FO° Podcasts
Fair Observer is an independent, nonprofit media organization that engages in citizen journalism and civic education. Our digital media platform has 2,500 contributors from 90 countries, cutting across borders, backgrounds and beliefs. With fact-checking and a rigorous editorial process, we provide diversity and quality in an era of echo chambers and fake news.
Episodes

Wednesday Feb 21, 2024
Wednesday Feb 21, 2024
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is the last woman standing against Donald Trump in the Republican primary elections. While most look at the race as a foregone conclusion, Trump’s legal headaches, including both civil suits and criminal charges, may catch up to him yet. The world is bracing for the possibility of another protectionist Trump presidency, which could destabilize the international system.
You can follow Fair Observer on social media:
LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/company/fair-observer
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FairObserver
Twitter: https://twitter.com/myfairobserver
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairobserver/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fairobserver
Credits:
"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Friday Jan 26, 2024
Friday Jan 26, 2024
Martin Plaut went from a part-time South African labor activist to the full-time Africa secretary for the British Labour Party. There, he got the inside scoop on the action between the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa, the Labour Party in Britain, and the Communist Party in the USSR. From its days as the vanguard of a coming revolution, the ANC has now become a corrupt ruling party that might finally be in trouble in the coming elections.
You can follow Fair Observer on social media:
LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/company/fair-observer
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FairObserver
Twitter: https://twitter.com/myfairobserver
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairobserver/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fairobserver
Credits:
"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Friday Jan 12, 2024
Friday Jan 12, 2024
Glenn Ojeda and Atul Singh discuss the recent referendum in Venezuela on the incorporation of the Essequibo territory in neighboring Guyana. Venezuela eyes Essequibo because it is oil-rich. Despite past agreements to settle the border dispute, Venezuela is testing the waters for the use of military force.
You can follow Fair Observer on social media:
LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/company/fair-observer
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FairObserver
Twitter: https://twitter.com/myfairobserver
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairobserver/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fairobserver
Credits:
"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Friday Jan 05, 2024
Friday Jan 05, 2024
Africa has had over 100 coups in the last 50 years. Ancient ethnic conflicts and post-colonial hangovers make African governments unstable. Now, Russia is exploiting the instability to expand its influence.
You can follow Fair Observer on social media:
LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/company/fair-observer
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FairObserver
Twitter: https://twitter.com/myfairobserver
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairobserver/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fairobserver
Credits:
"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Tuesday Nov 21, 2023
Tuesday Nov 21, 2023
Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security, shares his insights on the Israel–Hamas war, the Russia–Ukraine war and a rising but economically troubled China with Fair Observer. In all three theaters, unpredictability reigns. The predictions that have become orthodoxy today may be reversed tomorrow.
You can follow Fair Observer on social media:
LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/company/fair-observer
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FairObserver
Twitter: https://twitter.com/myfairobserver
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairobserver/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fairobserver
Credits:
"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Saturday Nov 04, 2023
Saturday Nov 04, 2023
Republicans have elected a new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson — a name unknown to many before this moment. Who is he, what does he believe and how will he behave? We ask our Contributing Editor, Washington-based policy wonk Christopher Roper Schell, to explain.
Washington-based policy wonk and former Republican Congressional candidate Christopher Roper Schell shares his thoughts on the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson. The new speaker is an unexpected choice that has left many Republican insiders, including Members of Congress, bewildered.
You can follow Fair Observer on social media:
LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/company/fair-observer
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FairObserver
Twitter: https://twitter.com/myfairobserver
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairobserver/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fairobserver
Credits:
"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Thursday Nov 02, 2023
Thursday Nov 02, 2023
In this episode of FO° Podcasts, Fair Observer’s Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh speaks to retired US Treasury economist Nasir Khilji about controversial Pakistani leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. They discuss Bhutto’s rise to power, his role in creating Bangladesh, and the events leading to his eventual downfall. They answer an abiding question: was Bhutto a hero or a villain, or a bit of both?
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was a Pakistani politician who was the fourth president of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973 and the ninth prime minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977. During his time as a legislator, he founded the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), a social-democratic political party in Pakistan, promoting social democracy, equality, and social justice, along with maintaining a strong military. Bhutto also declared Ahmedi non-Muslims, allowed feudal lords into the political system, and destroyed bureaucracy and state ventures. Two opposing narratives surround Bhutto’s reputation as a leader on this episode of FO° Podcasts. One narrative sees him as a great hero of Pakistan who was unfairly killed by a murderous military dictator. The other paints him as a villain who destroyed the economy and established a corrupt dynasty that is still looting Pakistan. Nasir Khilji takes a step back, takes a deep breath and examines Bhutto’s legacy.
You can follow Fair Observer on social media:
LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/company/fair-observer
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FairObserver
Twitter: https://twitter.com/myfairobserver
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairobserver/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fairobserver
Credits:
"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Thursday Sep 21, 2023
Thursday Sep 21, 2023
In this episode of FO° Podcasts, Fair Observer’s Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh speaks to Afghan journalist and intellectual Bilal Rahmani. They discuss hunger, displacement, ethnic strife, and gender-based violence, painting a picture of Afghanistan in turmoil and examining potential consequences for the country and the region.
Afghanistan under the Taliban’s leadership is a place of incredible confusion and ambivalence. Economic growth stagnates, rival leaders jostle for power, rebellions break out repeatedly, the Taliban crush them ruthlessly even as they pay lip service to the international community while silencing women and minorities, and foreign relations rapidly deteriorate as mistrust mounts.
Bilal Rahmani explains exactly how the Taliban are transforming Afghanistan into an oppressive pariah state through rank incompetence and self-enriching policy decisions. Eventually, this downward spiral of corruption and violence could spell an end to the modern borders of Afghanistan.
Author Bio
Bilal Rahmani is the director of training and development at Foreign Brief, a geopolitical risk publication. He holds a master of arts in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, where he extensively researched international security in Asia. Prior to his work in geopolitics, Bilal worked as an Asia domain expert at Dataminr and as a lecturer and teacher throughout mainland China.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bilalrahmani/
You can follow Fair Observer on social media:
LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/company/fair-observer
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FairObserver
Twitter: https://twitter.com/myfairobserver
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairobserver/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fairobserver
Credits:
"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Monday Sep 18, 2023
Monday Sep 18, 2023
Hoshang Billimoria reminisces about J. R. D. Tata, the senior managers he chose for the Tata Group and what made them special. He explains how business was extremely difficult in the days of socialism and how private equity can destroy a successful business.
Author Bio
Hoshang Billimoria
Hoshang Billimoria is an accomplished professional with a background in commerce and accountancy. After working as a partner at S.B. Billimoria & Co., Hoshang joined the Tata Group in 1989, where he served as Deputy CEO of Tata Sons and then Managing Director of Tata Press. At this company, Hoshang oversaw the company’s transformation, expanding operations into new fields. Subsequently, he played a crucial role in establishing Next Gen Publishing Ltd. in 2005, where he served as the CEO until 2020. Hoshang has also served as an independent director on several boards, including Thomas Cook, HDFC AMC, Fenner Conveyor Belting and Indian Card Clothing. Academically, Hoshang is a topper from Bombay University and also twice winner of the Deloitte Plainder Prize at the examinations conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales.
You can follow Fair Observer on social media:
LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/company/fair-observer
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FairObserver
Twitter: https://twitter.com/myfairobserver
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairobserver/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fairobserver
Credits:
"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Thursday Aug 24, 2023
Thursday Aug 24, 2023
India’s top economic adviser argues that the government has created one common national market, facilitated creative destruction through IBC, helped SMEs survive COVID, built infrastructure at record speed, and stimulated fast growth. He candidly admits that the Indian state machinery is designed to control thanks to its colonial origins and socialist path, and administrative and judicial reforms are essential to put India on a higher growth trajectory.
Author Bio
Sanjeev Sanyal is the Principal Economic Advisor to the Government of India. Until 2015, he was the global strategist and managing director at Deutsche Bank. In 2007, he was awarded the Eisenhower Fellowship for his work on urban dynamics. He has been a Visiting Scholar at Oxford University, Adjunct Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, Singapore, and a Senior Fellow of the World Wide Fund for Nature. Environmentalist, martial arts practitioner, and adventure sports enthusiast, this bestselling author’s books include Revolutionaries, Land of the Seven Rivers, The Indian Renaissance, and The Ocean of Churn. In 2014, he received the inaugural International Indian Achievers Award for contributions to Literature. He was educated at Shri Ram College of Commerce and as a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford.
Twitter: @sanjeevsanyal
Email: sanjeev.sanyal@gov.in and jyoti.mirani27@gov.in
Credits:
"Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/