The Realignment - podcast cover

The Realignment

The United States is in the midst of a dramatic political realignment with shifting views on national security, economics, technology, and the role of government in our lives. Saagar Enjeti and Marshall Kosloff explore this with thinkers, policymakers, and more.
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Episodes

228 | Seth G. Jones: Irregular Warfare and the Future of Global Competition After Ukraine

NOTE: This is the last week of The Realignment's daily Ukraine programming. For Day 22 of The Realignment's Daily Ukraine coverage, Marshall spoke with Dr. Seth G. Jones, author of Three Dangerous Men: Russia, China, Iran and the Rise of Irregular Warfare and Senior VP and Director of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic & International Studies. They discussed how the conventional military strength of great powers such as the United States and Russia are increasingl...

Apr 04, 202259 minEp. 231

227 | Aparna Pande: India's Foreign Policy in a Multipolar World

For Day 22 of The Realignment's Daily Ukraine coverage, Marshall spoke with Dr. Aparna Pande, author of From Chanakya to Modi: The Evolution of India's Foreign Policy and Making India Great: The Promise of a Reluctant Global Power. They discussed India's reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, India's priorities, its ambitions in a multipolar world, and how the country's post-colonial and Cold War history drives its approach to the world. SEND US A TIP: https://app.swapstack.co/tips/the-realig...

Apr 01, 20221 hr 1 minEp. 230

226 | Saagar's Triumphant Return: Marshall & Saagar Discuss Ukraine and More

For Day 21 of The Realignment's daily Ukraine coverage, Saagar returns to the show for a one-on-one discussion episode with Marshall to discuss recent episodes, developments in the war, and a broader discussion of the launch of CNN+. Note: After we end our daily Ukraine coverage next week, we'll be releasing these discussion episodes every two weeks on Fridays. Write in to realignmentpod@gmail.com to submit topics, questions, etc... SEND US A TIP: https://app.swapstack.co/tips/the-realignment RE...

Mar 31, 20221 hr 9 minEp. 229

225 | Jon Wolfsthal: How Do We Handle Nuclear Weapons After Ukraine?

For Day 20 of The Realignment's daily Ukraine coverage, Marshall spoke with Jon Wolfsthal, a member of the Science and Security Board at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and a former adviser to President Obama. They discussed the past, present, and future of U.S. nuclear policy, Ukraine's history with nuclear weapons, whether nuclear weapons promote peace or not, and the future of disarmament after Iraq and Libya. SEND US A TIP: https://app.swapstack.co/tips/the-realignment REALIGNMENT NEWS...

Mar 30, 202253 minEp. 228

224 | Dr. Jennifer Sciubba: How the Population Boom & Bust Is Reshaping the World

For Day 19 of The Realignment's daily Ukraine and beyond coverage, Marshall spoke with Dr. Jennifer Sciubba, author of 8 Billion and Counting: How Sex, Death, and Migration Shape Our World. They start by discussing the over-hyped idea in the American foreign policy community that Russia's declining population and rising mortality rate signaled the decline of its foreign policy ambitions and then engage in a broader discussion on the implications of lower birthrates in wealthy, industrialized cou...

Mar 29, 20221 hr 2 minEp. 227

223 | Sean McFate: The New Rules of War for the Age of Durable Disorder

For Day 18 of The Realignment's daily Ukraine and beyond coverage, Marshall spoke with Dr. Sean McFate, professor of strategy at the National Defense University and author of The New Rules of War: How America Can Win--Against Russia, China, and Other Threats. They discussed Dr. McFate's central argument that conventional warfare no longer furthers broad political objectives, why "peace" as we know it is over, and what Ukraine instructs about what's real and what's hype when it comes to predictio...

Mar 28, 20221 hrEp. 226

222 | William Drozdiak: Emmanuel Macron and a Fractured Europe Confront Putin's Russia

For Day 17 of The Realignment's daily Ukraine coverage, Marshall spoke with William Drozdiak, author of The Last President of Europe: Emmanuel Macron's Race to Revive France and Save the World and Fractured Continent: Europe's Crises and the Fate of the West. They discussed the degree to which Putin's invasion of Ukraine has (and hasn't) unified a Europe fractured by Brexit, the Syrian refugee crisis, questions of identity, and economic stagnation and the significance of French President Emmanue...

Mar 25, 20221 hr 4 minEp. 225

221 | Mark Valentine: Can Artificial Intelligence Disrupt the Battlefield?

For Day 16 of The Realignment's daily coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Mark Valentine, Head of Federal at Scale AI and Air Force veteran/F-16 pilot, joins to discuss how artificial intelligence/machine learning tools teamed with human analysts will reshape the battlefield and scale the satellite-based reconnaissance that revealed Russia's pre-invasion buildup. SEND US A TIP: https://app.swapstack.co/tips/the-realignment REALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: https://therealignment.substack.com/ BOOKSH...

Mar 24, 202254 minEp. 224

220 | Robert Farley: Air Wars in Ukraine and Beyond

For Day 15 of The Realignment's daily coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Marshall spoke with Dr. Robert Farley, author of Grounded: The Case for Abolishing the United States Air Force and The Battleship Book. They discussed why Russia has failed to achieve air superiority in Ukraine, the debates over No-Fly-Zones and MiG-29 deliveries to Ukraine, the evolving nature of air combat from WWII to today, and the evolution of fighter aircraft alongside the transition from Generation 4 to 5. NYT...

Mar 23, 202259 minEp. 223

219 | Amy B. Zegart: Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The Future of U.S. Intelligence After Ukraine

For Day 14 of The Realignment's daily Ukraine coverage, Marshall talks with Dr. Amy Zegart, author of Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence. Dr. Zegart discusses how the release of classified intelligence before Russia's invasion of Ukraine will reshape geopolitics, how to think about intelligence failures in Afghanistan and Iraq, and provides an overview of the structure and make-up of the U.S. intelligence community. SEND US A TIP: https://app.swapstack.c...

Mar 22, 202249 minEp. 222

218 | Elbridge Colby: Is Taiwan Next?

For Day 13 of The Realignment's daily Ukraine coverage, Marshall spoke with return Realignment guest Elbridge Colby, co-founder of The Marathon Initiative, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development, where he served as the lead official in the development of the 2018 National Defense Strategy. They discussed what Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the increased focus on the European theater means for Taiwan and America's Pacific positions. For more on Elbridge'...

Mar 21, 20221 hr 4 minEp. 221

217 | Ian Buruma: How the Ghosts of Churchill and Appeasement at Munich Haunt Ukraine

For Day 12 of The Realignment's daily Ukraine coverage, Marshall spoke with Ian Buruma, historian and author of The Churchill Complex: The Curse of Being Special, from Winston and FDR to Trump and Brexit. They discuss how much our judgment of Zelensky, Biden, and Putin's performances are shaped by myths and lessons from Winston Churchill's leadership during World War II, along with mistakes made by the British and French when it came to confronting Hitler in 1938. SUPPORT/SEND US A TIP: https://...

Mar 18, 202257 minEp. 220

216 | Ian Morris: How Russia's Grand Strategy Drives the War in Ukraine

For Day 11 of The Realignment's daily Ukraine coverage, Marshall spoke with Stanford University history professor Ian Morris, author of Why the West Rules - For Now, War! What Is It Good For? and the upcoming Geography Is Destiny, joins to discuss his recent piece for Time : The Russian Strategy Guiding the Invasion of Ukraine. Ian's piece: https://time.com/6155129/russian-strategy-guiding-invasion-ukraine/ SUPPORT/SEND US A TIP: https://buy.stripe.com/bIYdRx0gc6qjaE... REALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: h...

Mar 17, 20221 hr 4 minEp. 219

215 | John Nagl: Russia's Insurgency Problem

For Day 10 of The Realignment's daily Ukraine coverage, Marshall spoke with retired U.S. Army Lt. Col John Nagl, counterinsurgency expert and visiting professor at the U.S. Army War College. John is the author of Knife Fights: A Memoir of Modern War in Theory and Practice, Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam and co-authored the U.S. Army and Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual. They discuss how the study of past insurgencies instructs abou...

Mar 16, 202257 minEp. 217

214 | Christian Brose: Can the U.S. Military Compete with Russia and China?

For day 9 of The Realignment's daily Ukraine coverage, Marshall and Saagar speak with Christian Brose, Chief Strategy Officer at Anduril Industries, former Staff Director of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and author of The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare, joins The Realignment to discuss the state of the U.S. military as it faces down peer-competitors like Russia and China. SUPPORT/SEND US A TIP: https://buy.stripe.com/bIYdRx0gc6qjaEEcMM REALIGNMENT NEWSLET...

Mar 15, 202256 minEp. 216

213 | Ben Bowman: Unpacking Ukraine + Calling Out The Realignment's Cynicism

For day 8, Ben Bowman, Tigard, Oregon school board chair, candidate for Oregon's House of Representatives, and Marshall's friend from college joins to discuss the Ukraine crisis through the lens of our recent coverage, plus, give a different perspective from Marshall and Saagar and getting engaged in the political system. SUPPORT/SEND US A TIP: https://buy.stripe.com/bIYdRx0gc6qjaEEcMM REALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: https://therealignment.substack.com/ BOOKSHOP: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignment...

Mar 14, 202259 minEp. 215

212 | Neil Lanctot: How the Legacy of World War I Shapes Our Response to Ukraine

For day eight of The Realignment's Ukraine coverage, historian Neil Lanctot, author of The Approaching Storm: Roosevelt, Wilson, Addams and Their Clash Over America's Future, joins to discuss how the clash between Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Jane Addams over America's entry into World War I shaped the 20th century and redefined America's role in the world. Neil and Marshall discuss how each figures competing instinct: intervention, neutrality, and pacifism lives on in today's debates...

Mar 11, 202257 minEp. 214

210 | Hal Brands: What Can the Cold War Teach Us About Modern Conflict with Russia and China?

For day six of The Realignment's near-daily Ukraine coverage, Marshall spoke with Hal Brands, author of The Twilight Struggle: What the Cold War Teaches About Great-Power Rivalry Today, John Hopkins University professor, AEI Resident Fellow, and Bloomberg columnist. They discussed America's successes and failures during the Cold War, how today's Russia and China differ from their 20th-century incarnations, what sacrifices a second cold war will demand, and more. SUPPORT/SEND US A TIP: https://bu...

Mar 09, 202253 minEp. 212

209 | Demetri Kofinas: What’s Next in Ukraine Part II

For day five of The Realignment's near-daily Ukraine coverage, Marshall speaks with return Realignment guest and host of the Hidden Forces podcast about the current state of the Ukraine crisis Link to the Hidden Forces podcast: https://hiddenforces.io/ SUPPORT/SEND US A TIP: https://buy.stripe.com/bIYdRx0gc6qjaEEcMM REALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: https://therealignment.substack.com/ BOOKSHOP: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignment

Mar 08, 202257 minEp. 211

208 | Alec Ross: What Happens When Companies Get Involved in Geopolitics?

For day four of The Realignment's near-daily Ukraine coverage, Marshall speaks with return Realignment guest Alec Ross, author of The Raging 2020s: Companies, Country, People - and the Fight for Our Future and The Industries of the Future, joins The Realignment to discuss the factors and policies driving private sector companies into the geopolitical arena. SUPPORT/SEND US A TIP: https://buy.stripe.com/bIYdRx0gc6qjaEEcMM REALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: https://therealignment.substack.com/ BOOKSHOP: http...

Mar 07, 202248 minEp. 210

207 | David Kilcullen: Insurgencies, Resistance, and Russian Strategy and Tactics

For day three of The Realignment's near-daily Ukraine coverage, Marshall spoke with Dr. David Kilcullen, a theorist and practitioner of guerilla and unconventional warfare. They cover the present state of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and whether the conflict could transition into a drawn-out war of resistance/insurgency. Dr. Kilcullen's perspective is drawn from a 25-year career in the Australian Army and postings to the U.S. Defense and State Departments during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan....

Mar 04, 20221 hr 6 minEp. 209

206 | Ukraine Emergency Podcast #2: Marshall and Saagar Unpack the Ukraine Crisis

Yesterday, Marshall and Saagar recorded their second one-on-one episode reacting to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and responding to audience questions. This is a part of The Realignment's daily Ukraine coverage. Submit any questions to realignmentpod@gmail.com. SUPPORT/SEND US A TIP: https://buy.stripe.com/bIYdRx0gc6qjaEEcMM REALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: https://therealignment.substack.com/ BOOKSHOP: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignment

Mar 03, 20221 hr 3 minEp. 208

205 | Nate Sibley: Russia's Rulers Aren't Who You Think and What Sanctions Can (and Can't) Do

Welcome to the first day of The Realignment's near-daily Ukraine coverage. For our first episode, Marshall interviews Nate Sibley, a Research Fellow at Hudson Institute's Kleptocracy Initiative. His research focuses on authoritarian regimes, transnational corruption, and U.S. national security. They discuss the rise and fall of Russia's oligarchs, why Putin's largely immune to financial sanctions, how economic warfare impacts Russian society, and more. SUPPORT/SEND US A TIP: https://buy.stripe.c...

Mar 02, 202252 minEp. 207

ANNOUNCEMENT: Daily Ukraine Coverage Starts 3/2 + Request for Qs for Upcoming Reaction Show

Hey everyone, just wanted to say that we pre-recorded tomorrow’s episode on PayPal, Elon Musk, and Peter Thiel before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began. Our producer’s going to be out of pocket, so we weren’t able to record an alternate episode. However, starting Wednesday, March 2nd, we’re going to significantly up our coverage of the Ukraine crisis. On Thursday, we’re going to host another Q&A/reaction show, so please send anything to realignmentpod@gmail.com.

Feb 28, 20224 min

Emergency Podcast: Marshall and Saagar Unpack the Ukraine Crisis

Yesterday afternoon, Marshall and Saagar recorded an emergency podcast reacting to Putin's invasion of Ukraine and answered audience questions. SUPPORT/SEND US A TIP: https://buy.stripe.com/bIYdRx0gc6qjaEEcMM REALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: https://therealignment.substack.com/ BOOKSHOP: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignment

Feb 25, 20221 hr 15 minEp. 205

203 | Lisa Miller and Andrea González-Ramírez: What AOC Means for the Future of American Politics

Lisa Miller and Andrea González-Ramírez authors (among others) of Take Up Space: The Unprecedented AOC, join The Realignment to discuss what AOC’s rise and time in Congress means for the future of the progressive movement, the Millennials and Gen-Zs, and the questions raised by her successes and failures. SUPPORT/SEND US A TIP: https://buy.stripe.com/bIYdRx0gc6qjaEEcMM REALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: https://therealignment.substack.com/ BOOKSHOP: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignment

Feb 24, 20221 hr 17 minEp. 204

202 | Jeremy W. Peters: How Republicans Lost Their Party and Got What They Wanted

Jeremy W. Peters, author of Insurgency: How Republicans Lost Their Party and Got Everything They Ever Wanted, joins The Realignment to discuss how the transformation of the Republican Party during the Trump era shattered American politics. SUPPORT/SEND US A TIP: https://buy.stripe.com/bIYdRx0gc6qjaEEcMM REALIGNMENT NEWSLETTER: https://therealignment.substack.com/ BOOKSHOP: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignment

Feb 22, 202254 minEp. 203

201 | Demetri Kofinas: What’s Next in Ukraine?

Demetri Kofinas, host of the Hidden Forces podcast, joins The Realignment to discuss the West’s future relationship with Ukraine, how to shut out the noise and think for yourself, and a broader discussion about the state of American politics and public discourse. Demetri’s Hidden Forces Episode with Marshall and Saagar: https://hiddenforces.io/podcasts/saagar-enjeti-marshall-kosloff-realignment-narrative-reset/ SUPPORT/SEND US A TIP: https://buy.stripe.com/bIYdRx0gc6qjaEEcMM

Feb 17, 20221 hr 23 minEp. 202
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