American Prestige
American Prestige is a podcast hosted by Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison that covers international affairs and global politics. Each episode provides analysis and context on current events, aiming to give listeners a deeper understanding of what's happening around the world. The show features expert interviews and discussions on topics ranging from foreign policy to geopolitical conflicts.
Episodes
Bonus - American Politics After the 2024 Vibe Shift w/ David Wallace-Wells (Preview)
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Danny and Derek speak with journalist David Wallace-Wells about the decline of the liberal order before Trump 2.0 and the current political moment. They discuss the post-2024 vibe shift, Trump's falling popularity, the erosion of institutional trust, the new generation of Democratic Party leaders, the lack of oversight of AI, and China's leadership in green t
Unlocked: The War on Terror Comes to Comics w/ Spencer Ackerman
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Spencer Ackerman, writer of the Forever Wars newsletter and author of Reign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America, returns to the program to talk about his upcoming political comic book No One Escapes the Dialectic and the state of the comic book industry. The discussion covers labor in comic publishing, the direct market and consignment system, i
News - Houthis Escalate Red Sea Conflict, Pentagon Report on Iran War Costs, BRICS Summit Exposes Divisions
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Derek has journeyed to Bolivia seeking contact with the newly discovered cat species, so Alex Jordan of Always at War steps in to bring you the headlines. This week: in New Delhi, BRICS member states issue a fractured joint statement on restraint in the Middle East (1:12); Iran strikes a U.S.-contracted vessel near the Strait of Hor
AP x NonZero - What’s Driving Dario? w/ Robert Wright
The AP-NonZero collaboration returns!
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The group talks about the recent vibe shift in discourse around AI. What's really going on here?
0:00 Teaser0:46 This episode's surprise vibe shift2:30 Middle East update: Houthis vs. Saudis15:21 What’s really driving Dario (et al.)?25:14 Debating effective altruism’s effectiveness30:18 The trou
E266 - The Biden Administration’s Complicity in Gaza w/ Akbar Shahid Ahmed
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Danny and Derek welcome back Akbar Shahid Ahmed, Diplomatic correspondent for The Washington Sun and author of Crossing the Red Line: Biden, His Advisors, and Israel’s War on Gaza, to talk about the Biden administration’s role in enabling the genocide in Gaza. They discuss the conditions in the Strip as of the current day; Biden’s s
Bonus - The War on Terror Comes to Comics w/ Spencer Ackerman (Preview)
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Spencer Ackerman, writer of the Forever Wars newsletter and author of Reign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America, returns to the program to talk about his upcoming political comic book No One Escapes the Dialectic and the state of the comic book industry. The discussion covers labor in comic publishing, the direct market and consignment system, inde
RE-POST: Rescue 9/11 w/ Jim Lobe and Laila Ujayli
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*This episode was originally recorded and released in September 2021*
This is a special episode for the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Danny and Derek begin the episode with some reflections on their 9/11 experience, and are then joined by Jim Lobe, director of LobeLog and contributing editor at the Quincy Institute’s Responsible Statec
News - Canada-US Trade War Escalates, Houthis Seize Yemeni Port, Report Says Netanyahu Ignored 10/7 Warnings
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I, for one, welcome our new AI overlords. In this week’s news: the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service confirms last month was tied for the hottest ever recorded (0:52); the Houthis/Ansar Allah take the port city of Mokha (1:45); the U.S. and Iran exchange ship attacks as oil prices rise (5:25); the IAEA refers Iran to the United
E265 - Texas’s Radical Roots w/ David Griscom
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Danny and Derek speak with David Griscom, co-host of Left Reckoning and author of The Myth of Red Texas: Cowboys, Populism, and Class War in the Radical South, to talk about the all-but-ignored history of leftwing politics in Texas. Topics include: the current state of Texas politics, the Farmers’ Alliance and the People’s Party, th
Bonus - Trump and the End of History w/ Lee Jones (Preview)
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Danny and Derek speak with Lee Jones, co-host of the Bungacast podcast, about Donald Trump’s foreign policy and the decay of the neoliberal order. Topics include: the unraveling of Fukuyama’s end of history thesis, the erosion of representative democracies, how MAGA and European rightwing populism differ from historical fascism, interpretations of Trump’s Natio
News - U.S.-Iran Fighting Resumes, Trump Claims U.S. Stake in Venezuela's Oil, Israel Moves Toward Ethnic Cleansing of Gaza
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The AP Labor Day barbecue seeks more bouncy castle security personnel. In this week’s news: a grim climate update (3:27); the Trump administration is trying to avoid Iran escalation until the midterms pass (6:22); the Iran war appears to resume (6:40); settler violence escalates in the West Bank (12:07); a leaked Pentagon document s
E264 - Democracy’s Elite Problem w/ Hugo Drochon
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Danny and Derek welcome political theorist and historian Hugo Drochon to the show for a discussion about the tension between democracies and the elites who actually run them. They talk about elites taking turns in power, the 80/20 rule, the iron law of oligarchy, “dynamic democracy” and social change, and how these ideas apply to Tr
Bonus - The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism w/ Matt McManus (Preview)
Danny and Derek speak with Matt McManus about his book, The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism. They discuss the core definitions of liberalism and socialism, how liberalism differs from classical republican thought, John Stuart Mill as the first liberal socialist, Karl Marx's relationship to the liberal tradition, and John Rawls's place in liberal socialism.
Read Matt’s book, The P
News - New US Sanctions on Iran, Syrian Democratic Forces Dissolve, US-Canada Trade Talks Collapse
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American Prestige brand MREs use Argentinian beef, but don't worry, it's the good kind. In this week’s news: the US launches a new sanctions campaign against Iran (1:36); Iran and Oman negotiate the management of the Strait of Hormuz (5:50); a Haitian gang killing (9:28); the Israeli government takes bids for its E1 settlement (12:
E263 - North Korea’s Roots in Christianity w/ Jonathan Cheng
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Danny and Derek speak with Jonathan Cheng, China bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, about the Christian origins of North Korea’s founding ideology and the subsequent personality cult. The discussion explores missionary Samuel Moffat’s work in Pyongyang, the conversion of Kim Il-sung’s family to Christianity, Christian nationa
Bonus - The Oligarch-Authoritarian Bargain w/ Christopher Hartwell (Preview)
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Danny and Derek speak with economist Christopher Hartwell about how wealthy elites who strike bargains with authoritarians often come to regret it. They discuss oligarchs in post-Soviet Russia, authoritarian state capitalism, Hungary’s break from Orbán, Trump courting tech billionaires, asset-price inflation and financialization, and the durability of state cap
News - Israel Strikes Syria, Trump Escalates the Economic War on Iran, Potential US-North Korea Diplomacy
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Danny and Derek must disclose that they have had Hasan Piker on this program. They are listening and learning from him. In this week’s news: Israel bombs a Syrian airbase, potentially moving closer to a conflict with Turkey (1:22); Jared Kushner and Benjamin Netanyahu agree to scrap the Gaza Board of Peace's Hamas disarmament plan (
E262 - American Austerity in the Philippines w/ Lisandro Claudio
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Danny and Derek welcome historian Lisandro Claudio back to the program to talk about how austerity, first imposed by the U.S. during its colonial rule of the Philippines, continues to influence the Filipino political economy. They discuss the colonial gold standard, dollar diplomacy, Miguel Cuaderno and the Central Bank of th
Bonus - The New History of Capitalism: A Critique w/ Corey Robin (Preview)
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Danny welcomes political science professor Corey Robin to the show to discuss his review of Sven Beckert's Capitalism: A Global History and the "new history of capitalism" field. They talk about Beckert's take that capitalism originated among 12th-century Muslim merchant traders in Aden, the decentering of Europe and the US in his narrative, enslaved labor in h
News — US-Iran Hormuz Standoff, Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey Alliance, Israeli Settlers Besiege West Bank Community
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Danny and Derek bring you the headlines against their better judgment. In this week’s news: Western Europe and the U.S. set new temperature records (2:05); in Iran, the Islamic Republic demands reparations and sanctions relief before reopening the Strait of Hormuz (4:22), Trump declares that the U.S. will keep control of the Strait
E261 - The History of the Jewish Bund w/ Molly Crabapple
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Danny and Derek speak with artist and writer Molly Crabapple about her book on the history of the Jewish Labor Bund, Here Where We Live Is Our Country. They discuss Molly's personal connection to the story, the Pale of Settlement and Jewish emancipation, the founding of the Bund in 1897, the Bund's armed self-defense against pogroms, its fraught relationsh
Bonus - The Democratic Foreign Policy Cartel w/ Matt Duss (Preview)
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Danny and Derek welcome Matt Duss, Executive Vice President at the Center for International Policy, back to the show for a conversation on the fractured foreign policy consensus in the Democratic Party. They talk about Rahm Emanuel's recent Tel Aviv speech, the primacist versus restraint divide in the party, accountability for Blinken and Sullivan's Gaza pol
News — Gaza Disarmament Agreement Collapses, Ceuta Migrant Crisis, Iran Nears Hormuz Deal
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Danny and Derek always use their good side when posing for a Flock cam. In this week’s news: Trump backs off of his latest threat against Iran amid a potential Hormuz deal (2:01); in Gaza, the Board of Peace’s Hamas disarmament deal collapses within a day (13:22); Red Sea shipping falls after new Houthi attacks (18:16); in Sudan, the RSF
E260 - Imperialist Realism w/ Danny Bessner
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Derek welcomes back to the show his very own co-host, Danny Bessner, to talk about his new book, Imperialist Realism: Politics and Culture at the End of the American Century, and how we see imperialist realism in American foreign policy and popular culture. They talk about the concept’s inspiration from the video game Call of Duty: Blac
Bonus - Ukraine's PR War w/ Mark Ames (Preview)
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Derek once again speaks with Mark Ames, co-host of Radio War Nerd, this time to talk about the state of the war in Ukraine and the current upheaval in Zelenskyy’s government. They discuss Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refineries and infrastructure, the PR campaign behind the "turning the tide" narrative, the situation in the Donbas and the fall of Kost
News — U.S.-Iran War Resumes, Sudanese Army Secures Kordofan Highway, Fujimori Takes Office in Peru
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AP headquarters is seriously considering upgrading the video content to IMAX. In this week’s news: the U.S. and Iran resume strikes after a brief pause (3:25); Gaza talks are close to an agreement on Hamas disarmament and an Israeli withdrawal (10:59); Saudi-Ansar Allah/Houthi attacks escalate (13:37); the U.S. and Saudi Arabia strike Ira
E259 - Who’s Allowed Self-Determination? w/ Brad Simpson
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Danny and Derek speak with historian Brad Simpson about the history and evolving meaning of self-determination in international politics and law. They talk about the Wilson-Lenin debate, the Atlantic Charter, the Nazi appropriation of ethno-nationalist self-determination, the decolonization movements of the mid-20th century, the failure o
Bonus - The Real Odyssey w/ Joel Christensen (Preview)
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Joel Christensen, professor of classics at the CUNY Graduate Center, joins Danny and Derek for a discussion about Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey. They talk about the scholarly debate over Homer as an idea rather than an individual; the mythic Trojan War; guilt and moral responsibility in Homer's Odysseus vs. Nolan's; the roles of Penelope, Telema
News — Iran War Kills US Troops, US-Saudi Arabia Strike Nuclear Deal, Zelenskyy Fires Top General
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American Prestige HQ continues to roll the dice on iceberg lettuce. In this week’s news: Iranian strikes kill four U.S. service members in Jordan and Iraq, and the Pentagon conceals dozens of additional casualties (2:09); Trump threatens to hit an Iranian nuclear facility and warns of attacks on civilian infrastructure (6:32); the Houthis blocka
E258 - How the New Deal Invented the National Security State w/ Andrew Preston
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Danny and Derek speak with historian Andrew Preston about the origins and development of the American national security state as we know it. They discuss the original meaning of “national security” in the early days of the republic; the idea of free security; the New Deal and the relationship between social security and national security; World
Bonus - The Right Takes Higher Ed w/ Ann Manov (Preview)
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Danny speaks with writer Ann Manov about the right’s attempts to reshape the humanities and the crisis facing American higher education. They discuss Republican-backed civics programs, the Great Books model, falling academic standards, campus culture wars, the bleak prospects for students, the economics of higher education, and AI’s impact on the future of univ
News - U.S. Resumes Iran War, DRC Ebola Outbreak Surges, Burnham Becomes UK PM
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Canada’s wildfires rage on, so Danny and Derek are here to be your breath of fresh air. This week’s news: In Iran, the U.S. reimposes its blockade and intensifies strikes (2:04), Trump announces and then backs off a Hormuz toll (5:44), and the White House issues threats of further escalation (9:17); in Yemen, the Houthis/Ansar Allah and Saudi Arabia trade
E257 - The Need for Responsible AI w/ Robert Wright
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Danny and Derek welcome to the show journalist and author Robert Wright to talk about the potential and pitfalls of the AI revolution. They discuss how neural networks learn, the differences between predictive and generative AI, machine consciousness, job displacement, the environmental costs of data centers, how capitalism is shaping the AI race, and the
Bonus - Trump and the Religious Right w/ Matt Avery Sutton (Preview)
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Danny and Derek welcome to the show historian Matt Avery Sutton to talk about evangelical support for Donald Trump and the power of the religious right in U.S. politics. They discuss Trump as a religious figure, the religious right’s ascendance, race and abortion in Republican politics, Christian apocalypticism, fears of the Antichrist, conservative Catholic co
News - U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Collapses, Hamas Dissolves Gaza Government, Sudan’s El-Obeid Braces for RSF Assault
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Danny and Derek’s FIFA officiating careers have been tragically cut short since Javier Milei’s checks started bouncing. In this week’s news: the NATO summit ends on a high note (4:46); in Iran, new fighting erupts as Trump declares the end of the ceasefire (12:01), plus estimates of the war’s cost increase (16:49); in Gaza, Hamas dissolves its government (
AP x NonZero - Iran, Israel, and the Future of US Power w/ Robert Wright
The AP-NonZero collaboration continues!
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0:00 Sneak peek: Danny finds flaw in Bob’s AI book
1:18 Is the Iran war fully back on?
5:59 What the war means for the future of US power
18:52 The problem with blaming Bibi
23:09 The push to intertwine the US and Israeli militaries
35:09 What’s Israel’s endgame for the Palestinians?
E256 - Rome and Ancient Iran w/ Jake Nabel
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Danny and Derek are joined by Jake Nabel, Tombros early career professor of classical studies and assistant professor of classics and ancient Mediterranean studies at Penn State, to talk about Roman-Parthian relations in antiquity. The group discusses the geopolitical landscape of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East, the rise of the Parthian Empire and
Bonus - A Left-Right Antiwar Alliance? w/ Curt Mills and Andrew Day (Preview)
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Danny and Derek are joined by Curt Mills, executive director of the American Conservative, and Andrew Day, senior editor of the American Conservative, to talk about the potential for a left-right anti-war alliance. The group discusses the ongoing war with Iran and its impact on U.S.-China relations, the future of the MAGA movement and whether Donald Trump might
Bonus - How the British Empire Lost America w/ Andrew Shankman
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Danny and Derek are joined by historian Andrew Shankman to talk about the road to U.S. independence from Great Britain. They discuss differences between Spanish and British colonization strategies, the intellectual and philosophical origins of the American Revolution, the Stamp Act crisis, distinctions in racial conceptions between the American colonies an
E255 - The History of Iran’s Nuclear Program w/ Sina Azodi
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Sina Azodi, assistant professor of Middle East politics and director of the Middle East Studies program at George Washington University, returns to the show to talk about Iran’s nuclear program. The group discusses the Shah’s nuclear agenda, Atoms for Peace, Iran’s signing of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, how the Iran-Iraq War influenced Iran’s nuc
Bonus - American Politics at the End of Trumpism w/ Aziz Rana (Preview)
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Aziz Rana, J. Donald Monin SJ University Professor of Law and Government at Boston College, is back on the podcast to talk about Trumpism, American political stagnation, and the future of U.S. power. They discuss the (presumed) end of the Trump era, the importance of supermajorities and why we haven’t seen them in recent years, what the left got right and wrong
News - Iran Talks Advance, Starmer Resigns, Israel Targets Children in Gaza
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Danny and Derek’s promise ring ceremony regrettably must be relocated from MSG due to a scheduling conflict. In this week’s news: The Iran negotiations show signs of progress (1:26) despite disputes over the agreement (5:20), plus conflicting reports over the status of the Strait of Hormuz* (9:24); Lebanon sees a reduction in fighting and another round of
E254 - How Zionism Failed w/ Omer Bartov
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Omer Bartov, Dean’s Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University, joins the program to talk about Zionism’s transformation from an emancipation movement into a form of ethno-nationalism. They delve into Zionism’s formation alongside European colonialism, how settler encroachment influenced Palestinian nationalism, comparisons with Europe
Bonus - Military Masculinity w/ Jasper Craven (Preview)
Danny and Derek speak with Jasper Craven, a reporter covering the military and veterans' issues, about masculinity and the military. They talk about Trump’s time in military school, how his relationship with masculinity has affected his approach to business and politics, Pete Hegseth and his military identity, soldiers’ “honor codes” and subverting the rules, how notions of masculinity change betw
News - U.S.-Iran MoU Takes Effect, West Bank Settlement Expansion, Fujimori Leads Peru Election Count
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Danny and Derek are in backchannel talks with the reflecting pool algae. In this week’s news: the United States and Iran sign a Memorandum of Understanding (1:26), which addresses sanctions, the Strait of Hormuz, reconstruction, sovereignty, and the nuclear program (6:46); Israel continues its attacks on and occupation of Lebanon despite the MoU dictating
E253 - Human Prehistory and How Societies Rise and Fall w/ Patrick Wyman
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Historian Patrick Wyman returns to the show to talk about the deep history of human societies and how they can inform the current moment. The group discusses new ways of studying prehistory, the origins of agriculture, climate adaptation, the Clovis people, the long Neolithic, early farming societies, states and security, the Bronze Age collapse, and mor
Special - The Iran Ceasefire (June 2026) (Preview)
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Danny and Derek give us the latest on today’s ceasefire deal.
Note: Iran has since confirmed the deal.
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Bonus - The World Cup in 2026 America w/ David Roth and Tom Ley
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David Roth and Tom Ley of Defector join the program for a discussion on the World Cup and the politics around the tournament. They get into FIFA corruption; Trump’s FIFA Peace Prize; the administration’s petty moves like denying a Somali referee entry to the U.S. and similar restrictions on Iran’s team; sportswashing; the burden on host cities; the growth of soc
News - U.S. and Iran Exchange Fire, Pentagon Raises Israeli Spy Threat, Jihadist-Rebel Alliance Pressures Mali
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The World Cup is upon us, so Danny and Derek are showering visiting players with crocheted NATO flags. In this week’s news: Israel and Iran exchange fire (0:59), with Netanyahu possibly defying Trump (3:16); Iran and the U.S. also trade blows as the ceasefire comes into question (6:11); the IDF is preparing a new Gaza offensive (14:56); Afghanistan and Pa
E252 - Hondurasgate and U.S. Power in Latin America w/ José Luis Granados Ceja
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Danny and Derek welcome to the show José Luis Granados Ceja, head of the Latin America desk at DropSite News, for a conversation about the Hondurasgate scandal and U.S. policy in Latin America. They talk about the leaked audio files of the scandal, Juan Orlando Hernandez’s pardon, Marco Rubio’s influence, Cuba, Israel’s role in the region, Honduras’s plac
Special - Iran Retaliates as Israel Escalates in Lebanon (Preview)
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Danny and Derek talk about Iran’s strike on Israel and the risk of a wider regional war, covering Israel’s bombing of Beirut, Iran’s retaliation, Trump’s effort to prevent Israeli escalation, the U.S.-Iran negotiations, and more.
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Bonus - Political Capitalism and Trumpism w/ Dylan John Riley (Preview)
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Danny and Derek welcome to the podcast sociologist Dylan Riley for a conversation about political capitalism, Trumpism, and the crisis of American capitalism.
They talk about debates over the falling rate of profit and the long downturn; what shapes the capitalist crisis; the rise of asset price inflation, monopolization, and financialization; whether AI and
News - U.S.-Iran Escalation, Israel Expands Lebanon Campaign, CIA Feuds With Intelligence Chief w/ Kate Mackenzie and Tim Sahay
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There’s too much Knickerbocker news to fit here, but we do have other stories to report. This week: Iran and the U.S. exchange fire in the Gulf (2:00), plus peace talks stall after Trump adds new demands (4:29); Israel escalates its Lebanon campaign despite ceasefire talks (08:33); Cambodia takes a Thailand maritime dispute to the UN (15:19); in Sudan, tr
Unlocked: The China Consensus and Trump's Xi Meeting w/ Jake Werner
We unlocked this episode so that everyone could hear this great interview with Jake Werner on China. To get more AP discussions like this, subscribe now!
Danny and Derek are once again joined by Jake Werner, director of the East Asia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, this time to talk about the development of the U.S. consensus on China. They delve into the neoliberal
E251 - Disneyland: Cold War Factory w/ Roland Betancourt
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Danny and Derek speak with Roland Betancourt, Chancellor's Professor of Art History at UC Irvine, about Disneyland and the rise of automation in the U.S. They talk about Walt Disney’s move from animation to theme parks, the relationship between amusement parks and industrial production, Cold War technology and Southern California, Disney’s use of automation an
Special - U.S.-Iran Diplomacy and the War in Lebanon w/ Trita Parsi (Preview)
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Danny and Derek welcome back to the show Trita Parsi, co-founder and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, to talk about U.S.-Iran negotiations and the status of the war. They delve into ceasefire talks, Israel’s attack on Lebanon, Iranian concerns about U.S. reliability, sanctions relief, the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s re
Bonus - Great Powers and the Multipolar World w/ Anusar Farooqui (Preview)
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Danny speaks with Anusar Farooqui about the finer points of the emerging multipolar world. They discuss the idea of Iran as a great power, spheres of influence, China and the future of East Asia, the role of India and the European Union in global politics, and more.
Follow Anusar’s work at Policy Tensor.
Read Danny’s piece that they debated, “Power Without
News - Israel Escalates Lebanon Strikes, Taiwan Arms Sale Stalls, Bolivia Protest Crackdown w/ Anthea Gordon
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The AP UFC dome is regrettably being held up by Producer Jake’s HOA. In this week’s news: an update on the U.S.-Iran talks and U.S. airstrikes near Bandar Abbas (1:11); Trump demands new Abraham Accords signatures and threatens Oman over Strait of Hormuz fees (4:46); Israel escalates attacks and pushes displacement further north in Lebanon (11
AP x NonZero - Trump’s Iran War Merry-Go-Round w/ Robert Wright
The bi-monthly podcasting crossover to end all bi-monthly podcasting crossovers is back! Danny, Derek, and Robert Wright of the NonZero Newsletter once again set the record straight.
Subscribe now to AP to get a discounted membership to NonZero!
Part One Video
0:00 Is NonZero or American Prestige the better podcast? AI weighs in4:14 The state of the US-Iran war. Or is it peace?17:52 Has Tr
E250 - The Christian Right Weaponizing Scripture w/ John Fugelsang
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Don’t forget about our weekly livestreams on our YouTube channel, every Wednesday at 8pm ET.
Danny and Derek welcome to the show John Fugelsang, host of Tell Me Everything and author of Separation of Church and Hate, to talk about the rise and influence of right-wing Christianity in the United States. They discuss Christian nationali
Bonus - The Fallout From Ending USAID w/ Caitlin Tulloch (Preview)
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Danny and Derek speak with Caitlin Tulloch, a former USAID economist and GiveDirectly’s head of research, about the destruction of USAID and the future of humanitarian aid. They talk about her work as an economist, USAID’s relationship to American power, the agency’s internal dynamics, the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID, the legal and institutiona
News - Iran Talks Stall, Hezbollah Drones Limit IDF, Cuba Pretexts Build
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Danny and Derek have reconciled with their disappointment in the new Star Wars film and can now bring you the news roundup. This week: in Iran, talks stall as Trump weighs continuing the war (2:00), the Islamic Republic attempts to institutionalize control over the Strait of Hormuz (8:49), and fuel protests spread around the world (13:09); the IDF contin
E249 - Extraction Behind the Green Transition w/ Thea Riofrancos
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Danny and Derek welcome back to the show political scientist Thea Riofrancos to talk about the politics of extraction in the global energy transition. They explore the contradictions of green capitalism, the debate over degrowth and abundance, China’s role in lithium battery production, the history of lithium batteries, green industrial policy, U.S. oil and gas powe
Bonus - The China Consensus and Trump’s Xi Meeting w/ Jake Werner (Preview)
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Danny and Derek are once again joined by Jake Werner, director of the East Asia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, this time to talk about the development of the U.S. consensus on China. They delve into the neoliberal engagement with China, the 2008 financial crisis, Xi Jinping’s response, Trump’s first-term China policy, and the Bide
News - Trump-Xi Summit, Iran Ceasefire Breakdown, CIA Mexico Strike
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Danny and Derek fight fake news as they fight their allergies. This week: Trump and Xi meet; Trump rejects Iran’s ceasefire terms (3:09); Gulf states continue strikes against Iran-linked targets (5:53); U.S. intelligence estimates show Iran retains most missiles (8:48); Asian economies cut energy use with fertilizer shortages threatening
E248 - Journalism in the Age of Oligarchy w/ David Sirota
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Danny and Derek speak with David Sirota, founder and EIC of The Lever, about journalism, independent media, and the consolidation of presidential power. They discuss the difference between journalism and media, the attention economy, capitalist media, audience capture, the decline of local news, the Powell Memo, the unitary executive theo
Bonus - Eleanor of Aquitaine, Mother of Failsons and Success Daughters w/ Eleanor Janega and Luke Waters (Preview)
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Keep your eyes peeled for Season 2 of Welcome to the Crusades, our crossover series with Eleanor and Luke, coming soon. For now, enjoy Season 1.
Happy Mother’s Day! Danny and Derek reunite with Eleanor and Luke of We’re Not So Different to talk about the life and legacy of Eleanor of Aquitaine. They discuss Eleanor’s power and wealth, her marriage to Louis VII
Re-Post - Mother Mary’s Day w/ Eleanor Janega
In the first part of our Mother’s Day festivities, we’re unlocking our Mother’s Day episode from 2023 with Eleanor Janega. A new one on Eleanor of Aquitaine is out tomorrow for subscribers, so subscribe now. Enjoy!
Happy Mother’s Day! Danny and Derek welcome Eleanor Janega, co-host of the We’re Not So Different podcast and author of The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval on Women's Roles in Soci
News - Iran Talks Near Deal, Israel Ignores Ceasefires, Cuba Sanctions Expand
Producer Jake regrettably had his pet rat confiscated after an ill-fated cruise. In this week’s news: Iran considers a U.S. peace proposal (1:37), Project Freedom fails in the Strait of Hormuz (7:45), and new details emerge about damage by Iranian strikes on U.S. military sites (11:25); Israel kills civilians in Lebanon (14:53) and targets Gaza police (16:24); U.S.-China tensions rise before Trump
E247 - Radical Liberalism w/ Alex Zakaras
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Danny and Derek welcome to the show Alex Zakaras, professor of political science at the University of Vermont, to talk about the history and future of radical liberalism. They discuss liberalism’s relationship to republicanism, the American liberal tradition, equal freedom, defensive liberalism after 2016, neoliberalism, Cold War liberali
Bonus - After the Liberal International Order w/ Judah Grunstein (Preview)
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Danny and Derek speak with Judah Grunstein, World Politics Review’s editor-at-large, about American power and what a post-unipolar future might look like. They discuss the meaning of the liberal international order, U.S. empire and legitimacy, Trump challenging American primacy, the role of middle powers, China and the European Union, climate change and develop
News - Iran Talks Collapse, UAE Leaves OPEC, Mali Rebels Seize Kidal
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King Charles paid his respects at AP HQ, but was put off by Danny’s pet ferrets. In this week’s news: Iran talks collapse as Trump weighs a blockade and strikes (1:56); the UAE leaves OPEC (7:45); Mali rebels and jihadists seize Kidal (16:49); Derek interviews Alex Thurston about Mali’s escalating rebel offensive and the implications for
E246 - Cold War Liberal Empire w/ Daniel Bessner and Michael Brenes
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Derek speaks with Danny and Mike Brenes about Cold War liberalism, its shaping of the American empire, and more from their new co-edited volume. They talk about the meaning of “Cold War liberalism,” the book’s essays, the relationship between liberalism and mass democracy, emergency politics, the continuity between New Deal liberalism and
Bonus - AI and Silicon Valley Reactionaries w/ Becca Lewis (Preview)
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Danny and Derek welcome back to the show Becca Lewis, researcher of right-wing politics in Silicon Valley and online, to talk about the politics of artificial intelligence and Silicon Valley. They discuss AI as a marketing term, large language models, automation and white-collar labor, Silicon Valley’s relationship to the military, Palantir and Peter Thiel, AI
News - Iran Ceasefire Amid Blockade Standoff, Japan Arms Exports Expand, CIA Operatives Die in Mexico
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Danny and Derek will livestream from Route 3 as they take to the World Cup on foot. This week’s news: in Iran, Trump extends the ceasefire after talks fail (1:02), Iran reimposes its Strait of Hormuz blockade (6:05), the Islamic Republic’s leadership rejects unilateral concessions (9:11), and Persian Gulf mines and oil spills threaten com
E245 - Israeli Annexation in the West Bank w/ Oren Ziv
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Danny and Derek welcome to the show Oren Ziv to talk about Israeli settlement expansion and political changes in the West Bank. They discuss the legal and political structure of Areas A, B, and C; the proliferation of settler outposts; displacement of Palestinian communities; state support for settlers; Bezalel Smotrich’s sovereignty plan
Bonus - Politics Without Power w/ Anton Jäger (Preview)
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Danny welcomes back to the show historian Anton Jäger to talk about the decline of mass politics and the rise of hyperpolitics across Europe and the United States. They explore the collapse of parties and unions, the neoliberal turn of the 70s and 80s, the 2008 financial crisis and the decade of protest that followed, social media and political expression,
News - Lebanon Ceasefire, Orbán Loses Hungarian Election, Trump Prepares Cuba Incursion
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Danny and Derek are considering attending the Met Gala. In this week’s news: Iran talks amble along despite U.S. forces building up in the region (1:55); the U.S. blockade restricts oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz (9:49); Lebanon and Israel declare a 10-day ceasefire (12:23); Hamas meets U.S. officials in Cairo to advance the talks o
AP x NonZero - Iran and the Demise of US Hegemony
To new listeners: welcome to the greatest bi-monthly crossover in podcasting. Danny, Derek, and Robert Wright of the NonZero Newsletter are back with the most scorching hot of insights.
Subscribe now to AP to get a discounted membership to NonZero!
Part One Video
0:00 Teaser1:02 Trump’s Middle East chaos continues6:04 Is Iran more about America’s hegemony or Israel’s?13:22 Who will win
E244 - The Party of Chaos w/ Paul Heideman
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Danny and Derek welcome to the show writer Paul Heideman to talk about the transformation of the Republican Party from the main party of business interests to a fragmented, personality-driven coalition. They discuss the historical relationship between Republicans and capital, the disorganization of American employers, the political econom
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