The Global Debt Crisis and the Neoliberal Economy: A Conversation with Ahilan Kadirgamar and Jamie Martin

As advances in technology continue to shape our world, understanding the implications of artificial intelligence (AI), cyber security, and digital privacy has never been more important. In this episode of then & now, we delve into the crucial intersection of technology, law, and policy with John Villasenor, a distinguished professor at UCLA and co-director of the UCLA Institute for Technology, Law and Policy. 

Villasenor's expertise provides a fascinating glimpse into the history of technology and how it has rapidly evolved over the years. From the pioneering work of Alan Turing to the current landscape of AI, Villasenor offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities presented by these advancements. Join us as we explore the impact of technology on society and the changing landscape of technology law and consider: can we regulate AI? Should we?

John Villasenor is Professor of Engineering, Law, and Public Policy and Management at  UCLA, where he co-directs the UCLA Institute for Technology, Law and Policy. He is a leading voice in the discussion surrounding the ethical implications of technology and the importance of thoughtful regulation in the tech industry.

While the conflicts between Israel and Palestine and Russia and Ukraine are center-stage, the threat of nuclear weapons hovers ominously over our world. The recent release of the popular movie "Oppenheimer" reminds us of the extraordinary potency of nuclear weapons. Russia's aggression in Ukraine has raised concerns about its nuclear intentions, while China, under President Xi Jinping, seeks to bolster its nuclear capabilities to match those of the US. Iran's nuclear ambitions persist, and there are predictions that North Korea may be adopting a more aggressive stance which includes nuclear weapons. As these nations either expand or maintain their nuclear capabilities, global nuclear tensions rise.
 
 In this episode of Then & Now, we engage in a conversation with Chancellor Albert Carnesale, a distinguished academic and expert in nuclear engineering and arms control, who served as chancellor of UCLA and provost of Harvard University. Chancellor Carnesale provides valuable insights into past efforts to mitigate nuclear threats. He also discusses current strategies to ensure global security from nuclear dangers, drawing from his involvement in the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks/Treaty (SALT) and his knowledge of China, North Korea, and Iran's nuclear histories. 

Albert Carnesale, distinguished scholar and nuclear arms expert, is a prominent figure in academia and international security. With an extensive academic career spanning decades, Carnesale has contributed significantly to our understanding of nuclear proliferation, arms control negotiations, and nonproliferation strategies. As a professor at UCLA's Engineering and Public Affairs School, his research and teachings delve deep into the complexities of global security, shaping the discourse on nuclear policy and international relations.His expertise and insights have not only informed policymakers but also inspired generations of students to engage critically with the pressing challenges of our time.

One of the most vexing social problems in U.S. society is our country’s healthcare system, which is wracked by rising costs, inequitable access, and manifold inefficiencies.  Unlike Canada or a number of European countries, the United States has never adopted a single-payer system in which the government provides health insurance to all.  Instead, it has favored a range of private options alongside supplemental government programs.  As a result of its size and significance, the state of California has been a laboratory for government healthcare policy, with public officials and advocates testing the virtues of various private and public healthcare programs.  

In a forthcoming report for the Luskin Center, Dr. Ben Zdencanovic, along with Sara Ohannessian, Lauren Heiberg, Emiko Levings, and Emilila Fergadiotti, examine the history of healthcare policy in California, with a particular focus on Medi-Cal, the state-sponsored insurance plan introduced in 1965.  In this episode of “Then & Now,” we sit down to talk to Dr. Ben Zdencanovic about the findings of this team.  

Dr. Ben Zdencanovic is a Postdoctoral Associate at the UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy. He is an historian of the United States in the world, domestic and international politics, and economic and social policy. He has a particular interest in the relationship between U.S. global power and the politics of redistribution and welfare state. His forthcoming book from Princeton University Press is titled Island of Enterprise: The End of the New Deal and the Rise of U.S. Global Power in a World of Welfare, 1940 – 1955.  

On this episode of then & now, Middle East expert Aaron David Miller offers his perspective on the current state of affairs in Israel and Gaza after October 7, 2023 — and on the broader historical context of the explosion of violence in recent months.  Drawing on his decades of service in the U.S. State Department, he also traces the arc of American diplomacy on the Israel-Palestine question, noting the many failures and limited successes in this story. Miller reflects on the importance of balance and strong leadership, qualities that have often been in short supply in efforts to resolve or mitigate tensions between Palestinians and Israelis.  

Aaron David Miller is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, focusing on U.S. foreign policy. He received his PhD in Middle East and U.S. diplomatic history from the University of Michigan in 1977 and has authored five books including The Much Too Promised Land: America’s Elusive Search for Arab-Israeli Peace (2008).  Miller is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a frequent commentator in print and visual media.  

In our final episode of 2023, we are sharing a recording of an event hosted by the UCLA History Department as part of the Why History Matters series. Labor movements have surged to the attention of the public over the past year, with the historic Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes at the beginning of the year as well as the United Auto Workers strike later in the year. Moderated by UCLA Professor of History and Labor Studies Toby Higbie, this event featured a panel discussion with Kent Wong (Director of the UCLA Labor Center), Susan Minato (Co-President of UNITE HERE Local 11), and Billy Ray (Screenwriter and Director, and former co-chair of the WGA Negotiating Committee) about the history of labor movements, the power of unions and strikes in America today, and what lies ahead.

For this special episode, we are sharing a recording of a Zoom event hosted on November 21 by the UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy. Featuring two UCLA history professors, Dr. James L. Gelvin and Dr. David N. Myers, this informational session explores the historical background to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, addressing questions such as:

• What is Hamas?
• What led to Hamas' attack on Israel?
• Why was Israel so ill-prepared?
• What does the future hold for Israel and Palestine, and for the wider region?

Dr. L. Gelvin is a professor of history at UCLA. He is the author of numerous books and articles on Middle Eastern history and contemporary issues, including The Israel-Palestine Conflict: A History, recently updated and released as a fourth edition by Cambridge University Press.

Dr. David N. Myers is a professor of history at UCLA and the director of the Luskin Center for History and Policy. He is the author and editor of numerous books in the field of modern Jewish history including Between Arab and Jew: The Los Voice of Simon Rawidowicz, published by Brandeis University Press in 2009.

This episode of then & now  features a conversation with the Reverend James Lawson, the legendary social justice activist who introduced the practice of non-violent action to the civil rights movement.  The conversation takes up Rev. Lawson’s early years and encounters with racism in Massillon, Ohio; his exposure to the idea of non-violence through his reading of Gandhi and while on mission in India; his tireless efforts to promote non-violence in the United States; and his thoughts about how the practice of non-violence can be spread throughout a world convulsed by violence.  At age ninety-five, Rev. Lawson continues to advocate for the relevance of non-violence with a rare mix of wisdom and humility.  

Rev. James Lawson, Jr. has been one of the most influential and inspirational faith leaders in Los Angeles—and the United States at large—over the past seven decades. After studying, teaching, and serving as a pastor in Tennessee, he arrived in Los Angeles in 1974 to assume the position of pastor at the Holman United Methodist Church.  From that platform, Rev. Lawson immersed himself in many of the major struggles for justice in the city and nation including civil rights, workers’ rights, immigrant rights, and the cause of peace the world over.  He is the recipient of many honors and awards recognizing him as one of the great civil rights leaders of our time.  In 2021, the UCLA Labor Center was renamed the "UCLA James M. Lawson Worker Justice Center."  

On September 15, 2023, workers from the United Auto Workers union went on strike at Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Stellantis simultaneously, quickly expanding to include tens of thousands of workers at automobile factories throughout the United States. Founded by visionary and then UAW president Walter Reuther, At its founding, the union focused on better wages and conditions for all working-class Americans, not just union members. Current UAW president Shawn Fain has channeled much of founding UAW president Walter Reuther’s rhetoric in championing benefits for all workers and pushing for government support of electric car manufacturing jobs. In what has been a historic year for unions and labor movements throughout the United States, we sit down with Dr. Nelson Lichtenstein to discuss the history of the UAW and what this strike means for the American working class. What does this strike reveal about current relations between the working and elite classes, and how will the UAW strike and demands play into political and labor discourse in the coming years?

Nelson Lichtenstein is a Research Professor in the Department of History at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he also serves as the director of the Center for the Study of Work, Labor, and Democracy.  He is the author of numerous books, including “State of the Union: A Century of American Labor” (published in 2002 and revised in 2013). His most recent book, “A Fabulous Failure: The Clinton Presidency and the Transformation of American Capitalism” which he co-authored with the late Judith Stein, was published in 2023 by Princeton University Press.

More than half the world’s population currently lives in cities, and current estimates suggest that by 2050 nearly 7 out of every 10 people will live in urban spaces. In an increasingly crowded and urbanized world, space has become a precious commodity. As a species, we seem drawn to cities, despite their obvious disadvantages. From the ancient cities of Southeast Asia to the crowded streets of modern Los Angeles, cities offer opportunities for interactions that wouldn’t be possible in urban areas. In this episode, we sit down with Professor Monica Smith, who shares her perspective on the importance of infrastructure and shared spaces in the birth and survival of cities past and present. How do cities affect the way that we interact with the natural environment and with our fellow human beings, and how can we think creatively about shared spaces in crowded urban environments?

Dr. Monica L. Smith is a professor and Navin and Pratima Doshi Chair in Indian Studies at UCLA. She is an ancient economic historian who uses archaeological data to analyze the collective effects of routine activities through the study of food, ordinary goods, and architecture. Her current research focuses on the Indian subcontinent, a region that has produced some of the world’s earliest and most long-lived urban areas. Her most recent book was published by Viking Press in 2019, and is titled “Cities: The First 6000 Years.”

Reports have emerged in recent weeks that a grave humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Nagorno-Karabakh, a contested region in present-day Azerbaijan that contains a large majority of Armenian residents. A prominent international lawyer, Luis Moreno Ocampo, in fact, maintains that “a Genocide is being committed” by Azerbaijani forces against Armenian residents. This episode of “Then & Now” features UCLA historian Sebouh Aslanian, who offers a rich account of the history of the region and the century-long conflict between Armenians and Azerbaijanis. He situates the tension against the backdrop of the rise and fall of empire—and analyzes the two wars that have engulfed the contested region since 1988 and that have led to the current dire crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh. 

Sebouh Aslanian is professor of history and holds the Richard Hovannisian Endowed Chair of Modern Armenian History at the UCLA History Department, and is the inaugural director of the Armenian Studies Center at the Promise Armenian Institute.  He is an acknowledged expert in world history, Armenian history, Indian Ocean history, and early modern social and economic history. He is the author of the award-winning  From the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean: The Global Trade Networks of Armenian Merchants from New Julfa, (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011), and has published widely on early modern world and Armenian history, including his most recent book, Early Modernity and Mobility Port Cities and Printers across the Armenian Diaspora, 1512-1800 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2023).