Counterbalance

This week, co-hosts Mike Doran and Peter Rough are joined by Allison Hooker, seasoned Asia hand with extensive experience working on issues relating to the Korean Peninsula and the broader Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan. The trio discuss key developments to watch out for in the year to come, beginning with Taiwan’s presidential election that gave the ruling DPP a historic third straight term.

After internal dialogues revealed that the team was feeling a bit "strategically rudderless," hosts Mike Doran and Peter Rough sit together to launch a new thesis for Counterbalance. Together they explain what's wrong with foreign policy "experts" today and why an interest-based foreign policy is needed over the dominant, but flawed, values-based outlook of today's elites. They're calling this new school of thought "real-realism."

Father John Sawicki joins hosts Mike Doran and Peter Rough this week to discuss Catholic teachings and US foreign policy. In this episode, the trio discuss how to reconcile the pursuit of national strategic interests with Christian moral principles, as well as how prudence can guide decision-making and the complex interplay between ethics and power.

Counterbalance is back and welcomes new co-host Peter Rough, Director of Hudson Institute's Center on Europe and Eurasia. In this episode, Peter interviews returning co-host Mike Doran about his recent trip to Saudi Arabia. A longstanding pillar of American security architecture in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is increasingly demonstrating autonomy in foreign policy. Peter and Michael discuss the reasons for the kingdom's opening to China and its implications for regional security and Great Power competition.

Ahmed Obali, founder of Gunaz TV and human rights activist for the Iranian Azerbaijani people, joins Mike and Marshall to discuss the on-going protests in Iran. The death of the young Iranian Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini on September 16 provoked unprecedented protests and riots against the Islamic Republic. Obali offers his insights on the current demonstrations, on the ethnic divisions that might lead to the Islamic Republic’s demise, and the implications for the United States. O

bali discusses the risks of easing the sanctions placed on the Islamic Republic at a time when the Biden administration lacks a comprehensive Iran strategy.