Best Alex Torpey Podcasts (2025)

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Can America Still Lead? Foreign Policy in an Age of Division with Joel Rubin 1:00:55

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8m ago1:00:55

1:00:55

What happens when America loses its foreign-policy playbook? RBI acting director Eli Karetny talks with veteran diplomat and policy strategist Joel Rubin about the vacuum of strategic vision shaping U.S. decisions from Venezuela to Ukraine to Gaza. Rubin pulls back the curtain on factional battles inside both parties, the dangers of politicizing di…

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The Technological Soul: Alex Priou on Modernity, Ideology, and the Limits of Reason 1:14:21

21d ago1:14:21

1:14:21

In this episode of International Horizons, RBI acting director Eli Karetny speaks with Alex Priou, Professor of Political Philosophy at the University of Austin, about how technology and ideology shape the modern soul. From Machiavelli’s “dikes and dams” to Odysseus’s struggle against the Sirens, Priou traces how modernity’s drive for control has l…

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Kubrick’s Worlds: Power, Paranoia, and the Politics of the Human Condition 1:30:09

10d ago1:30:09

1:30:09

In this episode of International Horizons, Interim Director Eli Karetny speaks with film scholar Nathan Abrams about the enduring relevance of Stanley Kubrick and what his work can teach us about our current era. From the nuclear absurdities of Dr. Strangelove to the cosmic rebirth of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick’s films expose the fragile line b…

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Illiberalism, Putin, and the Politics of Religion 1:09:15

2M ago1:09:15

1:09:15

In this episode of International Horizons, Eli Karetny speaks with Marlene Laruelle, Research Professor at George Washington University and director of the Illiberalism Studies Program, about the rise of illiberalism in Russia and beyond. They explore how illiberal movements define themselves against liberalism, Russia’s evolution since the 1990s, …

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Authoritarian Ideas, Old and New: From Schmitt to “JD” 1:19:14

2M ago1:19:14

1:19:14

On this episode of International Horizons, RBI Acting Director, Eli Karetny talks with Richard Wolin (Distinguished Professor, CUNY Graduate Center) about the intellectual roots of today’s anti-liberal right. Tracing a line from Germany’s “conservative revolutionaries” (Carl Schmitt, Oswald Spengler, Ernst Jünger, Heidegger) to France’s nouvelle dr…

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Is the U.S. helping speed up its own decline? with Damon Linker 1:07:49

3M ago1:07:49

1:07:49

We begin the new season of International Horizons by asking a crucial question: is the U.S. helping speed up its own decline? RBI Deputy Director, Eli Karetny talks with political writer and scholar Damon Linker about how Trump’s movement sees presidential power, why it challenges long-standing rules and institutions, and what it means for America’…

1
What We Get Wrong About Iran, with Vali Nasr 38:13

4M ago38:13

38:13

In this episode of International Horizons, RBI director John Torpey talks with Vali Nasr, Majid Khadduri Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies and former dean at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, about Iran’s dangerous crossroads after its latest clash with Israel and the United States. Nasr a…

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Globalization's Backlash: Echoes of the Interwar Era in Today’s World 34:03

7M ago34:03

34:03

This week on International Horizons, RBI Director John Torpey interviews historian Tara Zahra, author of Against the World: Anti-Globalism and Mass Politics Between the World Wars (W.W. Norton, 2023). Zahra reflects on the historical parallels between the current backlash against globalization and the anti-globalist movements of the interwar period…

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The Good Father Syndrome: Why Strongmen Still Seduce 31:50

7M ago31:50

31:50

In this episode of International Horizons, RBI director John Torpey speaks with Stephen Hanson and Jeffrey Kopstein, co-authors of The Assault on the State: How the Global Attack on Modern Government Endangers Our Future (Polity Press, 2024). In this conversation, they discuss how today’s right-wing movements, from the United States to Hungary, are…

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Populism, Power, and the Crisis of Globalism: A Conversation with Wolfgang Streeck 38:28

8M ago38:28

38:28

What explains the growing divide between elites and the broader public in democracies across Europe and the United States? In this episode of International Horizons, sociologist Wolfgang Streeck joins RBI director John Torpey to discuss the rise of populism, the limits of globalism, and the tensions between democracy and capitalism. Drawing from hi…

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Walls, Warnings, and the War on Fentanyl: Peter Andreas on Trump’s Border Politics 34:01

8M ago34:01

34:01

In this episode of International Horizons, Peter Andreas, John Hay Professor of International Studies at Brown University and author of Border Games: The Politics of Policing the U.S.-Mexico Divide, 3rd edition (Cornell UP, 2022) and The Illicit Global Economy (Oxford UP, 2025), joins RBI Director John Torpey to unpack the myths and realities of bo…

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Human Rights in the Trump Era: A Conversation with Kenneth Roth 31:47

8M ago31:47

31:47

In this episode of International Horizons, Kenneth Roth, former longtime executive director of Human Rights Watch, joins RBI director John Torpey to discuss Roth’s recent book, Righting Wrongs: Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abuse of Governments (Knopf, 2025), which reflects on strategies for defending civil, political, economic, and soc…

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Fractured Alliances: Trump, Ukraine, and Europe's Security Dilemma 31:14

9M ago31:14

31:14

In this episode, RBI director John Torpey speaks with Estonian parliamentarian and defense expert Kalev Stoicescu about the recent tensions between the United States and Ukraine following a contentious meeting between Presidents Trump and Zelensky. Stoicescu critiques Trump's transactional diplomacy, emphasizing the critical role of alliances such …

1
Coup Attempts and Democratic Resistance: Lessons from Brazil 35:59

9M ago35:59

35:59

As Brazil moves toward trying former president Jair Bolsonaro for plotting a coup against democracy, the United States grapples with constitutional challenges from the new administration as well. Are these two cases of democratic backsliding comparable? In this episode of International Horizons, John Torpey speaks with José Maurício Domingues, Prof…

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The Internet, Power, and the Deep State: Zeynep Tufekci on Technology and Democracy Today 44:20

9M ago44:20

44:20

As the second Trump administration reshapes the U.S. government and its role in the world, how do technology, media, and political power intersect? In this episode of International Horizons, host John Torpey speaks with Zeynep Tufekci—New York Times columnist, Princeton professor, and author of Twitter and Tear Gas—about the evolving relationship b…

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TrumpWorld: Canada, South Africa, Germany, and the Global Far-Right 37:18

9M ago37:18

37:18

In this episode of International Horizons, John Torpey talks with Heribert Adam, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada, to unpack the global ripple effects of Donald Trump's return to power. From his startling proposal to make Canada the 51st state to his controversial foreign aid cuts targeting South Afric…

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American Higher Education Under the Second Trump Administration 31:24

10M ago31:24

31:24

In this episode of International Horizons, RBI Director John Torpey speaks with Steven Brint, Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Public Policy at UC Riverside, about the early days of the second Trump administration and its impact on higher education. Brint discusses the administration’s aggressive efforts to reshape federal governance, inclu…

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Trump’s Second Term and Europe: Nationalism, NATO, and the Future of Transatlantic Relations 33:13

10M ago33:13

33:13

In this episode of International Horizons, RBI director John Torpey interviews Nathalie Tocci, director of the Institute of International Affairs in Rome, about the implications of Donald Trump’s second administration for Europe. The discussion explores how Trump’s approach to foreign policy—characterized by protectionism, nationalism, and disdain …

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Transatlantic Tensions: Trump’s Return and Europe’s Far-Right Resurgence 39:03

11M ago39:03

39:03

In this episode of International Horizons, RBI director John Torpey interviews journalist Mattia Ferraresi about the implications of a potential second Trump presidency for European politics. Ferraresi discusses how Trump’s rhetoric and policies, including his stance on NATO and trade, might influence transatlantic relations. The conversation explo…

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Trump’s Mass Deportation Plan: Can He Really Do It? 29:26

12M ago29:26

29:26

Kitty Calavita, Chancellor’s Professor Emerita of Criminology, Law and Society at the University of California, Irvine, discuss the historical context and implications of Operation Wetback, a 1954 U.S. mass deportation of Mexican immigrants, and its relevance to President-elect Donald Trump's proposed mass deportation plans. Calavita explains that …

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Middle East on the Brink: Escalation, Diplomacy, and the Search for Stability 38:13

1y ago38:13

38:13

Recent developments in the Middle East have raised concern about the potential for a wider regional war. What do escalating tensions in Gaza, Lebanon, and beyond mean for the future? Join RBI Director John Torpey as he discusses the complexities of the contemporary Middle East with Win Dayton, a retired senior member of the U.S. Foreign Service and…

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Ep #34: The allure of Ted Lasso 52:58

1y ago52:58

52:58

In this episode I want to reflect on three themes of the TV show Ted Lasso that I think make up part of how alluring I believe it is, and what’s happening in our culture and world right now that make it such a compelling set of stories for so many people. This is probably […]By Alex Torpey

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Shared Paths: Exploring Jewish and Muslim Experiences in America 40:42

1y ago40:42

40:42

This week on International Horizons, John Torpey, Director of the Ralph Bunche Institute, speaks with sociologists Mucahit Bilici and Samuel Heilman about their book, Following Similar Paths: What Jews and Muslims Can Learn From One Another (University of California Press, 2024). Bilici and Heilman explore how Judaism and Islam, as minority religio…

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The UN and its Discreet Diplomacy in Peacemaking 32:38

1y ago32:38

32:38

This week on International Horizons, RBI Director John Torpey interviews Bertrand Ramcharan, former top UN diplomat and author of the recent book, The UN Security Council and Its Protective Function (Melrose Legal Publishers, 2024). Ramcharan describes the many instances in which the UN Secretaries-General worked discreetly to secure peace agreemen…

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Ep #33: 5 Min Book Review - The Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold 5:53

1y ago5:53

5:53

In this month’s Five Minute Book Review, I give a strong recommendation for Aldo Leopold’s The Sand County Almanac. Leopold is an incredibly insightful naturalist/conservationist storyteller, and a Sand County Almanac is a really engaging read that not only drops you into stories of many of the dramas playing out in nature all around us, but leaves…

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Ep #33: 5 Min Book Review – The Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold 5:53

1y ago5:53

5:53

In this month’s Five Minute Book Review, I give a strong recommendation for Aldo Leopold’s The Sand County Almanac. Leopold is an incredibly insightful naturalist/conservationist storyteller, and a Sand County Almanac is a really engaging read that not only drops you into stories of many of the dramas playing out in nature all around us, […]…

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The Far-Right Threat in German Politics: A Discussion with Marcus Böick 35:50

1y ago35:50

35:50

The recent elections in eastern Germany, where the Alternative for Germany (AfD) became the first far-right party to win a parliamentary election at the state level in postwar Germany, raised significant concern internationally about what’s happening in Germany. Should we be concerned? In this episode of International Horizons, RBI Director John To…

1
Are We Experiencing a Crisis of Culture? 39:28

1y ago39:28

39:28

In this episode of International Horizons, RBI director John Torpey spoke with Olivier Roy, professor of social and political sciences at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, and author of The Crisis of Culture: Identity Politics and the Empire of Norms (Oxford University Press, 2024). Roy argues that neoliberal globalization is di…

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Notes from the Field: A Personal View of the War on Gaza 42:43

1y ago42:43

42:43

We start this season of International Horizons with an interview with Dr. Eli Karetny, an American political scientist and administrative director of the Ralph Bunche Institute who spent the last academic year in Israel with his family. The plan was to do research on the Israeli Bedouin in the Negev desert – until the Hamas attacks of October 7 ups…

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The Complexities of the EU Parliament Elections 46:05

1+ y ago46:05

46:05

In this episode of International Horizons, RBI Director John Torpey spoke with Francesco Ronchi and Udo Zolleis, two European Parliament officials and analysts. With the European Parliament elections taking place shortly after we spoke, they share their insights on the direction that politics in Europe may take in the coming months and years, espec…

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Ep #31: Five Min Book Review - The Machine Stops by EM Forster 5:23

1+ y ago5:23

5:23

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a world where people constantly shared and consumed video content, for an unknown real larger purpose? Hmmmm… Well EM Forster imagined this world, in 1909. Join me for the restart of the Five Minute Book Review series on the banks of the White River in Vermont for a discussion of one of the mo…

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Ep #32: Five Min Book Review – The Machine Stops by EM Forster 5:23

1+ y ago5:23

5:23

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a world where people constantly shared and consumed video content, for an unknown real larger purpose? Hmmmm… Well EM Forster imagined this world, in 1909. Join me for the restart of the Five Minute Book Review series on the banks of the White […]…

1
We Should Not Take the UN For Granted: A Discussion with Abiodun Williams 33:54

1+ y ago33:54

33:54

In times where conflicts around the globe are an everyday topic, the place of the United Nations in resolving these conflicts is constantly being questioned. In this episode of International Horizons, RBI Director John Torpey discusses this issue with Professor Abiodun Williams, Professor of the Practice of International Politics at Tufts Universit…

1
The Social Acceptance of Inequality 32:01

1+ y ago32:01

32:01

On this episode of International Horizons, Francesco Duina, Charles A. Dana Professor of Sociology at Bates College and Luca Storti, Associate Professor of Economic Sociology at the University of Turin in Italy and a Research Fellow of the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, discuss the rise of inequalities around the globe and the di…

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The Climate Crisis as a Problem of Collective Action: A Discussion with Dana Fisher 40:34

1+ y ago40:34

40:34

In this episode of International Horizons, Professor Dana Fisher, Director of the Center for Environment, Community, & Equity (CECE) and Professor in the School of International Service at American University, discusses with RBI Director John Torpey her approach to dealing with the climate crisis. Fisher explains how the climate crisis is really a …

1
What does Biden’s temporary suspension of offensive arms transfers mean for US-Israeli relations? 30:47

1+ y ago30:47

30:47

Charles Blaha, a former State Department expert on the vetting of U.S. weapons transfers to other countries, helps us understand this important moment in the Israel-Hamas conflict. After an extended period of tension between U.S President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden has decided to freeze some transfers of weapons …

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The Rhetoric of Crisis in Israel-Palestine: A Discussion with Amos Goldberg 51:57

1+ y ago51:57

51:57

This week, RBI Director John Torpey speaks with Amos Goldberg, Professor of Holocaust History at the Department of Jewish History and Contemporary Jewry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Among other rhetorical aspects of the conflict, Goldberg reflects on the meaning of such slogans as “From the …

1
Words of Attack: Rhetoric Against Liberal Democratic Values with James McAdams 32:56

1+ y ago32:56

32:56

With a presidential campaign in the US just around the corner and populist and authoritarian thinkers gaining broader platforms, University of Notre Dame political scientist A. James McAdams shines a light on the terms being used today by the Far Right to undermine liberal democracy. How successful are these thinkers in changing public views? And h…

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Why Should We Preserve Memory of the Holocaust? 44:35

1+ y ago44:35

44:35

Wojtek Soczewica has led the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation since 2019, near the site of the killing fields. The Foundation aims at the preservation of the remains of the concentration and extermination camp and of all the personal items that belonged to victims and survivors. Today they serve as material witnesses of the tragic history safeguarding…

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Citizenship Across Time and Space with David Jacobson 44:14

1+ y ago44:14

44:14

In this episode of International Horizons, RBI director John Torpey discusses the past and future of citizenship with David Jacobson, Professor of Sociology at the University of South Florida (Tampa). They discuss the origins of the concept of citizenship in the ancient Near East a few thousand years ago and how kinship notions shape the debate on …

1
How Can We Reach International Consensus on AI Regulation? 43:13

1+ y ago43:13

43:13

In this episode of International Horizons, RBI director John Torpey interviews Gabriele Mazzini, a lawyer and officer of the European Commission and expert in AI regulation. Mazzini discusses the means through which European countries have found agreement on the definition of AI and how to regulate it. Moreover, Mazzini stresses that the fears of a…

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The Pioneering Life of Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit 46:47

1+ y ago46:47

46:47

Manu Bhagavan and Ellen Chesler discuss Bhagavan’s latest book on Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (Penguin, 2023), admired sister of India’s founding Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and a pioneering public servant, diplomat, and women's rights advocate, in her own right. They talk about the Nehru’s privileged upbringing and elite education, their conversio…

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How Democracies Die . . . and How They May Survive with Daniel Ziblatt 42:05

1+ y ago42:05

42:05

In this episode of International Horizons, RBI director John Torpey interviews Daniel Ziblatt, Eaton Professor of the Science of Government at Harvard University and co-author (with Steven Levitsky) of the bestsellers How Democracies Die (Crown, 2019) and The Tyranny of the Minority (Crown, 2023). Ziblatt emphasizes the crucial role played by conse…

1
Why is Right-Wing Extremism so Widespread in Italy? 36:41

2y ago36:41

36:41

In this episode of International Horizons, RBI director John Torpey interviews Marla Stone, a historian of Italian fascism at Occidental College, on the resurgence of the far right in Italy. The conversation delves into the origins of this resurgence and how Italy, a fairly homogeneous society, became a recipient of hundreds of thousand migrants, a…

1
"War is what you make of it" with Neta Crawford of Oxford University and the Costs of War Project 36:40

2y ago36:40

36:40

We begin this new season of International Horizons with an interview by RBI Director John Torpey with Neta Crawford from Oxford University and the Cost of War Project. Prof. Crawford argues that conflict is less lethal than in the past, although the overall costs of war exceed the duration of previous wars in many dimensions. The conversation delve…

1
Is Poland Back on Track? The Challenges for the New Government 46:58

2y ago46:58

46:58

In this episode of International Horizons, RBI's Director John Torpey interviews Grzegorz Ekiert, Chair of the Center for European Studies at Harvard University, a propós of the recent election in Poland that installed a centrist government led by former prime minister and president of the European Council Donald Tusk. Ekiert starts by discussing t…

1
Everyday Life Behind the Berlin Wall 34:02

2y ago34:02

34:02

In this episode of International Horizons, RBI director John Torpey interviews historian and journalist Katja Hoyer about her book Beyond the Wall: A History of East Germany (Basic Books, 2023). The conversation begins with a discussion of the personal reasons that the author, herself born in the GDR, wanted to cover the untold stories of her nativ…

1
Israel, Hamas, and American Jews in a Time of War 37:28

2y ago37:28

37:28

On today’s episode of International Horizons, RBI director John Torpey speaks with Jodi Rudoren, editor-in-chief of the Forward magazine, about the situation in Israel and Gaza. She notes that Hamas’s incursion into Israel on October 7, 2023, shattered the paradigm of how Israel and even the Arab world understood what Hamas was all about. The resul…

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The US State Department and Ever-Changing Global Politics 32:44

2y ago32:44

32:44

In this episode of International Horizons, RBI director John Torpey interviews Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Bill Russo. Assistant Secretary Russo commented on the role of the United States in the ever-changing dynamics of global politics and how it is perceived as a leader in conflict resolution and often called to act as …