The Un-Diplomatic Podcast

Why does Judd Apatow have a better grasp on the China problem than Washington does?  How should we understand the Indo-Pacific Quad, and what's a "speech-act institution?"  Does Turkey have an imperial foreign policy?  And why is nobody paying attention to India's sphere of influence?  Also this episode: What principles should guide East Asia policy?  The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft takes a decent crack at answering.  Dan Nexon Tweet: https://twitter.com/dhnexon/status/1312922875574341633Robert Kelly Tweet: https://twitter.com/robert_e_kelly/status/1313085718864904192?s=21Zack Beauchamp Tweet: https://twitter.com/zackbeauchamp/status/1314009093250654208Josh Lederman Tweet: https://twitter.com/JoshNBCNews/status/1313259283560177671?s=19Edward Alden on Biden and Trade Wars: https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/10/02/biden-trump-trade-wars-election-2020/Contributors: Pete McKenzie, Jake Dellow, Gaby Magnuson 

The Black Panther Party's intersection with North Korea is fascinating and surprising.  Van sits down with Dr. Benjamin Young to talk about North Korea's relationship to radical leftist movements, the Black Panther Party, the travails of trying to work in academia, and Ben's upcoming book--Guns, Guerrillas, and the Great Leader.  

Black self defense is essential to minimize state violence.  Good strategy isn't infinite.  The war-game might be rigged, but it can still be fun.  Is the China-US relationship a security dilemma, or nah?  Klaus Schwab says neoliberalism is dead, but the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn't exist.  Also this episode: Why is everything breaking and nothing working except for military procurement and missile development?  Corruption!Astra Taylor Tweet: https://mobile.twitter.com/astradisastra/status/1307430291754160128Kelsey Atherton Tweet: https://mobile.twitter.com/AthertonKD/status/1308423891631722499Yuna Wong Tweet: https://twitter.com/YunaHuhWong/status/1308449074778198017?s=19Matt Duss Tweet:https://mobile.twitter.com/mattduss/status/1308470852619558912Rob Cameron on Black self-defense: https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/09/24/case-black-american-self-defense-protests/Tyson Brown on Strategy: https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/09/22/united-states-need-new-strategic-mindset-infinite-perspective/Contributors: Pete McKenzie, Gaby Magnuson, Jake Dellow, and Ciara Mitchell

Don't believe the hawks--Biden has no credibility problem in Asia.  India shows China how democracies do trolling better.  The convergences and divergences of Marxist and progressive foreign policy.  The East Asian mind and the Western mind--wut?  Also this episode: Why activists and strategists need to work together toward nuclear disarmament.  India Today Tweet: https://twitter.com/IndiaToday/status/1305495069693079553Nicholas Miller Tweet: https://twitter.com/Nick_L_Miller/status/1305280247034785796?s=20Andreas Fulda Tweet: https://twitter.com/AMFChina/status/1305414754392047618?s=19John Lee Tweet: https://twitter.com/koreanforeigner/status/1305328880698286080Inkstick Media Piece on Nukes: https://inkstickmedia.com/there-is-nothing-magical-about-nuclear-weapons/Contributors: Pete McKenzie, Gaby Magnuson, Jake Dellow, Ciara Mitchell

Van explains how the Galactic Republic in Star Wars fell, and why it's so germane today.  The South Korean Left sees Chinese imperialism more clearly than most Americans.  America's sphere of influence dilemma in the Pacific.  What Vice gets right about Dick Cheney.  Also this episode: Van's philosophy about saying yes to career opportunities large and small.  Paul Musgrave Tweet: https://twitter.com/profmusgrave/status/1302418858972766208?s=20Pat Blanchfield Tweet: https://twitter.com/PatBlanchfield/status/1303831078751408128?s=20Jon Wolfsthal Tweet: https://twitter.com/JBWolfsthal/status/1302228639879237633Elise Hu Tweet: https://twitter.com/elisewho/status/1303783836162031616Robin Wright on the myth of America: https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/is-america-a-mythContributors: Alex Auty, Jake Dellow, Gaby Magnuson, Pete McKenzie

Why we need to wait before debating whether to defend Taiwan.  How good is the Netflix show Cobra Kai?  Why Martha Nussbaum has evolved about the cosmopolitan tradition.  How much of China's foreign policy is imperial?  And a new poll finds that the people want progressive foreign policy!Gordon Flake Tweet: https://twitter.com/lgflake/status/1300577595956756480James Schoff Tweet: https://twitter.com/SchoffJ/status/1299407113320624130?s=19Stephen Wertheim Tweet: https://twitter.com/stephenwertheim/status/1300954470218641415ReThink Media Poll: https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2020/08/26/ending-endless-war-progressive-foreign-policy-what-democrats-want/Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins and Martha Nussbaum: https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/interview-cosmopolitan-tradition-martha-nussbaum/Contributors: Jake Dellow, Gaby Magnuson, Pete McKenzie, Ciara Mitchell

The racist motivations woven into China rivalry.  Why nobody talks about American colonies hiding in plain sight.  How to manufacture a Cold War with China.  Australia shows the way in counter-imperial statecraft.  Are neocons returning to the Democratic Party?  NeverTrumpers are not anti-fascist heroes.  And how serious a problem is QAnon?  Andrew Carr Tweet: https://twitter.com/AOCarr/status/1297999757919449088AOC Tweet: https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1298311379305132032?s=20Rory MedcalfTweet: https://twitter.com/Rory_Medcalf/status/1298723505240850435Rita Konaev Tweet: https://twitter.com/ritakonaev/status/1294439812687187970?s=21Kaiser Kuo and William Yuen Yeo on racism and China policy: https://supchina.com/2020/08/21/white-privilege-american-hegemony-and-the-rise-of-china/?utm_content=bufferb9d3a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=bufferRachel Esplin Odell on Manufacturing China Threat: https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2020/08/26/how-to-manufacture-a-new-cold-war-with-china/ Contributors: Jake Dellow, Gaby Magnuson, Pete McKenzie, Ciara Mitchell

In this hustle episode of the pod, Van Jackson sits down with Ankit Panda to talk about writing productivity hacks, how to become a foreign policy pundit, and tips for straddling new media and the think tank world.  They also talk about Ankit's new book, Kim Jong Un and the Bomb. Ankit's book: https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/kim-jong-un-and-the-bomb/

The Pentagon's failure of accountability.  Why Democrats are better at diversity but have work to do.  Steve Bannon's arrest highlights the money behind the China threat movement.  And Van's take on Edward Snowden on what Bernie Sanders foreign policy adviser Matt Duss has to say about making a career in Washington.  Also this episode, structural violence explained.  

Proliferation optimism or pessimism?  Van weighs in on the classic Sagan-Waltz debate.  Why liberals are of two minds about China.  And what's wrong with advocating for a military coup in the United States?  A lot!  Dan Nexon's Tweet: https://twitter.com/dhnexon/status/1293350893446926340Adam Mount's Tweet: https://twitter.com/ajmount/status/1293063724161474560?s=20Tom Le's Tweet: https://twitter.com/profTLe/status/1291893103985438720Hunter Marston's Tweet: https://twitter.com/hmarston4/status/1292229570360311808?s=19Jonathan Hunt's Tweet: https://twitter.com/JRHunTx/status/1292004341461680130Edward Fishman on liberal internationalism: http://bostonreview.net/war-security/edward-fishman-death-and-rebirth-american-internationalismContributors: Jake Dellow, Gaby Magnuson, Pete McKenzie, Ciara Mitchell