What's Next for the Middle East: War, Peace, or Revolution?

What's Next for the Middle East: War, Peace, or Revolution?

Sign up for Derek Thompson's Substack here! Donald Trump rose to power in the Republican Party as a critic of the neoconservative tradition and was opposed to war in the Middle East. But after weeks of Israel’s aerial attacks of Iran, Trump shocked the world with targeted strikes of several Iranian nuclear facilities, including Natanz and Fordo. Suddenly, it seemed like President Trump was getting the U.S. involved in another Middle East conflict. And then, just as suddenly, he declared a ceasefire. (Which was immediately violated, and then agreed on, and perhaps re-violated by the time you read these words.) There are several questions to ask here. How did Trump, noted enemy of international entanglement, become the first U.S. president to ever bomb Iran? What is the U.S. trying to accomplish here? Is regime change in Iran something to hope for or a fast track to chaos? Ray Takeyh is an Iranian-born scholar and researcher at the Council on Foreign Relations. We talk about what just happened, how we got here, and the ways it could play out. If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com. Host: Derek Thompson Guest: Ray Takeyh Producer: Devon Baroldi Links: "The Right Path to Regime Change in Iran" by Ray Takeyh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episoder(348)

Why Everybody Is Wrong About a Recession and Housing’s Great Comeback

Why Everybody Is Wrong About a Recession and Housing’s Great Comeback

Last fall, three-quarters of voters told CNN that the U.S. was in a recession. A Bloomberg economic model said that the odds of a recession by the fall of 2023 were 100 percent. But we’re not in a rec...

14 Feb 202334min

The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Fake Meat in America

The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Fake Meat in America

For the past 50 years, Americans have basically responded to the case against eating animals by eating more animals. The share of Americans who call themselves vegan or vegetarian hasn’t increased in ...

10 Feb 202338min

China’s Spy Balloon Is Down. Cold War 2.0 Risks Are Rising.

China’s Spy Balloon Is Down. Cold War 2.0 Risks Are Rising.

If we’re being honest, the whole thing is kind of funny. A Chinese spy balloon floated across the U.S. Nobody died, unless we count the balloon itself. In a saner age, this story would be over. But ba...

7 Feb 202343min

Econ Megapod: The Debt Ceiling Is Dumb, and the Inflation “Crisis” Might Be Over

Econ Megapod: The Debt Ceiling Is Dumb, and the Inflation “Crisis” Might Be Over

We’ve got a double-barrelled podcast for you. Jeanna Smialek, economics reporter for the ‘New York Times,’ joins us to break down the debt-ceiling showdown that’s enveloping Washington. Plus, economis...

3 Feb 202357min

The Dark Side of Being Obsessed With Productivity

The Dark Side of Being Obsessed With Productivity

"Productivity is a trap. Nobody in the history of humanity has ever achieved work-life balance. The real problem isn’t our limited time. The real problem—or so I hope to convince you—is that we’ve unw...

31 Jan 202348min

How AI Could Change Apple and Google, Writing and Music, and Everything Else

How AI Could Change Apple and Google, Writing and Music, and Everything Else

“The story of 2022 was the emergence of AI," wrote Ben Thompson, the author of the Stratechery newsletter and podcast. "It seems clear to me that this is a new epoch in technology.” Ben and Derek talk...

27 Jan 20231h 1min

Why Big Tech's Jobs Bubble Burst. Plus, SBF's Scandal Deepens.

Why Big Tech's Jobs Bubble Burst. Plus, SBF's Scandal Deepens.

Derek breaks down the biggest economic mystery of the moment: Why are the most successful tech companies collectively laying off more than 130,000 people if the overall unemployment rate is still hist...

24 Jan 202347min

America Isn’t Ready for the Weight-Loss-Drug Revolution That’s Coming

America Isn’t Ready for the Weight-Loss-Drug Revolution That’s Coming

We have historically thought about weight as the mere outcome of our deliberate choices about diet and exercise. We have not typically thought about weight like a disease. But in the past 18 months, t...

20 Jan 202353min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden-usa
aftenpodden
stopp-verden
forklart
i-retten
popradet
det-store-bildet
fotballpodden-2
nokon-ma-ga
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-gukild-johaug
bt-dokumentar-2
aftenbla-bla
hanna-de-heldige
rss-ness
frokostshowet-pa-p5
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-dannet-uten-piano
e24-podden