Introduction

Noah Carl is an independent researcher, writer, and free speech advocate. He invited Richard on his new podcast (which you can find at Noah’s Substack) to discuss whether the West is to blame for the conflict in Ukraine. We’re re-releasing that episode, which originally came out on March 1st. Although much has happened since then, the topics discussed in the conversation remain relevant for understanding the current war and how we got here. Noah and Richard talk about moralism and paranoia in American foreign policy, the multicausal nature of war, and whether the US is a consistent defender of democracy and human rights globally. They also discuss whether Ukraine could grow economically without integration into the EU, utilitarianism in international relations, what the West should do if Russia won’t negotiate, and why war is almost always a terrible idea.

Richard Hanania, “Americans Hate Each Other, but We Aren’t Headed for a Civil War.” 

Richard Hanania, “Lessons from Forecasting the Ukraine War.” 

John Mueller, “The Stupidity of War: American Foreign Policy and the Case for Complacency.” 

CSPI Podcast with John Mueller, “War as a Product of Human Stupidity” 

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