Legatum Institute
Senior fellow at the Legatum Institute, contributing editor to Foreign Policy magazine and the author of Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century
PROFILE
Christian Caryl
Guest
FROM Christian Caryl
To the Point
A Political Upset in Turkey Means New Uncertainty in the Middle East Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was not on the ballot, but Sunday's parliamentary election was widely seen as a referendum on his leadership and his ambition for more political power. His Muslim-oriented party won the most votes, but lost the parliamentary majority it's held since 2002. For the first time, a party including Kurds and other minorities won the right to participate in government. The conservative leader now faces a deadline to form a ruling coalition. But, what liberals call a win for democracy has led to drops in economic indicators, and political instability seems likely. What will that mean for the US, Turkey's other NATO allies and the fight against ISIS?
To the Point
‘Strange Rebels’ and the Significance of 1979 In his new book, “Strange Rebels,” Christian Caryl maintains that 1979 was a “transformative” year when apparently different leaders were all seized by a “peculiar spirit of defiance.” The result was the end of the post-World-War II order and the beginning of what we know now: an era of globalized economics and politicized religion.
To the Point
The Middle East: From Democracy to Chaos Two years ago, Tunisia led the so-called "Arab Spring" by replacing a dictatorship with a democracy. Egypt was not far behind. But elected, Islamist governments have provoked secular opposition, and the streets of both countries are full of protesters once again. Tunisia was hailed as the model for peaceful transition, but an assassination has led to the first general strike in 35 years. In Egypt, murders during a soccer match have turned organized clubs into disruptive political rivals. We update events in both countries and learn how the social media that helped create peaceful revolutions are now threatening unity.
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To the Point
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.
To the Point
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.
To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
To the Point
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?