Welcome to If You Were in Charge,

A podcast featuring global peace strategist, Sanam Naraghi Anderlini.

Each week Sanam takes on a major global challenge and hosts leading practitioners and innovators to share their work and their solutions - if they were in charge with the necessary political and financial resources. After each discussion, Sanam is joined by one of her twin daughters, Soleh, to hear her reaction and gain a different generational perspective.

In Episode 9, Sanam interviews Stephen Walt, Professor of International Affairs at Harvard’s Kennedy School and noted author, on the dangers of the erosion of academic independence during the Trump administration and the potential implications of the incoming administration’s foreign policy appointments. The conversation delves into the dangers of self-censorship and the influence of political pressure on academic freedom. Walt shares insights from his experience publishing The Israel Lobby, critiques U.S. foreign policy missteps, and emphasizes the need for more diverse voices in government decision-making.

Stephen received the International Studies Association’s Distinguished Senior Scholar award in 2014. Walt is the author of The Origins of Alliances (1987), Taming American Power: The Global Response to U.S. Primacy (2005); The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy (2007, with John J. Mearsheimer), The Hell of Good Intentions: America’s Foreign Policy Elite and the Decline of U.S. Primacy (2018), and “The End of Hubris and a New Era of American Restraint,” (Foreign Affairs, May/June 2019).

If You Were In Charge is brought to you by the Robert Bosch Academy.

And ICAN International Civil Society Action Network

You can find out more information or how to get in touch following the link to our homepage - 

https://shows.acast.com/if-you-were-in-charge

Original Music, Little Monster Media 

Executive Producer: Pearse Lynch

This is an Africa Digital Audio Production, africadigitalaudio.com

Chapters

00:00

U.S. Military Assistance and Foreign Policy Critique

03:07

The Role of Academia in Political Discourse

05:53

Concerns Over Self-Censorship in Universities

09:04

The Impact of Political Pressures on Academic Freedom

11:51

Navigating Political Pressures in Academia

15:12

Reflections on the Israel Lobby and Its Influence

18:02

Disappointment in U.S. Foreign Policy Outcomes

21:12

The Need for Diverse Perspectives in Government

24:00

Proposed Changes to U.S. Foreign Policy

26:49

American Values and Global Perception

29:39

The Hypocrisy of U.S. Foreign Policy

34:24

The Role of Wealth in Advocacy and Change

39:59

The Importance of Diplomacy in Foreign Relations

43:03

Hope Amidst Challenges

56:31

The Cost of Speaking Out

Keywords U.S. foreign policy, Israel, academia, self-censorship, political discourse, military assistance, academic freedom, Israel lobby, diverse perspectives, American values, U.S. foreign policy, hypocrisy, diplomacy, wealth, advocacy, women's rights, hope, speaking out, institutions, political loyalty

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