Angry Planet

The war between Israel and Hamas, which began on Oct. 7 when terrorists overran the Gaza frontier and killed more than 1,200 Israelis, is now more than six months old. More than 100 Israeli hostages are still being held in Gaza. Israel, in return, has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians, with two thirds of that number likely to be civilians, including women and children. There are negotiations for a ceasefire going on—at least sporadically—but Dan Perry, former Associated Press bureau chief in the region, says that Hamas isn't playing by the same rules as Israel, or anyone else. Hamas, according to Perry, welcomes the deaths of Palestinian civilians. Anyone and everyone can be a martyr for Hamas's cause, which is not peace, but a complete destruction of Israel. Whoever must be sacrificed in the process, well, other people's live are a price Hamas is willing to pay. Angry Planet has a Substack! Join to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sign up at angryplanetpod.com to get instant access to the full episode. A direct link to the episode on Substack. A successful TV adaptation of the Fallout video game franchise has everyone excited about the post-apocalypse again so we thought it was a good time to finally do a bonus episode we’ve been threatening for a long time. Cultural critic, journalist, and YouTuber Noah Caldwell-Gervais comes on this episode of Angry Planet to discuss all things Fallout. It’s a long episode, we dive into a lot of topics including Fallout 76 Full spoiler warning for all of the Fallout video games and the entire TV show. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Go here to listen to Face-Off Jane Perlez is a veteran foreign correspondent, the former Bejing Bureau Chief for The New York Times, and host of the new podcast “Face-Off.” She’s on Angry Planet today to talk to us about the show and her experiences reporting on China. “Face-Off” is all about America’s complicated relationship with China. Perlez says she started the show because she was tired of the hysterical conversations she hears about Beijing in Washington. In this episode we learn … On the Beach When Mao and Khrushchev Went Swimming Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Violence thrives in countries where political solutions to conflict have failed. On this episode of Angry Planet, Jeffsky Poincy comes on the show to walk us through the origins of Haiti’s gang problems and lay out the complicated history that gave rise to them. Poincy, who is Haitian, is a program manager at PartnersGlobal, an NGO that helps foster democratic conflict resolution. Poincy’s perspective on the violence in Haiti is that it will require complicated and lengthy political solutions. The gangs thrive, he says, because of their place in a complicated transnational criminal network. It’s a local problem that requires local solutions. A thousand Kenyan soldiers on the ground in the devastated country won’t provide long term relief. Real political change will. Recorded 4/5/24 Angry Planet has a Substack! Join to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sign up at angryplanetpod.com to get instant access to the full episode. The U.S. State Department has been working hard to get Americans out of Haiti. The island nation’s government is in shambles and gangs run much of the urban center of Port-au-Prince. Haitians have struggled for hundreds of years at the hands of gangs, brutal authoritarian dictators, and colonial rule. One of its biggest problems has always been its nearest Imperial neighbor: America. On this episode of Angry Planet, we get America’s side of the story. Keith Mines is the Vice President for Latin America at U.S. Institute of Peace. If you’ve never heard of the USIP, you aren’t alone. As Mines says in the show, it is bad at branding. Part of a Congressional initiative from 1984, the USIP was founded to pursue peaceful resolutions to worldwide conflict. Mines has a storied career of government service. He’s worked for the State Department and been all across the world. His unique point of view gives listeners a window into the mind of a member of the U.S. political establishment. Mines has a deep knowledge of Haiti and a deeper understanding of how badly America has screwed up its efforts to help. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yemen has become a battlefield of technological firsts. The Houthis have turned the Red Sea into a proving ground for Iranian weapons, and Tehran is learning what works and what doesn’t. It’s become a place where the Khamenei and his crew can test new technologies and new strategies. It’s a win for Iran and a win for the Houthis in the short-term, but missiles on their own don’t win wars. On this bonus episode of Angry Planet, Fabian Hinz of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London comes on to tell us about the technological capabilities of the Houthis. Recorded on 3/21/24 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Defense contractors and governments can run a thousand simulations, but the data they get will never be as good as what’s generated on a battlefield. When Russia invaded Ukraine, tech companies saw an opportunity. A land war in Europe presented a unique chance to test cutting-edge technologies. That’s why, a few months after the 2022 invasion, Palantir CEO Alex Karp drove into the capital to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. TIME Senior Correspondent Vera Bergengruen is here on Angry Planet to tell the story. She traveled to Ukraine herself to see how tech companies have turned the country into a test bed for AI and other advanced technologies. As the war grinds on, Kyiv is singing the praises of the companies that help keep it safe. But wars aren’t forever and what becomes of some of the more invasive technology like facial recognition when the fighting stops? How Tech Giants Turned Ukraine Into an AI War Lab A Palantir-published tech demo Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sign up at angryplanetpod.com to get instant access to the full episode. Writing, even fiction writing, about war provides a clear-eyed and honest view of conflict that the best movies and television shows can’t replicate. Civilians and soldiers on all sides of conflicts have always turned to poetry and prose to express feelings that are hard to articulate any other way. On March 10, the literary magazine Guernica published a personal essay from British-Israeli writer Joannna Chen about the Israel-Hamas War. After a backlash to the essay that came from both inside and out, Guernica pulled the piece. “Guernica regrets having published this piece and has retracted it. A more fulsome explanation will follow,” the literary magazine published in place of the essay. As of this writing, that more fulsome explanation has not arrived. On this bonus episode of Angry Planet, author, journalist, and veteran Matt Galagher comes on to the show to walk us through the Guernica dustup and the importance of war writing. He talks to us about his recent trips to Ukraine, his relationship with the literary world, and his new novel: Daybreak. In Daybreak, Gallagher tells the story of American veterans who travel to Ukraine looking to fight a war that isn’t their own. Recorded on 3/14/24 “From the Edges of a Broken World,” republished by Washington Monthly. “Looking Back on the Spanish Civil War” by George Orwell Buy Daybreak here. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The U.S. is spending $2 trillion to overhaul its nuclear weapons. China is building ICBM silos in the desert. Russia has spent the last ten years talking about its fancy new nukes. After decades of drawdown, the world’s great powers are reversing course and rebuilding their nuclear arsenals. We have forgotten the power and terror of these weapons. W.J. Hennigan of The New York Times wants the world to remember. On this episode of Angry Planet, Hennigan discusses the Time’s new series: At the Brink. He’s spent the last year interviewing experts about the threat of nuclear war. His reporting asks its reader to imagine the unimaginable. Nuclear War Is Called Unimaginable. In Fact, It’s Not Imagined Enough. How America Made Nuclear War the President's Decision Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's easy to say the words "two-state solution" between Israel and the Palestinians, but as Steven Cook of the Council on Foreign Relations explains, there are plenty of reasons why there hasn't been one so far. We also take another look at "moral" war in a tight space. What's the difference between collateral damage and a war crime? And has world opinion turned permanently against Israel? We also talk to Steven about his upcoming book, The End of Ambition: American's Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East. Recorded 3/8/24. https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribe Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since the middle of December, a U.S.-led coalition has been trading munitions with Houthis in Yemen. The day after Christmas, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower began participating in strikes against targets along the coast. It hasn’t left since and the conflict between a group of international allies and the Houthis has continued. On this episode of Angry Planet, former fighter pilot and current YouTuber Ward Carroll sits down to walk us through the ins and outs of Operation Prosperity Guardian. The conversation was recorded on February 20, 2023, and as Carroll predicted, the conflict remained remarkably static in the weeks that followed. That changed on March 5, when a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile struck the M/V True Confidence, killing three. Did the Houthis Cut Internet Cables in the Red Sea? The fighter pilots hunting Houthi drones over the Red Sea Ward’s initial thoughts on the "ace" Angry Planet has a Substack! Join to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict. https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribe Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the persistent themes of Angry Planet has been that smaller countries in the spheres of influence of great powers have far greater control over their destinies than it would appear. If the recent fighting in the Middle East has taught us anything, it’s that local partners have plans of their own and it’s impossible for a patron to have complete control over what happens on the ground. On this episode of Angry Planet, Barbara Elias of Bowdoin College comes on to make the case for retiring the term ‘proxy war.’ It’s a wide ranging conversation that covers Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Vietnam. Tune in for a worthwhile discussion of geopolitical semantics and stick around for a wild story of million dollar goats in Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s Failed Goat Farm Is the Perfect American Disaster Local Partners Are Not Proxies: The Case for Rethinking Proxy War Why Allies Rebel: Defiant Local Partners in Counterinsurgency Wars Subscribe to CYBER on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Retired Colonel John Spencer, who is a combat veteran who now teaches at West Point, joins Matthew and Jason for a second time. This time we're not talking about how to carry out urban warfare, but we're looking at how you fight morally under impossible circumstances. John recently wrote a piece for Newsweek (Jason's day job), making the controversial case that the Israelis are doing more than any other modern military to limit civilian casualties. You can see if he's persuasive for yourself. Angry Planet has a Substack! Join to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict. https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribe Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oil makes the world go ‘round, for now. But rare earth minerals such as lithium are increasingly in demand and, as a result, the source of conflict. With us on the show today is Reuters journalist Ernest Scheyder. His new book The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives explores the new resource war that’s sucking in community activists, titans of industry, and global superpowers. Scheyder’s work at Reuters The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives We took questions from subscribers this week for the show. If you want in on the discussions and memes, and want to get an idea of what’s coming up click the link below. Angry Planet has a Substack! Join to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict. https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribe Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oil makes the world go ‘round, for now. But rare earth minerals such as lithium are increasingly in demand and, as a result, the source of conflict. With us on the show today is Reuters journalist Ernest Scheyder. His new book The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives explores the new resource war that’s sucking in community activists, titans of industry, and global superpowers. Scheyder’s work at Reuters The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives We took questions from subscribers this week for the show. If you want in on the discussions and memes, and want to get an idea of what’s coming up click the link below. Angry Planet has a Substack! Join to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict. https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribe Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining your faithful Angry Planet crew this week are Rose Gottemoeller and Michael Ryan, both national security experts and both with a strong view that the war in Ukraine can still be won. And they'll even tell you how, if you listen to this week's show. You can read more of their thoughts in Foreign Policy: Ukraine Has a Pathway to Victory Angry Planet has a Substack! Join to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict. https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribe Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vice News reporter Any Hayward spent the better part of the last year in Russia reporting on the domestic situation there. His work has appeared in various segments on Vice’s website, but he’s got a new documentary coming out on the anniversary of fullscale invasion called Warped by War. Hayward is here to walk us through what he saw, who he talked to, and the unique dangers of reporting in Putin’s Russia as a foreign journalist. The Vice YouTube channel is here. Warped by War will be available there on February 24. Angry Planet has a Substack! Join to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict. https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribe Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vice News reporter Any Hayward spent the better part of the last year in Russia reporting on the domestic situation there. His work has appeared in various segments on Vice’s website, but he’s got a new documentary coming out on the anniversary of fullscale invasion called Warped by War. Hayward is here to walk us through what he saw, who he talked to, and the unique dangers of reporting in Putin’s Russia as a foreign journalist. The Vice YouTube channel is here. Warped by War will be available there on February 24. Angry Planet has a Substack! Join to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict. https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribe Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vice News reporter Any Hayward spent the better part of the last year in Russia reporting on the domestic situation there. His work has appeared in various segments on Vice’s website, but he’s got a new documentary coming out on the anniversary of fullscale invasion called Warped by War. Hayward is here to walk us through what he saw, who he talked to, and the unique dangers of reporting in Putin’s Russia as a foreign journalist. The Vice YouTube channel is here. Warped by War will be available there on February 24. Angry Planet has a Substack! Join to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict. https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribe Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the new year at Angry Planet. For the last 100 years, American defense policy has been aided by elaborate war games. SIGMA, the Cold War Game, and the Millenium Challenge are just some of the most famous. Sometimes these games are played with dice and boards, other times they’re purely electronic. Why do we do this, when did we start, and what does it all mean? More importantly, how do we make sure the board games don’t play us? Here to answer those questions is Director of the Hoover Wargaming and Crisis Simulation Initiative, Jacquelyn Schneider. What War Games Really Reveal One episode of The Crisis Game on YouTube Angry Planet has a Substack! Join to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict. https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribe Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.