Michael Brenes

Demetri Kofinas speaks with Michael Brenes, director of the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy at Yale University. They discuss the state of the U.S. defense industrial base, military readiness, and the impacts of U.S. military involvement in active conflicts and great-power competition on political stability. They also explore the challenges of supplying Ukraine, the evolution of the defense industrial base, strategic planning, the dangers of narrow focus in strategic thinking, and the consequences of pursuing great power rivalry.

In this engaging discussion, historian Michael Brenes and international relations expert Van Jackson delve into their book, exploring how the U.S.-China rivalry reshapes domestic politics and weakens democracy. They reveal how framing this relationship as a geopolitical threat encourages neo-McCarthyism and detracts crucial resources from social welfare. The duo critiques the bipartisan consensus driving security-heavy policies and advocates for a new 'geopolitics of peace,' emphasizing cooperation over conflict. Their insights challenge conventional narratives and propose a refreshing approach to international relations.

Michael Brenes, Director of the Brady Johnson Program on Grand Strategy at Yale, discusses post-Trump internationalism and U.S. strategy in a changing world. He delves into the emergence of a multipolar landscape and the necessity of prioritizing transnational threats like climate change over dominance. Brenes argues for rebuilding domestic institutions to enhance foreign policy and the importance of multilateralism in addressing global challenges, while pushing back against the fallacy of winning against China in a competitive framework.