E264 - Democracy’s Elite Problem w/ Hugo Drochon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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