Clearer Than Truth

Nathan Kiker & George Bogden
  • 4.4 (8)
  • Government
  • Updated Weekly

The wisdom of former Secretary of State Dean Acheson inspires our podcast. It emphasizes clarity while examining the intricate global issues of today for a diverse audience. In a world where time is limited, this podcast aims to distill complex ideas into straightforward narratives, making them not just comprehensible but in Acheson’s words, “clearer than truth.” The podcast, much like other news-oriented shows, is committed to keeping listeners updated on breaking global events. Airing once every few weeks, it dissects the latest news, featuring insights from experts around the world. From discussions on significant geopolitical developments to the passage of controversial laws, this podcast provides concise yet comprehensive analyses.

  1. 21h ago

    Vali Nasr | Dean Emeritus of Johns Hopkins SAIS | Author of "Iran's Grand Strategy"

    Vali Nasr joins Clearer Than Truth to explain why Americans often misunderstand the forces shaping the Middle East. Nasr argues that the region cannot be understood simply through religion, terrorism, or ancient sectarian divisions; instead, geopolitics, competition for power, contested borders, resources, and outside intervention are central to understanding its conflicts. He examines the evolution of terrorism, explaining why it has never been exclusively a product of poverty or religious extremism, before turning to Iran’s grand strategy and the legacy of Ayatollah Khamenei’s resistance to American influence. Nasr also assesses the failures and constraints of U.S. policy toward Iran, the consequences of a potential Iranian nuclear capability, and the possibility of a broader nuclear race across the Middle East. He closes with a warning that the current war may fundamentally reshape the regional order—and that the United States needs to prepare for a Middle East that may look very different when the fighting ends. 00:00 Vali Nasr on the Middle East 00:58 What America Gets Wrong About the Middle East 02:42 Why Sectarianism Doesn't Explain Everything 04:28 How Americans Misunderstand the Region 05:29 The Borders That Created Modern Conflict 07:12 Why Israel-Palestine Is More Recent Than You Think 08:23 What Americans Get Wrong About Terrorism 09:14 The End of the War on Terror 10:59 Terrorism Before Al-Qaeda 12:28 The Strategy Behind Terrorist Violence 13:46 Why Wealthy People Join Terrorist Groups 16:04 Why So Many Terrorists Studied Science 17:57 Iran's Grand Strategy 20:05 Where Iran's Strategy Has Failed 21:23 Why Iran Keeps Resisting the U.S. 22:19 Iran's Forever War With America 23:12 What Obama Got Right—and Wrong—About Iran 25:18 The Limits of American Influence 27:11 Why Obama Chose the Nuclear Deal 28:35 Obama Was More Realist Than Idealist 29:45 What If Iran Gets a Nuclear Bomb? 31:11 India, Pakistan and the Nuclear Lesson 33:14 Why Iran Might Want Nuclear Deterrence 34:21 Could Iran Trigger a Middle East Nuclear Race? 36:01 How Nuclear Iran Changes the Region 37:18 The Risk of a Wider Nuclear Order 37:46 The Middle East May Never Go Back 38:36 Could This War Get Much Worse? 39:26 How the Middle East Could Reshape the West 40:28 What Comes After the War? 41:40 What America Can Learn From History 42:34 Closing Support the show

    Vali Nasr | Dean Emeritus of Johns Hopkins SAIS | Author of "Iran's Grand Strategy"

  2. Sep 29

    James M. Lindsay | Distinguished Senior Fellow | Council on Foreign Relations

    James M. Lindsay joins Clearer Than Truth for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of American power and the international system the United States helped build. Lindsay is a longtime scholar of U.S. foreign policy and the policymaking process at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he previously served as senior vice president and director of studies and where he hosts The President's Inbox. For roughly eight decades, American foreign policy has operated around an assumption that U.S. security and prosperity depend on an active role in the world. Lindsay argues that consensus is now under enormous strain, but says the story did not begin with Donald Trump. The American-led system has evolved through several distinct eras, from the bipolar Cold War order to the post-Cold War “unipolar moment,” before the return of great-power competition forced Washington to confront a more complicated geopolitical environment. The conversation then turns inward, examining the changing balance between Congress and the presidency. Lindsay explains why the modern “imperial presidency” predates 9/11, how Congress gradually gave presidents greater discretion in foreign policy, and why that authority has proven difficult to reclaim. He also discusses the limits of courts as a check on presidential power and the enduring political difficulty of constraining a president once military action has begun. Lindsay also examines the emerging cooperation among China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, cautioning against treating them as a formal alliance while acknowledging the growing incentives for bilateral cooperation among them. The discussion ultimately returns to the larger question: what comes after American primacy? Lindsay argues that the American-led order is coming to an end, but says historians will debate for years how much of that decline was structural and how much resulted from America's own decisions. 00:00 James M. Lindsay on the Future of American Power 01:04 What Broke America's Foreign-Policy Consensus? 01:54 From the Cold War to the Unipolar Moment 02:58 The Return of Geopolitics 03:28 Why Congress Lost Influence Over Foreign Policy 04:56 The Rise of the Imperial Presidency 05:46 What Congress Learned From the 1930s 07:44 Why Presidents Were Given So Much Discretion 08:06 How Presidents Expanded Their Authority 09:14 Why Courts Rarely Check Presidential Power 10:11 The Courts, Trump & National Security 12:30 When Expansive Presidential Power Serves a Purpose 13:55 How Far Can the President Go Militarily? 15:21 Congress and the Authorization of War 16:22 Why Congress Struggles to Rein In Presidents 18:12 Is There Really an Axis of Autocracies? 19:20 Why China, Russia, Iran & North Korea Cooperate 21:01 Why You Should Watch What Countries Do 22:03 Why Military Power Doesn't Equal Victory 23:07 Can Economic Pressure Bring Down Iran? 24:45 Can Leaders Become Too Detached From Their People? 25:51 Why Iran Hasn't Become Another Vietnam 26:21 How War Hits Americans at Home 28:56 What Vietnam Teaches Us About Public Trust 29:49 Can America Split the Axis of Autocracies? 31:03 Why the Nixon-Kissinger Strategy May Not Work Today 32:13 Why Regime Change Is So Hard to Predict 33:24 Was American Bipartisanship Ever Real? 34:03 Washington, Jefferson & America's First Foreign-Policy Fight 36:20 What Institutions Like CFR Actually Do 37:30 From Diagnosis to Policy to Implementation 38:25 The American-Led Order Is Ending 39:35 Was America's Decline Inevitable? 40:10 The Mistakes That Weakened American Leadership 41:54 Did America Fall Behind China? 42:21 How U.S. Policy May Have Accelerated Decline 43:21 What Happens to American Leadership Now? Support the show

    James M. Lindsay | Distinguished Senior Fellow | Council on Foreign Relations

  3. Sep 25

    Joby Warrick | Two-Time Recipient of the Pulitzer Prize | Author of "The Jackal"

    Joby Warrick returns to Clearer Than Truth to discuss his new book, The Jackal: The Rise and Fall of Carlos the World's First Super-Terrorist. A two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for The Washington Post, Warrick has spent decades reporting on terrorism, intelligence failures, and the conflicts shaping the modern Middle East. This time, he goes back to the 1970s to examine the extraordinary career of Carlos the Jackal and what his story can tell us about terrorism today. Carlos was more than a terrorist for hire. Warrick describes him as a remarkably flexible figure who moved between Palestinian militant organizations, communist governments, intelligence networks, dictators, and eventually anyone willing to employ him. His ideology was often secondary to his ambition, ego, and desire to become a revolutionary celebrity. But his greatest innovation was understanding the power of spectacle. The early terrorist groups around Carlos realized that attacks far from the battlefield could force television cameras, governments, and the public to pay attention to a cause. Warrick traces how those tactics evolved through the 1970s and eventually influenced later terrorist organizations, including al-Qaeda. The conversation also examines the OPEC siege, Carlos's relationships with state sponsors, the conditions that allow terrorist movements to emerge, and the danger of creating new generations of extremists through war, instability, and political collapse. The conversation ultimately moves from history to the present. Warrick warns that the combination of weapons of mass destruction and artificial intelligence could create new opportunities for terrorist organizations, while the deterioration of international cooperation may make it harder for states to contain them. Carlos the Jackal may belong to another era, but the methods he helped pioneer, particularly the use of spectacle, proxies, and permissive environments, remain relevant. 00:00 Joby Warrick on Carlos the Jackal 00:53 Why Go Back to Carlos Now? 02:30 What Actually Drove Carlos? 04:47 Carlos the Jackal and Today's Terrorists 06:23 The Rise of Proxy Terrorism 07:43 How Terrorism Became a Global Spectacle 09:16 Why Terrorists Wanted the Cameras 10:03 The International Terrorism Network of the 1970s 11:44 The Shift From Secular to Religious Terrorism 12:11 The OPEC Siege: Carlos's Most Audacious Attack 14:01 Gaddafi and the OPEC Plot 15:35 Why Gaddafi Abandoned Carlos 16:20 Are Terrorists Products of Failed States? 17:33 Why Carlos Became a Legend 18:16 How Dangerous Was Carlos Really? 19:21 The Incredible Mistakes of Carlos the Jackal 20:00 Why States Keep Getting Terrorism Wrong 20:46 The Conditions That Produce Terrorism 22:18 Are We Creating the Next Generation of Terrorists? 24:10 The Threat of AI and Weapons of Mass Destruction 25:47 What Made Carlos Different? 27:10 Why Carlos Needed to See Himself as a Hero 28:20 How Carlos Was Finally Captured 30:54 What al-Qaeda Learned From Carlos 32:59 Did Carlos Ever Regret What He Did? 34:22 The One Thing Carlos Regretted 35:00 How Many People Did Carlos Really Kill? 36:26 Could a Weaker World Order Bring More Terrorism? 37:07 The Decline of International Cooperation 38:22 How Carlos Wants to Be Remembered 39:28 Closing Thoughts Support the show

    Joby Warrick | Two-Time Recipient of the Pulitzer Prize | Author of "The Jackal"

  4. Sep 23

    Richard Overy | Fellow of the British Academy | Renowed Military Historian | Author of Why the Allies Won

    Richard Overy is one of the world's leading historians of the Second World War and the history of warfare. In this episode of Clearer Than Truth, Overy draws on decades of research to examine one of the most enduring questions in international politics: why do leaders continue to choose war when history repeatedly demonstrates how difficult it is to control? The conversation begins with the dangers of comparing today's conflicts too directly to the 1930s and 1940s. Overy argues that today's geopolitical environment is fundamentally different, particularly because of nuclear weapons and the existence of the United States and China as major global powers. Yet some historical patterns remain strikingly familiar. Leaders can become convinced that their opponents are weaker than they are, underestimate the costs of conflict, and assume that military force can produce a quick and decisive outcome. Overy also explores Russia's war in Ukraine, Putin's understanding of Russia's place in the world, the lessons China may be drawing from the conflict, and whether the emerging relationships between Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea constitute a genuine strategic coalition. He argues against simplistic historical analogies and warns that viewing every geopolitical rivalry through a disaster scenario can obscure the differences between today's world and the past. The discussion ultimately returns to Overy's central argument in Why War: technology changes, weapons change, and international systems change—but human beings remain capable of making the same fundamental mistake: believing that war is the solution when it may become the problem. 00:00 Richard Overy on the Dangers of Historical Analogies 00:30 Is Imperialism Really Back? 01:49 Why a Third World War Is Different Today 02:43 The Nuclear Lesson of the Cuban Missile Crisis 03:10 How Regional Wars Become Global Conflicts 04:09 Why World War Isn't Inevitable 04:57 How Much Does Personality Matter in War? 06:16 Putin, Russia & the Psychology of Encirclement 08:30 Why Putin Isn't Stalin 09:22 Russia's Search for Great-Power Status 11:33 Why Leaders Underestimate War 13:32 What Leaders Miss When They Ignore History 15:07 What China Is Learning From Ukraine 16:20 Would China Really Invade Taiwan? 17:10 Could America Push China Toward Conflict? 18:31 The Historical Roots of U.S.-China Rivalry 20:25 Is the West Ready for a Major War? 21:23 Why Modern War Still Looks Like World War II 22:55 Will AI and Cyberwar Change Warfare? 24:08 Is There Really an Authoritarian Axis? 26:19 Why Wartime Coalitions Eventually Break Apart 27:57 The Danger of Leaders Hearing Only What They Want 30:09 What Could Actually Remove Putin? 31:22 Why Do Humans Keep Choosing War? 32:56 The Lesson Today's Leaders Must Remember 33:53 Is There Any Reason for Optimism? 35:08 Richard Overy's Next Book: Hitler's Long Afterlife 36:20 Why Are We Still Fascinated by Hitler? 37:53 Was Hitler More Evil Than Other Dictators? 38:56 Hitler, Ideology & the Holocaust 39:31 Closing Thoughts Support the show

    Richard Overy | Fellow of the British Academy | Renowed Military Historian | Author of Why the Allies Won

  5. Sep 15

    Robert Zoellick | Former World Bank President

    Robert Zoellick, former U.S. Trade Representative, Deputy Secretary of State, and President of the World Bank, joins Clearer Than Truth for a wide-ranging conversation about globalization, trade, American power, and the future of the international order. Zoellick argues that the backlash against globalization has become intertwined with a broader backlash against elites and established institutions—but warns that the United States risks responding to legitimate concerns in ways that ultimately make the country weaker. He defends the strategic logic behind NAFTA and North American economic integration, arguing that a stronger relationship with Canada and Mexico gives the United States a powerful economic and security advantage in a world increasingly shaped by China.  The conversation then turns to the weaponization of economic interdependence, protectionism, supply-chain resilience, and the danger of using national security as a justification for restricting trade. Zoellick argues that the United States should build greater resilience and redundancy where necessary—but shouldn't mistake economic isolation for security. He makes a similar case regarding China: compete aggressively in critical areas, but remain focused on staying technologically ahead rather than simply trying to shut the world off.   Zoellick also examines the health of America's democratic institutions and the international alliances that underpin U.S. power. He warns that undermining confidence in elections, the rule of law, independent institutions, and America's commitments to allies can have consequences far beyond domestic politics. Drawing on his experience during the end of the Cold War and the global financial crisis, he argues that institutions can adapt to profound changes—but they must be strengthened rather than dismantled.   The episode ultimately becomes a discussion about what comes next. Zoellick believes the international system is being disrupted and that a new generation will have an opportunity to reshape it. His advice is straightforward: avoid unnecessary conflicts, maintain openness to capital and talented people, and preserve the alliances and institutions that allow the United States to lead without having to dominate. 00:00 Robert Zoellick on the Backlash Against Globalization 01:14 Was NAFTA a Mistake? 02:21 Why Mexico Joined NAFTA 03:48 Is America Destroying North America? 04:35 The Strategic Case for North American Integration 06:31 Why America Needs Mexico and Canada 08:10 America's Relationship With Canada 09:59 Globalization Isn't Going Away 10:25 How Economic Interdependence Can Be Weaponized 12:07 The Hidden Cost of Protectionism 13:24 Should America Buy From China? 14:14 Zoellick's Biggest Regret About NAFTA 16:35 Can Trade Rules Keep Up With China? 18:29 The Real Economics of U.S.-Canada Trade 20:25 Why Economic Change Creates Political Backlash 21:09 Can America's Institutions Survive? 22:02 The Threat to American Democracy 23:14 Is Congress Losing Its Power? 24:07 Could America's Alliances Unravel? 25:23 The Lessons of the Cold War 26:42 Was NATO Expansion a Mistake? 27:31 Why NATO Still Matters 28:18 How to Support Ukraine Without NATO Membership 29:02 Can America Adapt the World Order? 30:32 America Has Always Had to Fight for Consensus 31:24 Can America Manage Competition With China? 32:05 Can the U.S. and China Cooperate on AI? 32:26 Don't Make America More Like China 34:31 America's Energy Security Problem 36:20 Why Allies Matter in a Conflict With China 37:10 The Best Strategy Against China 37:54 Can America's Institutions Survive Another Crisis? 39:19 The Lesson of the Global Financial Crisis 40:22 Why America Still Has to Lead 40:47 The Next Generation Will Remake the World 41:12 Zoellick's Advice for the Future 42:09 Closing Thoughts Support the show

    Robert Zoellick | Former World Bank President

  6. Aug 27

    Declan Walsh | Pulitzer Prize Recipient | Chief Africa Correspondent, The New York Times

    Africa is becoming increasingly central to the global order, yet many of its conflicts and political shifts remain overlooked in Western discourse. On this episode of Clearer Than Truth, Nathan speaks with Declan Walsh, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Chief Africa Correspondent for The New York Times, about the forces reshaping the continent. Walsh begins with the war in Sudan, a conflict whose scale and human toll rival some of the world's most prominent wars but has received considerably less international attention. He explains why Sudan has become a critical case study in the changing priorities of the United States and the broader Western world.  The conversation then turns to Africa's extraordinary demographic transformation. While much of the world faces aging and shrinking populations, Africa remains young and rapidly growing. Walsh discusses what this population boom could mean for the continent—and for the rest of the world—as Africa's share of the global population continues to increase.  Walsh also examines the changing geopolitical competition in Africa. As American engagement has receded, countries including the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, India, and Russia have expanded their influence, pursuing access to resources, investment opportunities, ports, and strategic relationships.  A major focus is the impact of reduced U.S. aid. Walsh describes what he has witnessed firsthand in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, including the collapse of humanitarian food programs and weakened disease-surveillance networks.  The discussion also explores Africa's increasingly restless younger generation, the rise of Gen Z protests, the failures of democratic governments to deliver economic opportunity, and the growing appeal of military leaders in parts of West Africa.  Finally, Walsh identifies some of the continent's most dangerous potential flashpoints—including rising tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea—and returns to the war in Sudan, warning about the possibility of the conflict spreading across borders and drawing in neighboring powers. Despite these challenges, he closes on a more hopeful note, pointing to Africa's enormous human potential, improving health and education outcomes, and the many people driving progress across the continent. 00:00 Why Africa Matters to the World 02:53 Africa's Population Boom 03:51 America's Changing Approach to Africa 08:18 The New Powers Competing for Africa 12:14 The Real-World Impact of U.S. Aid Cuts 18:42 Africa's Youth & the Threat of Instability 22:18 What Happened to the Arab Spring? 26:49 The Sahel's Growing Crisis 28:23 Ethiopia, Eritrea & the Next Major Flashpoint 32:41 The UAE, Saudi Arabia & the New Geopolitics 36:08 Can Sudan Survive as a Unified Country? 39:32 What Gives Walsh Hope for Africa? Support the show

    Declan Walsh | Pulitzer Prize Recipient | Chief Africa Correspondent, The New York Times

  7. Aug 21

    H.W. Brands | Two-Time Pulitzer Prize Finalist | Preeminent Presidential Historian

    Two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and acclaimed presidential historian H.W. Brands joins Clearer Than Truth to explore what history can teach us about American leadership, democracy, and the presidency. Brands discusses what separates great presidents from mediocre ones, arguing that the most important quality in a leader is good judgment—the ability to make wise decisions in circumstances where there are rarely clear answers. He explains why presidents like George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin Roosevelt succeeded in their own historical moments, and why greatness cannot simply be transplanted from one era to another.  The conversation also examines Donald Trump and his place in presidential history. Brands compares Trump's dominance of American political life to Franklin Roosevelt's, while asking whether Trump represents a temporary departure from traditional presidential norms or a lasting transformation of the presidency.  As America is in the midst of its 250th anniversary, Brands reflects on the extraordinary experiment the United States represents: a nation founded around the idea that people can govern themselves. He considers whether American democracy is in danger, why political polarization isn't new, and what today's fractured media environment means for an informed electorate.  Finally, Brands discusses his biography of George Washington, revealing how Washington's restraint, patience, and ability to gather information before making decisions helped establish the presidency—and why his actions helped shape the power of the executive branch for generations to come. 00:00 What Makes a Great President? 02:57 The Secret to Presidential Greatness 04:19 America's Most Controversial Presidents 07:47 Trump vs. FDR: A Historical Comparison 10:13 The Presidents Who Had a Grand Strategy 13:33 America's 250-Year Experiment 18:01 Is American Democracy Failing? 21:30 America's Partisan Media Has Always Been Divided 24:05 Are We Entering an Age of Post-Literacy? 26:52 How Do You Understand George Washington? 32:37 Washington's Greatest Leadership Trait 36:51 How Washington Expanded Presidential Power 38:57 H.W. Brands' Historical Dinner Party Support the show

    H.W. Brands | Two-Time Pulitzer Prize Finalist | Preeminent Presidential Historian

  8. Aug 14

    Arne Westad | Author of The Coming Storm, Preeminent Cold War Scholar

    Arne Westad, one of the world’s leading historians of international history and the Cold War, joins Clearer Than Truth to examine the geopolitical forces reshaping the world. Westad argues that today’s rivalry between the United States and China should not simply be viewed as a new Cold War. Instead, he sees stronger parallels with the period before World War I—a time when a relatively stable international system began to fracture, multiple regional conflicts emerged, and no one could predict which crisis might ultimately trigger a global catastrophe.  The conversation explores the increasingly consequential relationship between Russia and China, Russia’s dependence on Beijing, the future of Putin’s regime, NATO expansion, Russian nationalism, and the lessons history can—and cannot—teach us about today's conflicts. Westad also examines China’s extraordinary economic transformation, its relationship with Taiwan, and how Beijing is interpreting Russia’s experience in Ukraine. He ultimately argues that the coming decades are likely to be defined by multipolarity, rising nationalism, and a series of smaller conflicts that could test the ability of major powers to maintain global stability. 00:00 Introduction: Arne Westad 00:29 Is This a New Cold War? 02:20 Why 1914 May Be the Better Comparison 04:32 Russia & China: A Dangerous Partnership 07:33 How China Became a Global Power 09:20 How Durable Is the Russia-China Partnership? 12:10 What Happens to Russia by 2050? 14:23 How Putin Led Russia Into Crisis 16:41 NATO Expansion & Russia's Strategic Thinking 19:17 What Is Happening Inside Russia? 22:40 What Happens If Putin's Regime Weakens? 24:15 Understanding Russian Nationalism 27:33 China's Rise & Global Ambitions 30:49 What Is China Learning From Ukraine? 33:00 The Future of the Global Order 35:30 The Coming Storm & What's Next Support the show

    Arne Westad | Author of The Coming Storm, Preeminent Cold War Scholar
See All (80)

Ratings & Reviews

4.4
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

The wisdom of former Secretary of State Dean Acheson inspires our podcast. It emphasizes clarity while examining the intricate global issues of today for a diverse audience. In a world where time is limited, this podcast aims to distill complex ideas into straightforward narratives, making them not just comprehensible but in Acheson’s words, “clearer than truth.” The podcast, much like other news-oriented shows, is committed to keeping listeners updated on breaking global events. Airing once every few weeks, it dissects the latest news, featuring insights from experts around the world. From discussions on significant geopolitical developments to the passage of controversial laws, this podcast provides concise yet comprehensive analyses.

Information

  • Creator
    Nathan Kiker & George Bogden
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    80
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Clearer Than Truth
  • Show Website
    Clearer Than Truth

You Might Also Like