The ‘Deep State’ and the War in Ukraine (Part II) | Jeffrey Sachs

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Aug 15, 2024

Jeffrey Sachs, a world-renowned economist and bestselling author, dives deep into U.S. foreign policy and the escalating tensions with Russia. He explores NATO expansion's role in deteriorating relations and contrasts U.S. approaches to Russia and China. The conversation reveals how America’s confrontational strategies may have exacerbated conflicts, particularly in Ukraine. Sachs also discusses the historical context post-9/11, questioning if different diplomatic choices could have changed the trajectory of global tensions.

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INSIGHT

Cooperation vs. Tragedy

Jeffrey Sachs believes cooperation is possible and vital for global progress, unlike John Mearsheimer, who believes tragedy is inevitable in international relations.
Sachs thinks cooperation is necessary for important global challenges like environmental issues and nuclear disarmament.

INSIGHT

Gains from Trade and Interconnectedness

Sachs disagrees with Mearsheimer's view on two points: gains from trade and the interconnectedness of global challenges.
He believes in global interconnectedness for economic benefits and for addressing shared environmental problems.

INSIGHT

Unipolarity and US Foreign Policy

After the Soviet Union dissolved, US policymakers, particularly Dick Cheney, adopted a unipolar worldview.
They believed the US was the sole superpower and could do what it wanted, a view that shaped their approach to Russia and China.

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In Episode 376 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Jeffrey Sachs, a world-renowned economist, bestselling author, and professor at Columbia University, where he was the former director of The Earth Institute. He is also one of the most reputable critics of U.S. foreign policy and the ‘Deep State’, especially as it pertains to the ongoing war in Ukraine and U.S. relations towards Moscow since the end of the Cold War.

Jeffrey Sachs last appeared on Hidden Forces in late June to discuss his criticisms of the U.S. intelligence community and American foreign policy. In Part II of that conversation, Demetri asked Dr. Sachs back on the podcast to discuss his central critique of U.S. foreign policy as it pertains primarily to the breakdown in US-Russia relations and the War in Ukraine.

Sachs and Kofinas discuss much of the relevant post-cold War history, including NATO enlargement, the breakdown in arms control, the invasions of Georgia and Ukraine, and why we should assume that America’s confrontational policies toward Russia are to blame for the breakdown in US-Russia relations if America’s more accommodative policies toward China during a similar period failed to produce the opposite result.

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Episode Recorded on 07/30/2024