Claim OwnershipDavid Solimini – The Secure Line
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Podcasting on politics, national security, and foreign policy
27 Episodes
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David and Xander discuss how impeachment proceedings have demonstrated the importance of independent civil service at the State Department. California burns as the President makes moves to pull the US out of the Paris climate accord. And a deep dive into the long reach of China’s influence over free speech, US companies, and even Hollywood.
Dave and Xander discuss election happenings around the world, the quiet withdrawal from Afghanistan, and give a primer the security implications of climate change.
Dave and Alex Bell touch on Syria, Ukraine, the Open Skies Treaty, the Democratic presidential debate, and why Kim Jung Un riding a white horse might be a problem.
Dave, Alex, and Matt catch up on Ukraine, personalizing state power, impact on US credibility and the Sopranos. The People's Republic of China celebrates its 70th Anniversary. And North Korea tests missiles.
NOTE: This episode was recorded the day before we learned that the president sought a foreign state’s intervention in the 2020 election. So… yeah. Sigh.
Dave, Matt, and Caitlin discuss drones and why Saudi Arabia’s military has issues, the fact that John Bolton never did the job he was supposed to do, and then dive into the Marine Commandant’s service reform goals.
Ongoing protests in Hong Kong offer insight into the future of protest and organizing in information dominant surveillance states. The Amazon is on fire and it’s not a mistake. A fight over intel sharing between South Korea and Japan sparks a deep dive into the security structure of the Asia-Pacific. And Becky has a new job.
Recommended reading: If you’re interested in the question of why there isn’t an Asian NATO, Victor Cha’s very approachable article "Powerplay: Origins of the U.S. Alliance System in Asia" is probably your best introduction to the issue. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40389236
Dave and Xander catch up on the ongoing protests in Hong Kong, the role of the US, and the importance of human rights to American interests. Also, TPP. Then: Russia’s crazy nuclear-powered missile engine blew up. And the President wants to buy Greenland.
Political violence in the US: How it affects views of America overseas and how we can use an international affairs analyst mindset to better understand ourselves. Dems candidates talk nuclear policy at the last debate. And dive into China’s statement of military policy.
The team reviews the Secretary of Defense nomination hearings, the US cuts Turkey off from the F35, the INF sits at death’s door, and Dave manages to offend Montenegro.
Becky is back from Afghanistan. It’s Alex’s first episode back since podcast paternity leave. And we have so much to talk about! Trump swipes left on the UK Ambo. DOD musical chairs continues. Iran pushes back. And the next President is gonna need to solve some problems. Also: Radioactive rattlesnakes.
Brief updates on Iran and North Korea before diving deep into President Trump’s personalization of the state, including wrapping himself in the military at this week’s 4th of July celebrations in Washington, DC. Then Xander explains what the Arctic Council is and why we should pay attention to it.
After four months of podcast paternity leave, the Secure Line is back! Thank you all who hung around and waited patiently for host Dave's little baby to learn how to sleep at night. This week on the secure line: Acting Secretaries of Everything, Stumbling towards war with Iran, and Beto's war tax idea.
Dave, Caitlin, and Tony take a look at democracy backsliding in Europe and what to do about it. Then a discussion of DOD’s war-funding account gets into the broader question of national security spending priorities. And finally, Iran’s 1979 revolution turned 40 this week, so we touched on how it continues to impact US policy and politics.
What was notable about the State of the Union? What was missing? What what’s going to happen at the Trump-Kim Summit later this month? Also: Alex goes deep on Bob Marley and Xander likes bad movies.
This week the team breaks down the intelligence community’s annual threat assessment testimony and the president’s response. US wants more money from ROK. We aren’t optimistic about a possible peace deal in Afghanistan. And Alex gives us an update on a slew of nuclear policy issues.
The teach catches up on court challenges to the DOD ban on trans service members, deep dives into the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and then goes under the radar to cover the impact of political unrest in Zimbabwe, Sudan, and DRC. That, and updates on the Trump-Kim summit and Huawei.
Special guest Ali Wyne joins Xander and Dave this week. We chase the news of the President’s unusual secrecy over his meetings with Vladimir Putin. We go under the radar on the UK’s Brexi-tastophe. And we dive waaaaaayy deep on US-China trade relations and the intersection with technology issues. That and tangents into Iranian missiles and North Korean meetings. And Korean TV.
The Secure Line is back from our long holiday nap. And old friend Matt Fay is back as well. This week Dave, Alex, and Matt talk the border wall, the Syria withdrawal, and Kim Jung Un’s birthday trip to China.
In the 48 hours since we recorded this episode, the president ordered US forces out of Syria, ordered troop levels in Afghanistan cut in half, and the Secretary of Defense resigned. So we’ve added some thoughts on those breaking events before our normal episode. During that normal episode, Dave and Xander review the events of 2018 and look forward to 2019, before reviewing two new reports on Russian interference in US politics and the indictment of Michael Flynn’s business partners for working on behalf of a foreign government.
Sorry to be a few days late this week! Caitlin and Dave talk Brexit in the news, Yemen’s undercovered famine designation, and dive into America’s China policy.
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