Conversations with History and Host Harry Kreisler welcome Hong Kong civil servant Anson Chan who discusses her life and work in public policy and the evolving relationship between China and Hong Kong. (32 min)
Conversations Host Harry Kreisler welcomes journalist Max Boot for a discussion of U.S. foreign policy in light of American history, the events of 9/11, and the impact of neo-conservative thinking. They are joined by Professor Thomas Barnes of the Boalt School of Law.
Military strategist Edward Luttwak joins host Harry Kreisler for a discussion of the role of strategy in international politics. (56 min)
South African Supreme Court Justice Albie Sachs in a conversation with UC BerkeleyŐs Harry Kreisler talks about personal survival in the context of the transformation of South Africa. (52 min)
Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Stanford political scientist Stephen D. Krasner for a discussion of sovereignty in the post 911 world. Drawing on his academic work in international relations theory and his recent experience as Director of Policy Planning in the State Department, Professor Krasner reflects on the greatest threats to the stability of the international system. (58 minutes)
Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Philip Bobbitt, Herbert Wechsler Professor of Jurisprudence, Columbia University. Focusing on the transformation of the state and warfare, Professor Bobbitt offers a new interpretation of terrorism. He explains the emergence of the market state, compares it to the nation state, analyzes the unique features of warfare in the new century, and brings into focus the distinctive qualities of today's terrorism. Professor Bobbitt also describes the challenges posed for national security and offers an agenda for changes that integrate strategy and law. (57 minutes)
Writer and Diplomat Shashi Tharoor joins host Harry Kreisler for a discussion of his dual careers as one of India's most distinguished writers and as a leading figure in international diplomacy. (52 min)
In this edition, UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler talks with Ambassador Jack Matlock who served as the last U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union. Ambassador Matlock offers his reflections on the fall of the Soviet Union, the policies of the Reagan administration, and how students should prepare for the future. (50 min)
Conversations host Harry Kreisler speaks with William A. Rusher, former publisher of the "National Review" about the conservative movement. (54 min)
Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Die Zeit Publisher/Editor Josef Joffe for a discussion of America’s role in the 21st century. Starting with an analysis of the differences between a bi-polar and a uni-polar world, Joffe analyzes the roots of anti-Americanism, defines a global strategy for U.S. foreign policy, and offers a unique perspective on the different worlds the U.S. confronts, the Berlin/Berkeley axis—a post modern world of information technology and no possibility of war--and the Beijing/Baghdad axis—a world of nationalism where war is still possible. (58 minutes)
Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Israeli political scientist and peace activist Galia Golan for a discussion of the peace movement in Israel. She reflects on the Israeli domestic situation, compares Israeli occupation policies to South Africa's apartheid, and analyzes Israel"s geopolitical constraints. She also compares the stability of superpower conflict in the Middle East during the Cold War with today's regional geopolitical situation, especially Israel's conflict with Iran. (58 min)
Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Chalmers Johnson for a discussion of his new book, Nemesis. In the interview, Johnson, an Emeritus Professor of the University of California, analyzes the impact of the American empire on democracy at home. Comparing the United States to Rome and Great Britain, he argues that a combination of military Keynesianism, the Bush administration's attempt to implement a unitary presidency, and the failed checks on executive ambition point to political and economic bankruptcy. (59 minutes)
Geographer Michael Watts, the Director of the UC Berkeley's Institute of International Studies, talks about his personal and political evolution as a researcher and scholar of internationalism and modernity. (62 min)
Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Steven A. Cook of the Council on Foreign Relations for a discussion of the impact of the military on democratization in Turkey, Algeria, and Egypt. He analyzes the structure of power in these countries, the role of Islamic parties in furthering democratization, and raises important questions about U.S. policy in the region through comparison with the policies of the European Union. (51 minutes)
Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes General John Abizaid for a discussion of the role of the military in the 21st century. Drawing on his experience as commander of the U.S. Central Command, he discusses the problems confronting the next President in the Middle East. He analyzes the lessons of the Iraq War and reflects on issues such as intelligence, the Geneva Conventions, and the role of military contractors. (53 minutes)
In this 1986 interview, Ambassador Alfred L. Atherton, a leading figure in the search for peace in the Middle East, joins U.C. Berkeley's Harry Kreisler for a discussion of the role of diplomacy in securing a stable Middle East. (30 min)
Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng joins Conversations host Harry Kreisler for a discussion of the factors that shaped his life as one of China's leading dissidents. (21 min)
Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Kishore Mahbubani for a discussion of the changing relationship between the West and Asia. In the interview, he describes the major transformations occurring because of the "march of modernity" made possible by the ideas and global institutions created by the West. He goes on to criticize the West for failing to adapt to the changing balance of power which follows from Asia's rise. (57 minutes)
Conversations Host Harry Kreisler welcomes Steve Coll, Pulitzer prize winning author of Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan and Bin Laden for a discussion of how the superpower conflict in the last stages of the Cold War, U.S. foreign policy before and after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the political dynamics of South Asia created the setting in which Islamic terrorism took root and flourished. (57 min)
Josef Joffe, editor and publisher of Die Zeit, joins UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler for a discussion of U.S.- European relations one year after the start of the Iraq War. (59 min)