None Of The Above Institute for Global Affairs

The surprising election of Argentina's controversial new president, Javier Milei, captivated international media attention. Milei just passed his first major legislative package, and promises to further slash state spending and promote policies to privatize much of the Argentine economy. What drives his support beyond voters’ weariness of the country’s economic woes and political stagnation?
This episode of None of the Above features interviews from IGA’s trip to Buenos Aires after the election. Host Mark Hannah delves into the extraordinary rise of Javier Milei with insights from Jorge Liotti, the chief editor of the political section at La Nacion newspaper, and Augusto Reina, director of PULSAR at the University of Buenos Aires. They explore Milei's blend of libertarianism, populism, and ultra-capitalist economic philosophy.

In the aftermath of 9/11, America’s political leaders lept to action based on, what turned out to be, a series of misplaced and untested assumptions. From conflations between the Taliban and Al Qaeda to misguided theories about nation building, these assumptions drove two decades of policy failure in Afghanistan. Critical missteps came with a human cost for both American soldiers and Afghan civilians.
In this episode of None Of The Above, IGA’s Mark Hannah sits down with Michael Cohen and Monica Duffy Toft of the Afghanistan Assumptions Project to analyze the key beliefs and decisions that shaped America’s longest war.

Haiti has been in a state of political uncertainty since its president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated two years ago. Ariel Henry assumed power with the backing of the US – but not of most Haitians – and promptly suspended elections. Competing gangs jockeyed for political power, and have seized control of the capital city Port-au-Prince. The proposed solution – a United Nations security mission led by Kenya and a US-backed transitional government that lacks domestic legitimacy – threatens to recreate the mistakes of the past.
In this episode of None Of The Above, the Institute for Global Affairs’ Mark Hannah sits down with Dan Foote, who was America’s special envoy for Haiti until he resigned in protest of US policy there. They discuss the island’s recent history, the role of international intervention, and the urgent need to rebuild Haitians’ trust in their democracy.

From the Crimean War of 1853 to Russia’s war inUkraine, journalists, reporters, and the media have shaped the public’s understanding of war. But do the stories we read and the photos we see provide an impartial picture of the wars they document? As the Institute for Global Affairs’ Mark Hannah explained in his 2022 Foreign Policy piece, certain aspects of American war coverage—reliance on government sources and incentives to simplify geopolitics as battles between good and evil—have long compelled news organizations to tilt toward military action.
In this archival episode of None Of The Above, host of WNYC’s On The Media Brooke Gladstone and Slate’s “War Stories” columnist Fred Kaplan, are interviewed by Mark at the American Academy in Rome. Together, in these excerpts from that conversation, they unpack the media’s coverage of the Russia-Ukraine War and the biases which influence how the media understand and depict these conflicts.

Many have argued that NATO, the transatlantic alliance forged at the dawn of the Cold War, is merely a vestige of another era. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine thrust NATO back into the spotlight, and reignited debates about the value and strategic imperatives of America’s alliances. With a distinguished career of over three decades in the United States Navy, Admiral James Stavridis (Ret.) was the 16th Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. He oversaw operations in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, and the Balkans. He has since become an author of 10 nonfiction books and two novels. 
In this episode, Admiral Stavridis talks about his motivations for venturing into the world of fiction, and the value of his novels as cautionary tales about the threats facing the nation. Drawing on historical parallels and his professional experience, he offers lessons for foreign policy leaders, discusses the value of NATO, and explores the transformative impact of technology on warfare.
 

In December 2023, South Africa brought human rights law into the fold of the Israel-Hamas war when it filed a genocide case against Israel in the World Court. South Africa’s unprecedented move sparked conversation surrounding the line between collateral damage and indiscriminate bombing campaigns.
In this extended cut of a recent episode of None of the Above, the Institute for Global Affairs’ Mark Hannah sits down with Kenneth Roth, who was executive director of Human Rights Watch for more than three decades. He shares his perspectives on Israeli violence enacted against Gazans, South Africa’s arguments to the World Court, the legal application of genocide, and international law.