The Un-Diplomatic Podcast

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://www.thechicagocouncil.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/ccs2021_fpmc_0.pdfB-Minus IT Tweet: https://twitter.com/b_minus_lt/status/1444517854607409152?s=19Anand Giridharadas Tweet: https://twitter.com/AnandWrites/status/1444260873661464579?s=20Christophe Deloire Tweet: https://twitter.com/chrisdeloire/status/1447524766542450693Contributors: Hunter Marston, Gaby Magnuson, Ciara Mitchell

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).

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.comSebastian's Book: In The Dragon's Shadow: Southeast Asia in the Chinese CenturyContributors: Sebastian Strangio, Hunter Marston, Gaby Magnuson, Ciara Mitchell, Alex Auty

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/1437779312174845959Kim Tongfi Tweet: https://twitter.com/tongfi_kim/status/1436407499998081025?s=19Adam Tooze piece: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/01/opinion/covid-pandemic-global-economy-politics.htmlContributors: Hunter Marston, Jake Dellow, Ciara Mitchell, Gaby Magnuson

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=21Kendra Schaefer Tweet: https://twitter.com/kendraschaefer/status/1431134542648074242?s=20Ryan Evans Tweet: https://twitter.com/EvansRyan202/status/1431627298512461824?s=19Simon Brown on the Rise of the Anti-Intellectual: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/online_articles/the-rise-of-the-elite-anti-intellectualsContributors: Jake Dellow, Ciara Mitchell, Gaby Magnuson, Hunter Marston

In this special cross-over episode, Dr. Van Jackson speaks with Future Tense host and director of research for Diplomat Risk Intelligence, Abhijnan Rej. They talk about scenario-based planning, intelligence failures, the perils of net assessment, and why it all matters in the context of the botched Afghanistan withdrawal. Future Tense pod: https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-2jvmc-10bacc2?utm_campaign=w_share_ep&utm_medium=dlink&utm_source=w_shareDiplomat Risk Intelligence: https://dri.thediplomat.com

What's going on with the Quincy Institute v. liberal internationalism debate? How neoliberalism gave us the far right. What's a master's in IR really worth? Can you have too many national security experts (yes)? How anti-hegemonist politics gives rise to campism within the left. Also this episode: China's empire-building in Tibet and Bhutan. Nathan Robinson Tweet: https://twitter.com/NathanJRobinson/status/1418357218450214921Peter Dombrowski Tweet: https://twitter.com/PeterDombrowsk6/status/1419074040673804288Blake Herzinger Tweet: https://twitter.com/BDHerzinger/status/1422740269057798145?s=20Paul Musgrave on the master's in IR problem: https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/07/29/international-relations-ir-masters-cost-pay/Contributors: Hunter Marston, Alex Auty, Ciara Mitchell, Jake Dellow

In this special crossover episode with the NK News podcast, Dr. Van Jackson has a wide-ranging discussion with its host, Jacco Zwetsloot. Van and Jacco talk about Van's writing process, how close we got to nuclear war in 2017, what the Biden administration is missing on North Korea, the East Asian peace, and his political evolution.

Why Chinese influence in New Zealand is an opportunity to pioneer an anti-CCP and antiracist policy. Why the Roosevelt Doctrine is really an attempt to save Woodrow Wilson. Writing about objects too big to write about. Republicans are using China to kill democracy. The problem with "punching left" on Cuba. Also this episode: What's wrong with international relations? Chris Clary Tweet: https://twitter.com/clary_co/status/1415084925481627655Robbie Shilliam Tweet: https://twitter.com/RobbieShilliam/status/1414554433585885184?s=19Law Boy Tweet: https://twitter.com/The_Law_Boy/status/1414377497802772480?s=19Charlie Warzel Substack: https://warzel.substack.com/p/we-are-not-readyContributors: Hunter Marston, Jake Dellow, Gaby Magnuson, Ciara Mitchell

Guam's anti-militarist plight exposes Sino-US competition as clashing spheres of influence. How America did the Philippines dirty for a hundred years...and is still. The promise and perils and the Progressive International's strategy. Why boomers are hoarding real estate. And is academia for poor people? Evan Feigenbaum Tweet: https://twitter.com/EvanFeigenbaum/status/1403805400009486351Ken Klippenstein Tweet: https://twitter.com/kenklippenstein/status/1402342616772055046?s=19Emily Brier Tweet: https://twitter.com/Emily_Brier_/status/1401297172814041096?s=20Pete Stegemeyer Tweet: https://twitter.com/itspeterj/status/1326514788965486596Contributors: Hunter Marston, Gaby Magnuson, Alex Auty, Jake Dellow

Is it possible to push back on China's many forms of aggression without rivalry or racism? What Wu-Tang teaches us about solidarity and capitalist critique. Israel's occupying Palestine, so let's talk about terrorism. Why alliance reassurance rarely makes sense. Chris Clary Tweet: https://twitter.com/clary_co/status/1395448568983523328Seva Gunitsky Tweet: https://twitter.com/SevaUT/status/1393827799652261892Jamaal Bowman Tweet: https://twitter.com/JamaalBowmanNY/status/1393705229842014209?s=20Peter Beinart Tweet: https://twitter.com/peterbeinart/status/1393788527008174080?s=21Ryan Hass in Noema Magazine: https://www.noemamag.com/playing-the-china-card/Sahar Kahn in Inkstick: https://inkstickmedia.com/the-quad-should-embrace-climate-action-as-its-core-mission/Mason Richey in East Asia Forum: https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2021/05/12/the-right-angle-of-the-quadrilateral/Contributors: Jake Dellow, Hunter Marston, Gaby Magnuson, Ciara Mitchell

Why socialists aren't "very liberal." The far right's war on critical race theory is a bigger deal than you think. Why everyone loves to throw shade at New Zealand. The histrionics of the Taiwan debate. The truth about Van's interview on the Quincy Institute. North Korea policy is going nowhere. Ken Schultz Tweet: https://twitter.com/KSchultz3580/status/1387963382452477954David Roberts Tweet: https://twitter.com/drvolts/status/1386766470831493120?s=19John Carl Baker Tweet: https://twitter.com/johncarlbaker/status/1387113498933596162Richard McGregor Tweet: https://twitter.com/mcgregorrichard/status/1384981240810328064?s=19Contributors: Gaby Magnuson, Hunter Marston, Ciara Mitchell, Alex Auty

Why the Biden administration is performing its rivalry with China. What the Afghanistan withdrawal decision says about global punditry. Why UFOs might not be as sexy as Van hopes they are. Theories for avoiding war. Winners may write history, but that doesn't make it right. Creating a talent pool for progressive technocrats. How to think about the UK/EU jumping into the China-competition game. Also this episode: Why "Foreign policy for the middle class" is the right goal with the wrong implementation. Kelsey Atherton Tweet: https://twitter.com/AthertonKD/status/1382858221329608706?s=20John Lee Tweet: https://twitter.com/koreanforeigner/status/1382360593374449673?s=19Rita Konaev Tweet: https://twitter.com/RitaKonaev/status/1382305484233916426?s=19Andrew Carr Tweet: https://twitter.com/AOCarr/status/1381744190682361857Contributors: Gaby Magnuson, Alex Auty, Jake Dellow, Hunter Marston

P. Diddy is an oligarch who was bad for hip-hop...and now he's exploiting BLM. How Washington pundits became Xi Jinping's hype man. Why FONOPs are a silly way to send a message. Favorite feminist movies. Also this episode: Why is there no DMZ in international relations? Tanvi Madan Tweet: https://twitter.com/tanvi_madan/status/1380552263589113858?s=19Ben Young Tweet: https://twitter.com/DubstepInDPRK/status/1380965755743694849?s=19Daniel Denvir Tweet: https://twitter.com/DanielDenvir/status/1381318974969946117James Millward Tweet: https://twitter.com/JimMillward/status/1381071869760188420Richard Bush, Bonnie Glaser, and Ryan Hass on Taiwan: https://www.npr.org/2021/04/08/984524521/opinion-dont-help-china-by-hyping-risk-of-war-over-taiwan

The Global North owes the Global South progressive economic policies, not aid. The essential (?) fascism of security clearances. Why it's wrong to make international-relations paradigms into ideologies. The tragic history and propagandizing about the third offset strategy--or, the origins of American militarism today. The China Cold War question.Jason Hickel Tweet: https://twitter.com/jasonhickel/status/1377545871223586817?s=19Gerald Brown Tweet: https://twitter.com/GeraldC_Brown/status/1378542935038394377?s=19Graham Webster Tweet: https://twitter.com/gwbstr/status/1376975047605153793Contributors: Hunter Marston, Gaby Magnuson, Ciara Mitchell, Jake Dellow

If an "Indo-Pacific strategy" can't cope with the Syria risk in Myanmar, then what good is it? Why the history of Cold War liberalism tells us not to pin domestic renewal on the China threat. Why Chinese air incursions against Taiwan DO NOT signal invasion. What's going on in Asian studies at Georgetown. Japan's role in a Taiwan conflict. The lost history of the WTO anti-globalization protests.Matt Duss Tweet: https://twitter.com/mattduss/status/1375934723701243908?s=20Blake Herzinger Tweet: https://twitter.com/BDHerzinger/status/1373478997267410951?s=19Seva Gunitsky Tweet: https://twitter.com/SevaUT/status/1374455266008207366John Delury Tweet: https://twitter.com/JohnDelury/status/1375998841548238851Michael Brenes and Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins in Dissent: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/legacies-of-cold-war-liberalism?utm_source=Disse[…]m_medium=email&utm_term=0_a1e9be80de-1ddb8e704d-102061977Contributors: Alex Auty, Gaby Magnuson, Pete McKenzie, Jake Dellow

Which QAnon congresswoman thinks Guam is a foreign country? Why Asia is not the Indo-Pacific. Think tank infighting. Wasting time before writing. Rachel Rizzo: https://mobile.twitter.com/RachelRizzo/status/1370776048183435264Spencer Ackerman: https://twitter.com/attackerman/status/1371127805296189446?s=19JD Vance: https://mobile.twitter.com/JDVance1/status/1370873282824667136Laicie Heeley: https://mobile.twitter.com/laicie/status/1370075526262632462Van Jackson on America's Indo-Pacific Folly: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/asia/2021-03-12/americas-indo-pacific-follyContributors: Jake Dellow, Ciara Mitchell

Why American strategic culture is so obsessed with "capable dildos." Why native Hawaiians don't want federal recognition to whitewash an illegal land grab. What it means to declare oneself a "China hawk" and why it matters. Why North Korean defectors want to go back to North Korea. Also this episode: Is the US-China rivalry an ideological conflict?Branco Milanovic Tweet: https://twitter.com/BrankoMilan/status/1368219420645093379Vipin Narang Tweet: https://twitter.com/NarangVipin/status/1367656750032302081?s=20Happymon Jacob Tweet: https://twitter.com/HappymonJacob/status/1367091311338135556?s=19Daily NK Story: https://www.dailynk.com/english/not-all-defectors-want-the-same-thing/Contributors: Jake Dellow, Gaby Magnuson, Ciara Mitchell, and Pete McKenzie

What happens when think tankers become tankies. Alliance domino theory nonsense--why Taiwan is not like the others. Why Japan's the real leader of Asia's liberal order. The US doesn't need Saudi Arabia. James Palmer Tweet: https://twitter.com/BeijingPalmer/status/1365381504629669891Mike McFaul Tweet: https://twitter.com/McFaul/status/1365424739196362752?s=19Michael Kofman Tweet: https://twitter.com/KofmanMichael/status/1364021794513047552?s=19Cheng Che on Japan's Liberal Foreign Policy Realism: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2021-02-24/japan-new-leader-asias-liberal-orderContributors: Alex Auty, Jake Dellow, Gaby Magnuson, Pete McKenzie

Why Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "white moderate" threat dominates Washington today. The dilemma of militarist thinking about strategy. New Zealand's beef with Australia. Southeast Asia wants a more progressive US foreign policy. Foreign policy's career ceiling problem.Caroline Baxter Tweet: https://twitter.com/CarolineCBaxter/status/1362163234426544128?s=19John Lee Tweet: https://twitter.com/koreanforeigner/status/1360752886322327553?s=19Zachary Keck Tweet: https://twitter.com/zacharykeck/status/1362087538408771585?s=11Evan Montgomery on defense strategy: https://warontherocks.com/2021/02/defense-strategy-and-the-empire-state-of-mind-how-preparing-for-the-best-can-leave-washington-vulnerable-to-the-rest/Contributors: Ciara Mitchell, Gaby Magnuson, Pete McKenzie, Jake Dellow

A rope-a-dope strategy for China. How a liberal plays the anti-China card (for better or worse). The truth about Asia's Democracy divide. Why Micronesia gave up on the Pacific Islands Forum. Also this episode: What would it be like if Netflix's Emily in Paris took place in Washington, D.C.? Alex McCoy Tweet: https://twitter.com/AlexanderMcCoy4/status/1358206091964915714?s=19Michael Mazza Tweet: https://twitter.com/mike_mazza/status/1357335849004916743?s=19Rachel Rizzo Tweet: https://twitter.com/RachelRizzo/status/1357714976597831680James Crabtree on Asia's Democracy Divide: https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Myanmar-coup-reveals-Asia-s-new-democratic-divideContributors: Alex Auty, Ciara Mitchell, Gaby Magnuson

The debate about South Korean illiberalism that nobody wants you to hear. Why bro culture incubates fascism. The coup in Myanmar is NBD compared to genocide. QAnon is no friend of the left. And why hustling is nonpartisan.Emma Ashford, Kate Kizer, and TX Hammes debating Grand Strategy: https://inkstickmedia.com/after-the-apocalypse-us-grand-strategy/Dan Nexon Tweet: https://twitter.com/dhnexon/status/1356334701733150721Tom Pepinsky Tweet: https://twitter.com/TomPepinsky/status/1356242023586660353?s=19Hunter Marston Tweet: https://twitter.com/hmarston4/status/1356343684032200704?s=19Contributors: Ciara Mitchell, Gaby Magnuson, Pete McKenzie, Jake Dellow

Why the threat of our time is the global far right, and what it has in common with the protestant reformation. What's wrong and right about the Indo-Pacific and the Quad. Dark money in think tanks. Kim Jong Un's authoritarian savvy. The real meaning of the Third World--or, is Marco Rubio a white supremacist? Also this episode: Why Trump has changed how we teach international relations.Sensible Human 96 Tweet: https://twitter.com/sensiblehuman96/status/1351296226235453442?s=11Patrick Iber Tweet: https://twitter.com/patrickiber/status/1351921439759339523?s=11Paul Poast Tweet on Teaching IR: https://mobile.twitter.com/ProfPaulPoast/status/1352970521110048769Aaron Connelly Tweet: https://twitter.com/ConnellyAL/status/1351750108895821828?s=20Kishore Mahbubani on the Quad and the real game in Asia: https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/27/anti-china-alliance-quad-australia-india-japan-u[…]dium=email&utm_campaign=29615&utm_term=Editors%20Picks%20OC&Van Jackson on bro culture and the Capitol insurrection: https://inkstickmedia.com/the-liberal-internationalist-origins-of-right-wing-insurrection/Contributors: Gaby Magnuson, Jake Dellow, Pete McKenzie, and Ciara Mitchell

Futures studies versus moneyball--the problem with prediction. A supply-side theory of Obama's drone strike addiction. Telling lies about a Galactic Federation with aliens. Should Japan join the Five-Eyes intelligence-sharing partnership? How to get out of Afghanistan. Why the Indo-Pacific is too big for a single strategy. Also this episode: The movies that made Van Jackson and the team. Jeffrey Lewis's Tweet: https://twitter.com/ArmsControlWonk/status/1334533169547075584?s=19Annette Joseph: https://twitter.com/AnnetteJosephG/status/1336321130303467520?s=19Ankit Panda's Tweet: https://twitter.com/nktpnd/status/1336774686152286210James Palmer's Tweet: https://twitter.com/BeijingPalmer/status/1336722893829443585Contributors: Pete McKenzie, Gaby Magnuson, Jake Dellow, Ciara Mitchell

Does President Biden need an Asia Tsar? Why McDonalds peace theory is over. The truth about liberal international relations theory. Israel's grass-mowing theory of deterrence. The difference between Taiwan and China. Also this episode: What does Denzel Washington's Training Day have to do with Asian security?Paul MacDonald Tweet: https://twitter.com/pkmacdonald/status/1333778364151238657Sarah Cooper Tweet: https://twitter.com/sarahcpr/status/1333639291902300161Caitlin Talmadge Tweet: https://twitter.com/ProfTalmadge/status/1333818338355527680?s=19Aram Hur Tweet: https://twitter.com/aramhur/status/1333820575513530373?s=19Paul Musgrave on McDonalds Peace Theory: https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/11/26/mcdonalds-peace-nagornokarabakh-friedman/Contributors: Pete McKenzie, Ciara Mitchell, Gaby Magnuson, Jake Dellow

Why is the State Department's Office of Policy Planning so obsessed with George Kennan...and China's ideology? The untold story of how America lost economic primacy in Asia, and why nobody talks about it now. What is IR theory good for? Why cancelling student debt matters. The non-interview at Australian National University. Also this episode: what should we think about the Free Chosun movement against North Korea? Alexander Lanoszka Tweet: https://twitter.com/ALanoszka/status/1328431684811968513?s=20John Lee Tweet: https://twitter.com/koreanforeigner/status/1328366779463200772?s=19Evan Feigenbaum Tweet: https://twitter.com/EvanFeigenbaum/status/1328063583058530307Suki Kim on the Free Chosun Movement: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/11/23/the-underground-movement-trying-to-topple-the-north-korean-regimeContributors: Jake Dellow, Ciara Mitchell, Gaby Magnuson

Australians are getting economically coerced by China but not everyone knows why. Militarism is bad, but militarists who've never been in a fight are the worst. What North Korea has in store for Biden in 2021. A hypersonic missile arms race is coming to Asia, but is anyone paying attention? And if Trump were throw a coup, how would we know in advance? Also this episode: Van recommends some reading for budding IR scholars.John Culver Tweet: https://twitter.com/JohnCulver689/status/1326323417436581890?s=19James Palmer Tweet: https://twitter.com/BeijingPalmer/status/1325700686957391872?s=19Paul Musgrave Tweet: https://twitter.com/profmusgrave/status/1325555760944787457?s=19Contributors: Gaby Magnuson, Pete McKenzie, Jake Dellow, Ciara Mitchell

What it's like to interview at Stanford University (!). What Veep's Jonah Ryan can teach aspiring Washington technocrats. On Trumpian fascism. Why elite think tanks are ripe for corruption. And what Larry David's "spite store" idea has to do with Trump's lame-duck foreign policy. Also this episode: What are international-relations theories good for?Dan Nexon Tweet: https://twitter.com/dhnexon/status/1322939398044950530Timothy Simon Tweet: https://twitter.com/timothycsimons/status/1323512882055663616Max Berger Tweet: https://twitter.com/maxberger/status/1324134130997731328?s=20Xiaoyu Pu: https://twitter.com/pu_xiaoyu/status/1322015679755689986?s=19Aila Matanock and Paul Staniland on Militias in America: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2020-10-29/militarization-us-politics?amp&__twitter_impression=trueContributors: Jake Dellow, Gaby Magnuson, Ciara Mitchell

What makes Elon Musk a wannabe totalitarian? A new book on space expansionism paints a dark picture. Why Taiwan is the O.G. China. How to fit Milton Friedman and LL Cool J in the same sentence. Stanford University's Hoover Institution controversy. And resisting China's civil war narrative. Paul Musgrave Tweet: https://twitter.com/profmusgrave/status/1321163306296659968Paul Musgrave Tweet:https://twitter.com/profmusgrave/status/1321113451540979714?s=19Ruben Gallego Tweet: https://twitter.com/RubenGallego/status/1320750911040360449James Palmer Tweet: https://twitter.com/BeijingPalmer/status/1320605353365614592?s=19Contributors: Alex Auty, Jake Dellow, Gaby Magnuson

What's 50 Cent's beef with Franz Fanon? And what makes Ice Cube different than 50 Cent? What to make of China's escalation of wolf-warrior diplomacy. The progressive debate about American foreign policy--opposing US power or US militarism? Also this episode--questioning Taiwan's future and how American hegemony ends. Alex Cooley and Dan Nexon Tweet: https://twitter.com/CooleyOnEurasia/status/1319027614305181699Rabbi Jill Jacobs Tweet: https://twitter.com/rabbijilljacobs/status/1319024272174624768?s=20Stephen Wertheim on military supremacy: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/15/opinion/america-global-power.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=HomepageContributors: Jake Dellow, Gaby Magnuson, Pete McKenzie, Ciara Mitchell

How Washington punishes those who support peace. What real diversity in foreign policy looks like. Why rivalries make people stupid, especially great-power ones. Why Vietnam is probably not Asia's next economic "miracle." And who needs a literary agent? Depends what you're trying to publish, and where. Hunter Marston Tweet: https://twitter.com/hmarston4/status/1316198014747197440?s=19Kirk Serpes Tweet: https://twitter.com/KirkSerpes/status/1315942319825121281?s=19Stephen Walt Tweet: https://twitter.com/stephenWalt/status/1316540827074785281?s=20Patrick Iber: https://twitter.com/PatrickIber/status/1315762866675474439Contributors: Alex Auty, Pete McKenzie, Gaby Magnuson, Jake Dellow

Why does Judd Apatow have a better grasp on the China problem than Washington does? How should we understand the Indo-Pacific Quad, and what's a "speech-act institution?" Does Turkey have an imperial foreign policy? And why is nobody paying attention to India's sphere of influence? Also this episode: What principles should guide East Asia policy? The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft takes a decent crack at answering. Dan Nexon Tweet: https://twitter.com/dhnexon/status/1312922875574341633Robert Kelly Tweet: https://twitter.com/robert_e_kelly/status/1313085718864904192?s=21Zack Beauchamp Tweet: https://twitter.com/zackbeauchamp/status/1314009093250654208Josh Lederman Tweet: https://twitter.com/JoshNBCNews/status/1313259283560177671?s=19Edward Alden on Biden and Trade Wars: https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/10/02/biden-trump-trade-wars-election-2020/Contributors: Pete McKenzie, Jake Dellow, Gaby Magnuson

The Black Panther Party's intersection with North Korea is fascinating and surprising. Van sits down with Dr. Benjamin Young to talk about North Korea's relationship to radical leftist movements, the Black Panther Party, the travails of trying to work in academia, and Ben's upcoming book--Guns, Guerrillas, and the Great Leader.

Black self defense is essential to minimize state violence. Good strategy isn't infinite. The war-game might be rigged, but it can still be fun. Is the China-US relationship a security dilemma, or nah? Klaus Schwab says neoliberalism is dead, but the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn't exist. Also this episode: Why is everything breaking and nothing working except for military procurement and missile development? Corruption!Astra Taylor Tweet: https://mobile.twitter.com/astradisastra/status/1307430291754160128Kelsey Atherton Tweet: https://mobile.twitter.com/AthertonKD/status/1308423891631722499Yuna Wong Tweet: https://twitter.com/YunaHuhWong/status/1308449074778198017?s=19Matt Duss Tweet:https://mobile.twitter.com/mattduss/status/1308470852619558912Rob Cameron on Black self-defense: https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/09/24/case-black-american-self-defense-protests/Tyson Brown on Strategy: https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/09/22/united-states-need-new-strategic-mindset-infinite-perspective/Contributors: Pete McKenzie, Gaby Magnuson, Jake Dellow, and Ciara Mitchell

Don't believe the hawks--Biden has no credibility problem in Asia. India shows China how democracies do trolling better. The convergences and divergences of Marxist and progressive foreign policy. The East Asian mind and the Western mind--wut? Also this episode: Why activists and strategists need to work together toward nuclear disarmament. India Today Tweet: https://twitter.com/IndiaToday/status/1305495069693079553Nicholas Miller Tweet: https://twitter.com/Nick_L_Miller/status/1305280247034785796?s=20Andreas Fulda Tweet: https://twitter.com/AMFChina/status/1305414754392047618?s=19John Lee Tweet: https://twitter.com/koreanforeigner/status/1305328880698286080Inkstick Media Piece on Nukes: https://inkstickmedia.com/there-is-nothing-magical-about-nuclear-weapons/Contributors: Pete McKenzie, Gaby Magnuson, Jake Dellow, Ciara Mitchell

Van explains how the Galactic Republic in Star Wars fell, and why it's so germane today. The South Korean Left sees Chinese imperialism more clearly than most Americans. America's sphere of influence dilemma in the Pacific. What Vice gets right about Dick Cheney. Also this episode: Van's philosophy about saying yes to career opportunities large and small. Paul Musgrave Tweet: https://twitter.com/profmusgrave/status/1302418858972766208?s=20Pat Blanchfield Tweet: https://twitter.com/PatBlanchfield/status/1303831078751408128?s=20Jon Wolfsthal Tweet: https://twitter.com/JBWolfsthal/status/1302228639879237633Elise Hu Tweet: https://twitter.com/elisewho/status/1303783836162031616Robin Wright on the myth of America: https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/is-america-a-mythContributors: Alex Auty, Jake Dellow, Gaby Magnuson, Pete McKenzie

Why we need to wait before debating whether to defend Taiwan. How good is the Netflix show Cobra Kai? Why Martha Nussbaum has evolved about the cosmopolitan tradition. How much of China's foreign policy is imperial? And a new poll finds that the people want progressive foreign policy!Gordon Flake Tweet: https://twitter.com/lgflake/status/1300577595956756480James Schoff Tweet: https://twitter.com/SchoffJ/status/1299407113320624130?s=19Stephen Wertheim Tweet: https://twitter.com/stephenwertheim/status/1300954470218641415ReThink Media Poll: https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2020/08/26/ending-endless-war-progressive-foreign-policy-what-democrats-want/Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins and Martha Nussbaum: https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/interview-cosmopolitan-tradition-martha-nussbaum/Contributors: Jake Dellow, Gaby Magnuson, Pete McKenzie, Ciara Mitchell

The racist motivations woven into China rivalry. Why nobody talks about American colonies hiding in plain sight. How to manufacture a Cold War with China. Australia shows the way in counter-imperial statecraft. Are neocons returning to the Democratic Party? NeverTrumpers are not anti-fascist heroes. And how serious a problem is QAnon? Andrew Carr Tweet: https://twitter.com/AOCarr/status/1297999757919449088AOC Tweet: https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1298311379305132032?s=20Rory MedcalfTweet: https://twitter.com/Rory_Medcalf/status/1298723505240850435Rita Konaev Tweet: https://twitter.com/ritakonaev/status/1294439812687187970?s=21Kaiser Kuo and William Yuen Yeo on racism and China policy: https://supchina.com/2020/08/21/white-privilege-american-hegemony-and-the-rise-of-china/?utm_content=bufferb9d3a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=bufferRachel Esplin Odell on Manufacturing China Threat: https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2020/08/26/how-to-manufacture-a-new-cold-war-with-china/ Contributors: Jake Dellow, Gaby Magnuson, Pete McKenzie, Ciara Mitchell

In this hustle episode of the pod, Van Jackson sits down with Ankit Panda to talk about writing productivity hacks, how to become a foreign policy pundit, and tips for straddling new media and the think tank world. They also talk about Ankit's new book, Kim Jong Un and the Bomb. Ankit's book: https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/kim-jong-un-and-the-bomb/

The Pentagon's failure of accountability. Why Democrats are better at diversity but have work to do. Steve Bannon's arrest highlights the money behind the China threat movement. And Van's take on Edward Snowden on what Bernie Sanders foreign policy adviser Matt Duss has to say about making a career in Washington. Also this episode, structural violence explained.

Proliferation optimism or pessimism? Van weighs in on the classic Sagan-Waltz debate. Why liberals are of two minds about China. And what's wrong with advocating for a military coup in the United States? A lot! Dan Nexon's Tweet: https://twitter.com/dhnexon/status/1293350893446926340Adam Mount's Tweet: https://twitter.com/ajmount/status/1293063724161474560?s=20Tom Le's Tweet: https://twitter.com/profTLe/status/1291893103985438720Hunter Marston's Tweet: https://twitter.com/hmarston4/status/1292229570360311808?s=19Jonathan Hunt's Tweet: https://twitter.com/JRHunTx/status/1292004341461680130Edward Fishman on liberal internationalism: http://bostonreview.net/war-security/edward-fishman-death-and-rebirth-american-internationalismContributors: Jake Dellow, Gaby Magnuson, Pete McKenzie, Ciara Mitchell

How does one get into the think tank game? Van explains. How does one use war-games to manipulate policy? Van explains. Why is our historical imagination limited to Greek and Roman history? Again, Van explains. What happens to the US-South Korea alliance when Trump threatens troop withdrawal? You get it. Chicago Council on Global Affairs Report: https://www.thechicagocouncil.org/publication/troop-withdrawal-likely-undermine-south-korean-public-support-alliance-united-statesJames Palmer on the Thucydides' Trap: https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/07/28/oh-god-not-the-peloponnesian-war-again/Matt Duss Tweet: https://twitter.com/mattduss/status/1289162903124418561Jeffrey Meiser Tweet: https://twitter.com/jwmeiser/status/1290431319030165505Yuna Wong Tweet: https://twitter.com/YunaHuhWong/status/1290287068149616640?s=20Contributors: Jake Dellow, Pete McKenzie, Ciara Mitchell, Gaby Magnuson

The good, bad, and ugly of Biden picking Susan Rice for Vice President. Why progressives need sanctions too, and how a new think tank report sheds light on how it might work. The Pentagon has militarized the Coronavirus response and yet can't win a war. And America's closest allies are hedging in reasonable--and dangerous way. South Korea is the latest.Jeet Heer tweet: https://twitter.com/HeerJeet/status/1287561065526489088Yakov Feygin tweet: https://twitter.com/BuddyYakov/status/1287037655700529152Tsai Ing Wen tweet: https://twitter.com/iingwen/status/1288422813183827969?s=19Eduardo Saravelle on sanctions: https://twitter.com/esaravalle/status/1288549638908379137Contributors: Jake Dellow, Ciara Mitchell, Gaby Magnuson, Pete McKenzie

The US is going to withdraw troops from South Korea--you heard it here first. The Democratic Party platform throws a bone to progressives, mostly. Pompeo rejects Nixon, and shows himself to be worse than him too. Gestapo come to Portland, and why the mayor needs strategy advice. Also the this episode: The myth of China strategy, Quislings, and decoupling for real.Matt Duss Tweet: https://twitter.com/mattduss/status/1286281992145907715Ken Schultz Tweet: https://twitter.com/kschultz3580/status/1285599806317105158?s=21Patrick Iber Tweet: https://twitter.com/PatrickIber/status/1286052109666988033James Palmer Tweet: https://twitter.com/beijingpalmer/status/1286038960725200896?s=21Inkstick Media piece: https://inkstickmedia.com/the-myth-of-chinese-strategic-genius/

A foreign policy reckoning is coming for the establishment Democrats in Congress. Kanye West can't be president, but he can mess it up for Biden. If China invades Taiwan, the real press it will pay comes during occupation. Why broad anti-fascist coalitions are good. Contributors: Pete McKenzie, Ciara Mitchell, Jake Dellow, Gaby MagnusonDavid Klion Tweet: https://twitter.com/DavidKlion/status/1283047130433822726Blak Herzinger Tweet: https://twitter.com/BDHerzinger/status/1282493494850809857Dan Nexon Tweet: https://twitter.com/dhnexon/status/1282848860994449408Chris Hayes Tweet: https://twitter.com/chrislhayes/status/1280624770674032647?s=19Bonnie Glaser Tweet: https://twitter.com/bonnieglaser/status/1281968219901890561?s=21Sheri Berman in Foreign Policy: https://foreignpolicy-com.helicon.vuw.ac.nz/2020/07/04/coronavirus-crisis-turning-point-change/Kate Kizer in Inkstick Media: https://inkstickmedia.com/america-is-ready-for-human-security-is-congress/

As I officially launch a new book project, I'm also launching a new occasional series within The Un-Diplomatic Podcast called Writer's Room. It's going to track my journey of writing my third book with occasional mini-episodes. I'll also use the Writer's Room episodes to intermittently check in with other writers working on books to learn about their experiences.

The Democratic Party's foreign policy is controlled by unipolar-moment hawks. Australian strategists are making plans for conflict with China without the US. New Zealand has a China policy that looks awfully janus-faced, but there's method (and risk) to the madness. And if Democrats' plan to fight Trump is to "win big in November" and nothing else, then the game is already lost. Contributors: Pete McKenzie, Gaby Magnuson, Jake DellowAnne-Marie Brady Tweet: https://thediplomat.com/2020/06/new-zealands-quiet-china-shift/?fbclid=IwAR15ssAj0Lfh0elwaFyAC69vOX2P-uCmHzWIey3aGYeH4Pfn-9TAHEKbSJEMike McFaul Tweet: https://twitter.com/McFaul/status/1278757751947014144?s=19Sophia McDougall Tweet: https://twitter.com/McDougallSophia/status/1276538425395630081?s=20Andrew Carr Tweet: https://twitter.com/AOCarr/status/1277853262650019840

There's NOTHING progressive about working with the MAGA right. Why the arguments for US military superiority keep changing but the demand stays the same. Also this episode: Does Taiwan need nukes? Why did Kim Jong Un publicly restrain his military from attacking the South? And what's wrong with imagining Korea as a maritime defense perimeter?Yakov Feygin Tweet: https://twitter.com/BuddyYakov/status/1276219280816656385Dan Nexon Tweet: https://twitter.com/dhnexon/status/1275601160381104131Weijia Jiang Tweet: https://twitter.com/weijia/status/1275422015059615750?s=21Tom McTague on American decline: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/06/america-image-power-trump/613228/Contributors: Pete McKenzie, Gaby Magnuson, Ciara Mitchell, Jake Dellow

Deterrence is not failing in Asia, America is. A little advice about how NOT to network in Washington. What's more dangerous, the Sino-Indian conflict or North Korea? Also this episode: how international relations theory can be used in practice, and why China hawks are actually Trump's useful idiots.Susan Hennessy Tweet: https://twitter.com/Susan_Hennessey/status/1273392725937790979?s=20Rachel Rizzo Tweet: https://twitter.com/RachelRizzo/status/1271416729424535552Matt Duss Tweet: ttps://twitter.com/mattduss/status/1273356008337870854Contributors: Gaby Magnuson, Pete McKenzie, Jake Dellow, Ciara Mitchell

In this episode, Van sits down with Matt Duss, senior foreign policy adviser to former presidential candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders. Matt shares his backstory, including his pathway into foreign policy, his relationship to the Washington establishment, and how he ended up working working for Senator Sanders. He dishes about how the Sanders presidential campaign organized its foreign policy team, as well as how he thinks a Biden presidency ought to approach foreign policy on a range of issues--China decoupling, Space Force, Saudi Arabia-Iran rivalry, and much more. Matt also goes on the record about where Transformers rates relative to The Usual Suspects in the pantheon of great movies.