven! Listen up.

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On this second episode of Deep State Radio recorded in the sylvan beauty of Aspen, Colorado during the Ideas Festival, our regulars including Kori Schake of Stanford, David Sanger of the New York Times and Ed Luce of the Financial Times, explore a few of the top overheard high up in the Rockies. Then they ponder the nature of elites at events like Aspen and why it might be that they seem a bit out of touch sometimes with the reality of the average person. And if you think it's hypocritical for them to do that given that they were at Aspen or frequent events like it, forget it. The Deep State Radio gang fly commercial. On this episode we prove yet again that we are the people's elite. Pass the peanut butter and jelly canapés, please.

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In this report from the Aspen Ideas festival and other undisclosed but nonetheless elitist locations, the Deep State Radio gang--including Ed Luce and David Rothkopf in Aspen, David Sanger in Vermont and Kori Schake from Stanford--discuss readout from Aspen discussions, including notably David's panel encounter in which General David Petraeus argued that it was "immaterial" whether Trump was unfit to serve because the team around him was so darned good. (Best he's ever seen, according to Petraeus.). If that isn't enough, Luce encountered a bear between champagne receptions and intense intellectual discussions. Fun for all! Tune in for a holiday week special episode.

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Generals understand it. America’s health is related the country’s military readiness. That’s why they’ve produced reports like, “Too Fat to Fight” points out Georgetown’s Rosa Brooks on this episode. She and Kori Schake of Stanford and Julia Ioffe of the Atlantic then go on to argue that whether it's an epidemic like obesity or proposed health care reforms that will make millions suffer and thousands die, the biggest risks we face to our national security are not the one’s that produce the scare headlines we are used to. In addition, the gang discusses just what kind of crazy is America’s president—Yertle the Turtle crazy? Or something more menacing?

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America’s last three presidents couldn’t have been more different and yet they all contributed to declining U.S. international influence in real ways. So, is that a good thing or a bad thing? Depends on where you are sitting argue our three great panelists Rosa Brooks of Georgetown Law School, Kori Schake of Stanford and Julia Ioffe of The Atlantic. Or is the real question not so much about the US but whether the entire international system is on the ropes and the big winners are the forces of Chaos.. (And Rosa’s dog and Kori’s horse.)

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Do low tech attacks on soft targets suggest a change in the nature of both the war on terror and how our societies express their political dysfunction? Or is the mayhem that drives the news daily more or less what we have always seen in the past? On this episode of Deep State Radio, Georgetown Law School’s Rosa Brooks, Stanford’s Kori Schake and CNAS’ Julie Smith try to get past the headlines and answer what’s new about the period we have entered and whether or not our leaders in the White House are doing anything to help. Or are they making it worse? You be the judge. Warning: Extra box wine may be required in this episode that is rated at only half a rhinestone tiara of optimism.

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On this episode of Deep State Radio, our regulars Kori Schake of Stanford, Rosa Brooks of Georgetown and host David Rothkopf are joined by former top White House national security aide Julie Smith. The discussion focuses on the escalations and complications that are making virtually every flashpoint in the Middle East more dangerous, what the White House is (not) doing about it and why leaving it to the generals may or may not be a good idea. They get there via the Battle of Waterloo and “Young Frankenstein.” Naturally.

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In this episode of Deep State Radio our special guest Edward Luce of the Financial Times joins Georgetown's Rosa Brooks, Stanford's Kori Schake and the New York Times' David Sanger to discuss what's gone wrong in Anglo-American democracy, what's gone remarkably right in France, why Rosa is still in Canada, and why it may be that it's not just Trump that's contributed to the end of the Pax Americana...it may be his whole damn baby boom generation (and the missteps of all the Boomer presidents from Clinton to Bush to Obama to Trump.). Where this leads...and whether that might be a good thing are discussed and the whole thing leads Luce to use the word "parlous"--which elevates the discourse of Deep State Radio to new levels.

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There's lots we don't know about how things are going to shake out in the small constellation of scandals that surround America's president. But there is one thing that's clear. The cloud Donald Trump wanted James Comey to help remove is not going away anytime soon. Does this mean America's president is no longer the most powerful man in the world? Is Trump the least influential American president since Hoover? And has Rosa Brooks found a used Canadian missile silo? Regulars Rosa Brooks of Georgetown University, Kori Schake of Stanford, and David Sanger of the New York Times are joined by the Financial Times' America columnist Ed Luce and host David Rothkopf in this the third episode of Deep State Radio.

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America's Twitter-bomber-in-chief has caused plenty of mayhem during his wild ride through the first half year in the presidency, but he hasn't really been tested by a crisis. On this episode, guests Rosa Brooks, Kori Shake and David Sanger discuss what clues deep staters might have gleaned about how the big guy might handle a terrorist attack or an international incident. They also consider just how long lasting the damage of the Trump tenure might be to America's standing. Which leads them right back to wondering about where to find a good used nuclear missile silo...and to a discussion of Kori's sparkling Tiara of Optimism.

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On this pilot episode of the Deep State Radio podcast (secretly taped in the third sub-basement of the Ministry of Snark), guests Rosa Brooks of Georgetown University, Kori Schake of Stanford and David Sanger of the New York Times reunite with host David Rothkopf for a look under the hood of the fine-tuned machine that is the Trump Administration. The apocalypse comes up. And then there are the real low points. But on the positive side, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin was one of the producers of "Wonder Woman."

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