Having visited West Papua several times, I was interested to begin with episode 2 about that region. It turned out not to be informative, but not very objective. It’s true that probably a majority of West Papuans would like to be independent. But not all. I have met some who are passionate about independence, others who are indifferent, and some, who are quite ok with Indonesian rule. This diversity of opinions was not reflected in the reporting. Not was there any discussion about the role either the declaration of autonomy nor of the role of affirmative action in favour of indigenous Papuans in government jobs has played in the region in recent decades. Why were there no interviews with indigenous Papuan members of the local or National parliaments? And the closing phrase “see you later” was expressed in Tok Pisin, the National language of neighbouring Papua New Guinea, not of West Papua. I realised by listening to an episode about a region i know a bit about, that when I listen to other episodes about parts of the world that I don’t know much about, I cannot rely on this podcast to give me an unbalanced view of complex situations.

After listening, you really do feel you understand more about how the world works. Really great factual deep dives the inform insightful analysis!

I always look forward to these.

Shuffling thru the episodes, and unable to find one real episode about Israel compared to the rest of the work you put out there… that is Strange (not in any good way)

I literally NEVER write podcasts reviews but I had to for this one. I just discovered it yesterday and I am blown away. Such great detail, interesting topics, great experts and host. I cannot rave enough! If you are even remotely interested in geopolitics, this podcast is a MUST.

I wish we had more podcasts with this level of diverse expert opinions. Thank you for your efforts.

Well researched, great guests and interesting subject matter. Bring back the Green Line!

Took me a moment to realize the date when you posted your San Marino episode!

Thanks for the laughs!!!

In the last month, this podcast added inline ads. Between how they’re played - randomly without warning - and the content of the ads - loud, noisy ads that don’t fit the rest of the show - they really detract from the show. Michael and team, if you’re reading this, please reconsider how you’re inserting ads and the ads you accept. Listening has become painful.

Middle guest sounds like a guy from the industry. I don’t like to be rude, but I enjoy interesting conversations, I think I am hearing low grade explanations on why the failures of the past mean why the industry can’t innovate. I would love to hear why we can apply 2030 tech and apply it to 1940s. How about a ford style energy application that is easy to manufacture, has responsible restraints and takes care of the waste. If we are going to spend money, seems like investing in cheap energy for the every person sounds like something we could all get behind. Cheers, love you the show, thank you guys.

Awesome show, thanks!

How do you have a serious episode talking about Africa / African countries, people and issues and not feature a single African speaker? At least two episodes have done this. It undermines the credibility of the show. Reconsider how you can feature those experts as well.

Episode 94 audio editing is painfully bad - there is an echo and dead silence and the volume is different between host and guest However normally the episodes are well researched and informative and very interesting, they have credible guests and the questions and framing are all incredibly well done.

I enjoyed the older podcasts. Maybe a year old or longer? They were mostly informative and to the point. The climate change alarmism episodes turned me off. Also hosts voice is drowning.

Excellent format. I prefer 45 min+ podcasts so this is perfect. Ver informative.

Incredibly intelligent guests - just wish the production quality was slightly better.

Simply amazes me that every week is an action packed show … one topic discussed in great detail with amazing guests. The host, using his talents, really brings out the most important elements of the topic from each of his guests … letting the guests speak without interruption makes the flow of the podcast run smoothly … job well done!

This is a superior podcast for credible factual deep-dives on a variety of international issues and challenges. Guests are invariably curated with the most respected and relevant backgrounds and experience. No matter how much you think that you know about a subject, you will learn something in every episode.

Lying and exaggerating climate change is not the way to convince people. Anyone who takes the time to look at the data knows climate change is not the threat your pretend experts project. No wonder so many people reject the elites desire to take control. If all we get is repeatedly lied to who can we trust? The show can sometimes be informative but the host seems more interested in disseminating elitist propaganda than the truth. He loves official government funded propaganda like NPR, PBS, BBC, and ABC Australia while seeking to silence those who offer an alternative point of view. The show is not a trustworthy source of information.

The host has created an innovative format, allowing three different experts to go in-depth on one newsworthy topic. He sets up the topic well and his questions allow the experts to shine. He always seems to have excellent guests who are personally involved in the topic. This sets a new higher bar in the foreign policy space. Well done!

I’m always on the lookout for objective reporting on geopolitics. This show is at the top of my list! Excellent work!

Long form podcast, comprehensively addressing an area and the issues therein. Brilliant host crafts an intriguing story and interviews superlative guests to bring it to life. I learn much with every episode.

Excellent podcast, very informative deep dive on a subject rather than just surface level info like many other podcasts. I love that the guests get right into the subject matter rather than some 5 minute into on their background, their job, their dog, etc. I never feel the need to skip ahead in this podcast, every minute is meaningful.

Expert takes on complex geopolitical issues, Michael & Co as good questions and present a cohesive show. Love that it’s a longer show, don’t know why so many pods are 20-40 minutes in length, I could listen to experts speak on these topics for hours. Keep up the good work guys.

Good podcast with good information and variety of topics. But too long relative to other foreign policy podcasts. Could be tightened up to 30-40 minutes. And the incessant background music detracts from the conversations.

My daughter is Ethiopian and I have been following the civil war there closely. We know both Tigrayans in Addis who haven’t heard from their families in over 6 months and other Ethiopians who still support Abiy. Your recent episode explaining past history, the rise of Abiy and the current crisis is the best coverage I’ve encountered. I have been concerned that Abiy is positioning himself to be a dictator, but now understand that it is more likely that the country will just collapse. Thank you for helping me understand more.

This podcast is in my top 5. Keep up the great work!

Yah this podcast rules. I folded it into my foreign policy podcast regimen. Really really great. This, foreign exchanges, angry planet, rational security and lawfare is the rotation now.

Can you PLEASE ask your guests to stop saying “you know “? The guests are, you know, supposedly, you know, intelligent, you know, folks.

These are fantastic podcasts with subject matter experts on topics of great importance that typically get little or no attention. So glad I found this. Keep up the great work!

Hilliard delves into each topic with insight and an open mind. These are the questions I

A podcast with great content with a perfect transitional flow covering topics that we so rarely hear about but many of us crave

Very cool 😎

The Nagorno Karabakh episodes were just great: objective, fair, empathetic, and expert-based. Much needed in the current times of hot and toxic conflict between the two nations. As an Armenian, I am thankful there are genuine expert pieces like this that analyze an incredibly complex and painful topic for both Armenians and Azeris. Thank you!

The content is great. The guests are great. But the attempt at a serious voice comes off as cringe and trying too hard. Keep up the hard work.

The unique combination of host and expert guests to explore complex global issues is both informative and really interesting. It's also great to get a number of different voices surrounding an issue, in order to give it more depth. Looking forward to more episodes!

Or is it more smart?