meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Intelligence Squared

Why Myanmar Matters, with Thant Myint-U and Ros Urwin

Intelligence Squared

Intelligence Squared

Arts, News, Society & Culture, News Commentary

4.21.1K Ratings

🗓️ 3 March 2020

⏱️ 51 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode we are joined by Thant Myint-U, the Burmese historian, former adviser to the President of Myanmar, and author of The Hidden History of Burma: Race, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Democracy in the 21st Century. In this podcast, Thant explores the fascinating history of Myanmar, and how after a promising period of hope following the end of military rule, the country spiralled into horrific intercommunal violence with the exodus of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees. Photo credit: Thurein Aung Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/intelligencesquared. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Maybe 30 or 20 years ago a Saudi might have said I'm Muslim and I'm Arab and I'm Saudi

0:06.9

Now they might say I'm Saudi and I'm Arab and I'm Muslim

0:09.9

You know they're trying to radically refashion their country and they need help from the best experts in the world.

0:15.0

Do you want to have your country's people be disqualified from that because of some essentially antiquated point of view about how countries work together.

0:23.4

In recent months it can feel like Saudi Arabia is intent on buying the world.

0:27.8

It's bought up much of golf, sports teams, many of the globe's best soccer players to its

0:32.4

own domestic league, and it owns huge chunks of many of the biggest companies on the planet.

0:37.5

But Saudi Arabia is not just on a shopping spree.

0:40.5

The ones insular oil-rich Kingdom is transforming into a major diplomatic and military

0:46.0

player, a pivotal actor in the energy transition and looks set to post high-end cultural events

0:51.6

like the FIFA World Cup.

0:53.0

You know, they know that buying a football club immediately brings you a

0:57.2

billboard into a global game that allows you to completely reposition

1:01.9

yourself or rebrand yourself.

1:03.4

It feels like we're entering the era of the Saudi project.

1:06.6

But what exactly is the kingdom trying to achieve and will it succeed?

1:10.4

Coming soon from Intelligence Squared, the Saudi Project is a new podcast series seeking to answer some of these questions and more.

1:17.5

Britain does have choices. It's not either-or situation. We either indulge Mohammed bin Salman or boycott of Mohammed

1:26.2

bin Salman. There is a third choice.

1:28.8

Search the Saudi project wherever you get your podcasts.

1:36.0

Hello, I'm Daniel. Thanks for tuning into this episode of the Intelligence Square podcast.

1:40.0

In this episode we are joined by Thant Meantu.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Intelligence Squared, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Intelligence Squared and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.