November 25 – After 34 Years, A Possible End to Name-Calling and Hostility; Symbolism Outweighs Substance in Iran Agreement; Bitter Divisions Arise Again in Thailand

Full Program

Part 1

We begin with the possibility of a reversal in the vexed relationship between the U.S. and Iran after 34 years of hostility and name-calling and speak with Gary Sick who served on the National Security Council under presidents Ford, Carter and Reagan and was the principal White House aide for Iran during the Iranian Revolution and the hostage crisis. He is the author of “All Fall Down: America’s Tragic Encounter with Iran” and “October Surprise: America’s Hostages in Iran and the Election of Ronald Reagan”.

Part 2

Then we look further into the agreement where no one won and no one lost and where the symbolism outweighs the substance, and speak with anthropologist and Middle East expert William O. Beeman, the author of The “Great Satan” vs. the “Mad Mullahs”: How the United States and Iran Demonize Each Other. We discuss how the hawks on both sides have dominated the narrative up until now, and whether the doves on both sides will be able to establish an enduring dialogue.

Part 3

Then finally, we look into the second day of protests in Thailand and the special security powers invoked by the government to quell the angry response to a controversial political amnesty bill that would allow the brother of the current Prime Minister who was ousted, to return from exile without serving jail for corruption. Gerald Fry, a distinguished professor of international and intercultural education at the University of Minnesota, who has written extensively about Thailand, joins us to discuss the revival of the bitter divisions that led to a military coup in 2006.