Van Jackson, Matt Duss, Julia Gledhill

The Un-Diplomatic Podcast

News EN ↓ 311 episodes

Global power to the people. A show about the class politics of geopolitics. Hosted by Van Jackson, Julia Gledhill, and Matt Duss. The views expressed are theirs alone (not those of any institution or employer).

Author

Van Jackson, Matt Duss, Julia Gledhill

Episodes

Writing National Security Fiction: Interview with Dr. Kathleen McInnis | Hustle Ep. 11 17.10.2019 49:07

Our "Hustle" episodes are interviews with foreign policy and national security experts doing interesting things we can all learn from. We uncover their origin stories and how they found their path in a field with no user's manual. In this Hustle episode, Van Jackson sits down with Dr. Kathleen McInnis, author of the novel The Heart of War: Misadventures in the Pentagon . It's The Devil Wears Prada...

Bernie Sanders Iraq War Call-out of Biden's Judgment. Why It Matters in the Democratic Debate | Raw Uncut Ep. 10 16.10.2019 7:44

Senator Bernie Sanders once again called out Vice President Joe Biden's decision to support the 2003 Iraq War during the democratic primary debate (10/15/2019). How much should it matter if presidential candidates previously supported the Iraq invasion? Is it good politics for the democratic primary? Van Jackson weighs in. Vox Explainer on Biden's Iraq War Support: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-p...

Don’t Count on a Militarist to End Endless War. Count on Him to Aid Turkish Ethnic Cleansing of the Kurds and Protect Saudi Oil | Raw Uncut Ep. 9 14.10.2019 3:58

Trump says he's the guy to end endless war. A quick look at the scorecard tells a very different story. Listen in to find out why the only thing you can trust a militarist to do is make more war. From sending more troops to Saudi Arabia to green-lighting a Turkish ethnic cleansing campaign of the Kurds in northern Syria. Music: "Van is Meta" by Tre' Hester

China Can't Take a Joke, Kurds Betrayed, Strategic South Park, and John Cusack | Ep. 8 13.10.2019 34:15

In this episode, Van and the crew discuss the world, from China to pop culture to endless war in the Middle East. What does China’s battle with the NBA signal for the future? Why is only South Park getting China right? Should western companies start divesting from China? And why did Trump announce a troop withdrawal from Syria? Non-sequiter: Superstar John Cusack tweeted and messaged Van! Van’s...

Corruption, Eminem Playing Eminem, or Conspiracy Theory? How to Understand US Foreign Policy Now | Ep. 7 07.10.2019 38:55

In this episode, Van explores Trump inadvertently brainwashing himself into believing conspiracy theories simply by repeating them. He gets into it over a piece by Mike Fuchs on the real price of corrupt foreign policy and why we should all be worried about Trump meeting with foreign leaders. Also, why cyber is the new go-to for policymakers who feel the need to "do something." What foreign policy...

It's Kim Jong Un's World, and Trump's Just Living in It | Raw Uncut Ep. 6 06.10.2019 7:27

Why did US-North Korea working level nuclear talks fall apart...in less than a day? Van Jackson explains why the moral hazard of reality-show summitry is ultimately to blame. Music: "Van is Meta" by Tre' Hester Van's prescription for a stabilizing North Korea policy: https://warontherocks.com/2019/09/confronting-reality-the-bitter-medicine-that-north-korea-policy-needs-now/

Progressive versus Libertarian Foreign Policy: Irreconcilable, or Allies of Convenience? | Ep. 5 02.10.2019 47:03

In this episode, Van digs into the varieties of progressive foreign policy thought, and confesses to evolutions about his own thinking. Why Joe and Hunter Biden--who did no wrong here--remind us that foreign money corrupts the politics of democracies everywhere. What is the "Washington Post test?" And how is journalism itself complicit in empowering Trump? Also in this episode, why government memo...

American Civil War 2, Electric Boogaloo? The Unreality of a President Threatening His Country | Raw Uncut Ep. 4 30.09.2019 8:13

Weighing all the things that affect the likelihood of the once unthinkable: a second American civil war. It's a joke, it's incredible, but it's also not implausible. Here's why. Trump civil war tweet: https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1178477539653771264 Ben Collins tweet: https://twitter.com/oneunderscore__/status/1178701411594522624 The Oath Movie: https://www.youtube.com/?v=4I8x79pgq...

Korean Peace: How to Deal with Trump's Diversionary North Korea Policy | Raw Uncut Ep. 3 30.09.2019 8:34

What would happen if Trump decides to end the Korean War? Why might he do it? And, if you're a peace-loving anti-Trumper, how should you react? Show host Van Jackson cuts to the heart of these questions in this Raw Uncut episode of the Un-Diplomatic podcast. Notes and Sources: New report from the Center for a New American Security on arms control with North Korea: https://www.cnas.org/publications...

Foreign Policy Civil War in the GOP? Wu-Tang Clan, Marianne Williamson, China, and Getting Out of Afghanistan | Ep. 2 25.09.2019 37:22

In this episode, Van weighs in on whether the GOP will ever confront Trump over foreign policy. He explains why you can't believe what China says, and insists that the Hong Kong protests are unique. Van and Pete let New Zealand's political opposition embarrass itself with obsequious brown-nosing of China and Xi Jinping. Van also highlights tensions between Marianne Williamson's views of peace-bui...

Iran-sanity: The Battle of Ted Cruz versus Nuke Expert Who Knows Things | Raw Uncut Ep. 1 22.09.2019 7:28

This Raw Uncut episode does a quick and dirty dive into a Senator Ted Cruz op-ed calling for sanctions on Iran and claiming Obama caused Iran to attack Saudi Arabia (?). Dartmouth professor Nick Miller puts Cruz on blast. Cruz Oped: https://nypost.com/2019/09/20/time-for-trump-to-trigger-the-un-snapback-on-iran/amp/ Twitter Back and Forth: https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1175507351652241408 The...