The Global Dashboard: Recent Episodes
Daniel Joseph and Ellis Cannon
We cover global issues--economic, political, diplomatic, and business. We keep our listeners up to date on important events and trends, but also deep dive into key issues to give people a better understanding of what is really happening out there. We also mix in unique content--quizzes, personal experiences, etc.--to make the message fun, amusing and interesting, like the world itself. The world is getting smaller and, at the same time, more difficult and more dangerous. We think it is more important than ever that we understand the world outside our borders. Our goal is to help people do that.
In this episode our News Dash covers COVID rising in Europe, hypersonic missile tests in China, and the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. In our special segment we discuss the lack of global progress relative to prosperity and democracy and how, combined with COVID, it is leading to more coups, migration, violence, and instability in general.
The News Dash in this episode covers China real estate, energy and missile tests, the deteriorating situation in Haiti, and other major global developments. Then we have a general discussion about global risks, everything from the risk of war in the Pacific and a potential cyberattack to America’s decline and China’s rise. Lastly we have yet another amusing episode of the GDB Quiz.
In this episode, after our standard news dash, we focus on the growing tension between China and Taiwan, analyzing whether war is possible and how the US should respond. We finish with another episode of the GDB Quiz.
Lots of news on China, including rising tensions over Taiwan. Dan relates some of his unique personal experience, describes what communism was like, and how his experience helps his understanding of China overall.
The news summary covers Afghanistan, China real estate problems, the US-France rift, and the ongoing immigration crisis at America’s southern border. Then we take a look at the wasteful and counterproductive spending in Afghanistan, again drawing on the SIGAR (Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction) reports. Lastly we dive into the global spending problem which has resulted in dysfunctional capital markets and a global mountain of debt.
As part of our general news summary we cover the unfolding events relative to China’s real estate market and the potential implications for the US and global economy. We also provide an update on Afghanistan including the danger of a humanitarian crisis and the fact that the US drone strike that allegedly killed terrorists actually killed civilians and children. We take another look at the SIGAR (Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction) reports, this time on how democracy never really took hold in Afghanistan. Lastly, another informative and amusing GDB Quiz.
The episode starts with our standard global news summary. Then we take another deep dive into Afghanistan, this time focusing on the misperceptions that led the US to the wrong strategy, we argue, guaranteed us of failure, regardless of the tactics. We draw upon the findings of the SIGAR (Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction) reports and we make a comparison to Russia and China which serves as a great example as to how the US has to changes it approach to less developed countries. We close with another Global Dashboard Quiz, this maybe funnier than the last.
UNPACKING THE FAILURE IN AFGHANISTAN
Given recent events it isn't a surprise that our initial episode focuses mostly on Afghanistan, one of many episodes in which we will likely address the most important foreign policy development since Vietnam. We also do a quick review of the global COVID situation. At the end of the episode we have the first installment of the "Global Dashboard Quiz" which we think you will find to be interesting and funny.