Pushkin.

It's hard to read the news these days without asking yourself, how did we get here?

Fiasco is a history podcast for the co-creators of Slow Burn.

In our first season, Bush v. Gore, we examine an unmistakable turning point in American

politics, the 2000 election, which resulted in a high-stakes stalemate, ended with one of the most

controversial rulings in Supreme Court history. So if you're trying to make sense at the present moment,

check out Fiasco, Bush v. Gore. Listen on the Iart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

From Pushkin Industries, this is deep background, the show where we explore the stories

behind the stories in the news.

I'm Noah Feldman.

This week, no story is more pressing in the United States and elsewhere

than the fall of Kabul in the aftermath of the U.S. announcement that it is imminently withdrawing

from Afghanistan. As this story broke, I knew that the person I wanted most to hear from about it

was Dr. Emil Simpson.

Emil is a former British army officer who served three tours of duty in Afghanistan with the

Royal Gurkirka Rifles. He is a scholar who wrote an extraordinary book, War from the Ground Up,

21st century combat as Politics, that described new

forms of warfare, both from the standpoint of the soldiers on the ground and from the big picture

perspective of military strategy. He's also a scholar of international law and international

relations, and currently is a barrister in London working on international and

commercial matters. Emil, thank you so much for joining me, especially on short notice.

Emil, let's start with the immediate question of the evacuation, which we're all watching in real time.

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