Foreign policy experts don't speak languages of countries they claim expertise in

What was said

"When we polled the experts, we even asked like people, are you an expert in, um, you know, the Middle East or Iran or something? And then we'd ask, do you speak Arabic or Farsi? And, you know, a huge portion— I don't remember the numbers off the top of my head now— but a huge portion of them did not even speak the language of the country they were experts in."

Hanania reveals research showing many foreign policy experts claiming expertise in Middle Eastern countries don't speak Arabic or Farsi. He argues foreign policy expertise is inherently limited compared to fields like medicine because geopolitics is unpredictable and lacks opportunities for controlled experiments. This challenges the authority of DC think tank experts who shape American foreign policy despite lacking basic qualifications.