Why pundits don't understand the political savvy of Bernie Sanders. Does losing Taiwan mean losing Japan? Yes and no. Why the pundits don't understand the political savvy of Bernie Sanders. Why the State Department is sabotaging arms control while promoting a fake arms control agenda. And how China's historical record speaks to a strategic culture that Pompeo just doesn't understand. Also this episode: Why Van has too much hustle for Marxism, Matt Duss for National Security Adviser, and how the ...
Mar 04, 2020•42 min•Ep. 38
The restraint movement in foreign policy starts penetrating Washington. Elizabeth Warren takes on the biggest oligarch of them all--Mike Bloomberg. China trade distorts the national interest. And Van Jackson thinks through the merits of NATO versus a European Defense Union. Also this episode: Why Trump will keep extorting South Korea; the danger of Russia and Turkey treating Syria as a sphere of influence; Scottish independence; and Van's musings about "Washington insider status." John Carl Bake...
Feb 26, 2020•45 min•Ep. 37
Would Bernie Sanders bomb North Korea? Probably not but the New York Times thinks so. Ilhan Omar's plan to save America from militarism. Trump's fake arms control agenda. Why Australia losing faith in the US might mean acquiring nuclear weapons. Why Kim Jong Un finds Trump totally embarrassing. And the wage theft of Washington think tanks. Daniel McDowell in World Politics Review: https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/28418/ofac-sanctions-and-the-new-dollar-diplomacy Ankit Panda's Tweet: ...
Feb 19, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 36
The contradiction of military superiority and China threat deflation. How many " left technocrats" are actually out there? Is dollar hegemony good for national security? And why do Millennials shun American exceptionalism while Boomers still revel in it? Also this episode: blowing up the landmine ban triggers Van's inner activist, military superiority is politically unsustainable, more Chinese imperialism, and what the defense budget shouldn't be spending money on. Emma Ashford's tweet: https://...
Feb 11, 2020•51 min•Ep. 35
What's the point of low-yield nuclear weapons? To use them, of course. Elizabeth Warren's plan to end endless war. How Trump fractured the left by flirting with Korean peace, and why his fake Israel peace plan threatens to do so again. Chinese imperialism is a thing now. Also this episode: difficulties of democratizing foreign policy, prediction in international relations, being kind in national security, and...South Korean conscription. Elizabeth Warren on ending endless war: https://www.theatl...
Feb 05, 2020•52 min•Ep. 34
This is the second of two episodes interviewing Dr. Dan Nexon, a former adviser to Bernie Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign, a proponent of progressive internationalism, scholar of empires, and much more. In this episode, we talk about: --how he ended up advising Sanders's campaign in 2016, --what led him to think seriously about progressive foreign policy, --his beef with the anti-imperial left, --why the "liberal international order" is on death's door, --how to think about the rise of far ...
Feb 03, 2020•46 min•Ep. 33
This is the first of two episodes interviewing Dr. Dan Nexon, a former adviser to Bernie Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign, a proponent of progressive internationalism, scholar of empires, and much more. In this episode, Part I, we talk about how he found his way into academia, got interested in international relations, and flirted with the practice of foreign policy. Dan's blogging: https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/author/dnexon Dan's forthcoming book w/ Alex Cooley (Exit from Hegemony):...
Jan 29, 2020•41 min•Ep. 32
Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders converge on foreign policy way more than Twitter thinks. Democratizing foreign policy is a noble goal but is it possible? Millennials are freaked out about World War III and Trump is to blame. The "Phase I" trade deal with China is fake reality TV. Deterrence by escalation is dumb. Breaking the political assassination taboo will prove costly. And why the policymaker literacy gap on artificial intelligence is a career opportunity for the next generation of mand...
Jan 23, 2020•45 min•Ep. 31
What do Democrats think about foreign policy and national security? The recent democratic debate was stunningly superficial on foreign policy, yet the most revealing to date. It covered Iran, defense spending, troops in the Middle East, trade deals, North Korea, and China (sort of). Van offers his take, where there's daylight between candidate, and what's wrong going forward. New York Times Weighs the Winners and Losers in the Debate: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/01/15/opinion/democr...
Jan 15, 2020•16 min•Ep. 30
Does 'bothsidesism' threaten democracy? Gary Kasparov thinks so and so does Van. Fareed Zakaria and the Washington establishment disagree about China. Van thinks they're both wrong. Dan Drezner throws shade at the incoherence of US foreign policy. Taiwan's democracy under pressure. And what North Korea's Christmas gift silence really tells us. Also this episode: Advice for young writers. Dan Drezner's tweet: https://twitter.com/dandrezner/status/1210748831731572739 Gary Kasparov's tweet: https:/...
Jan 09, 2020•47 min•Ep. 29
Why did the Trump administration just assassinate an Iranian senior military leader? What will it lead to? Lots of questions about deterrence stupidity and diversionary foreign policy in this quick Raw Uncut episode.
Jan 03, 2020•11 min•Ep. 28
In this special New Year's episode with the BBC Dad, Dr. Robert Kelly, we get his predictions about a range of foreign policy issues for 2020: --Will North Korea conduct a nuclear test? --Will Kim Jong Un meet with Trump again? --Will Trump leave office before the end of the year? --Will there be any wars anywhere? --Will the US withdraw any troops from South Korea?
Jan 02, 2020•34 min•Ep. 27
Is Buttigieg a foreign policy hawk? Is international relations really just about Russian foreign policy? Van points out the obvious--Tulsi Gabbard is not a Democrat, and not progressive. Why America sucks up to India (hint: it’s all about China), and why it shouldn’t. The Pod implores Bernie Sanders to weigh in on the Transformers v. Usual Suspects debate that Matt Duss started. And finally, is ‘Chained Globalisation’ here to stay, and what can we do about it? Predictions: Will Ankara (Turkey) f...
Dec 24, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 26
National security Republicans' "theory of security" might just kill us all in the name of deterrence. House Democrats pass a defense budget that George W. Bush would be proud of. China is decoupling from the US whether we like it or not. Arms control is unravelling because the Trump administration is all neocons, ethno-nationalists, and multi-millionaires. Also this episode: What the heck do foreign policy advisers do on presidential campaigns? World Politics Review Newsletter: https://about.wor...
Dec 18, 2019•58 min•Ep. 25
What would a Mayor Bloomberg foreign policy look like (some concerning clues in his past)? The wisdom of French realpolitik. Why Trump will sell out Taiwan but the rest of Washington should keep the faith. Why neoliberalism is the new neoconservatism. Why Iran policy reveals Trump to be a neocon minus the love of democracy bit. And why Van Jackson backs a no-first use nuclear policy. Also this episode: Van reveals the presidential campaign he's been volunteering for as a foreign policy adviser. ...
Dec 09, 2019•46 min•Ep. 24
Nukes, missiles, and being oblivious to risk. The Indo-Pacific strategy is freaking some people out. Allies worry that the US doesn't know what it's doing in Asia, and a nuclear Japan and South Korea may just be a matter of time. Trump doesn't care about Hong Kong. Also this episode, why it sucks to have a liberal foreign policy in the Second Nuclear Age. When New Zealand will start developing nukes. And why post-INF missiles are the Christmas present no ally wants. In Ask Me Anything: Why Van J...
Dec 03, 2019•47 min•Ep. 23
This special episode was recorded live from Seoul, South Korea in late November. Dr. Van Jackson gave a talk at the East Asia Foundation in partnership with the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament. Have a listen to learn the unintended dangers of pursuing North Korean denuclearization, and why a credible arms control process is the only way to stabilize Korea. Center for a New American Security Report: https://www.cnas.org/publications/reports/risk-realis...
Nov 25, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 22
Who supports military bases in South Korea? Surprising majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Also this episode, why some neoliberals are hostile to democracy. Why sphere-of-influence diplomacy is gross and destabilizing. Why the left needs to do better on Hong Kong. The State Department’s clash-of-civilizations problem. What North Korea means by its end-of-year deadline. Coercion with Chinese characteristics. And mental health in national security. Van’s Predictions: 1) Will Bo...
Nov 19, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 21
Jared Kushner's North Korea doctrine sucks, and Kim Jong Un's job is way too easy these days. What universities can do to cope with Chinese influence. India tries (and fails) to get a far-right alliance to whitewash Kashmir. Trump continues to channel the Biff Tannen school of imperialism and the Pod has a fever-dream about a smarter, sinister Ted Cruz presidency. Also this episode: An Assistant Secretary of State learns the wrong lesson from Van Jackson’s first book - not everything is a bluff....
Nov 11, 2019•58 min•Ep. 20
In the latest episode of our "Hustle" series, Van Jackson sits down with Suzanne DiMaggio to discover how she does it all. How did she end up as a foreign policy adviser to the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign? What was it like to live in downtown Manhattan on 9/11? What did a jazz musician have to do with her leaving business school? How did she build herself into one of America's pre-eminent experts in Track 1.5 and Track 2 diplomacy without ever serving in the US government? And how did s...
Nov 07, 2019•37 min•Ep. 19
Should the US isolate countries that isolate Taiwan? The US Senate just passed the TAIPEI Act of 2019, a bipartisan bill that authorizes the State Department to take measures against countries who isolate or abandon Taiwan. In this Raw Uncut episode, Van Jackson weighs the pros and cons, arguing that it's great solidarity but questionable strategy. TAIPEI Act of 2019: https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/s1678/BILLS-116s1678es.pdf. Music: "Van is Meta" by Tre' Hester
Nov 06, 2019•8 min•Ep. 18
In this episode, we get on a soapbox about "greenlanternism." Van and Pete debate what to make of Twitter's Jack Dorsey throwing shade at Facebook. We shine light on a new conservative-progressive consensus: Trump is a cartoon imperialist. We also discuss Extinction Rebellion and why the climate crisis does not warrant white privilege or targeted assassinations. Also this episode: the rules-based order is falling apart, but it may be recoverable. How many kills is Iran responsible for? Why does ...
Nov 04, 2019•48 min•Ep. 17
In this Raw Uncut episode, Van Jackson breaks down what it takes to render a bad take on China. Using a recent hot take from Prof. Stephen Walt as the example, Van identifies at least three ways of not only getting China wrong, but getting it wrong badly. One: Mischaracterize Chinese behavior Two: Promote China's preferred narrative for its misdeeds Three: Draw false equivalencies with the United States (Or, use China observations to throw shade at the US) Walt's take on China: https://twitter.c...
Oct 30, 2019•7 min•Ep. 16
If you think fighting climate change is expensive, maybe you haven't seen the bill for endless war. Why Trump's parallel universes of diplomacy is a problem for foreign policy analysis. Van gets a little choked up talking about why America needs more Laura Coopers. Giuliani self-incriminates via tweet, collapsing Trump’s impeachment defense. What the Treaty of Versailles can teach us about poison pill diplomacy today. Van goes hard in the paint on Disney's Bob Iger. And in Asia, American credibi...
Oct 29, 2019•39 min•Ep. 15
We live in an age of foreign policy pluralism and congressional Democrats ought to take heed. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi quietly led a congressional delegation to Afghanistan and Jordan over the weekend. In this Raw Uncut edition of the Un-Diplomatic podcast, I explain why I hope the trip was part of a Democratic Party shadow foreign policy. Pelosi tweeting the CODEL: https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1186766247670599680 Music: "Van is Meta" by Tre' Hester
Oct 23, 2019•10 min•Ep. 14
Silicon Valley might be turning against China. Steven Pinker is wrong about violence and needs to take a security studies course. There are no more US officials with gravitas. Trump's 5-dimensional chess is going to end with a Kurdish-Iranian alliance. Career advice for an aspiring China hand. And will Van Jackson ever move back to Washington? Van's Predictions: Will Pompeo survive until 2020? No Will China sacrifice Carrie Lam by 2020? Yes Will Giuliani be arrested by the end of 2019? No Will C...
Oct 22, 2019•41 min•Ep. 13
Senator Chris Murphy says Trump has caused the rapid decline of US credibility. So does everyone, and they're not wrong. But the reasons why matter, and understanding the implications of America's damaged credibility matters even more. Why is it dangerous, and what's the price to paid? Sen. Chris Murphy's credibility tweet: https://twitter.com/ChrisMurphyCT/status/1185749012432994304 Music: "Van is Meta" by Tre' Hester
Oct 20, 2019•11 min•Ep. 12
Our "Hustle" episodes are interviews with foreign policy and national security experts doing interesting things we can all learn from. We uncover their origin stories and how they found their path in a field with no user's manual. In this Hustle episode, Van Jackson sits down with Dr. Kathleen McInnis, author of the novel The Heart of War: Misadventures in the Pentagon . It's The Devil Wears Prada meets Catch-22, and this interview is a must-listen. We talk about the creative process, taking cha...
Oct 17, 2019•49 min•Ep. 11
Senator Bernie Sanders once again called out Vice President Joe Biden's decision to support the 2003 Iraq War during the democratic primary debate (10/15/2019). How much should it matter if presidential candidates previously supported the Iraq invasion? Is it good politics for the democratic primary? Van Jackson weighs in. Vox Explainer on Biden's Iraq War Support: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/10/15/20849072/joe-biden-iraq-history-democrats-election-2020 Politico Coverage of the ...
Oct 16, 2019•8 min•Ep. 10
Trump says he's the guy to end endless war. A quick look at the scorecard tells a very different story. Listen in to find out why the only thing you can trust a militarist to do is make more war. From sending more troops to Saudi Arabia to green-lighting a Turkish ethnic cleansing campaign of the Kurds in northern Syria. Music: "Van is Meta" by Tre' Hester
Oct 14, 2019•4 min•Ep. 9
