The Jacob Shapiro Podcast The Return of Imperial Strategy
Dec 13, 2025
Van Jackson, a Professor of International Relations at Victoria University of Wellington, critiques the latest U.S. National Security Strategy's contradictions. He discusses how ideology mixes with military ambition and the implications for global relations. Jackson highlights the document's imperialistic undertones, especially regarding Latin America and Venezuela, and examines the challenges of military interventions in defeating cartels. The conversation reveals the complex dynamics of U.S. foreign policy amid rising tensions with China and shifting geopolitical landscapes.
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Episode notes
NSS Is A Message To The National Security State
- The National Security Strategy primarily targets the national security bureaucracy, not the general public.
- It reflects the political project of the presidency and signals how the national security state will be used.
2002 NSS And The Iraq Precedent
- Van Jackson recalls the 2002 NSS as a radical document that justified Iraq and regime‑change wars.
- He notes that its failures made large‑scale invasions politically toxic afterward.
Strategy As Primitive Accumulation
- The 2025 NSS mixes culture‑war rhetoric with an economic project of resource capture called 'primitive accumulation.'
- It aligns imperial power grabs with benefits for defense, finance, and extractive industries.
