WorldNow: America's Cold Warrior Paul Nitze and National Security
2024-10-23 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | ONLINE
Author James Graham Wilson joins us for another episode of WorldNow with Jim Falk on Paul Nitze, America’s most influential national security strategist throughout the Cold War.
“This book is not a stale history of an insignificant person. It is a well written, fascinating story centered around a very influential man. It just happens that the man’s name is unknown to most, even if his acts are not…America’s Cold Warrior is a book for the casual reader and policy wonk alike. If you enjoy history, war, or great biographies, this book is for you.” – Global Security Review
Purchase America’s Cold Warrior here | Buy on Barnes & Noble | Sundance Bookstore | Amazon
The details:
When: Wednesday, October 23 | 7:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge | Register for Zoom link

About the Book
America’s Cold Warrior: Paul Nitze and National Security from Roosevelt to Reagan by James Graham Wilson
In America’s Cold Warrior, James Graham Wilson traces Paul Nitze’s career path in national security after World War II, a time when many of his mentors and peers returned to civilian life. Serving in eight presidential administrations, Nitze commanded White House attention even when he was out of government, especially with his withering criticism of Jimmy Carter during Carter’s presidency. While Nitze is perhaps best known for leading the formulation of NSC-68, which Harry Truman signed in 1950, Wilson contends that Nitze’s most significant contribution to American peace and security came in the painstaking work done in the 1980s to negotiate successful treaties with the Soviets to reduce nuclear weapons while simultaneously deflecting skeptics surrounding Ronald Reagan. America’s Cold Warrior connects Nitze’s career and concerns about strategic vulnerability to the post-9/11 era and the challenges of the 2020s, where the United States finds itself locked in geopolitical competition with the People’s Republic of China and Russia.
Purchase America’s Cold Warrior here | Buy on Barnes & Noble | Sundance Bookstore | Amazon

About the Author
James Graham Wilson is a Historian at the US Department of State, where he is currently responsible for editing volumes in the Foreign Relations of the United States series on arms control and national security during the Reagan Administration. In addition to America’s Cold Warrior, he is also the author of The Triumph of Improvisation: Gorbachev’s Adaptability, Reagan’s Engagement, and the End of the Cold War.
About the Moderator
Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, New Mexico he is member of the Board of Global Santa Fe where he chairs the program committee. Jim co-hosts Perspectives Matter, a McCuistion Program, that airs weekly on KERA-Dallas (PBS). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Global Security Forum 2025: Fireside Chat with LTG Robert Ashley, USA (Ret.)
2025-10-07 18:00 - 19:00 | ONLINE
An online conversation with LTG Robert Ashley, USA (Ret.), 21st Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and MG Garrett Yee, USA (Ret.)
About the speakers:
Lieutenant General Robert P. Ashley, Jr. retired from the U.S. Army November 2020 after over 36 years of activity duty service as an intelligence officer. He assumed his last duty position on 3 October 2017 when he became the 21st Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).
He formerly served as the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2, where he was the senior advisor to the Secretary of the Army and Army Chief of Staff for all aspects of intelligence, counterintelligence and security. He has commanded at the company, battalion, squadron, and brigade levels with six combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as a squadron, brigade commander, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (J-2). Other key assignments include the Director of Intelligence, United States Army Joint Special Operations Command; the Director of Intelligence, United States Central Command; the Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, International Security Assistance Force and Director of Intelligence, United States Forces, Afghanistan; and Commanding General and Commandant United States Army Intelligence Center and School Fort Huachuca, AZ.
Lieutenant General Ashley has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Appalachian State University, a master’s degree in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University (formerly known as the Defense Intelligence College) and a master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College. Lieutenant General Ashley is the CEO of Ashley Global Leadership and Security (LLC).
Garrett Yee currently serves as a Vice President within the Defense Division at General Dynamics Information Technology. In this role, he is responsible for the successful operation, execution, and management for GDIT’s Army mission programs.
Prior to GDIT, Garrett served in the U.S. Army retiring as Major General. In his final assignment with the Army, Garrett served at the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) where he helped to lead a global organization of approximately 8,000 military and civilian personnel who plan, develop, deliver, and operate joint, interoperable, command and control capabilities and a global enterprise infrastructure in direct support of the president, secretary of defense, joint chiefs of staff, combatant commanders, Department of Defense components, and other mission partners across the full spectrum of operations.
Prior to his assignment at DISA, Garrett served as the Military Deputy to the Army CIO/G-6 and Senior Information Security Officer in the Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO)/G6, Headquarters, Department of the Army in the Pentagon. Garrett holds a bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University, a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Golden Gate University.
This event is part of the Global Security Forum Series 2025 (GSF2025).
The theme of GSF2025 is Unraveling Order. We will explore the edge of uncertainty – the threats that emerge when norms collapse and the opportunities that arise when power shifts. GSF2025 gathers the world’s top leaders and minds to ask: when certainty collapses, what comes next?
GSF2025 is evolving to reach a growing number of attendees and to host more international and national leaders than ever before. GSF has expanded from its traditional form of a one-day gathering into a series of over 10 in-person and virtual events held throughout Fall 2025. Learn more and find the full schedule here.

Globalist Coffeehouse: The Middle East - Where are We Now?
2025-10-22 18:30 - 20:00 | Khon Thai Kitchen, 5800 Burnet Road, Austin, 78756, United States
What is the region’s future, starting with Gaza and the West Bank? What will be the role of the US and countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt?
The US has announced a 20-point plan for the region, and at this time, some would say that a ceasefire and the return of the Israeli hostages is perhaps feasible. However, the more critical issue is where the region moves forward from there. The details in the proposal are often rather vague, even aspirational. A cease-fire and hostage exchange is not necessarily peace in the Middle East.
Please join us for a lively discussion on what is currently essentially a fluid process.

Ukraine and Innovation at the Edge
2025-10-29 17:30 - 19:00 | TX
Join your fellow World Affairs Council of Austin members for Ukraine and Innovation at the Edge featuring Ross Guieb, Executive Director for the George H.W. Bush Combat Development Complex at the Texas A&M University System RELLIS Campus in Bryan.
This event is by invitation-only. Please notify us of your interest to receive an invitation by providing your contact information in the form below. Priority registration is available for World Affairs Council of Austin members. Bring your invitation to the event. Invitations are non-transferable.
REQUEST YOUR INVITATION HERE
Ross Guieb is the Executive Director for the George H.W. Bush Combat Development Complex at the Texas A&M University System RELLIS Campus in Bryan, Texas. He is a husband, Aggie Dad, and a “Soldier for Life.”
As Executive Director, Ross provides oversight of a unique ecosystem of state-of-the-art facilities, researchers, staff and faculty, organized and focused to accelerate priority Department of Defense technologies from the lab to the field. This includes developing strategic partnerships across DoD, academia, and the defense industrial base. BCDC represents a more than $200M combined investment from the Texas A&M University System, State of Texas, and Army Futures Command.
A decorated combat Veteran, Ross retired in 2020 as a Colonel with 29 years of service in the U.S. Army.
As a senior staff executive, Ross played an instrumental role in the development of Army Futures Command and the reorganization of the Army’s modernization enterprise, and brings to the Texas A&M
University System tremendous insight on how to best support national security research priorities. Ross holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of California, a Masters of Arts in Business and Organizational Security Management from Websters University, a Masters of Science in Adult Education from Kansas State University and a Masters of Science in National Security Policy and Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School at the National War College. He is also a graduate of the FBI Academy, and received professional certification from the University of St Andrews (Scotland) Centre for the Study of Terrorism. Ross was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (x3), and Bronze Star (x3). Ross was also awarded the Key to the City of London.
Ross is married to Kathleen a lifelong public educator and is the proud father of three sons, two are currently on ROTC scholarship with the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University. Ross’ oldest son is a proud graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles.

WorldNow: The Architect of Espionage - The Man Who Built Israel’s Mossad
2026-01-14 18:00 - 19:00 | ONLINE
How did Mossad, Israel’s intelligence service, come to be one of the world’s most notorious and prominent players in global intelligence? Just look to Meir Dagan, the Mossad’s former director who transformed the service into the leading force in counterterrorism and espionage it is today.
Samuel Katz, bestselling author of The Architect of Espionage: The Man Who Built Israel’s Mossad in to the World’s Boldest Intelligence Force, joins WorldNow to introduce us to the former Mossad director.
Katz will give us an inside look at Dagan’s leadership and the operations carried out during his tenure, including counterterrorism efforts, covert missions related to Iran’s nuclear program, and expanded intelligence cooperation with international partners – and how he transformed modern espionage and the Middle East.
REGISTER HERE

Meet the Author

Samuel M. Katz is a New York Times bestselling author who has written over twenty books on the Arab Israeli conflict, military and law enforcement special operations, espionage, and counterterrorism. He has written hundreds of articles for magazines and journals around the world, as well as documentaries for television. He is also the former editor-in-chief of Special Operations Report, a trade publication for the world’s commando and counterterrorist community. Katz lectures police agencies and military commands around the world on the history of terrorism, and he is a frequent guest on television and radio networks.

Meet the Host

Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, NM, he is Vice Chairman of the Board of Global Santa Fe. In addition to hosting WorldNow with Jim Falk, Jim produces and hosts The Forum, a weekly talk show on KSFR-FM, Santa Fe Public Radio. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

About the Book
The Architect of Espionage: The Man Who Built Israel’s Mossad into the World’s Boldest Intelligence Force by Samuel M. Katz
From a New York Times bestselling author and an expert on Middle Eastern conflict comes a riveting biography of Meir Dagan, the legendary Mossad director who transformed Israel’s intelligence service into a global powerhouse of espionage and counterterrorism.
In The Architect of Espionage, Samuel M. Katz masterfully chronicles the life of Meir Dagan, a visionary covert warfare veteran who revolutionized the art of intelligence and espionage. Born in the shadows of the Holocaust, his life personified the modern history of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Dagan’s journey embodies decisive action, innovative thought, and bold leadership under fire. His tenure as the head of the Mossad marked a transformative era in Israel’s history, reshaping the agency into a formidable global force.
Dagan spent thirty-two years in uniform, and under his eight-year leadership, Mossad orchestrated a series of high-stakes missions, including targeted assassinations, clandestine attempts to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power, and the covert expansion of Israel’s strategic collaborations with members of the global intelligence fraternity, notably with the CIA. These operations not only bolstered Israel’s security but also altered the geopolitical dynamics of the Middle East.
Katz brings to life the portrait of a spymaster whose influence extended far beyond Israel’s borders, shaping intelligence relationships across the Middle East and worldwide.
For anyone captivated by espionage thrillers or historical biographies, this is an essential and timely read, providing an insightful glimpse into the mind of one of the most influential spymasters of our era.
Get yourself a copy of The Architect of Espionage on Bookshop.org and support your local bookstore.

WorldNow: Trillion Dollar War Machine with Bill Hartung
2026-01-21 18:00 - 19:00 | ONLINE
The U.S. spends nearly a trillion dollars on its military each year, more than any other nation. Is it really keeping us safe?

Bill Hartung, author and senior fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, argues that not only is America’s high military spending not keeping America safe, but it is endangering both the U.S. and the world at large.
On January 21st, Hartung joins WorldNow with Jim Falk to reveal how the American military industrial complex operates, its key players – from Hollywood and Silicon Valley to lobbyists and the Pentagon’s top contractors – and how we can secure America’s future and prosperity by re-envisioning America’s trillion-dollar war machine.

REGISTER HERE

The Trillion Dollar War Machine: How Runaway Military Spending Drives America into Foreign Wars and Bankrupts Us at Home by William D. Hartung and Ben Freeman
A hard-hitting investigation into how the Pentagon’s runaway spending embroils America in foreign wars, squanders its wealth, and enriches a privileged elite
“A damning indictment of the conflicts of interest running rampant in the defense establishment.”―Publishers Weekly
America spends nearly a trillion dollars a year on its military. This extraordinary spending not only detracts from our ability to address pressing social problems but compels us into foreign wars to justify our vast arsenal. Sold to us in the name of “security,” our military industrial complex actually makes us far less safe.
Top policy experts William D. Hartung and Ben Freeman follow the profits of militarism from traditional Pentagon contractors, which receive more than half of the Pentagon’s budget, to the upstart high-tech firms that shamelessly promote unproven and destabilizing technologies. They unmask the enablers of the war machine—politicians, lobbyists, the media, Hollywood, think tanks, and so many more—whose work enriches a wealthy elite at the expense of everybody else, spreading conflict around the world and embroiling America in endless wars.
A damning tour de force, The Trillion Dollar War Machine shows who is pulling the strings and pushing for war, and offers a blueprint for how we can shut down the war machine and restore American security and prosperity.
Get yourself a copy of The Trillion Dollar War Machine on Bookshop.org and support your local bookstore.

The Middle East: Where are We Now, and What are the Geopolitical Implications for the Future?
2026-06-17 17:30 - 19:00 | TX
Recent developments in the Middle East have raised important questions about regional stability, international relations, global energy markets, and the broader geopolitical landscape. How might current tensions shape the future of the region and its relationships with major global powers? What could the evolving situation mean for international trade, security, and diplomatic engagement?
This panel discussion will examine the current dynamics in the Middle East, including the strategic significance of the Strait of Hormuz and the potential long-term implications for regional and global affairs. The conversation will explore a range of perspectives on how recent events may influence geopolitical alignments and international policy in the months and years ahead.
Please join us and hear a timely and insightful discussion with our distinguished panelists.
This event is by invitation-only. Please notify us of your interest to receive an invitation by providing your contact information in the form below. Priority registration is available for World Affairs Council of Austin members. Bring your invitation to the event. Invitations are non-transferable.
REQUEST YOUR INVITATION HERE
About the panelists:
Ambassador (ret.) Larry E. André, Jr. retired from the State Department’s Senior Foreign Service in May 2023 after a 38-year career in global public affairs. During his 33 years at the U.S. State Department, he served in a mix of leadership, policy, and management positions.
Ambassador André’s leadership positions included serving as Ambassador to Somalia, Djibouti, and Mauritania. He also served as Chargé d’affaires, U.S. Embassy, South Sudan; Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy, Tanzania; Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy, Sierra Leone; Director, Office of the Presidential Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan; and Deputy Director, Office of West African Affairs. He also served in the Middle East with the Embassy in Iraq.
Ambassador André is a recipient of the Presidential Rank Award, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award, Global Reporting Award, and several other honors. In 2023, Amb. André was inducted into the American Academy of Diplomacy.

Matthew Bey is a Senior Global Analyst at RANE, where he focuses on geopolitical risk management for organizations across sectors and a wide range of international relations topics. Matthew has focused heavily on political, economic, and security issues in the Middle East and Africa. He also covers several international topics relating to global governance, technology, trade, and the oil and gas industry. Matthew has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Texas Lutheran University and a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a professor in the University’s Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Professor Suri is the author and editor of eleven books on politics and foreign policy, most recently: Civil War By Other Means: America’s Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy. His other books include: The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office; Liberty’s Surest Guardian: American Nation-Building from the Founders to Obama; Henry Kissinger and the American Century; and Power and Protest: Global Revolution and the Rise of Détente. His writings appear in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN.com, Atlantic, Newsweek, Time, Wired, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and other media. Professor Suri is a popular public lecturer and comments frequently on radio and television news. His writing and teaching have received numerous prizes, including the President’s Associates Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Texas and the Pro Bene Meritis Award for Contributions to the Liberal Arts. Professor Suri also hosts a weekly podcast, “This is Democracy.

WorldNow: The Future of War
2026-07-15 18:00 - 19:00 | ONLINE
On this special edition of WorldNow with Jim Falk, we sit down with Elliot Ackerman, author of 2084: A Novel of the Future of War.

What will war look like in 2084 – in a world devastated by climate change?
Join us on WorldNow with Jim Falk as we sit down with Elliot Ackerman, author of 2084: A Novel of the Future of War; NYT bestselling author, and contributing writer at The Atlantic.
In 2084, decorated military officers and award-winning authors Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis write a world on the brink of war, divided between equatorial countries ravaged by climate change and the wealthier, politically fractured countries like China and the U.S. 2084 follows their two previous novels, envisioning a war between the U.S. and China in 2034 and the breakdown of American politics fueled by AI in 2054
The details:
When: Wednesday, July 15 | 6:00pm-7:00pm CDT
Where: Zoom Webinar

2084 (A Novel of Future War) by Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis
“Gripping…Ackerman and Stavridis stage a harrowing global conflict that pits military might against an appetite for justice… equal parts haunting and entertaining.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
A gripping drama and chilling prophecy about the possible path to war for a planet devastated by climate change
In their novel 2034, decorated military officers and award-winning authors Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis imagined a war between the US and China. In their follow-up novel, 2054, they envisioned a breakdown in American politics fueled by a radical advance in AI. Now they make their boldest, most astonishing, and arguably most necessary leap—imagining the consequences of a climate war.
By the year 2084, the world is divided into the equatorial countries that bear the brunt of the climate crisis—led by Nigeria, Brazil, and Indonesia—and wealthier countries like China and the US, beset by their own problems after a series of civil wars. Tensions between the two sets of countries have reached a breaking point, until finally the so-called Reparationist nations of the equator decide that only military force can bring them justice.
A fascinating and disturbingly plausible extrapolation from current realities, 2084, like other classics of the genre such as Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future and Neal Stephenson’s Termination Shock, deploys a global cast of characters, all protecting their interests as the fate of human civilization hangs in the balance. Individuals often seem small in the face of the forces that drive global change, but in the end human agency proves surprisingly decisive. Big doors can swing on small hinges. We have it within ourselves to write a different destiny, if only we can imagine it.
Get yourself a copy of 2084 on Bookshop.org and support your local bookstore

Partners
WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut with the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth and the World Affairs Councils of America. Presented in partnership with Councils nationwide:
