Lyle Jeremy Rubin joins the podcast to talk about his new memoir "Pain Is Weakness Leaving the Body: A Marine's Unbecoming." Lyle and Van discuss the way that hypocrisy radicalizes people, the trouble with imperialism, the psychosexual insecurities mixed into military life, how personal violence affects foreign policy, the Karate Kid, the paradoxically traumatizing lack of combat on the front lines of war, and much more. Pain is Weakness Leaving the Body: https://www.boldtypebooks.com/titles/......
Oct 17, 2022•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 128
Central banks are using inflation to fight a class war. America's Pacific sphere of influence is making it paranoid--what ham-fisted skullduggery in the Marshall Islands reveals. Was George W. Bush more fascist than Trump? Taiwan policy is on militarist auto-pilot--why Chris Murphy is worried. Why red-scare propaganda is bad for democracy. What about an Un-Diplomatic newsletter (note: this episode was recorded just a few days before Van Jackson launched the Un-Diplomatic newsletter). Subscribe t...
Sep 27, 2022•47 min•Ep. 127
This episode is from an original release in January 2022. Dr. Van Jackson sits down with John Feffer, co-director of the Foreign Policy in Focus project at the Institute for Policy Studies. They talk about John's new book, Right Across the World: The Global Networking of the Far-Right and the Left Response. They also talk about writing novels and plays as a foreign policy analyst, or doing foreign policy analysis as a playwright. Remembering the way arms control used to be a reactionary argument...
Sep 06, 2022•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 126
Why self-determination for Guam is better strategy than persisting as an American colony. Why oligarchic concentrations of wealth in the US and China need ethnonationalism...and why that's dangerous. The Atlantic Council scandal. Are we in a new Taiwan Strait crisis? Clarifying the #NotAMarxist thing. And what Brazilian jiu jitsu can and can't do for international relations. Contributors: Hunter Marston, Celia McDowall, Gaby Magnuson Lev Nachman Tweet: https://twitter.com/lnachman32/status/15534...
Aug 14, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 125
In this deliciously radical episode, Dr. Van Jackson sits down with Malcolm Harris, author of Kids These Days: The Making of Millennials, and the forthcoming Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World. Malcolm explains how political economy made Millennials, what's wrong with thinking of yourself as human capital, the crisis of student debt, and how he moved from anti-war protests to the Occupy Movement. Malcolm also makes the case the Millennials will either be the first genu...
Jul 24, 2022•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 124
In this special episode, Dr. Van Jackson sits down as part of a guest lecture/seminar at the Catholic University of America with Dr. Andrew Yeo (CUA, Brookings Institution). They talk foremost about how we got North Korea policy so wrong and how to fix it, but in so doing they also talk about best practices of strategy, risk realism, and how Van's background shapes his thinking about war and national security generally.
Jul 05, 2022•43 min•Ep. 123
If you pit human rights against security, you're doing foreign policy wrong. How to think about LGBTQIA-plus rights and strategy. Being realistic about China-Cambodia relations. Why Biden is still ambiguous about Taiwan. Dissecting what's wrong with the national security "Blob." The role of a PMC technocracy in a social democratic order. The importance of libraries to society. Peter Beinart v. the Blob: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/02/opinion/biden-the-blob-china-us.html?smid=tw-share Blake H...
Jun 17, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 122
What's the difference between good strategy and bad strategy? Why is understanding strategy as a theory of success so powerful? What is a framework for good strategy? And how grand is grand strategy? Dr. Van Jackson sits down with Dr. Jeff Meiser (University of Portland) to discuss. They also talk about Richard Rumelt's classic book, Good Strategy/Bad Strategy.
May 26, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 121
The deep dive on the Philippines presidential election and what it means that they elected Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. Have Democrats become the party of war? Yes, but maybe not for long. Is the right running a restraint foreign policy? Hell no. The prospects of a Putin nuclear war. Why new hip-hop is not as good as the old stuff. Military Keynesianism is a sucker's bet. Feminism and intersectional struggles for progressive--what the Handmaid's Tale is good for (and not). Contributors: Gaby Magnuson, ...
May 20, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 120
The realists versus leftists thing, again. Re-imagining international cooperation. Why peace and anti-militarism should be non-partisan. Oligarchs like Elon Musk will be the end of us all. The curious case of Kamala Harris's restrainer space policy. Our new YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_42j11ZVmlF5jVbqdVcdog Matt Duss Tweet: https://twitter.com/mattduss/status/1516046414723399680 Eric Van Rythoven Tweet: https://twitter.com/EricVanRythoven/status/1517588528250724352 Good Po...
May 05, 2022•57 min•Ep. 119
What Singapore's Prime Minister has to say about post-primacy Asia. The global peace dividend initiative. War as the enemy of progress. The problem with securitizing the climate crisis. MAGA militarism and the problem of red-brown alliances. Why there is no economic equality without political equality. The Un-Diplomatic Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_42j11ZVmlF5jVbqdVcdog Global Peace Dividend Initiative: https://peace-dividend.org Tobita Chow and Ben Lorber on MAGA milit...
Apr 22, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 118
In this episode of the Un-Diplomatic Podcast, Dr. Van Jackson interviews Dr. Mark Beeson about his new book, Environmental Anarchy: Security in the 21st Century. They talk about doing international relations in an era of climate crisis, Asian security, the promise and perils of Marxist theory, the problem of neoliberalism, progressive alliances with realists, democracy on the back foot, and much more. Environmental Anarchy: Security in the 21st Century: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/envir...
Apr 13, 2022•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 117
What security studies was like in the utopian '90s. The West's sphere-of-influence reaction to the China-Solomon Islands agreement. What the Kanye West documentary teaches us about the bygone hustle culture. That time when The History Channel pitted game theory against Nostradamus, and brought in John Mearsheimer to attack Bruce Bueno De Mesquita. Why Republicans are lost on Russia-Putin. Rob Farley Tweet: https://twitter.com/drfarls/status/1508944926268133386 Koryo Dynasty Tweet: https://twitte...
Apr 04, 2022•55 min•Ep. 116
In the first ever reveal of his forthcoming book, Pacific Power Paradox: American Statecraft and the Fate of the Asian Peace, Dr. Van Jackson attempts to untangle the politics, economics, security, and strategic statecraft in an Asia-Pacific region experiencing accelerated change. Jackson focused on how regional change can affect U.S. alliance partners such as South Korea while shedding some light on U.S. strategy-making in the Asia-Pacific region. The conversation was moderated by Asia Society ...
Mar 29, 2022•54 min•Ep. 115
In our first ever roundtable edition of the podcast, Dr. Van Jackson was joined by Korea watchers Dr. John Delury (Yonsei University), Minseon Ku (Ohio State University), and Karl Friedhoff (Chicago Council on Global Affairs) to discuss the closest presidential election in South Korean history, in which conservative Yoon Seok-youl won by a razor-thin margin. The crew talks about the popular politics of anti-feminism in South Korea, the geopolitics of a conservative victory, and the myths that Be...
Mar 23, 2022•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 114
Thomas Piketty's answer for fighting China: Democratic socialism! Is grand strategy a theory of national success, or a story? How the national security community fetishized its own paranoia about gray zones and hybrid war. How corporations woke-wash capital. The John Mearsheimer controversy and what it means for realism. Pompeo's Taiwan grift. Favorite Marvel superhero movies. Jeffrey Meiser Tweet: https://twitter.com/jwmeiser/status/1497695031380955136?t=Kn1hvrM15UM3dSNsw0mhAQ&s=19 Seva Gun...
Mar 15, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 113
The Australian right's red-baiting flop on China. New Zealand's trucker protests have morphed into a mob. Dwayne Johnson could actually be the next president because America loves unqualified "cool bros." How Van has evolved on China rivalry stuff. Progressives debate Russia-Ukraine. South Korean nukes. The limits of Ben & Jerry's theory of peace. Jake Grumbach Tweet: https://twitter.com/JakeMGrumbach/status/1493277842062209025 Graham Webster Tweet: https://twitter.com/gwbstr/status/14954589...
Mar 01, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 112
With Van out, guest host James Palmer from Foreign Policy magazine joins the pod to talk about whether realists or liberals are more annoying, the debate over Russian invasion, escalation ladder messiness, and China watching. Contributors: Hunter Marston, Ciara Mitchell, Alex Auty
Feb 03, 2022•48 min•Ep. 111
In this episode, Dr. Van Jackson sits down with James Palmer, Deputy Editor at Foreign Policy Magazine, award-winning travel writer, and best-selling author. They talk about James's life reporting in China and getting out just in time. His best-selling first book about the Russian pro-Nazi monarchist who briefly took over Mongolia. Anti-Americanism in South Korea. And advice writing and pitching the big magazines in foreign policy.
Jan 23, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 110
In this episode, Dr. Van Jackson sits down with John Feffer, co-director of the Foreign Policy in Focus project at the Institute for Policy Studies. They talk about John's new book, Right Across the World: The Global Networking of the Far-Right and the Left Response. They also talk about writing novels and plays as a foreign policy analyst, or doing foreign policy analysis as a playwright. Remembering the way arms control used to be a reactionary arguments against disarmament. Institute for Poli...
Jan 09, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 109
With Van out, guest host Dr. Emma Ashford from The Atlantic Council joins the pod to talk about the credibility problem with extended nuclear deterrence, the restrainer perspective on Russia versus Ukraine, Washington's paralysis on international trade, and the complications with measuring power between China and the US. Contributors: Hunter Marson, Ciara Mitchell, Jake Dellow
Dec 17, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 108
Where have all the peace intellectuals gone? How do you make enemies into friends? What's it like to be mixed-race in national security? Should we do away with economic sanctions entirely? Is it easier to shape the world than to shape China? What's Russia's freaking problem? Seva Gunitsky Tweet: https://twitter.com/SevaUT/status/1462766445121650696 Ben Scott Tweet: https://twitter.com/Ben_G_Scott/status/1460444100008628224 Mike McFaul Tweet: https://twitter.com/McFaul/status/1462624691680514060?...
Nov 26, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 107
In this Hustle edition of the show, Dr. Van Jackson sits down with Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, Director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Project at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, author of multiple books including the novel The 2020 Commission, co-host of the Arms Control Wonk podcast, and founder of the Arms Control Wonk blog. That's a lot of stuff.
Nov 09, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 106
With Van Jackson out, Dr. John Delury (Professor at Yonsei University) joined the crew as guest host. This episode talks about his America's imperial blindspot in the Pacific, what Kissinger can't teach Asia, why historians aren't in the prediction business, China rivalry, and the South Korean presidency. Contributors: Gaby Magnuson, Hunter Marston, Alex Auty
Nov 05, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 105
Rather than the normal show, this week's episode is a recording of Dr. Van Jackson's keynote lecture at Ritsumeikan University, addressing the concept of nuclear precarity and what it means for the risks of nuclear war in East Asia.
Oct 28, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 104
What does the American public think about China, internal v. external threats, and who benefits from US foreign policy? This week we were joined by Craig Kafura with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs to discuss the results of their recent survey about all things foreign policy. Also this episode: the Philippines' Duterte problem as a structural issue; a review of a review of Rush Doshi's book on Chinese grand strategy; and North Korean hypersonic glide vehicles. Chicago Council Survey: http:...
Oct 15, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 103
In this special event, Dr. Van Jackson discussed AUKUS and Indo-Pacific strategy at the Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA). He's joined by Bryce Wakefield (AIIA), Maria Rost-Rublee (University of Melbourne), Nick Bisley (Latrobe University), and Benjamin Zala (Australian National University).
Oct 08, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 102
With Van Jackson out on holiday, Sebastian Strangio (Southeast Asia editor at The Diplomat) joined the crew as guest host. This episode talks about his origins in journalism in Cambodia, Myanmar civil war, the problem with values and ideology in great-power competition with China, and his concerns with the risks of US authoritarianism. Sebastian's site: https://www.sebastianstrangio.com Sebastian's Book: In The Dragon's Shadow: Southeast Asia in the Chinese Century Contributors: Sebastian Strang...
Oct 04, 2021•55 min•Ep. 101
Why South Korea's Bernie Sanders is no Bernie when it comes to foreign policy. Why Australia's submarine decision is vulgar balancing (but not useless). Marxism versus liberalism. Why the pandemic proves the world sucks at collective action. Xi Jinping's common prosperity drive pits labor against oligarchy, but not the way you think. Lil Uzi Hurt Tweet: https://twitter.com/lostblackboy/status/1437779312174845959 Kim Tongfi Tweet: https://twitter.com/tongfi_kim/status/1436407499998081025?s=19 Ada...
Sep 17, 2021•55 min•Ep. 100
Why defense grifters and jingoes love deterrence-by-denial strategies. Why Manny Pacquiao could beat Duterte, and why that might not be good for the Philippines. WTH is a classical liberal? Also this episode: Is China the new standard-setter in tech? Jacob Levy Tweet: https://twitter.com/jtlevy/status/1424458950838263813?s=21 Kendra Schaefer Tweet: https://twitter.com/kendraschaefer/status/1431134542648074242?s=20 Ryan Evans Tweet: https://twitter.com/EvansRyan202/status/1431627298512461824?s=19...
Sep 10, 2021•44 min•Ep. 99
