"Open" – the case for freer trade and migration
"Wake" with Luke Vargas
If the 2016 election changed the way America talks about trade, corporate taxation and immigration, economist Kimberly Clausing wants a reset. In her new book, “Open,” she tries to identify where our American discourse on trade, immigration and global capital went astray, and argues that free trade deals, higher corporate taxes and immigrants are being falsely portrayed as the cause of the economic and social insecurity felt by many Americans. This week on Wake we’re joined by Reed College economist Kim Clausing to hear her diagnosis of what’s actually plaguing modern American economic...
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Discrimination Based on Gender ID and Sexual Orientation
"Wake" with Luke Vargas
From adopting more conservative definitions of gender identity to instructing the State Department to spend more time focused on old-school 'natural law' rights, protections for the gay, lesbian and transgender communities appear to be under threat in the U.S. Victor Madrigal-Borloz is a U.N. Special Rapporteur for Human Rights and researches the laws and rhetoric that shape the lives of gay, lesbian and transgender individuals. After a year-and-a-half on the job, we’ll ask him how the U.S. stacks up against the rest of the world and what steps can be taken to reduce violence and...
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Can Maximum Pressure Work With Iran?
"Wake" with Luke Vargas
The current U.S. effort to economically weaken and diplomatically subdue Iran seems like the very definition of a “maximum pressure” campaign. But maximum pressure doesn’t mean optimal pressure. If the U.S. wants Iran to engage in new talks to replace a 2015 nuclear deal, is the current approach the best way to go about that? What makes a successful pressure campaign and is this one of them? This week on Wake we’ll talk to the Rand Corporation's Ariane Tabatabai about the big picture of the US-Iran standoff, what both sides want and what to expect in the months ahead. If you enjoy this...
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'The Men Who Stole Africa'
"Wake" with Luke Vargas
Investigative reporting by Reuters has unearthed a multi-billion dollar African gold smuggling operation through the United Arab Emirates. That gold is one of many natural resources that leave Africa without any revenue making its way back to the people of Africa – or should we say, anyone but Africa’s ruling elite. This week on Wake we’ll talk to the BBC’s Paul Kenyon about his book, “Dictatorland: The Men Who Stole Africa,” about his work reporting on and studying some of Africa’s less savory leaders and what their habits can teach us. If you enjoy this discussion, leave...
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Arctic conflict isn't inevitable
"Wake" with Luke Vargas
Russian President Vladimir Putin presented his earlier this month. He predicted commercial use of a northern sea route connecting Europe and Asia via the Arctic Ocean would increase four-fold by 2025 and he promised Russia would be there to make the new shipping lane “safe and commercially feasible.” But as the Arctic ice pack thins, the region could be used for more than shipping. Russia is reopening and modernizing a number of Soviet-era Arctic military bases and claiming vast tracts of the continental shelf as its own. This week on Wake we’ll consider whether Russia’s Arctic...
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The World is Alright, America
"Wake" with Luke Vargas
Read the headlines and you'd think the world is in chaos. American leaders have spent decades warning that the world is full of dangers, and that failing to address them – often at great expense in lives lost and dollars spent – could spell ruin for the United States. It's an odd refrain to hear from the most powerful nation on Earth, and as this week's guest argues, it's also inaccurate given that the world safer, freer and healthier than ever before. By playing up threats to America, is the U.S. is losing track of the more serious threats right in front of us? Helping us consider...
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America's Palestinian 'Blind Spot'
"Wake" with Luke Vargas
Israelis head to the polls in closely-watched elections next week, and if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reelected the Trump Administration is reportedly prepared to unveil a long-awaited Israeli-Palestinian peace plan crafted by the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. But this is not the two-state solution deal long pushed by U.S. administrations. Instead, the U.S. will likely mobilize foreign economic assistance to the West Bank in Gaza, but not force Israel to make tough concessions on occupied territory or control of Jerusalem. This week on “Wake” we’ll talk to a former...
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The EU's Controversial New Copyright Law
"Wake" with Luke Vargas
The E.U. passed sweeping new online copyright legislation this week known as Article 13, handing a victory to ‘content creators’ over platforms like YouTube and Facebook that monetize content. Big players in music, film and media love the law. Others fear a world in which corporate media strengthens its hand while independent creators find their content wrongly blocked by overly-cautious platforms whose new algorithms care little about fair use or free speech protections. This week on Wake we’ll look at the new rules that set out to tame the Wild West of online content. Helping us do...
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Understanding the Global Water Crisis
"Wake" with Luke Vargas
Seven western states agreed this week share the waters of the Colorado River, something that’s proved difficult after two decades of drought. Success of the deal hinges on dramatically cutting water usage, but at least there’s a pledge to cooperate. Yet around the world, population growth paired with rising demand for water-intensive consumer goods is rapidly draining available fresh water faster than they can be replenished, and in many cases, there are no blueprints in place to correct that imbalance. This week on “Wake” we’ll look at the risk of an American and global water crisis...
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'Combat Obscura': An Unfiltered Look at the US at War
"Wake" with Luke Vargas
The U.S. military has been at war in Afghanistan for more than 17 years. “Combat Obscura,” a new documentary out today offers a rare behind-the-scenes look of that war, mixing combat footage with glimpses of the more mundane daily efforts by young American men and women to make sense of a complex culture and discern combatants from civilians. The U.S. is finally trying to end the war in Afghanistan and is engaged in talks with the Taliban to do so, but watching this footage from 2011 makes you realize the U.S. probably should have done that a long time ago. This week on Wake we’ll...
info_outlinePeople power prevailed in Armenia in April, as mass demonstrators dislodged Prime Minister (and former president) Serzh Sargsyan, who changed the county’s constitution in a bid to remain in office.
After a peaceful revolution, Armenia has a new leader and is embarking on a laundry list of complex political and economic reforms.
This week on Wake we’ll dive into what Armenia’s revolution tells us about the country’s future, the future of the Transcaucasus and the states of the former Soviet Union.
Helping us do that are this week's guests:
- Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Studies Center, an independent think tank in Armenia
- Anahit Shirinyan, academy associate at Chatham House
If you enjoy this discussion, follow Wake on Twitter @WakeOnAir. To share feedback with us, send an email to [email protected].
Taped: May 24, 2018
Hosted by Luke Vargas.