362 episodes
American Diplomat Ambassador (Retired) Pete Romero and Writer/Producer Laura Bennett
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4.8 • 233 Ratings
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American Diplomat goes behind the scenes to hear real stories from diplomats who lived newsworthy events overseas. Experience the Cuban revolution, Central American insurgencies, the end of apartheid and more through the eyes of those who were there. A project of Arizona State University.
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Geopolitics Thrills!
We talk about cultural diplomacy, but what about diplomacy in culture? Laura (MFA, Film and Television, NYU) loves movies and TV, and best of all, Laura loves movies and TV about geopolitics. What do the last fifty years of diplomacy in media tell us about diplomacy in society? About society more broadly? And why do so many movies about diplomats turn into spy movies before the second act? Funny you should ask! Here's a compendium of said movies for superfans like us, and once you listen to our episode, you may love movies as much as Laura does. Get thee to the cinema!
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From Harlem Hellfighters to the Jazz Ambassadors, A Leap of Faith
State Department lawyer Mike Peay traces how, during a time of deep racial conflict, black American jazz artists went overseas to promote the American experiment, winning the hearts of millions with their music and personas, but would it improve race relations at home?
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Will Mexico Dodge the Bullet?
“Hugs, not bullets”, that is AMLO’s mantra for the cartels. This, while homicides have risen to historic highs. Our man in Mexico, retired Ambassador Tony Wayne, is back to discuss the good fight. Will democracy or autocracy win in the June 2 elections?
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Two State Solution - Is the Perfect the Enemy of the Good?
Lieutenant General (Ret.) Fred Rudesheim unpacks the complexities of Gaza. Much is said of the very real moral outrages committed by Israel and Hamas. But what now? In the near term, how viable is a two-state solution? First let's look at what is and how we got here. Hint: what exactly does Biden mean when he speaks of a "revitalized Palestinian Authority"?
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Russian Mercenaries' Regime Survival Kit
Out with Wagner, in with the Africa Corps. What will happen as mercenaries continue to offer attractive alternatives to vulnerable democracies like Niger, the Central African Republic, Burkina Faso and Mali? Ambassador Hank Cohen, whose new book "Africa, You Have a Friend in Washington", offers a vision of hope via economic self-determination. For added context, we append our earlier episode on the Wagner Group's activities in the Central African Republic.
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100 Years old and Still Kicking It: The US Foreign Service
Tom Yazdgerdi, President of the American Foreign Service Association reaches back to illustrate how far the Foreign Service has come in the last 100 years and charts how it will meet the complex challenges of the next decades.
Customer Reviews
Constructive criticism
First off, I would like to say that i absolutely enjoy this podcast. Great conversations, very interesting topics, and great hosts.
The only thing I don’t like is Laura’s habit of acknowledging the interviewee a bit too much by (perhaps unconsciously) interrupting with “uhmm”, “mmhmm”, “yep”, and so on. I find it very distracting, and to be honest, a bit annoying. I hope the producers take this as constructive criticism. I think she is an excellent interviewer, she makes great points, asks great questions, and makes great contributions to the conversations.
Again, I love this podcast, congratulations, and I wish them both the best!
We’re talking ?
If your going to keep the tag line “we’re talking “ then say it like you mean it, or cut it out. It sounds like your rambling through script that you don’t care about. Please fix it.
Also, the interviews are starting to fade and become boring. Maybe time to spice up the format and content a little.
Please don’t interrupt
Love the show, but the interrupting “uh huh” is so distracting. Please try to stop. All else, is great.