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The Orientalist Express Podcast
by The Orientalist Express Team
A podcast series by The Orientalist Express that seeks to make foreign affairs interesting and understandable to everyday people.
Episodes
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Why Are We Here, Episode III: The Israel-Iran War
Why Are We Here, Episode 3, The Israel-Iran War The Orientalist Express Just hours before the United States bombed Iranian nuclear facilities, Nicholas, Stephen, and Matthew joined to talk about the major escalation between Israel and Iran. Special guest Hannah joined as the team discusses U.S....
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Why Are We Here, Episode II: Attack of the DOGE
Why Are We Here Episode II, Attack of the DOGE The Orientalist Express In “Why Are We Here, Episode II: Attack of the DOGE,” we continue our theme of blatantly ripping off episode titles based on Star Wars movies, and will now turn to taking a critical look at America’s international development...
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Why Are We Here, Episode 1: The Phantom Presence
Why Are We Here Episode 1: The Phantom Presence The Orientalist Express As we begin a new administration in Washington, it’s clear that the old way of doing things in American foreign policy needs to be critically evaluated and reconsidered. Core assumptions about why America is involved around…
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Episode 41, Catching Up On American Foreign Policy
Episode 41, Catching Up On American Foreign Policy The Orientalist Express On this episode, Nicholas is joined joined once again by Stephen and Matthew in our first episode since the 2024 election. In fact, this is our first regular recording in about two and a half years! On this episode, we’ll...
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Sudan & South Sudan with Lift Up the Vulnerable
Sudan & South Sudan with Lift Up the Vulnerable The Orientalist Express On this episode, Nicholas is joined by Sasha Nicolle, founder of the nonprofit Emanate International and currently the Advancement Officer for the local nonprofit Lift Up the Vulnerable (LUV). They are an international NGO...
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Episode 38: Grant Miller for Utah State House
Episode 39, Grant Miller for Utah House The Orientalist Express On this episode we’re taking a deep dive into local politics. In particular, we’re going to address some very particular issues currently impacting Salt Lake City, Utah. We have the honor of being joined once again by Grant Miller....
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Episode 37, USAID with John Patterson
Episode 37, USAID with John Patterson The Orientalist Express On this episode, Nicholas is joined by guest star John Patterson. John who works at the U.S. Agency for International Development and is a founding board member and adjunct professor for the University of San Diego's new Master's of...
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Episode 36, The NATO Expansion
Episode 36, The NATO Expansion The Orientalist Express Stephen and Nicholas take a deep dive into the latest NATO summit in Madrid. They discuss the importance of NATO’s invitation to bring Finland & Sweden into the alliance, the dramatic increase of NATO forces in Eastern Europe, and NATO’s new...
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Episode 35, The War In Ukraine
Episode 35, The War In Ukraine The Orientalist Express On this special edition of The Orientalist Express podcast, we discuss the devastating invasion of Ukraine by Russia’s military forces. Nicholas and Matthew are joined by returning guest host Toms Ratfelders, who previously worked in the...
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Episode 34, Brianne Wolf On Connecting Nebraska With The World
Episode 34, Brianne Wolf On Connecting Nebraska & The World The Orientalist Express On this episode, Nicholas is joined by guest star Brianne Wolf. Brianne is a US Global Leadership Coalition Next Gen Leader and was recently appointed to the USGLC Nebraska Advisory Committee. Brianne works as the...
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Episode 33, A Foreign Policy For Iowa With Admiral Franken
Episode 33, A Foreign Policy For Iowa With Admiral Franken The Orientalist Express On this episode, Nicholas is joined by retired Navy Admiral Michael Franken. Admiral Franken served for years in the U.S. Navy and has held numerous senior posts including the Deputy Director of Military Operations...
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Episode 32, Changing International Development with Emanate International
Episode 32, Changing International Development With Emanate International The Orientalist Express On this episode, Nicholas talks with Sasha Nicolle who is the founder and CEO of a new nonprofit known as Emanate International. Emanate International is a brand-new organization that is focused on...
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Episode 31, How US Global Engagement Benefits Minnesota
Episode 31, How US Global Engagement Benefits Minnesota The Orientalist Express This episode features another special guest from the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. USGLC’s Midwest Outreach Director Nezar Jamal joins Nicholas to continue the discussion on the importance of American global...
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Episode 30, The Importance of US Engagement In Afghanistan
Episode 30, The Importance of US Engagement In Afghanistan The Orientalist Express On this episode, we are joined by special guest star Nazila Jamshidi. Nazila is a gender equality and human rights specialist involved in Afghanistan’s development and democracy processes during the past decade....
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Episode 29, The Importance of US Global Leadership
Episode 29, The Importance of US Global Leadership The Orientalist Express Podcast On a special episode of The Orientalist Express podcast, Nick interviews Alex Grant from the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. Alex is director of the USGLC’s Heartland Initiative which seeks to highlight the...
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Episode 28, What A Biden Foreign Policy Could Mean For You
Episode 28, What A Biden Foreign Policy Could Mean For You The Orientalist Express In our first episode after the contentious 2020 US Presidential election, Nicholas & Stephen take a close look into what to expect out of a foreign policy by the new incoming president Joe Biden. Though President...
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Episode 27, What's Law Got To Do With It
Episode 27, What's Law Got To Do With It The Orientalist Express As the protests over the death of George Floyd have morphed into a larger conversation about policing in America, the Trump administration has responded by sending federal officers into cities throughout the country. One of the most...
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Episode 26, Pandemics, Orcs, & Toilet Paper
Episode 26, Pandemics, Orcs, & Toilet Paper The Orientalist Express On this episode, Nicholas, Stephen, and Matthew talk about the major changes facing the world during the global Coronavirus pandemic crisis. Specifically, they look at the ways in which this will radically change the modern…
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Episode 25, Part 4, My Idiot Wife (The Verdict)
Episode 25 Part 4, My Idiot Wife (The Verdict) The Orientalist Express On the final episode of the “My Idiot Wife” mini-series, Nicholas, Stephen, and Hannah summarize the verdict of the impeachment trial against the president and what this means for the future of presidential accountability.…
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Episode 25, Part 3, My Idiot Wife (The Senate Trial)
Episode 25, Part 3, My Idiot Wife (The Senate Trial) The Orientalist Express This episode continues our special impeachment series with a focus on the upcoming Senate trial. Nicholas, Hannah, and Stephen talk about what this trial might look like and why it matters. The team also speculates on…
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Episode 25 Part 2, My Idiot Wife (Impeachment Charges Explained)
Episode 25, Part 2 My Idiot Wife (Impeachment Charges Explained) The Orientalist Express This episode continues the discussion of the impeachment against president Trump. In part two, Stephen, Nicholas, and Hannah go into detail about the exact charges against the president, the evidence behind...
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Episode 25 Part 1, My Idiot Wife (The Impeachment Series)
Episode 25 Part 1, My Idiot Wife (The Impeachment Series) The Orientalist Express On this special edition of The Orientalist Express, the team discusses the American impeachment process and how this has historically happened. Stephen and Nicholas are joined by Nicholas’ wife Hannah. Hannah joins...
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Episode 24, Liberal Hegemony Wow!
Episode 24, Liberal Hegemony Wow! The Orientalist Express After two dozens episodes, Stephen and Nicholas take a look back on the goals of this podcast to try to better explain the knowledge gap between average citizens and foreign policy professionals. Is it a problem of education, messaging, or...
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Episode 23, Westeros, IR Theory, & The Iran Nuclear Crisis
Episode 23, Westeros, IR Theory, & The Iran Nuclear Crisis The Orientalist Express On this episode, Nicholas, Stephen, and Toms discuss the possible resolutions of the Iran Nuclear Crisis. Will the United States and Iran ultimately end up in a shooting war? Can a new deal be salvaged? Or will the...
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Episode 22, One European Army, With One Purpose
One European Army, With One Purpose The Orientalist Express On this episode, Nicholas, Stephen, and Toms discuss the problems and pitfalls surrounding European collective security. Since the end of the Second World War, the standard power dynamic in Europe has been that of the victorious Soviet...
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Episode 21, Map Shaming The Golan Heights
Episode 21, Map Shaming The Golan Heights The Orientalist Express This episode takes a deep dive into America’s recognition of the area known as the Golan Heights as part of Israeli territory. Stephen and Nicholas debate the importance of this measure and discuss the impacts (if any) that this…
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Episode 20, Another Brick In The Wall
Episode 20, Another Brick in the Wall The Orientalist Express On this episode, Nicholas and Stephen tackle the immigration debate. In particular, we break down the main solutions being pursued by various nations to the problems of immigration including the benefits and risks of each. These…
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Episode 19, Parenting Tips For International Intervention
Episode 19, Parenting Tips For International Intervention The Orientalist Express On this episode, Nicholas, Stephen, Valida, and Matthew debate the criteria and preconditions needed to justify international intervention. In other words, when would the United States be justified to conduct a...
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Episode 18, The Next War To End All Wars
The Next War To End All Wars The Orientalist Express On this episode, Stephen and Nicholas discuss the possibilities of World War III and what that might look like. For decades, the world seems to have taken for granted the idea that large scale wars by great military powers is over. But what are...
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Episode 17, One Strategy To Rule Them All
Episode 17, One Strategy To Rule Them All The Orientalist Express On this episode, Stephen, Valida, and Nicholas discuss America’s grand national strategy (or lack thereof). First, the gang breaks down the importance of having an overarching policy strategy and how the United States can benefit...
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Episode 16, Trade, Tariffs, & Tacky Pick-up Lines
Episode 16, Trade, Tariffs, & Tacky Pick-up Lines The Orientalist Express Puns and bad pick-up lines abound in this episode of The Orientalist Express podcast. This time, the team analyzes America's increasingly aggressive trade policies and how effective they may be in achieving the...
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Episode 15, The Clash of Civilizations
Episode 15, The Clash Of Civilizations The Orientalist Express On this episode of The Orientalist Express, Nicholas, Stephen, and Valida analyze the classic theory by Samuel Huntington known as the "Clash of Civilizations." Written at the end of the Cold War, this theory stated that global…
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Flashpoints: Episode 1
Flashpoints, Episode 1 The Orientalist Express This is the inaugural episode of our new mini-series Flashpoints. On this series, The Orientalist Express team will provide their quick takes on a variety of hot conflicts around the world. On this episode, Nicholas, Stephen, Valida, Matthew, Daniel,...
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Episode 14, The OE Goes Global
Episode 14, The OE Goes Global The Orientalist Express On this episode, the Orientalist Express goes global as we introduce two new contributors and try desperately to avoid talking about the British royal wedding. Sebastien Mouret joins the team as a student of international affairs from France,...
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Episode 13, Better Call Cohen
Episode 13, Better Call Cohen The Orientalist Express On this episode, The Orientalist Express welcomes a special guest to discuss the recent raid on the law office of Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen. Criminal defense lawyer Grant Miller joins Nicholas Hayen, Stephen Howard, and Matthew...
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Episode 12, Hey Let's Cyber
Episode 12, Hey Let's Cyber The Orientalist Express This episode is all about "the cyber." Nicholas. Matthew. Stephen, and Valida team up to discuss the emerging problems of cyber warfare. How is cyber warfare different from conventional warfare and is any deterrence possible? Then, the team…
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Episode 11, A Clockwork Democracy
Episode 11, A Clockwork Democracy The Orientalist Express On this episode, Stephen, Valida, and Nicholas are joined by our newest contributor Matthew Spencer-Kociol. The discussion this time is all about the process of democratization, or how a nation chooses to adopt democratic governance over...
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Episode 10, The Great Games
Episode 10, The Great Games Nicholas Hayen, Stephen Howard, Valida Azamatova This episode is all about the Olympic Games, or at the very least the international relations drama behind them. Nicholas, Stephen, and Valida discuss the North Korea situation, Russia's meddling in the Olympic doping...
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Episode 09, Someone Called The Police
Episode 9, Someone Called The Police Nicholas Hayen, Stephen Howard, Valida Azamatova On this episode, we continue our back to basics approach by looking to further understand the Liberal International Order. Nicholas, Stephen, and Valida discuss both the advantages and disadvantages of the order...
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Episode 08, Explaining The Liberal International Order
Episode 8, Explaining The Liberal International Order Nicholas Hayen, Stephen Howard, Valida Azamatova In our first podcast of 2018, we introduce our newest contributor Valida Azamatova. She joins other South Dakota State University grads Nicholas Hayen and Stephen Howard to begin our back to...
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Episode 07, Tehran Up the Nuclear Deal
Episode 7, Tehran Up The Nuclear Deal Nicholas Hayen & Stephen Howard With the international agreement over Iran’s nuclear weapons program in doubt, Nicholas Hayen and Stephen Howard discuss the possible impact of re-imposing sanctions. They also debate the larger impacts of this decision on the...
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Episode 06, Totally Not Rational Security
Episode 6, Totally Not Rational Security Nicholas Hayen, Stephen Howard, Kurt Guner, Brandon Kenney As a tumultuous summer draws to a close, Stephen, Kurt, Brandon, and Nick discuss the active debate surrounding ISIS fighters and their future in a post-caliphate world. Should nations attempt to...
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Episode 05, Democracy Inaction
Episode 05, Democracy Inaction Nicholas Hayen, Stephen Howard, Kurt Guner At the 101st day of the new administration, Stephen, Kurt, and Nick react to America's increasingly cozy relationship with dictators, authoritarians, and leaders who project strength. Is this policy just a reflection of...
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Episode 04, Bans & Brotherhoods
Episode 04, Bans & Brotherhoods Nicholas Hayen, Kurt Guner, Stephen Howard, Brandon Kenney In Episode 04, the usual team is back together to discuss reactions to the Trump administration's travel ban against seven Muslim majority nations. In the second half, the team finally disagrees about...
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Episode 03, Settlers of Canaan
Episode 03, Settlers of Canaan Nicholas Hayen, Kurt Guner, Stephen Howard In Episode 03, we react to the first days of the Donald Trump administration and its impacts on Middle East policy. First, we take a critical look at Israeli settlement policy and the prospects of peace between Israelis and...
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Episode 02, From Russia with Contempt
Episode 2, From Russia with Contempt Nicholas Hayen, Stephen Howard, Kurt Guner, Brandon Kenney In this week's episode, the team discusses the intersection of American foreign policy and the Russian government. We begin with a continuation of last week's debate about likely Russian policy under…
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Episode 01, Trumping Iran & Syria
Episode 01, Trumping Iran & Syria Nicholas Hayen, Stephen Howard, Brandon Kenney, Kurt Guner In our first ever podcast, the Orientalist Express team takes a look at the future of several key Middle Eastern issues in light of the recent election of Donald Trump to the American presidency. Our main...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A podcast series by The Orientalist Express that seeks to make foreign affairs interesting and understandable to everyday people.
HOSTED BY
The Orientalist Express Team
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Orientalist Express Podcast have?
The Orientalist Express Podcast currently has 47 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Orientalist Express Podcast about?
A podcast series by The Orientalist Express that seeks to make foreign affairs interesting and understandable to everyday people.
How often does The Orientalist Express Podcast release new episodes?
The Orientalist Express Podcast has 47 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Orientalist Express Podcast?
You can listen to The Orientalist Express Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Orientalist Express Podcast?
The Orientalist Express Podcast is created and hosted by The Orientalist Express Team.
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