Straight from the Shoulder The Arkin Group

Hollywood serves as a powerful recruiting mechanism for spy agencies like the CIA- using the screen to glamorize the work of intelligence operatives worldwide- but it also contributes to some of the biggest misunderstandings of what spies do and how they operate. Join Jack and Julia for a fun and enlightening conversation about what Hollywood gets right- and what it gets wrong- in its portrayal of the spy-world. On this episode we’ll discuss:What’s real and fake about James Bond and othe...

Many Americans now consider disinformation to be a key national security threat, and disinformation topped the World Economic Forum’s list of short-term global risks for 2024. But what’s the history of disinformation and how is it increasingly interfering in international relations and eroding the trust of civilian populations? Are democratic nations simply more susceptible to disinformation? Whose responsibility is it to limit the influence of disinformation and can we mitigate the threat mo...

Given that hostage taking is again in the spotlight after the October 7 Hamas attacks, what is the latest status of Washington’s hostage policy? What can we learn from a review of the past several decades of hostage crises worldwide? And is it possible for Americans to avoid hostage situations in the coming years, even while tensions between democratic and non-democratic countries appear to be on the rise? Join Jack and Julia for a thoughtful discussion about the recent history of hostag...

“How is the world being reshaped by two active wars involving US allies in Europe and the Middle East? And what will the outcome of these conflicts mean in terms of the world we want to live in? Join us for a thoughtful discussion about these destabilizing global conflicts, where we grapple with the question of what’s really at stake. On this episode, we’ll consider:The broader implications of supporting Ukraine and what’s currently happening in WashingtonParallels between the wars in Ukraine...