This discussion features Dan Caldwell, a former senior adviser at the Pentagon, and Curt Mills, executive editor of the American Conservative. They explore the shifting landscape of American foreign policy under Trump, emphasizing a departure from traditional military buildup. The conversation navigates complex issues like Iran, Ukraine, and China, detailing internal conflicts and conservative anti-globalism. They also touch on the necessity for European nations to bolster their defense, accompanied by thoughtful book recommendations that shed light on historical contexts.
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insights INSIGHT
Post-9/11 Wars Shape Policy
Trump administration's foreign policy is shaped by post-9/11 war experiences and a rejection of past failures.
Prioritizes American interests economically and militarily, with a strong focus on the Western Hemisphere.
insights INSIGHT
Conservative Anti-Globalism Defined
Trump's foreign policy is defined by conservative anti-globalism: immigration restriction, trade realism, and restraint in foreign policy.
He critiques establishment Republican wings and links these three issues as part of a unified approach.
insights INSIGHT
Stopping Killing and Avoiding Escalation
Trump's primary goal in Ukraine is to stop the killing and avoid wider nuclear conflict.
He supports a normal relationship with Russia and opposes US boots on the ground or NATO expansion to Ukraine.
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The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century chronicles the story of Mohamed Bin Laden, a Yemeni bricklayer who became a key figure in Saudi Arabia's development, and his family's journey from poverty to wealth. The book explores the family's interactions with American influences and the contradictions between their Islamic roots and Western lifestyles, including the divergent paths of Osama and his brother Salem.
Collapse
How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
Jared DIAMOND
In 'Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed', Jared Diamond examines the collapse of past societies, such as the Anasazi, the Maya, and the Norse colonies on Greenland, due to factors like environmental damage, climate change, hostile neighbors, loss of trading partners, and the society's response to these challenges. Diamond argues that environmental concerns are crucial to a society's success and that the way a society responds to its environmental problems is often the decisive factor in its survival or collapse. The book also draws parallels between historical collapses and current global issues, offering practical lessons and solutions to avoid similar catastrophes in the present and future[1][3][5].
A humanitarian crisis in Gaza; question marks around Iran; unstable governments in eastern Europe; and the growth of China’s economic and military might. All are cause for concern—and all provide the backdrop to the Trump administration’s approach to foreign policy, which represents the biggest generational shift since the cold war.
This week Mark Leonard is joined by Dan Caldwell, former senior adviser at the Pentagon, and Curt Mills, executive editor of the American Conservative, to talk about what is influencing Donald Trump’s foreign policy. The president, and many key players in defence, agree that constant military build-up and the steady accruing of debt—which has characterised foreign policy since Reagan—has left America with little to show. The prevailing ideology of conservative anti-globalism is characterised by the US paring back military presence outside the Western hemisphere and a “realist” approach to trade.
But the administration has dissenting voices, in particular those advocating a more hawkish policy towards Iran. Mark, Dan and Curt take a deep dive into the sentiments and personalities influencing the second Trump era’s foreign policy, and consider what the world—and especially Europeans—can expect for the months ahead.
Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes 
