Discover this podcast and so much more

Podcasts are free to enjoy without a subscription. We also offer ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more for just $11.99/month.

Hindsight is 2018

Hindsight is 2018

FromWorldly


Hindsight is 2018

FromWorldly

ratings:
Length:
27 minutes
Released:
Dec 20, 2018
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

Zack, Jenn, and Alex wrap up 2018 by looking back at three of the most dramatic foreign policy decisions President Trump made in 2018 — and whether, in retrospect, they turned out to be as dramatic as we’d initially thought. For Elsewhere, Zack pushes back on the fundamental premise of the conversation in the first part of the show and argues that, #actually, Trump’s decisions are still bad, regardless. Zack sings some Miley Cyrus, Jenn explains that the Gestapo were, in fact, Nazis, and Alex treats us to his adorably atrocious Southern accent. Links: Trump doesn’t believe his own government’s report that the climate is changing for the worse. Vox has done a lot of coverage on Trump’s policy toward Saudi Arabia after the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. It’s worth reading Trump’s statement on his final decision on what to do. Here’s a good explainer on Trump’s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. Some analysts, including the New York Times editorial board, called Trump’s move a “failure.” The worry was moving the embassy would imperil US-Palestine relations. But they weren’t that good, even in previous administrations. The Saudi-Iran spat is now more central to Middle East issues than the Israel-Palestine one. Read the agreement between North Korea and the US signed in Singapore. A little explainer of the Jan meme Zack referenced. Despite what Trump says, North Korea is still a threat. As Jenn noted, North Korea at one point threatened to bomb Guam. North Korea greatly accelerated and improved its nuclear and missile programs in 2017. Yes, Trump actually said he and Kim Jong Un “fell in love.” It’s worth reading the full transcript of the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki. Alex mentioned how Trump once invoked the Nazis when describing American intelligence agents. Watch this Vox video to understand how the US became the world’s superpower and stabilizing force. Trump, slowly but surely, has been increasingly tough on Russia. He’s even started a trade war with China to push back on its trading practices. And ISIS has lost the vast majority of its territory since Trump took office. 
Released:
Dec 20, 2018
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

We live in a confusing time, bombarded every day with news from around the world that can be hard to follow, or fully understand. Let Worldly be your guide. Every Thursday, senior writer Zack Beauchamp, senior foreign editor Jennifer Williams, and staff defense writer Alex Ward give you the history and context you need to make sense of the moment and navigate the world around you. Produced by Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.