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American Prestige

Daniel Bessner & Derek Davison

A podcast from Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison that provides listeners with everything they need to know about what’s going on in the world.

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Yesterday · 11 min
Bonus - The Struggle for Power in Libya w/ Wolfram Lacher (Preview)
Subscribe now for the full episode. Derek speaks with Wolfram Lacher, a senior associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs and author of Libya’s Fragmentation, about Libya’s political and military breakdown since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. They discuss Khalifa Haftar and the power dynamics in eastern Libya, militia power and political fragmentation in Tripoli and western Libya, control of Libya’s oil, Turkish and Russian involvement, the spillover of Libya’s conflicts into Mali, Chad, Sudan, and the Sahel, migrant smuggling and detention, Massad Boulos’s power-sharing plan, and the prospects for elections and a political settlement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Friday · 45 min
News - Trump-Xi Summit, Iran Offers Hormuz Deal, Drones Near NATO Military Sites w/ Alex Jordan
Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and all of our episodes. Don’t forget that AP puts out a YouTube exclusive episode and a video version of our Wednesday episode every week! Studio 54 and Palladium are long gone, so the UN General Assembly is the biggest party New York currently has to offer. Meanwhile, Danny and guest host Alex Jordan bring you the news: Trump welcomes Xi as the U.S. and China extend the Busan trade truce (01:22); at the UNGA, Trump threatens Iran and gloats about U.S. control of Venezuelan oil (5:18); Iran offers to reopen the Strait of Hormuz with conditions (7:58); Trump and Zelenskyy discuss an energy ceasefire (12:53); the U.S. denies Mahmoud Abbas a visa as Benjamin Netanyahu gives his UN address (15:20); the U.S., Denmark, and Greenland sign an Arctic security deal (18:41); Venezuela pledges elections as Trump secures oil access (20:41); the U.S. seeks a Sudan ceasefire (25:19); the Houthis/Ansar Allah consolidate coastal gains and strike Saudi Arabia (28:03); drones are spotted near NATO military sites in Germany and Poland (31:11); Germany sees the AfD gain ground (34:32); and United Russia wins Russia’s first parliamentary election since the Ukraine invasion (38:21). Watch Alex and Courtney Rawlings on Quincy’s Always at War. And check out the new mockumentary Lords of War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wednesday · 55 min
E267 - Mutiny of the College-Educated Worker w/ Noam Scheiber
Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and all of our episodes. Danny and Derek talk with Noam Scheiber, New York Times reporter and author, about the radicalization of American college graduates. They discuss a Starbucks union campaign, underemployment among recent grads, the Taylorization of white-collar jobs, AI, corporate fixation on labor costs, the “con” of college for millennials, and the collapse of meritocracy. Buy your copy of Noam’s book on the subject, Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
September 21 · 11 min
Bonus - American Politics After the 2024 Vibe Shift w/ David Wallace-Wells (Preview)
Subscribe now for the full episode. Danny and Derek speak with journalist ⁠David Wallace-Wells⁠ about the decline of the liberal order before Trump 2.0 and the current political moment. They discuss the post-2024 vibe shift, Trump's falling popularity, the erosion of institutional trust, the new generation of Democratic Party leaders, the lack of oversight of AI, and China's leadership in green technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
September 19 · 50 min
Unlocked: The War on Terror Comes to Comics w/ Spencer Ackerman
Subscribe now for all of our episodes. Spencer Ackerman, writer of the Forever Wars newsletter and author of Reign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America, returns to the program to talk about his upcoming political comic book No One Escapes the Dialectic and the state of the comic book industry. The discussion covers labor in comic publishing, the direct market and consignment system, independent publishers like Image and Boom Studios, the plot and characters of the book, the purge of the military under Pete Hegseth, and ICE and CBP’s role in immigration enforcement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
September 18 · 47 min
News - Houthis Escalate Red Sea Conflict, Pentagon Report on Iran War Costs, BRICS Summit Exposes Divisions
Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and all of our episodes. Derek has journeyed to Bolivia seeking contact with the newly discovered cat species, so Alex Jordan of Always at War steps in to bring you the headlines. This week: in New Delhi, BRICS member states issue a fractured joint statement on restraint in the Middle East (1:12); Iran strikes a U.S.-contracted vessel near the Strait of Hormuz (5:42); a cyberattack disables Texas-bound tankers (8:30); a new Pentagon report puts the Iran war’s cost at $33.4 billion (9:59); the Houthis/Ansar Allah advance in Taiz and hit Saudi Arabia (14:46); Yemeni government forces strike back while the U.S. rules out direct involvement (19:00); China pushes Iran to restrain the Houthis (22:37); an Israeli strike collapses a building in Gaza City, killing at least 21 people (25:12); the U.S. approves a $2.8 billion weapons sale to Israel (27:34); Russia and Ukraine strike each other’s energy infrastructure (30:57); the House passes a Russia sanctions bill named in honor of Lindsey Graham (33:37); a banking scandal roils Brazil’s presidential race (37:53); and in Sweden, a left-wing bloc narrowly wins an election (41:12). Don’t forget to grab your copy of Danny’s new book Imperialist Realism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
September 18 · 45 min
AP x NonZero - What’s Driving Dario? w/ Robert Wright
The AP-NonZero collaboration returns! Subscribe now to AP to get a discounted membership to NonZero. The group talks about the recent vibe shift in discourse around AI. What's really going on here? 0:00 Teaser 0:46 This episode's surprise vibe shift 2:30 Middle East update: Houthis vs. Saudis 15:21 What’s really driving Dario (et al.)? 25:14 Debating effective altruism’s effectiveness 30:18 The trouble with big-tech Kremlinology 34:08 Was “learn to code” just sleight of hand? 40:25 Bob’s Fukuyama name drop 42:11 Heading to Overtime Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
September 16 · 53 min
E266 - The Biden Administration’s Complicity in Gaza w/ Akbar Shahid Ahmed
Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and all of our episodes. Danny and Derek welcome back Akbar Shahid Ahmed, Diplomatic correspondent for The Washington Sun and author of Crossing the Red Line: Biden, His Advisors, and Israel’s War on Gaza, to talk about the Biden administration’s role in enabling the genocide in Gaza. They discuss the conditions in the Strip as of the current day; Biden’s small inner circle of Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, and Brett McGurk; Jack Lew’s role of ambassador and the dubious war crime review process he implemented; the Rafah red line and its immediate collapse after Israel invaded; and the Democratic Party’s domestic political miscalculations heading into 2024 and 2028. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
September 15 · 10 min
Bonus - The War on Terror Comes to Comics w/ Spencer Ackerman (Preview)
Subscribe now for the full episode. Spencer Ackerman, writer of the Forever Wars newsletter and author of Reign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America, returns to the program to talk about his upcoming political comic book No One Escapes the Dialectic and the state of the comic book industry. The discussion covers labor in comic publishing, the direct market and consignment system, independent publishers like Image and Boom Studios, the plot and characters of the book, the purge of the military under Pete Hegseth, and ICE and CBP’s role in immigration enforcement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
September 11 · 39 min
News - Canada-US Trade War Escalates, Houthis Seize Yemeni Port, Report Says Netanyahu Ignored 10/7 Warnings
Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and all of our episodes. I, for one, welcome our new AI overlords. In this week’s news: the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service confirms last month was tied for the hottest ever recorded (0:52); the Houthis/Ansar Allah take the port city of Mokha (1:45); the U.S. and Iran exchange ship attacks as oil prices rise (5:25); the IAEA refers Iran to the United Nations (7:32); Trump predicts an end to the Iran war immediately after the midterms (8:59); 12 countries ban products made in Israeli settlements (10:52); a new report alleges that Netanyahu ignored October 7 warnings and a chance to recover hostages (13:49); the IDF takes a strategic ridge in Lebanon, then escalates strikes (18:30); an arbitration court rules against India on the Indus Waters Treaty (20:49); new claims of famine emerge in Sudan’s Darfur region (23:05); the Nigerian government and Boko Haram maintain a ceasefire (24:59); the Trump administration phases out U.S. support for anti-AIDS programs in Namibia (27:21); American envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff visit Russia and Ukraine (29:22); Ukraine tries to close Russian airspace (31:20); and in a trade war update, Canadian tariffs on U.S. goods take effect (32:50). Don't forget Derek's Substack, Foreign Exchanges. Enjoy Danny's new Substack, Imperialist Realism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
September 11 · 1 hr 59 min
RE-POST: Rescue 9/11 w/ Jim Lobe and Laila Ujayli
Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and all of our episodes. *This episode was originally recorded and released in September 2021* This is a special episode for the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Danny and Derek begin the episode with some reflections on their 9/11 experience, and are then joined by Jim Lobe, director of LobeLog and contributing editor at the Quincy Institute’s Responsible Statecraft, to talk about the intellectual origins of the coalition that after 9/11 pursued endless war. The episode then moves to a discussion with Laila Ujayli, associate editor at Inkstick Media, about growing up as a young Muslim in post-9/11 America, the attacks' effects on the American Muslim community, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
September 9 · 1 hr 3 min
E265 - Texas’s Radical Roots w/ David Griscom
Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and all of our episodes. Danny and Derek speak with David Griscom, co-host of Left Reckoning and author of The Myth of Red Texas: Cowboys, Populism, and Class War in the Radical South, to talk about the all-but-ignored history of leftwing politics in Texas. Topics include: the current state of Texas politics, the Farmers’ Alliance and the People’s Party, the Texas Socialist Party and its newspaper The Rebel, the role of religion in Texas socialism, and the prospects for socialism in modern-day Texas. Along with the book and podcast, be sure to also check out David’s Substack The Rattler. Register now for Danny’s ⁠Quincy webinar⁠ and his ⁠live Elliott Bay Book Company appearance⁠ talking about ⁠Imperialist Realism⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
September 7 · 11 min
Bonus - Trump and the End of History w/ Lee Jones (Preview)
Subscribe now for the full episode. Danny and Derek speak with Lee Jones, co-host of the Bungacast podcast, about Donald Trump’s foreign policy and the decay of the neoliberal order. Topics include: the unraveling of Fukuyama’s end of history thesis, the erosion of representative democracies, how MAGA and European rightwing populism differ from historical fascism, interpretations of Trump’s National Security Strategy, U.S. spheres of influence, fallout from the Iran war, and whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan. Register now for Danny’s Quincy webinar and his live Elliott Bay Book Company appearance talking about Imperialist Realism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
September 4 · 42 min
News - U.S.-Iran Fighting Resumes, Trump Claims U.S. Stake in Venezuela's Oil, Israel Moves Toward Ethnic Cleansing of Gaza
Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and all of our episodes. The AP Labor Day barbecue seeks more bouncy castle security personnel. In this week’s news: a grim climate update (3:27); the Trump administration is trying to avoid Iran escalation until the midterms pass (6:22); the Iran war appears to resume (6:40); settler violence escalates in the West Bank (12:07); a leaked Pentagon document shows that generals object to extended deployments in Iran (13:44); Israel's defense minister backs Gaza ethnic cleansing (17:20); Libya's rival governments sign an election agreement (21:26); Somali piracy is on the rise (23:01); Russia uses more advanced drones to pummel Ukraine (24:24); German authorities accuse Russia of an attempted drone attack (25:48); Trump threatens a Falklands policy reversal (27:47); Iceland voters reject EU accession talks (29:39); the US takes ownership of Venezuela’s oil (31:15); and Operation Southern Spear turns one (36:53). Don't forget Derek's Substack, Foreign Exchanges. Enjoy Danny's new Substack, Imperialist Realism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
September 2 · 1 hr 2 min
E264 - Democracy’s Elite Problem w/ Hugo Drochon
Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and all of our episodes. Danny and Derek welcome political theorist and historian Hugo Drochon to the show for a discussion about the tension between democracies and the elites who actually run them. They talk about elites taking turns in power, the 80/20 rule, the iron law of oligarchy, “dynamic democracy” and social change, and how these ideas apply to Trump, foreign policy, and the future of the EU and NATO. Grab a copy of Hugo’s book Elites and Democracy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 31 · 11 min
Bonus - The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism w/ Matt McManus (Preview)
Danny and Derek speak with Matt McManus about his book, The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism. They discuss the core definitions of liberalism and socialism, how liberalism differs from classical republican thought, John Stuart Mill as the first liberal socialist, Karl Marx's relationship to the liberal tradition, and John Rawls's place in liberal socialism. Read Matt’s book, ⁠The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 28 · 42 min
News - New US Sanctions on Iran, Syrian Democratic Forces Dissolve, US-Canada Trade Talks Collapse
Subscribe now⁠ for an ad-free experience and all of our episodes. American Prestige brand MREs use Argentinian beef, but don't worry, it's the good kind. In this week’s news: the US launches a new sanctions campaign against Iran (1:36); Iran and Oman negotiate the management of the Strait of Hormuz (5:50); a Haitian gang killing (9:28); the Israeli government takes bids for its E1 settlement (12:00); the US removes Syria from the terrorism sponsors list (14:38); the Syrian Democratic Forces announces its dissolution (15:51); Trump submits the Saudi nuclear deal to Congress (18:39); progress is made in negotiations between the DRC and M23 (23:46); the Ebola outbreak in the DRC continues to expand (26:33); the CIA director visits Russia (28:14); US-Canada trade talks collapse (31:17); and the United States prepares a deep sea mining auction around overseas territories (35:42). Catch a replay of last night's livestream. Don't forget Derek's Substack, ⁠Foreign Exchanges⁠. Enjoy Danny's new Substack, I⁠mperialist Realism⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26 · 1 hr 6 min
E263 - North Korea’s Roots in Christianity w/ Jonathan Cheng
Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and all of our episodes. Danny and Derek speak with Jonathan Cheng, China bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, about the Christian origins of North Korea’s founding ideology and the subsequent personality cult. The discussion explores missionary Samuel Moffat’s work in Pyongyang, the conversion of Kim Il-sung’s family to Christianity, Christian nationalism during Japanese colonial rule, the turn toward socialism, Kim’s postwar personality cult, and how Christianity informs the Kim family’s rule today. Be sure to grab a copy of Jonathan’s book Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea's Personality Cult. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 24 · 11 min
Bonus - The Oligarch-Authoritarian Bargain w/ Christopher Hartwell (Preview)
Subscribe now for the full episode. Danny and Derek speak with economist Christopher Hartwell about how wealthy elites who strike bargains with authoritarians often come to regret it. They discuss oligarchs in post-Soviet Russia, authoritarian state capitalism, Hungary’s break from Orbán, Trump courting tech billionaires, asset-price inflation and financialization, and the durability of state capitalism in China. Read Christopher’s piece for Foreign Affairs, co-written with Tricia Olsen: “The Disposable Oligarchs.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 21 · 44 min
News - Israel Strikes Syria, Trump Escalates the Economic War on Iran, Potential US-North Korea Diplomacy
Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and all of our episodes. Danny and Derek must disclose that they have had Hasan Piker on this program. They are listening and learning from him. In this week’s news: Israel bombs a Syrian airbase, potentially moving closer to a conflict with Turkey (1:22); Jared Kushner and Benjamin Netanyahu agree to scrap the Gaza Board of Peace's Hamas disarmament plan (7:09); the Iran MOU expires as Trump escalates the economic war (9:20); the Islamic Republic might restart the shooting war (13:36); the Pentagon and Arab governments rethink America’s military presence in the Gulf (15:58); Trump curtails military exercises with South Korea, possibly moving toward diplomacy with North Korea/DPRK (18:53); the Sudanese military concludes a new cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia (24:47); the Ebola outbreak in the DRC continues to expand (27:39); in Ukraine, Zelenskyy faces calls for new elections (30:06); Trump suspends new tariffs on Canada (33:01); the U.S. moves Operation Southern Spear onto land (34:50); and a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report details the cost of the new “Trump class” battleships (36:45). Watch a replay of last night's livestream with Séamus Malekafzali. Don't forget Derek's Substack, Foreign Exchanges. Enjoy Danny's new Substack, Imperialist Realism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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