Home
Creators
Search Recent Random
Posts
Search DMs Popular Hash Lookup Tags Random
Importer
Import FAQ
Register Favorites Keys Review DMs Logout
Community
Telegram ThePornDude
Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout

/464/ Decline Under The Donald ft. Daniel Bessner (Patreon)

Published:
2025-01-21 07:00:05
Edited:
2026-03-11 14:47:28
Imported:
2025-01
Tags:

Downloads

  • 464-TrumpFP-Bessner.mp3

Some files exceed the archive size limit and weren't saved: 1 file. Please note these limits are in place to keep this site running long term, without costing a fortune. You can favorite the creator though, certain milestones increase the limit.

Content

On Trump's foreign policy, the 2nd time round. Historian and podcaster Daniel Bessner joins Alex Hochuli and contributing editor Lee Jones.

On Trump's foreign policy, the 2nd time round.

Historian and podcaster Daniel Bessner joins Alex Hochuli and contributing editor Lee Jones to ask how this era of rot and decay will proceed under Trump II, from Ukraine to China and beyond. We discuss:

Will we see "America First transactionalism"?

Does Trump have a capable cadre to bend the state to his will?

What will Trump’s relationship be to the deep state?

How important are generational splits in attitudes to the US empire?

Will there be a peace deal in Ukraine? Where does that leave 'Atlanticism'?

Is confrontation with China baked in?

Is the Middle East the key to world peace?

Links:

Empire’s Critic: The Worlds of Noam Chomsky, Daniel Bessner, The Nation

American Prestige podcast

EU blows hot and cold over Trump, Benoît Bréville, Le Monde diplomatique

America First, Russia, & Ukraine, Lt. General (Ret.) Keith Kellogg, Fred Fleitz, AFPI

/171/ Fukuyama & the End of History ft. Daniel Bessner 

/142/ Dollar Empire (2) ft. Daniel Bessner

Files

Comments

Mouldy L

I don't see Trump abandoning Ukraine. He was perfectly happy to fund the Ukraine project in his first term and I don't see how he can sell anything acceptable to Putin (demilitarisation/"denazification") as a win for himself. Furthermore, how does the US pursue dominion over Europe without sabotaging russo-german relations? The only way out of this impasse would be for Europeans (especially Germany) to grow some bollocks and create lasting economic and security relations with Russia at the expense of the US. But Europe won't do this because it's elites are so politically and ideologically spineless and disoriented that on a very deep psychological level it depends on NATO to give it direction, the way a slave needs its master. I think it's the only way to explain the profound self-harm Europe is doing, that it just isn't in charge of itself. Maybe it doesn't want to be, which is an especially scary thing to think about.

@maltOmalk

With his prognosis for the "inevitable" generational shift in attitudes toward US foreign intervention, Bessner risks falling for a similar fallacy as the Obama-era received wisdom that the Republican party was doomed for irrelevance because of changes to the ethnic mix of the voter base. As I understand it, the latter fell afoul of ideological shifts among working class whites and middle class non whites, who have coalesced around a populist and/or national conservative ethos that was unforeseen a decade ago. While acknowledging Bessner's scepticism about said ideology, hope for the demise of neoliberalism - or more pragmatically, its reinvention with a national conservative flavour - is widely and justifiably held in a way that most pundits are still coming to terms with. Bessner's prediction is that the majority of foreign interventionists will dwindle to a minority, following the generational trend. But who is to say such an ideological shift is not imminent around foreign policy, particularly in the conditions emerging around tensions with China? Also, the present population of young voters have come of age under an ascendent left-progressivism. Pardon the cliché, but as they age, they will inevitably become more conservative. And as the cultural mainstream pulls back from the left, the next cohort will likely trend more conservative too. The trend is not stable. Obviously conservative doesn't necessarily mean hawkish and progressive doesnt mean doveish. But I'd bet that the hawks and death dealers on all sides are more optimistic and clear-eyed about their future opportunities than Mr Bessner gives them credit for. What is required is not simply "redistribution" as Bessner argues, but a concerted reorganisation of the economy, away from the military-industrial complex that has propelled the US economy for 100 years. It is churlish to dismiss, as Bessner doe, the optimism of the national conservative - and doveish! - ideological turn, while simply advancing the case for a redistribution of wealth. After all, the baby boomers were the beneficiaries of the biggest redistribution of wealth in the history of the West - and that was firmly undergirded by the MIC.

L Dorman

This was quite a difficult listen, Daniel came across as unserious, uninformed, and lacking in self-awareness, a clear example of one of Bourdieu’s “fast thinkers”. The culmination was his jumping into ask Lee a different (and thoroughly less interesting) question just after Alex had finished formulating one and I thought we would be getting a short break from him. Sorry to focus on forme not fond, but when people are this obnoxious it’s difficult to actually follow what they’re on about.

NigelBOpinion

The rare guest so obnoxious I just can't be bothered to listen...

Sonvn

Adam Tooze has, as you might expect, posted a more considered assessment of "scholasticide" on his substack, in case anyone is curious: https://adamtooze.substack.com/p/chartbook-349-scholasticides Not disputing that Bessner can seem 'obnoxious', 'lacking in self-awareness', 'unwilling to delve deeper into any of his views', 'snarky and disaffected' etc... but if you think he's a bit much try following Phil on Twitter! ; )