🔥 Iran's Largest Missile Barrage Yet! 🔥 In this explosive episode of The Focus, we dive into the unprecedented Iranian missile strikes on Israel in 2024, the largest of its kind since the conflict began. With 200 ballistic missiles fired, retaliation for the assassinations of key Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, and Israel's air defenses pushed to the limit, we sit down with Professor Scott Lucas, an expert in international relations, to break down what this all means for the future of the Middle East. Could this be the flashpoint for a larger conflict? 🚨 Don't miss this must-listen episode!



SHOW NOTES:

X: @ScottLucas_EA

Website: eaworldview.com

Books:

(Eds. Bevan Sewell & Scott Lucas ) Challenging US Foreign Policy: America and the World in the Long Twentieth Century, 2011.

(Eds. Scott Lucas & Ali Fisher) The Trials of Public Diplomacy, 2010.

Scholarly Articles:

Lucas, Scott & Paraszczuk, Joanna. (2014). The Middle East: Between Geography and Power. Bustan: The Middle East Book Review. 5. 17-23. 10.1163/18785328-00501002. 

🔥 Iran's Largest Missile Barrage Yet! 🔥 In this explosive episode of The Focus, we dive into the unprecedented Iranian missile strikes on Israel in 2024, the largest of its kind since the conflict began. With 200 ballistic missiles fired, retaliation for the assassinations of key Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, and Israel's air defenses pushed to the limit, we sit down with Professor Scott Lucas, an expert in international relations, to break down what this all means for the future of the Middle East. Could this be the flashpoint for a larger conflict? 🚨 Don't miss this must-listen episode!
 
SHOW NOTES:
X: @ScottLucas_EA
Website: <a href="http://eaworldview.com">eaworldview.com</a>
Books:
(Eds. Bevan Sewell &amp; Scott Lucas ) Challenging US Foreign Policy: America and the World in the Long Twentieth Century, 2011.
(Eds. Scott Lucas &amp; Ali Fisher) The Trials of Public Diplomacy, 2010.
Scholarly Articles:
Lucas, Scott &amp; Paraszczuk, Joanna. (2014). The Middle East: Between Geography and Power. Bustan: The Middle East Book Review. 5. 17-23. 10.1163/18785328-00501002.

The news today is often biased at the personal, organisational and structural levels, polarising our societies. The Focus is a program designed to cut through this bias to get at the heart of a topic. Join Host Dr. John Bruni and Producers Malcolm Hughes and Neil Smart as they examine the pressing issues of our time whether in Australia or overseas. In an interdependent, troubled and fast-moving world, knowing what questions to ask can lead us to understand and adapt to new and disruptive circumstances.

The Focus

Middle East at War | Israel vs. Iran

In our latest episode of The Focus, we sit down with Dr. Roy Casagranda to delve into the high-stakes landscape of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. With democracy, alliances, and the global order on the line, Dr. Casagranda unpacks the complexities surrounding Trump AND Harris as presidential candidates, exploring how their policies and political manoeuvres could reshape America and its role on the world stage. Join us for this in-depth analysis of an election that could redefine the future.

Show Notes:

Roy Casagranda Links

X: @RoyCasagranda 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.roy.casagranda?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Website: https://gov.casagranda.com/index.html

Books by Roy:

The Blood Throne of Caria (Empire of the Nightingale Book 3), Sekhmet Liminal Press, LLC, 2018.

Articles by Roy:

Nationalism and the Left: Liberation not Supremacy, IAI News, March 3, 2023, https://iai.tv/articles/nationalism-and-the-left-roy-casagranda-auid-2408.

Glossary of Terms:

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) was replaced by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), 1 July 2020.

FDR (Franklin Delano Roosevelt), 32nd President of the United States.

Jill Stein from Pennsylvania is an American physician, activist & politician associated with the Green Party. Her political campaigns primary revolve around the Green New Deal.

In our latest episode of The Focus, we sit down with Dr. Roy Casagranda to delve into the high-stakes landscape of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. With democracy, alliances, and the global order on the line, Dr. Casagranda unpacks the complexities surrounding Trump AND Harris as presidential candidates, exploring how their policies and political manoeuvres could reshape America and its role on the world stage. Join us for this in-depth analysis of an election that could redefine the future.
Show Notes:
Roy Casagranda Links
X: @RoyCasagranda 
TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.roy.casagranda?is_from_webapp=1&amp;sender_device=pc">https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.roy.casagranda?is_from_webapp=1&amp;sender_device=pc</a>
Website: <a href="https://gov.casagranda.com/index.html">https://gov.casagranda.com/index.html</a>
Books by Roy:
The Blood Throne of Caria (Empire of the Nightingale Book 3), Sekhmet Liminal Press, LLC, 2018.
Articles by Roy:
Nationalism and the Left: Liberation not Supremacy, IAI News, March 3, 2023, <a href="https://iai.tv/articles/nationalism-and-the-left-roy-casagranda-auid-2408">https://iai.tv/articles/nationalism-and-the-left-roy-casagranda-auid-2408</a>.
Glossary of Terms:
NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) was replaced by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), 1 July 2020.
FDR (Franklin Delano Roosevelt), 32nd President of the United States.
Jill Stein from Pennsylvania is an American physician, activist &amp; politician associated with the Green Party. Her political campaigns primary revolve around the Green New Deal.

Election 2024 | Democracy on the Edge?

Is there a new 'Harris Doctrine' on the horizon? Join Yale historian Dr. Michael Brenes as we unpack Kamala Harris's foreign policy vision in our latest podcast!

Show Notes:

You can contact Michael here:

X: @mbrenes1

Substack: michaelbrenes.substack.com

Books published by Michael – 
And, as mentioned in the podcast - The Rivalry Peril: How Great-Power Competition Threatens Peace and Weakens Democracy, and TO BE published by Yale University Press in January 2025.
Rethinking U.S. Power: Domestic Histories of U.S. Foreign Relations, published by Palgrave MacMillan in 2024.
For Might and Right: Cold War Defense Spending and the Remaking of American Democracy, published by University of Massachusetts Press in 2020.

Is there a new 'Harris Doctrine' on the horizon? Join Yale historian Dr. Michael Brenes as we unpack Kamala Harris's foreign policy vision in our latest podcast!
Show Notes:
You can contact Michael here:
X: @mbrenes1
Substack: <a href="http://michaelbrenes.substack.com/">michaelbrenes.substack.com</a>
Books published by Michael – 
<ul>
<li>And, as mentioned in the podcast - The Rivalry Peril: How Great-Power Competition Threatens Peace and Weakens Democracy, and TO BE published by Yale University Press in January 2025.</li>
<li>Rethinking U.S. Power: Domestic Histories of U.S. Foreign Relations, published by Palgrave MacMillan in 2024.</li>
<li>For Might and Right: Cold War Defense Spending and the Remaking of American Democracy, published by University of Massachusetts Press in 2020.</li>
</ul>

A Harris Doctrine?  Kamala Harris' Foreign Policy

In this episode of The Focus, host John Bruni sits down with Professor John Blaxland to unravel the complexities of the AUKUS security pact and its implications for global power dynamics. As the world shifts into an era of unrestricted competition between China & the U.S., what does AUKUS really mean for the future of international security? Are Australia, the U.S., and the UK prepared for the challenges ahead? Tune in as we go beyond the headlines to uncover the real stakes of this landmark agreement. Don’t miss this essential conversation on the shifting tides of global strategy!

Show Notes:

X : 

@JohnBlaxland1

Books:

Revealing Secrets

By Clare Birgin, John Blaxland 1 May 2023

The US-Thai Alliance and Asian International Relations

By Gregory Raymond, John Blaxland 2 June 2021

In from the Cold

By John Blaxland, Michael Kelly, Liam Brewin Higgins 19 March 2020

The Secret Cold War

By John Blaxland, Rhys Crawley 26 April 2017

The Protest Years

By John Blaxland 1 October 2016

The Australian Army from Whitlam to Howard

By John Blaxland 16 October 2013

In this episode of The Focus, host John Bruni sits down with Professor John Blaxland to unravel the complexities of the AUKUS security pact and its implications for global power dynamics. As the world shifts into an era of unrestricted competition between China &amp; the U.S., what does AUKUS really mean for the future of international security? Are Australia, the U.S., and the UK prepared for the challenges ahead? Tune in as we go beyond the headlines to uncover the real stakes of this landmark agreement. Don’t miss this essential conversation on the shifting tides of global strategy!
Show Notes:
X : 
@JohnBlaxland1
Books:
Revealing Secrets
By <a href="https://www.dymocks.com.au/books/?author=clare+birgin">Clare Birgin</a>, <a href="https://www.dymocks.com.au/books/?author=john+blaxland">John Blaxland</a> 1 May 2023
The US-Thai Alliance and Asian International Relations
By <a href="https://www.dymocks.com.au/books/?author=gregory+raymond">Gregory Raymond</a>, <a href="https://www.dymocks.com.au/books/?author=john+blaxland">John Blaxland</a> 2 June 2021
In from the Cold
By <a href="https://www.dymocks.com.au/books/?author=john+blaxland">John Blaxland</a>, <a href="https://www.dymocks.com.au/books/?author=michael+kelly">Michael Kelly</a>, <a href="https://www.dymocks.com.au/books/?author=liam+brewin+higgins">Liam Brewin Higgins</a> 19 March 2020
The Secret Cold War
By <a href="https://www.dymocks.com.au/books/?author=john+blaxland">John Blaxland</a>, <a href="https://www.dymocks.com.au/books/?author=rhys+crawley">Rhys Crawley</a> 26 April 2017
The Protest Years
By <a href="https://www.dymocks.com.au/books/?author=john+blaxland">John Blaxland</a> 1 October 2016
The Australian Army from Whitlam to Howard
By <a href="https://www.dymocks.com.au/books/?author=john+blaxland">John Blaxland</a> 16 October 2013

Middle East at War | Israel vs. Iran

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