Sarah Paine — The war for India (lecture & interview)

This interview podcast features a discussion with Sarah Paine, an expert in international relations, focusing on the complexities of US foreign policy in South Asia during the Cold War. The conversation begins with Paine's lecture outlining pivotal decisions and alliances impacting India and Pakistan, highlighting the US's unsuccessful attempts to simultaneously ally with both nations due to their inherent adversarial relationship. Paine then analyzes the strategic implications of US actions, including military aid and diplomatic efforts, and their unintended consequences. A key takeaway is the importance of understanding a nation's primary adversary and aligning foreign policy accordingly, as exemplified by the US's ultimately successful strategy of leveraging the Sino-Soviet split to counter the Soviet Union. The discussion concludes with reflections on the Cold War's impact and the challenges of navigating complex geopolitical landscapes.