Alternate Shots with Richard Haass and John Ellis

Diplomacy Backwards: Episode 38

This week on Alternate Shots, John Ellis and Richard Haass consider a world in which old assumptions no longer hold. They begin with 9/11, what it did and did not change,

Deja Vu All Over Again: Episode 37

This week on Alternate Shots, John Ellis and Richard Haass ask whether declaring the Iran war over makes it so. Haass is skeptical: a blockade remains an act of war, reta

What Went Wrong? Episode 36

This week on Alternate Shots, John Ellis and Richard Haass mark six months of the Iran war and ask: what went wrong? Many things is their answer. They're equally dow

Who Blinks? Episode 35

This week on Alternate Shots, John Ellis and Richard Haass examine a world discovering that technology, politics, and war are moving faster than institutions built to man

The Hormuz Dilemma: Episode 34

This week on Alternate Shots, John Ellis and Richard Haass assess a world in which imperfect outcomes may be the best available ones. They begin with Iran, where Haass se

Overreach: Episode 33

This week on Alternate Shots, John Ellis and Richard Haass assess a world in which overreach has become policy. They begin with Iran, where the United States and Tehran a

Plan C for Iran: Episode 32

This week on Alternate Shots, John Ellis and Richard Haass ask whether Washington has anything resembling a Plan C for Iran. Haass offers one: First, accept that previous

Tehran, Taiwan, & The Knicks: Episode 31

This week on Alternate Shots, John Ellis and Richard Haass take stock of a world long on ceasefires and short on strategy. They begin with the U.S.-Iran memorandum of und

Tehran, Pyongyang, Los Angeles...and MSG: Episode 30

John Ellis and Richard Haass take up a world in which problems are less solved than managed. Iran remains unfinished business, with the future of the Strait of Hormuz, nu

Pope Leo, AI, and the Knicks: Episode 29

For years, artificial intelligence occupied the familiar territory of technological optimism: faster growth, greater efficiency, and the promise that innovation would sol

The Strait, the Summit, and the Slush Fund: Episode 28

In this week’s Alternate Shots, Richard Haass and John Ellis begin with Iran, which remains suspended in the uneasy territory between war and peace.  Washington appears t

Bored of War: Episode 27

John Ellis and Richard Haass discuss the latest on multiple wars, actual and political. They review the absence of good options for ending the war with Iran, noting that

More Stress than Strategy: Episode 26

Alternate Shots returns with John Ellis and Richard Haass examining a geopolitical and domestic political landscape defined by drift. The crisis surrounding Iran and the

Two Wars & A King: Episode 25

In this episode of Alternate Shots, John Ellis and Richard Haass tackle two wars, a Royal visit, and the world of sports. The conversation starts with the Iranian proposa

Cautious Optimism: Episode 24

In this episode of Alternate Shots, John Ellis and Richard Haass navigate a tumultuous week where cautious optimism collided with geopolitical reality.  The conversation

Strait Talk Everywhere But the SitRoom: Episode 23

In this episode of Alternate Shots, John Ellis and Richard Haass dissect a ceasefire that exists mostly on paper and a war that has created more problems than it has solv

Losing the Battle, Winning the War: Episode 22

In this episode of Alternate Shots, hosts John Ellis and Richard Haass dissect a familiar American illusion: that battlefield dominance equals strategic victory. Yes, Ira

Strait Talk or Dire Straits: Episode 21

War, markets, and maritime choke points collide in this brisk tour of a Middle East crisis that could empty gas tanks worldwide. John Ellis and Richard Haass unpack wheth

It Takes Three to Tango: Episode 20

In this episode of Alternate Shots, John Ellis and Richard Haass dissect the messy endgame of the US-Israeli war with Iran. They discuss leverage, informal and formal cea

Missiles, Missteps, and Middle East Math: Episode 19

In this week’s episode of Alternate Shots, John Ellis and Richard Haass dissect the widening conflict with Iran, asking the uncomfortable question: what exactly is the st