Podcast Summary: “Generals’ Selection: Myanmar’s Sham Poll”

Podcast: Economist Podcasts – The Intelligence
Host: Rosie Blore (with contributions from Shashank Joshi, Aaron Connolly, Richard Cockett)
Date: December 29, 2025

Overview

This episode opens with a deep dive into Myanmar’s recent election—highlighted as a sham poll orchestrated by the country’s military junta. Asia Diplomatic Editor Aaron Connolly explains how the vote is widely dismissed by locals and foreign observers alike, analyzing the internal power dynamics, the struggles of pro-democracy resistance, and the region’s shifting geopolitics.
The second half of the show pivots to a discussion on the greatest war films of all time. Host Rosie Blore is joined by Richard Cockett and Shashank Joshi, who debate their top picks and explore how war movies reflect the anxieties and preoccupations of their eras.

Part 1: Myanmar’s Sham Election and Military Power Struggles

1. Setting the Stage: Myanmar’s Unfolding Crisis

• Introduction to Resistance:
  • Story of Dr. Teizasan, a Mandalay doctor turned protest leader, whose activism after the 2021 coup became emblematic of the broader pro-democracy movement.
  • Recent daring public protest against the junta’s sham election ([01:56]).

“Earlier this month, Teizasan appeared at a market in the heart of Mandalay... to protest the regime’s sham election. That appearance was one of Teizasan’s most daring yet.” — Aaron Connolly ([02:41])

2. Current Political and Military Landscape

• Evolution of Resistance:
  • Protests escalated into armed rebellion post-2021, with the Bamar majority aligning with ethnic armed groups ([03:00]).
  • 2023 saw resistance successes, nearly encircling Mandalay, until the junta regained momentum.
• Factors Behind Shift in Momentum:
  • China’s Changing Role:
    • Initially backed borderland ethnic militias to curb scam centers; but once priorities shifted to stability, China cut supply lines and even coerced compliance through kidnappings ([03:41]).
    • China has further blocked ammunition supplies, straining central-country revolutionaries.
  • US Aid Withdrawal:
    • Closure of USAID, particularly on the order of Donald Trump, removed crucial humanitarian support.
    • Some resistance forces, like those in Kareni State, diverted 60% of military budgets to humanitarian needs, weakening their fighting capacity ([04:41]).

“So those who are still fighting the junta are desperate for ammunition.” — Aaron Connolly ([04:24])

3. Junta’s Changed Tactics

• Human Wave Attacks:
  • Following Russian advisors, the military conscripted up to 100,000 young people, deploying them en masse in assaults that exploit rebels’ ammunition shortages ([05:18]).
  • These primitive but numerically effective tactics have shifted the ground war in the junta’s favor.
• Technological Adaptation:
  • Increased reliance on UAVs and notably, motorized paragliders (like those seen in Hamas's 2023 attack) for strikes—especially effective against rebel-held areas ([05:18]).
  • Use of Chinese equipment and evolving aerial tactics.

“So while they are being used as cannon fodder, when you have the numbers, sometimes cannon fodder can be effective.” — Aaron Connolly ([05:35])

4. The Election’s Real Purpose

• Why Hold a Sham Election?
  • The poll is widely seen as performative; people are coerced into voting ([06:38]).
  • Internally, it may serve as a mechanism for the military brass to challenge or depose inept senior general Min Aung Hlaing, whom many blame for 2023–24 failures.
  • Foreign hopes exist that a leadership reshuffle may prompt a more collegial junta or a pragmatic rival—though most doubt any meaningful change.

“People are being coerced to go to the polls, but it may serve some purpose internally within the regime.” — Aaron Connolly ([06:38])

• ASEAN and International Response:
  • ASEAN has suspended Myanmar’s junta; recent actions have failed to moderate military tactics, though some in the region hope for a new opening ([07:20]).
• Local Sentiment:
  • On the ground, opposition leaders like Dr. Teizasan and his peers are determined to hold out for a real, democratic election ([08:16]).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “China began to worry more about the instability that [ethnic rebels] might be creating... so they turned on them, cut their supply lines... and now, in one case, they even kidnapped the leader of one of these groups.” — Aaron Connolly ([04:02])
• “The resistance in a place called Kareni State had been particularly successful... But when USAID was closed... they had to shift 60% of their military budget into their humanitarian budget just to feed their people.” — Aaron Connolly ([04:56])
• “After five years of fighting and protesting this military regime, they’re holding out for a real election.” — Aaron Connolly ([08:16])

Part 2: The Greatest War Films — Debate and Reflections

1. War Film Appeal and Selection Process

• Why War Films?
  • Excitement, action, gripping human drama, and timeliness ([09:46]).
  • War exposes characters to the extreme edges of human experience ([10:02]).
• How the List Was Made:
  • Input from readers of The Economist’s “War Room” newsletter.
  • Criteria: authenticity, narrative quality, intelligence, wit ([10:24]).

“Generally, the more action the better... But also war, sadly, is always with us, it’s always highly topical.” — Richard Cockett ([09:46])

2. Top Picks and Why They Matter

a. Saving Private Ryan (1998, Spielberg)

• Praised for realistic D-Day recreation and soundscape.
• Evokes tribute to the “greatest generation” and their sacrifice ([11:45]).

“The first 23 minutes—the storming of Omaha beach—set a new standard for realism and authenticity in war movies.” — Richard Cockett ([11:51])

b. Das Boot (1981, Wolfgang Petersen)

• Focuses on a German U-boat crew; captures claustrophobia, fear, and humanity—contrasting Hollywood portrayals of WWII ([12:38]).
• Sound design emphasizes silence and tension.

“No other film, for me, gets the claustrophobia of fighting on submarines.” — Richard Cockett ([12:42])

c. Dr. Strangelove (1964, Kubrick)

• A satirical take on nuclear war and Cold War brinkmanship.
• Enduring cultural and strategic lessons; its famous “war room” line inspired The Economist’s newsletter title ([14:12]).

“You can’t fight in here, this is the war room.” — Richard Cockett ([14:13])

d. Apocalypse Now (1979, Coppola)

• Early and iconic Vietnam war film; departs from heroism, embracing themes of American moral decay and chaos ([16:58]).

“The heart of darkness is not where you go, it’s the darkness in your own heart.” — Richard Cockett ([17:34])

e. Zero Dark Thirty (2012, Bigelow)

• Examines the manhunt for Osama bin Laden—spotlights intelligence analysis, the role of women, and ethical controversy over torture ([18:20]).

“One of the themes of the film is of Maya’s role... she ends up being as enthusiastic a torturer of suspected Al Qaeda terrorists as her CIA male peer.” — Richard Cockett ([19:08])

3. Nationalism and Regional War Films

• Western films often more cynical; Indian and Chinese war films are generally nationalistic and celebratory ([15:50]–[16:08]).

“I don’t think the mass market Indian audience is really much in the market for cynicism... about their military history.” — Shashank Joshi ([15:54])

4. Changing Styles and Technology in War Cinema

• Depiction of Combat:
  • Advancements in CGI have transformed how battles are shown ([19:46]).
  • Real-life drone footage from Ukraine influences perceptions and anticipation of future war films.
• Future Directions:
  • War films may soon tackle cyberwar, satellite warfare, and drones—though visualizing these “intangible” conflicts remains a challenge ([20:44]–[21:18]).

“I will have enormous respect for the director who is able to show these esoteric and intangible aspects of modern war in a realistic and effective way.” — Shashank Joshi ([21:05])

• Historical Perspective:
  • War films may reveal more about the era and mindset in which they’re produced than the conflicts themselves ([21:18]).

Key Timestamps

• Myanmar Segment

  • Dr. Teizasan and protest context: [01:56]
  • Current battlefield realities: [03:00–06:33]
  • Election analysis: [06:35–08:16]

• War Films Segment

  • Introduction and criteria: [09:22–10:24]
  • WWII films (‘Saving Private Ryan,’ ‘Das Boot’): [11:45–13:49]
  • ‘Dr. Strangelove’ and Cold War satire: [13:49–15:04]
  • Nationalist vs. Western war films: [15:50–16:08]
  • Vietnam and post-9/11 films: [16:58–19:02]
  • Technology & future of war movies: [19:46–21:59]

Memorable Quotes

• “You can’t fight in here. This is the war room.” — Dr. Strangelove, cited by Richard Cockett ([14:13])
• “The heart of darkness is not where you go, it’s the darkness in your own heart.” — Richard Cockett ([17:34])
• “Once upon a time, the drone shot of a battlefield would have been seen as alienating. ... But now, from Ukraine, we’ve become saturated with these real, what are, I’m afraid, snuff movies...” — Shashank Joshi ([20:13])

Conclusion

This episode masterfully intertwines Myanmar’s bleak political theater with a rich discussion of how cinema imagines war. Listeners gain insight into the harsh realities behind Myanmar’s current headlines, while also engaging in a lively, intelligent debate on the art, impact, and evolution of war films—revealing, ultimately, as much about our present anxieties as about the past conflicts they depict.