<![CDATA[Global Dispatches: To Save Us From Hell]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/s/to-save-us-from-hellhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!r-vl!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Febfee1ee-624a-4830-90f0-2ef3d8014102_1178x1178.pngGlobal Dispatches: To Save Us From Hellhttps://www.globaldispatches.org/s/to-save-us-from-hellSubstackMon, 14 Sep 2026 15:15:01 GMT<![CDATA[What to Watch at UNGA 2026: Our Guide to the Biggest Week in Global Diplomacy ]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/what-to-watch-at-unga-2026-our-guide-2efhttps://www.globaldispatches.org/p/what-to-watch-at-unga-2026-our-guide-2efThu, 10 Sep 2026 14:50:18 GMTToday’s episode of To Save Us From Hell is dedicated to all things UNGA81!

We are just two weeks away from the largest diplomatic gathering of the year, as hundreds of presidents and prime ministers descend on the United Nations for the opening of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

In this special episode, Anjali and I preview the speeches we are most anticipating, discuss some notable attendees—and a few key snubs—and lay out why this particular UNGA matters at this particular moment in global politics.

We discuss:

  • The key speeches we will be following

  • The curious case of Canada’s Carney’s conspicuous absence

  • How the Iran War will shape the diplomatic debate

  • What chaos might Donald Trump bring

And much, much more!

The full episode is available immediately below the fold, exclusively to our paying subscribers. You can also use this link to access the episode directly in Substack or on your preferred podcast listening apps.

We think this UNGA preview will be helpful to anyone who wants to understand what’s going to happen at the UN this month.

We’re running our annual September discount! Use the links below to access this episode and all our content during UNGA and beyond!

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]]><![CDATA[What to Watch at UNGA 2026: Our Guide to the Biggest Week in Global Diplomacy]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/what-to-watch-at-unga-2026-our-guidehttps://www.globaldispatches.org/p/what-to-watch-at-unga-2026-our-guideThu, 10 Sep 2026 14:09:56 GMTSubscribe now

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Today’s episode is dedicated to all things UNGA81! We are just two weeks away from the largest diplomatic gathering of the year, as hundreds of presidents and prime ministers descend on the United Nations for the opening of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

In this special episode, Anjali and Mark preview the speeches they are most anticipating, discuss some notable attendees—and a few key snubs—and lay out why this particular UNGA matters at this particular moment in global politics.

The full episode is available exclusively to our paying subscribers. We’re running our annual September discount, using the links above.

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]]><![CDATA[A Shakeup in the Race for UN Secretary General]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/a-shakeup-in-the-race-for-un-secretaryhttps://www.globaldispatches.org/p/a-shakeup-in-the-race-for-un-secretaryWed, 26 Aug 2026 17:16:01 GMTSubscribe now

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The United Nations is in the midst of selecting its next Secretary-General — and the race to succeed António Guterres just got more interesting. Last week, the Security Council held a straw poll to test the viability of the eight women and men vying to become Secretary-General in January. The results: we have a new frontrunner, though her apparent lead is narrow. Meanwhile, some candidates once considered frontrunners now look like long shots.

On this episode of our sister podcast, To Save Us From Hell, Mark Leon Goldberg and Anjali Dayal dissect the results of the straw poll and discuss the latest developments in the Secretary-General race

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]]><![CDATA[Who’s Up, Who’s Down in the Race for UN Secretary-General?]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/whos-up-whos-down-in-the-race-forhttps://www.globaldispatches.org/p/whos-up-whos-down-in-the-race-forFri, 31 Jul 2026 17:51:21 GMTThe race to become the next United Nations Secretary-General reached a pivotal moment on Thursday, when the Security Council held its first straw poll of the seven declared candidates. The results sharply narrowed the field: only four candidates now appear viable, with one clear frontrunner and three others close behind.

In this special live episode of To Save Us From Hell, Anjali Dayal and I break down how the selection process works, examine the backgrounds of the four leading candidates, and analyze what the first poll reveals about who may ultimately become the next leader of the United Nations.

This episode is freely available. But if you appreciate this kind of nerdy content that you can’t fine anywhere else, please become a paying subscriber. It’s the only way we can sustain To Save Us From Hell — the podcast with a cult following around United Nations!

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]]><![CDATA[What's Going on With the ICC? Plus: UNHCR in Trump's Crosshairs...And a rumored new Sec Gen Candidate?]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/whats-going-on-with-the-icc-plus-1dfhttps://www.globaldispatches.org/p/whats-going-on-with-the-icc-plus-1dfFri, 24 Jul 2026 10:49:38 GMTTo the world, Zohran Mamdani is the mayor of New York. To the UN, he is the mayor of its host city. So when he posted a video calling for the arrest and extradition of Benjamin Netanyahu to the International Criminal Court should he visit the UN General Assembly in September, it naturally generated some buzz around the UN.

Of course, the New York mayor has no authority to do so—and a longstanding headquarters agreement between the United States and the UN compels the U.S. to admit foreign officials traveling to address the organization, no matter how odious. Meanwhile, Mamdani’s remarks came a week after Marco Rubio announced an all-out assault on the ICC, threatening to dismantle the court. All of this is taking place amid an unprecedented push by ICC member states to potentially remove the current prosecutor over allegations of sexual misconduct.

We kick off this episode of To Save Us From Hell by talking all about the ICC. We discuss the specific allegations against Netanyahu; the obligations of the United States—and New York—as host of the UN; the historical precedents involving leaders wanted by the ICC who have sought to come to the UN; why Marco Rubio will likely fail in his effort to dismantle the court; and what the future holds for embattled ICC prosecutor Karim Khan.

In our other segments, we discuss a reported effort by the Trump administration to withdraw from the UN Refugee Agency and an unexpected potential candidate in the UN secretary-general race.

The full episode is available immediately below the fold for our paying subscribers. You can support our work at full price, or using the discount button below. We can’t keep this show going without your support, so thank you!

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]]><![CDATA[What's Going on With the ICC? Plus: UNHCR in Trump's Crosshairs...And a rumored new Sec Gen Candidate?]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/whats-going-on-with-the-icc-plushttps://www.globaldispatches.org/p/whats-going-on-with-the-icc-plusThu, 23 Jul 2026 20:35:11 GMTTo the world, Zohran Mamdani is the mayor of New York. To the UN, he is the mayor of its host city. So when he posted a video calling for the arrest and extradition of Benjamin Netanyahu to the International Criminal Court should he visit the UN General Assembly in September, it naturally generated some buzz around the UN.

Of course, the New York mayor has no authority to do so—and a longstanding headquarters agreement between the United States and the UN compels the U.S. to admit foreign officials traveling to address the organization, no matter how odious. Meanwhile, Mamdani’s remarks came a week after Marco Rubio announced an all-out assault on the ICC, threatening to dismantle the court. All of this is taking place amid an unprecedented push by ICC member states to potentially remove the current prosecutor over allegations of sexual misconduct.

We kick off this episode of To Save Us From Hell by talking all about the ICC. We discuss the specific allegations against Netanyahu; the ob…

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]]><![CDATA[A Viral Shouting Match at the UN has Turned Into a Campaign to Oust a Senior UN Official]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/a-viral-shouting-match-at-the-unhttps://www.globaldispatches.org/p/a-viral-shouting-match-at-the-unMon, 06 Jul 2026 14:13:41 GMTSubscribe now

About ten days ago, a highly unusual scene unfolded at the United Nations: Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon and Vanessa Frazier, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, got into a public shouting match, with Danon telling Frazier, “You will be quiet now!”

What began as a tense exchange over a UN report has since escalated into a broader fight, with Danon now calling for Frazier to be fired. In this episode of To Save Us From Hell, Mark Leon Goldberg and Anjali Dayal unpack what is driving this confrontation, why it matters inside the UN system, and whether Israel is seeking to deflect attention from the substance of reports containing credible allegations of human rights and international law violations.

They also discuss the newest entrant in the race for UN Secretary-General, Guyana’s UN Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, and explain how the UN managed to stave off a financial crisis in July.

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]]><![CDATA[How the UN Views the Iran-U.S. Ceasefire]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/how-the-un-views-the-iran-us-ceasefirehttps://www.globaldispatches.org/p/how-the-un-views-the-iran-us-ceasefireThu, 18 Jun 2026 15:00:36 GMTGet 40% off forever

Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett could become the first United Nations Secretary-General of Indigenous descent. Guyana’s ambassador to the United Nations was nominated as a Secretary-General candidate this week, bringing the grand total of candidates to six as we enter the final stretch of the campaign before the first Security Council straw polls.

Anjali knows Rodrigues-Birkett! They had lunch together not long ago, and she explains what Guyana’s UN ambassador brings to this race. We also discuss what we learned from the three-hour General Assembly forum with another candidate, Maria Espinosa. (We watch these marathon forums so you don’t have to!)

Finally, we discuss Antonio Guterres’ visit this week to Haiti, and what it suggests about international efforts to support security and stability as Haiti seeks to emerge from crisis.

All those segments are for our paying subscribers only. But up first: we discuss the UN’s role in the Iran ceasefire and what this moment means for the UN’s ability t…

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]]><![CDATA[Germany Gets Snubbed for the Security Council]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/germany-gets-snubbed-for-the-securityhttps://www.globaldispatches.org/p/germany-gets-snubbed-for-the-securityThu, 04 Jun 2026 14:05:15 GMTSubscribe now

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There was a remarkable scene at the United Nations yesterday as the President of the General Assembly and former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock read out the results of a hotly contested race for a Security Council seat.

For months, Portugal, Austria, and Germany had been duking it out behind the scenes at the General Assembly. These three EU allies were competing for just two seats on the Security Council, where they would serve for two years as non-permanent members. They needed the votes of two-thirds of the Assembly to secure those seats, and one country would be the odd European out.

As Baerbock read the results, she sat stone-faced while the General Assembly erupted in raucous applause: Portugal and Austria would be joining the Security Council in 2027. Germany was snubbed.

This was the first time that Germany sought a Security Council seat and lost. What’s more, it was the first time that any of the so-called “G4” countries — India, Brazil, Japan, and Germany — were deni…

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]]><![CDATA[Stopping Ebola Requires Multilateralism. America’s Retreat Is Making That Harder]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/stopping-ebola-requires-multilateralism-40ehttps://www.globaldispatches.org/p/stopping-ebola-requires-multilateralism-40eThu, 21 May 2026 16:31:24 GMTAn Ebola outbreak is spiraling in the Democratic Republic of the Congo — and one of the clearest lessons from past outbreaks is that Ebola requires multilateralism: countries working together through existing institutions like the United Nations and the World Health Organization to contain the disease, support frontline health workers, share information, and prevent cross-border spread.

But the Trump administration’s retreat from the global health architecture built for precisely this kind of emergency has made that task harder. In this episode of To Save Us From Hell, Mark Leon Goldberg and Anjali Dayal discuss how American attacks on the WHO and other key nodes of our global defenses against disease outbreaks have made this particular Ebola outbreak more difficult to contain than it ought to be. Later in the show, they discuss the newest entrant in the race for UN Secretary-General — and whether we can expect more candidates to throw their hats in the ring.

]]><![CDATA[Why a New UN Security Council Resolution on Hormuz is Probably Doomed ]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/why-a-new-un-security-council-resolutionhttps://www.globaldispatches.org/p/why-a-new-un-security-council-resolutionWed, 06 May 2026 15:04:01 GMT

The United States is making another push for a UN Security Council resolution to compel Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz. An early draft of the resolution calls on Iran to stop imposing transit tolls, declare where it has laid mines, cease attacking ships, and more generally return the status of the strait to what it was before the war.

This all may seem reasonable. The problem, however, is twofold. First, the last time a similar resolution came to a vote, it faced a double veto by Russia and China. Both countries insisted on language condemning the U.S. and Israeli attacks and did not want to pass a resolution that might in some way justify further attacks on Iran. It’s hard to imagine this new resolution will allay those concerns.

But perhaps more importantly, even if this resolution does somehow get past those vetoes, the fact remains that Iran is insisting on keeping Hormuz closed. The resolution itself can’t open the Strait. Only Iran can. And that can only happen through direct diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran. If and when the U.S. and Iran come to an agreement, then the Security Council can step in to enforce it. This resolution will fail in its intended effect even if it passes, precisely because it represents an inversion of the proper diplomatic order of operations.

In this clip from today’s episode of To Save Us From Hell Anjali and I discuss what this draft resolution circulated by the US entails — and why it is probably doomed from the start.

Our full conversation is below the fold for our paying subscribers — we also discuss a new American effort to squeeze the UN budget even tighter and the latest from a major nuclear security meeting underway at the United Nations.

You can also access the full episode here on Substack or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

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]]><![CDATA[Inside the Flawed Push at the Security Council to Reopen Hormuz]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/inside-the-flawed-push-at-the-securityhttps://www.globaldispatches.org/p/inside-the-flawed-push-at-the-securityWed, 06 May 2026 14:44:45 GMTThe Security Council is weighing yet another U.S.-backed resolution on the Strait of Hormuz that is probably doomed from the start. In this first segment, Anjali and Mark explain the flawed logic behind this latest effort to return the Strait to its status quo ante bellum. Then, Mark discusses what he learned covering the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, underway at the UN — the major multilateral nuclear security gathering that happens every five years. Finally, Anjali and Mark consider the latest American effort to withhold money it already owes to the UN — threatening to plunge the organization into an even deeper fiscal crisis.

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]]><![CDATA[Let the Race for UN Secretary General Begin! ]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/let-the-race-for-un-secretary-general-9a2https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/let-the-race-for-un-secretary-general-9a2Fri, 24 Apr 2026 19:48:43 GMTOn Tuesday and Wednesday this week, the four candidates for UN Secretary-General made their case at the UN General Assembly. Across twelve hours spanning two days, they took questions from UN member states and civil society groups eager to learn more about their priorities, proclivities, and leadership styles should they become the next UN Secretary-General on January 1, 2027.

It was a marathon — and my To Save Us From Hell co-host Anjali Dayal and I watched it all! In today’s episode, we tell you what we learned.

To kick things off, we explain how the process for selecting a UN Secretary-General works — and how these hearings fit into it. We then break down what we heard from each of the candidates: Michelle Bachelet, Rafael Grossi, Rebeca Grynspan, and Macky Sall, bringing you the key highlights and takeaways. Consider this your curtain-raiser for a year of public campaigning and backroom dealmaking that will result in the selection of the next UN Secretary-General in the coming months.

This episode is free for all and can also be found later today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen.

The selection of the next Secretary General is a major story in international diplomacy and I plan on covering it to the finish line — whenever that may be (but hopefully before January 1!)

]]><![CDATA[The UN Has a Plan to Open Hormuz (Two of Them, Actually.) ]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/the-un-has-a-plan-to-open-hormuz-860https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/the-un-has-a-plan-to-open-hormuz-860Sun, 05 Apr 2026 12:09:39 GMTThe global ramifications of this Third Persian Gulf War are worsening around the world. Oil shortages are rocking economies in South Asia, with the contagion soon to spread throughout the rest of Asia and the world. Another key concern is fertilizer prices, which are surging right ahead of planting season as a consequence of the bottleneck at the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier this week, the UN Secretary-General’s office announced a “Task Force” comprised of key international diplomats “to develop and propose technical mechanisms specifically designed to meet humanitarian needs in the Strait of Hormuz.” The key focus will be creating a mechanism by which fertilizer and humanitarian goods can safely make their way to and from the Persian Gulf.

Meanwhile, at the Security Council, Bahrain is pushing for a robust resolution that would compel Iran to open the strait—potentially under the threat of force.

In this episode of To Save Us From Hell, Anjali Dayal and I explain these proposals and weigh whether or not they stand a chance of success. We also discuss the precariousness of the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon after the deaths of three Indonesian peacekeepers in 24 hours, the latest surprises in the race for UN Secretary-General, and what happened when two socialists (Zohran Mamdani and António Guterres) met at the UN for the first time.

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]]><![CDATA[The UN Has a Plan to Open Hormuz (Two of Them, Actually.) ]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/the-un-has-a-plan-to-open-hormuzhttps://www.globaldispatches.org/p/the-un-has-a-plan-to-open-hormuzSun, 05 Apr 2026 02:01:36 GMTSubscribe now

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The war in the Middle East has claimed its first UN casualties: three Indonesian peacekeepers in Lebanon were killed in under 24 hours. With Israel intent on occupying the same part of southern Lebanon that UN peacekeepers are meant to patrol, can the peacekeeping mission even continue? Meanwhile, in New York, a Secretary-General-led diplomatic effort to open the Strait of Hormuz for humanitarian and fertilizer shipments is taking shape, while the Security Council debates authorizing the use of force to escort food through the strait. Do either of these efforts have a meaningful chance of success? Anjali and Mark discuss all this, as well as the latest — unexplained — shakeup in the Secretary-General race.

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]]><![CDATA[How the US is Justifying the Iran War to the UN ]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/how-the-us-is-justifying-the-iran-050https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/how-the-us-is-justifying-the-iran-050Fri, 20 Mar 2026 16:41:33 GMTOne of the fundamental precepts of the United Nations Charter is that waging war against another UN member state is simply not permitted. It’s illegal. There are, however, some narrow exceptions — and here the United States is playing a game of legal legerdemain. In the first segment this week’s episode of To Save Us From Hell, we break down the formal legal justification the Trump administration invoked at the United Nations to defend its bombing campaign against Iran. Does it hold up? And more importantly, how do other countries view this retroactive justification for America and Israel’s war of choice? We also discuss a potential UN diplomatic intervention in the Strait of Hormuz that is gaining some traction, modeled on one of the UN’s successes during the Russia-Ukraine war.

Later in the show, we examine why the United States is standing alone at the Commission on the Status of Women, casting lone “no” votes on a host of measures intended to promote gender equality. Finally, we discuss the newest entrant in the race to replace António Guterres as secretary-general, Virginia Gamba, and how her nomination may shake up the race.

The full episode is available immediately below the fold for our paying subscribers. You can support our work at full price or get a discount subscription using the button below.

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]]><![CDATA[How the US is Justifying the Iran War to the UN ]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/how-the-us-is-justifying-the-iranhttps://www.globaldispatches.org/p/how-the-us-is-justifying-the-iranFri, 20 Mar 2026 16:30:17 GMTOne of the fundamental precepts of the United Nations Charter is that waging war against another UN member state is simply not permitted. It’s illegal. There are, however, some narrow exceptions — and here the United States is playing a game of legal legerdemain. In the first segment of our show, we break down the formal legal justification the Trump administration invoked at the United Nations to defend its bombing campaign against Iran. Does it hold up? And more importantly, how do other countries view this retroactive justification for America and Israel’s war of choice? We also discuss a potential UN diplomatic intervention in the Strait of Hormuz that is gaining some traction, modeled on one of the UN’s successes during the Russia-Ukraine war.

After the fold, and for paying subscribers, we examine why the United States is standing virtually alone at the Commission on the Status of Women, casting lone “no” votes on a host of measures intended to promote gender equality. Finally, we…

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]]><![CDATA[The War in Iran Comes to the United Nations ]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/the-war-in-iran-comes-to-the-united-86bhttps://www.globaldispatches.org/p/the-war-in-iran-comes-to-the-united-86bFri, 06 Mar 2026 12:46:22 GMTWe cover a lot of ground in this week’s episode of To Save Us From Hell! There are two new entrants to the race to succeed António Guterres as the next UN Secretary-General; Cindy McCain announced she is stepping down as head of the World Food Programme, meaning there will soon be a vacancy at the top of one of the largest UN agencies—one typically led by an American; and we dissect a bizarre Security Council meeting earlier this week chaired by…Melania Trump. But we begin with an extended discussion of how the new war in Iran is impacting diplomacy at the United Nations—and what role the UN may play as this conflict evolves.

The full episode is immediately available after the fold for our paying subscribers. You can use the discount link to get 40% off a subscription, or, if you’d prefer, support Global Dispatches and To Save Us From Hell at full price.

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]]><![CDATA[The War in Iran Comes to the United Nations]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/the-war-in-iran-comes-to-the-unitedhttps://www.globaldispatches.org/p/the-war-in-iran-comes-to-the-unitedFri, 06 Mar 2026 00:39:22 GMTWe cover a lot of ground in this week’s episode of To Save Us From Hell! There are two new entrants to the race to succeed António Guterres as the next UN Secretary-General; Cindy McCain announced she is stepping down as head of the World Food Programme, meaning there will soon be a vacancy at the top of one of the largest UN agencies—one typically led by an American; and we dissect a bizarre Security Council meeting earlier this week chaired by…Melania Trump. But we begin with an extended discussion of how the new war in Iran is impacting diplomacy at the United Nations—and what role the UN may play as this conflict evolves.

The full episode is immediately available after the fold for our paying subscribers. You can use the discount link to get 40% off a subscription, or, if you’d prefer, support Global Dispatches and To Save Us From Hell at full price.

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]]><![CDATA[Board of Peace v United Nations | US To Attack Iran? |Plus, Trump's Very Odd Pick to Lead Outreach to International Organizations ]]>https://www.globaldispatches.org/p/board-of-peace-v-united-nations-ushttps://www.globaldispatches.org/p/board-of-peace-v-united-nations-usMon, 23 Feb 2026 01:47:32 GMTSubscribe now

It was an odd juxtaposition: Trump’s inaugural Board of Peace gathered in Washington, D.C. as the U.S. appeared to be readying for war with Iran. In this week’s To Save Us From Hell episode, Mark and Anjali discuss why this Board of Peace can’t really compete with the Security Council, and what its advent says about international relations today. They then discuss a looming American attack on Iran, and what that suggests about the diminishing role of international law and the much-lamented rules-based international order. Finally, they unpack a bizarre confirmation hearing for Trump’s pick for assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs—who appears to be too racist for this particular role.

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