Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder
- Council of American Ambassadors
- Oct 21
- 3 min read
In this episode, Ambassador (ret.) Jim Rosapepe and Mr. John Florescu interview Ambassador (ret.) Michael McFaul to learn more about his upcoming book, Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder.
This lively discussion dives deeply into current affairs and historic global events, providing thought-provoking analyses on past policies. Further, this discussion broaches the power of individual leaders in influencing global affairs-- and history. To go deeper on these topics, we invite you to listen in!
The Council of American Ambassadors was proud to co-sponsor this interview with Alianta.
About the Speakers
Ambassador Michael McFaul is Director at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, the Ken Olivier and Angela Nomellini Professor of International Studies in the Department of Political Science, and the Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. He joined the Stanford faculty in 1995. Dr. McFaul also is as an International Affairs Analyst for NBC News and a columnist for The Washington Post. He served for five years in the Obama administration, first as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Russian and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council at the White House (2009-2012), and then as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation (2012-2014).
He has authored several books, most recently Autocrats versus Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder. Earlier books include the New York Times bestseller From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia, Advancing Democracy Abroad: Why We Should, How We Can; Transitions To Democracy: A Comparative Perspective (eds. with Kathryn Stoner); Power and Purpose: American Policy toward Russia after the Cold War (with James Goldgeier); and Russia’s Unfinished Revolution: Political Change from Gorbachev to Putin.
He teaches courses on great power relations, democratization, comparative foreign policy decision-making, and revolutions.
Dr. McFaul was born and raised in Montana. He received his B.A. in International Relations and Slavic Languages and his M.A. in Soviet and East European Studies from Stanford University in 1986. As a Rhodes Scholar, he completed his D. Phil. In International Relations at Oxford University in 1991. His DPhil thesis was Southern African Liberation and Great Power Intervention: Towards a Theory of Revolution in an International Context.
Ambassador Jim Rosapepe served as U.S. Ambassador to Romania from 1998 to 2001, where he advanced Romania’s integration into NATO and contributed to stability in the Balkans. He currently serves in the Maryland State Senate representing District 21 and is the Chair and CEO of Patuxent Capital Group, a strategic investment firm.
Mr. John Florescu was the President and Chief Executive Officer of David Paradine Television Inc., the LA-based US television production company belonging to Sir David Frost, for seventeen years. He has produced more than 150 hours of national and international television for such networks as CBS, HBO, PBS, Discovery-Times, Disney, A&E Network, The History Channel, BBC and The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Productions for which John has served as Executive Producer include programs with six presidents of the United States, two former British Prime Ministers and former leaders of the Soviet Union.
In the early 1980s, John served as Communications Director for the Democratic National Committee in Washington, DC.
In 1997, John – building on the media base established by his brother Radu – started new Centrade companies. In 1997, he formed the Bates Agency in Romania; in 1999, he created Cable Direct; in 2005, he launched Chainsaw Europe Studios; and in 2008, he launched Kubis Interactive SRL, where he is acting CEO.
He holds a history degree (Magna Cum Laude) from Boston College (1976) and was the first US editor of the Oxford University newspaper, The Cherwell. At Oxford, he studied Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE). John speaks fluent English, French, and working Romanian.
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