Full Episode With Sam Roggeveen On The Curious Worldview
Sam Roggeveen - The Echidna Strategy
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Sam Roggeveen coined The 'Echidna Strategy' - which is an on the nose metaphor for thinking about Australian Defence policy.
Echidna’s are a tiny, cute little animals native to Australia. They are essentially harmless, they only eat ants and termites but despite their size and vulnerability, they have evolved this incredible defensive system. Their bodies are covered in long, spiky thorns thereby making them immune to pretty much all types of attacks that might come from animals higher in the food chain.
So in a nutshell, Sam wants Australia to be more like echidna’s, a threat to nobody, but disastrous to anybody that should attack them.
In the podcast we discussed Australian defense policy in a changing global landscape. How Australia can become a self-reliant power, the implications of China's military rise, and the evolving role of the United States in the region.
Sam shares his thoughts on the importance of ambition in leadership, the potential for an Australian-Indonesian alliance, and the strategic mistakes of AUKUS.
Sam worked as an intelligence analyst at Australia's Office of National Assessments before he joined the Lowy institute where he now serves as the Director of the International Security Program, where he leads Australia's defence strategy, US foreign policy and Chinas military development.
The opening few minutes of this are not the best audio, but after that it kicks into studio quality. This was recorded in person in Canberra, it is my pleasure to welcome Sam Roggeveen to the podcast…
Full Episode On A Curious Worldview Podcast
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Each year, Apple sells more than 100 million unit's of it's various products, with some factories capable of producing up to 500,000 iPhones (alone) per day.
This scale of quality and quantity is not replicated anywhere else in history. And it's all down to the special and unique relationship between one of the world's largest hardware companies, Apple and the worlds largest manufacturer, China.
Pat McGee wrote the book on this... 'Apple in China', and joins me for a discussion which explores the intricate relationship between Apple and China's manufacturing landscape. Tim Cook's pivotal role, the challenges of relying on China for production, and the unique conditions that have allowed China to dominate the manufacturing sector. Pat reflects on the geopolitical implications of Apple's strategy and the serendipitous nature of his writing process, culminating in a discussion about the future of industrial statecraft and the lessons learned from Apple's experience.
00:00: Pat McGee
02:52: Tim Cook's Role in Apple's Success in China
06:00: Apple's Reliance on China and Its Vulnerabilities
12:12: The Scale of Apple's Manufacturing and Its Implications
18:12: Foxcon & Terry Gou
24:03: China's Manufacturing Strategy and Apple's Role
29:59: China's Ambitions and Apple's Unintentional Consequences
39:50: The Journey of Writing The Book
44:05: Leaning Into Serendipity
51:31: The Impact of Apple's Industrial Strategy
58:59: Geopolitical Implications of China's Manufacturing
01:08:02: Doing Jon Stewart!
Full Episode - Curious Worldview Podcast
Arne Anderson, Three Tours In Afghanistan For The Swedish Military #46
Swedens Elite Police Unit, Piketen #146
Christopher Neijd Police Lieutenant in Södertälje & Southern Stockholm #165
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Because of my old mate, Arne Andersson - I’ve been incredibly lucky to have gotten to know several of his old military buddies. There are those listed above...
And then there is my guest for this episode today, courtesy to the serendipity proximate to Arne…
Peter, whose full name will remain redacted - is the head of the isolation ward at Kumla prison, which is the largest maximum security prison in Sweden. We recorded this about 6 months ago, so I am very late to publish, but I hope you’ll agree that the contents are evergreen. Not tied down to any particular time and news, and therefore as useful now as it would have been then as it will be in 5 years time.
Pete and I sat down together to record this one in Stockholm last late Autumn, it’s as many ins and outs of the prison system that I could think to ask Peter. This is an exhaustive list, but it includes inmate demographics, the impact of overpopulation, the complexities of rehabilitation, the psychological effects of prison on both inmates and staff. the crucial differences between the Swedish prison system other countries, and how it’s portrayed in the media, particularly regarding sentencing and the rehabilitation processes. the challenges of institutionalisation, the dynamics of inmate behaviour. Leadership and de-escalation techniques in managing inmate interactions, as well as the influence of gangs and ethnic divides within the prison system. Informal power dynamics among inmates, the prevalence of violence, self-harm, and the challenges faced by prison officers. The changing attitudes of younger inmates towards authority, the psychological impact of incarceration, and the ongoing issues of contraband and drug addiction. The discussion also touches on the responsibility of prison staff to understand and support inmates, the metrics used to evaluate prison conditions, and the societal perceptions of crime and punishment.
In between all that there is as well Peter’s good humour and the natural tangents much of that may draw you down…
00:00 - Who Is Peter & Intro
03:02 Demographics and Overpopulation in Kumla Prison
05:51 Crime Types and Inmate Behaviour
09:00 Rehabilitation and Sentencing in Sweden
11:59 Isolation Units and Mental Health
14:48 Challenges of Overpopulation and Violence
18:05 Administrative Costs and Efficiency
20:56 Psychological Impact of Isolation
23:53 Interactions with Inmates
27:04 Handling Manipulation and Trust
30:00 Sympathy for Inmates and Their Stories
32:48 Mental Health and Rehabilitation Challenges
35:56 Conclusion and Reflections on the Prison System
45:09 The Nature of Work in Prison
51:49 Rehabilitation vs. Punishment in Nordic Prisons
56:08 Institutionalisation and Its Effects
01:01:22 De-escalation Techniques in High-Stress Environments
01:08:15 Leadership in Correctional Facilities
More on the full episode here...
Gang Dynamics in Swedish Prisons
Power Dynamics in Prisons
Reality of Violence in Prisons
Self-Harm and Mental Health Issues
Prison Metrics and Crime Hierarchies
Religious Practices and Beliefs in Prisons
Tim Butcher Episode (Blood River Congo) -
King Leopold's Ghost Book - https://www.amazon.com.au/King-Leopolds-Ghost-Adam-Hochshild/dp/0618001905
From 1885, for 13 years, one man, King Leopold II, owned, as his personal property, one of the largest pieces of geography on earth. The Congo is four times larger than France, it’s bigger than India, it’s bigger than Texas, Alaska, California & Montana combined - the equator runs right through it’s middle and makes it the second largest rainforest on the globe - it’s impossibly rich in resources, and desperately poor in economics. In those 13 years of private ownership, Leopold oversaw potentially one of the most brutal regimes of extraction the world has ever known. The population was estimated to have halved in those 13 years, more than 10 million deaths. It was an exploit in mass slavery, mass death, bodily mutilation and mass extraction. Ivory and wild rubber were in high demand, and so under the guise of media manipulation and PR mastery, Leopold convinced the world that these goods were in fact being traded with, rather than extracted from, the Congo.
The horror, however, could only be concealed for so long. A fella by the name of Ed Morell who worked for a shipping company in Liverpool noticed the bounty of ivory and rubber arriving from the Congo, with only men and arms making the journey back. His suspicion grew, he found accounts from missionaries and others who had been, and mounted a campaign to undermine the constant wall of propaganda Leopold had financed.
In 1908, the Belgium state purchased the Congo off Leopold… where the country remained a colony of Belgium until 1960.
And for a myriad of reasons, for which we address in the podcast, the Congo today is still on the back foot. Kinshasa, the capital city already has a bigger population than Paris, and is projected to be as much as 40,000,000 by 2050. The Congo today is among the most resource rich nations on earth, but among the least developed. It still attracts the same predation for extraction as it ever has, although all together less forceful and less violent
The man I speak with on the podcast today wrote the definitive history of this period. His name is Adam Hochschild, he’s an author, journalist and historian and wrote in 1998, 'King Leopold's Ghost'.
Curious Worldview Podcast (Spotify) - https://open.spotify.com/episode/6vofLaGavfQEEGkkSmwlTi?si=0vc-V65-Qref_ZlZdj--tg
Curious Worldview Podcast (Apple) - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/axel-humlesj%C3%B6-money-laundering-is-the-biggest/id1540424160?i=1000700665617
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Axel Humlesjö is a Swedish journalist against which money laundering, the plumbing of offshore finance and the cancerous nature of dark money, continuously crash up against.
Axel was a part of the team that uncovered systematic money laundering activities with Swedbank in the Baltics. Part of the team behind the series - The Shadow War - which exposed Russian espionage activities in the Nordics and led to the expulsion of five Russian spies from Sweden. Many other stories as well, but of course co-author of his debut book, The Honey Trap which explores Swedbank's involvement in one of the world's largest money laundering scandals and details this extensive operation for how the Russian security service uses sparrows and other means to honey trap and acquire kompromat on a broad slew of people. Honey traps were used directly to illicit compromising material to infiltrate Swedbank.
This podcast goes into Axel’s views on the evolution of journalism in a globalised world, and the significant role that money plays in shaping political landscapes. He goes as far to say it is the single biggest societal issue facing Europe and how intertwined money laundering is with currying foreign influence.
This was recorded in person in Stockholm with Axel last December, it was the last interview I recorded before I left the country.
Curious Worldview Podcast (Spotify) - https://open.spotify.com/episode/4EQW5Ylr4lrqLUyj5V0oiA?si=xWxWWkbbTUqoDN5JeyRLtw
Philippe Gijsels Book - https://www.amazon.com/World-Economy-Trends-superinflation-hyperinnovation/dp/9401409013
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The following is with Philippe Gijsels, the Chief Strategy Officer at BNP Paribas Fortis - he co-wrote a book last year called The New World Economy in 5 Trends - which within, reveals much of the new map we now inhabit, especially in light of the perplexing chaos of spearheaded by America’s sloppy leadership in the last weeks.
Philippe is an erudite bookophile and a banker, a combination that seems not uncommon among the best investors. He and I have been speaking since last year in anticipation of recording this podcast today. I hope you enjoy it.
I wanted to get the interview into the meat of the book as quickly as possible, therefore, took more liberties with editing than I usually do and have excised a part of the podcast to the end of the discussion. The excised component was an explanation and brief discussion on the idea of Reflexivity.
Consider leaving this 5 stars on Apple or Spotify - nothing does more to drive the show to new viewers.
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The following is with German political scientist, former beer brewer in the Congo, and author of How Tyrants Fall - Marcel Dirsus
Marcel interviewed coup leaders, dissidents and soldiers to write about the workings and malfunctions of tyrants. Because while the individual personas, eccentricities and reputations might make them all distinct from one another, there are more threads that draw disparate dictator's together than don’t.
I think this excerpt from the book sums up the essence of Marcel’s work and as well, the themes in todays podcast.
“The most powerful tyrants on earth are condemned to live their life in fear. They can make their enemies disappear with a snap of their fingers. They, their families, and their acolytes may control entire countries from the luxury of their palace, but they also have to spend their every waking hour plagued by the fear of losing everything. No matter how powerful they become, they cannot pay for or order that fear to disappear. If such tyrants make one wrong move, they will fall.”
So the interview is about the workings of various tyrants around the world, both living and dead.
I ask Marcel about applying a prisoners of geography lens to this topic, china and the case for dictators not being all bad all the time, marcel’s rogues gallery of tyrants and as well, Marcel offers a raw reflection of the potential future of authoritarianism in the USA particularly because of the astounding moves made so far under trump. This was recorded the day after the US inauguration.
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Robert Kaplan has been sighted as one of the most influential geopolitical thinkers of the modern era. The Revenge Of Geography, Surrender or Starve, Balkan Ghosts, Asias Cauldron, The Tragic Mind, and so on, I counted 18 books so far with his most recent being - Waste Land: A World In Permanent Crisis.
I’ve listened to many of his books at this point, I found Revenge Of Geography a few years ago whilst preparing for my interviews with Tim Marshall.
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Curious Worlview Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/episode/26jGHMsGGMuBuBtbB2u2Gw?si=j3bKCO6jQi6ftj6jM3UwoQ
Youtube - https://youtu.be/4MWFzPXQPY8
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Taiwan is the greatest geopolitical question of the 21st century says Kerry Brown, sinologist, and former Diplomat to the British Embassy in Beijing.
He is, I am thrilled to say the guest on todays podcast. A sinologist is a scholar and expert of China, its language, history, politics, and culture - and the theme today is top to bottom the myriad questions looming over one of the largest political issues for China… Taiwan.
Kerry published a book last year called The Taiwan Story: How a Small Island Will Dictate the Global Future. It is marvelous, and my hope was to do as much justice to the various questions which Kerry approaches Taiwan with as possible in a brief podcast.
The big questions being, the economy, given Taiwan’s semi conductor supremacy with its home grown TSMC, the perplexing idea that Xi would view Taiwanese reunification as the most significant achievement to his legacy, how a more fractured, less unified global order creates lots of wiggle room, Taiwan’s history, and that despite having 95% Han ethnicity, what is it about Taiwan which makes them a distinctly different culture to China, Kerrys feeling for the inevitability of an attempt at reunification and lots more between those cracks.
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Youtube - https://youtu.be/EF-yONBmGa8
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Bradley Hope returns to the podcast.
Some of the things that stand out from this episode that I would encourage you to stay around for include…
00:00 - Introduction
02:30 - The Region - Oil, Religion, History
06:45 - Sovereign Wealth Funds
08:50 - Religious Divide Between Gulf Nations
010:41 - Saudi Arabia Young Country
13:40 - Understanding MBS
19:40 - The Shiek Down
27:35 - MBS & Risk
30:58 - MBZ - UAE
33:40 - Bradley’s Contrarian Take On Sportswashing
43:07 - Geopolitical Significance Of The Region
51:10 - Consultancies (McKinsey, etc) In Saudi
55:23 - NEOM
1:00:10 - Journalist Craft
1:05:15 - Has MBS Read Bradley’s Work & Does Bradley Still Love Journalism?
1:08:30 - Bradley Reflects On Changing Media Landscape
1:13:50 - Mecca & Medina
1:15:10 - Misunderstood Parts Of Saudi & Emirates
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Relating Interview's To Slavery On The Curious Worldview
Follow me on Instagram – @ryanfhogg
Out Of The Slave Fields - Bruce Ladebu (Book)
The Children's Rescue Initiative (Donate)
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At this very moment there are over 40,000,000 people around the world trapped in slavery. This is a number larger than at any point before in history… and perniciously, a figure that grows everyday.
Millions among them are children. And then millions of those are living in the most devastating conditions imaginable.
Bruce Ladebu runs an initiative called Children's Rescue where he and his team identify and then extract those very children living in the most destitute environments.
To date, the Children's Rescue initiative have rescued over 2,400 children.
Share this podcast with someone. The better informed we are about this reality, at the very least, the more discerning we can be in our consumption that feeds this industry.
