Don’t miss our newsletter! Former Australian diplomat John Fowler joins Mike Benitez to discuss what’s happening around the world through the lens of international relations. John is a repeat guest—check out episode 16 to get caught up. In this episode, we discuss China, the South China Sea, the Taiwan elections, Russia in Ukraine, and even cautiously venture a bit into how US domestic politics is muddying the waters with Ukraine aid. Should we even be involved? Why or why not? We look at both sides from a few perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else. We also make a detour into AUKUS, Japan’s rebuilding of its military, and discuss what the real superpower of the US is. John Fowler runs International Intrigue, a daily newsletter written by a team of former diplomats (link below!). It’s packed with great, easy-to-consume content and helps you keep a pulse on what’s happening in the world—and why it matters. For those interested in #military #technology #strategy #diplomacy #china #asia #security #government #nationalsecurity #defense #nationaldefense #russia #ukraine    ---- Links • Sign up for our ⁠amazing newsletter⁠! • Support us on ⁠Patreon⁠! • Mike Benitez (LinkedIn) • John Fowler (X) • International Intrigue newsletter • Dickerpicss (IG) ---- Follow us on... • ⁠Instagram⁠ • ⁠Facebook⁠ • ⁠X (Twitter)⁠ • ⁠LinkedIn⁠ • ⁠Website⁠ ---- Show Notes (01:04) Intro (05:06) China’s economic shifts (08:14) China’s real estate crisis (11:48) Taiwan elections (18:22) South China Sea (19:40) the “9-dash line” (21:30) the Second Thomas Shoal (31:08) coalitions and consensus (34:37) Russia in Ukraine (36:55) Ukraine aid in Congress (41:02) the real superpower of the US (45:06) the risk of hedging (46:21) AUKUS, Japan, and China (53:54) good for Russia, good for China (55:11) China using history as a weapon (58:02) outro