Season 4, Episode 8: Prof. Lauren Benton, They Called it Peace: Worlds of Imperial Violence

Send us a textJoin Professor Jeffrey Sachs and historian Michael J. Carley, retired Professeur at the Université de Montréal, for a discussion of his groundbreaking trilogy on the international crises of the 1930s: Stalin’s Gamble, Stalin’s Failed Alliance, and Stalin’s Great Game. Drawing on decades of archival research, Carley challenges the familiar Cold War narrative that paints Stalin and Hitler as “dual dictators” and instead uncovers a forgotten history of the Soviet Union’s sustained efforts to build a collective security alliance against Nazi Germany.Sachs and Carley explore how Britain, France, and the United States repeatedly rejected these overtures, shaped by anti-communism, imperial interests, and deep-seated prejudices that cast the USSR - not Hitler - as the greater threat. This strategic blindness, Carley argues, helped pave the way to World War II and has since been obscured by Western historiography and popular culture.This episode offers listeners a powerful narrative of missed opportunities, ideological blinders, and the consequences of mistrust among great powers. It is a story from the 1930s with striking resonance today, revealing how historical misunderstanding can shape international politics, and how the failures of statecraft then echo in our world now.The Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs is brought to you by the SDG Academy, the flagship education initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Learn more and get involved at bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org.Footnotes:Books by ⭐️ Thanks for listening to Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs! 📚 Join the conversation and go deeper into the ideas shaping our world. ➡️ Subscribe to the newsletter for episode updates, readings, and behind-the-scenes insights: https://bit.ly/subscribeBCJS ➡️ Explore past episodes, show notes, and featured books: https://bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org 🎧 Download and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. 📣 Love the show? Leave a rating and review - it helps more listeners find the podcast. 🔁 Share this episode with a friend, colleague, or book club who’d enjoy the discussion!

Send us a textJoin Professor Jeffrey Sachs and Yakov M. Rabkin, historian and Professor Emeritus at the University of Montreal, for a wide-ranging and fascinating discussion on the history of Zionism, Jewish thought, and the modern state of Israel. Delving into Rabkin’s path-breaking work, including his newest book, Israel in Palestine: Jewish Rejection of Zionism, Rabkin and Sachs discuss the early opposition to modern Zionism from many parts of the world Jewry, and the deep theological, political, and cultural divides that Zionism has created in Jewish communities around the world.  Together, Rabkin and Sachs trace the surprising origins of Zionism in 17th century British Protestantism, and its transformation into a modern political movement in 19th century Europe, led by both British evangelical Protestants and Central and Eastern European secular Jews. They delve into Herzl’s Zionist movement, which faced many Jewish opponents, including rabbinical authorities, assimilated Jews in Western Europe, and socialists who viewed it as a distraction from class struggle. Rabkin and Sachs discuss the pivotal role of Britain’s Balfour Declaration, the Russian revolutionary roots of Israel’s political culture, and the enduring legacies of figures such as Theodor Herzl and Ze’ev Jabotinsky.The conversation then turns to the present crisis in Israel and Palestine. They discuss the ideologies of Israel’s ruling parties, the rise of Israel’s religious-nationalist movements since 1967, and the role of these ideologies and movements in the ongoing conflict. Rabkin’s scholarship offers listeners a deeply informed narrative of history, religion, and power - shedding a powerful light on the disastrous, ongoing Israel - Palestine conflict.  The Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs is brought to you by the SDG Academy, the flagship education initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Learn more and get involved at bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org.Footnotes:Yakov Rabkin Books ZionismSatmar HasidimChristian ZionismIsaac Newton’s religious viewsJoseph PriestleyFirst Jewish–Roman War (66–73 CE)Bar Kokhba Revolt (132–135 CE)Theodor HerzlWilliam Hechler⭐️ Thanks for listening to Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs! 📚 Join the conversation and go deeper into the ideas shaping our world. ➡️ Subscribe to the newsletter for episode updates, readings, and behind-the-scenes insights: https://bit.ly/subscribeBCJS ➡️ Explore past episodes, show notes, and featured books: https://bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org 🎧 Download and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. 📣 Love the show? Leave a rating and review - it helps more listeners find the podcast. 🔁 Share this episode with a friend, colleague, or book club who’d enjoy the discussion!

Send us a textJoin Professor Jeffrey Sachs and Professor James Romm, classicist and historian at Bard College, for a captivating discussion on one of the most dramatic and fascinating political experiments of the ancient world: Plato’s involvement with power politics in Syracuse (Siracusa). Drawing on Romm’s newest book, Plato and the Tyrant, Sachs and Romm explore the extraordinary story of how the great philosopher Plato attempted over the course of three decades to bring philosophy into the heart of government.Together, they delve into Plato’s journey to the court of the autocratic ruler Dionysius in ancient Syracuse, where he hoped to transform a tyrant into a philosopher-king. They discuss the political turmoil that unfolded, Plato’s close relationship with the philosophically minded Dion, and how Plato’s experiences deeply shaped his writing of The Republic.  Romm reveals how Plato’s real-world political experiences ultimately informed his later, more sober work The Laws, and how these texts reflect a lifelong quest to define justice, leadership, and the possibility of a virtuous society.This episode offers listeners a rich narrative of political intrigue, philosophical ambition, and the enduring relevance of Plato’s quest to unite ethics and power - an ancient story with striking implications for our world today.The Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs is brought to you by the SDG Academy, the flagship education initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Learn more and get involved at bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org.Footnotes: Ancient Greek PhilosophyPlatoAuthoritarianismAutocracySyracuseAthensDionysius DionPlato’s AcademyAristotleThe Republic (by Plato)The Laws (by Plato)CarthagePhilosopher-King⭐️ Thanks for listening to Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs! 📚 Join the conversation and go deeper into the ideas shaping our world. ➡️ Subscribe to the newsletter for episode updates, readings, and behind-the-scenes insights: https://bit.ly/subscribeBCJS ➡️ Explore past episodes, show notes, and featured books: https://bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org 🎧 Download and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. 📣 Love the show? Leave a rating and review - it helps more listeners find the podcast. 🔁 Share this episode with a friend, colleague, or book club who’d enjoy the discussion!

Send us a textJoin Professor Jeffrey Sachs and Prof. Ilan Pappè, historian at Exeter University, UK, for an in-depth conversation on one of the most enduring and contentious issues of our time: the Israel-Palestine conflict. Drawing on Pappè’s powerful new books—Lobbying for Zionism on Both Sides of the Atlantic and A Very Short History of the Israel-Palestine Conflict, Sachs and Pappè discuss the historical, political, and ideological forces that have shaped the Zionist movement and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.    Together, they explore how lobbying networks in the UK and US have influenced the foreign policy of both countries, and the role of the UK and US in the Israel-Palestine conflict. They delve into the historical roots of Zionism, the legacy of British colonial rule in Mandatory Palestine, and the role of the US in the Israel-Palestine conflict from the adoption of the UN Partition Plan in 1947 until today. This episode offers listeners a deeper understanding of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine by delving into the historical processes that shaped the conflict during the past century and more. The Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs is brought to you by the SDG Academy, the flagship education initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Learn more and get involved at bookclubwithjeffreysachs.orgFootnotes:ZionismIsrael Palestinian ConflictWar in GazaJudaismAntisemitismHistory of IsraelHistory of PalestineSettler ColonialismOttoman EmpireBritish ImperialismLord BalfourNeoconsUN Resolution 181⭐️ Thanks for listening to Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs! 📚 Join the conversation and go deeper into the ideas shaping our world. ➡️ Subscribe to the newsletter for episode updates, readings, and behind-the-scenes insights: https://bit.ly/subscribeBCJS ➡️ Explore past episodes, show notes, and featured books: https://bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org 🎧 Download and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. 📣 Love the show? Leave a rating and review - it helps more listeners find the podcast. 🔁 Share this episode with a friend, colleague, or book club who’d enjoy the discussion!

Send us a textJoin Professor Jeffrey Sachs and futurist Ray Kurzweil for a compelling conversation on the accelerating pace of technological change and its profound implications for the future of humanity. In his new book, The Singularity Is Nearer, Kurzweil revisits and updates his groundbreaking predictions on AI & AGI, exponential growth, and human evolution and longevity.Together, they explore a future where AI rivals human intelligence by 2029, nanotechnology rebuilds the world atom by atom, and our minds merge with the cloud to expand intelligence beyond biological limits. They examine radical life extension, the promise of renewable energy, and how exponential technologies are reshaping industries, reducing poverty, and transforming global well-being. But, they also confront the risks while discussing a vision of the future - both awe-inspiring and cautionary - challenging us to rethink what it means to be human in an age of rapid and relentless innovation.The Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs is brought to you by the SDG Academy, the flagship education initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Learn more and get involved at bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org.Footnotes:AIAGI The Singularity is Near Dartmouth WorkshopMartin Kosinski NeuromedBiotechnologyFrank RosenblattPerceptronExponential Growth Turing TestLongevity Humanoid RobotsVirtual Reality NeocortexArtificial Consciousness⭐️ Thanks for listening to Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs! 📚 Join the conversation and go deeper into the ideas shaping our world. ➡️ Subscribe to the newsletter for episode updates, readings, and behind-the-scenes insights: https://bit.ly/subscribeBCJS ➡️ Explore past episodes, show notes, and featured books: https://bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org 🎧 Download and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. 📣 Love the show? Leave a rating and review - it helps more listeners find the podcast. 🔁 Share this episode with a friend, colleague, or book club who’d enjoy the discussion!

Send us a textJoin Professor Jeffrey Sachs and American historian Lauren Benton for a discussion on the hidden histories of empires and the lasting impact of imperial violence. In her book, They Called It Peace: Worlds of Imperial Violence Benton uncovers how European powers built and maintained their empires through relentless cycles of raiding, slaving, and plunder—while portraying their conquests as missions of order and peace.Together, they explore the brutal mechanics of colonial expansion, the blurred lines between war and peace, and how fragile truces paved the way for endless conflict. Was imperial violence an aberration, or did it set the stage for the perpetual wars that define our world today? With insights spanning centuries and continents, this episode confronts the uncomfortable truths about power, violence, and the myths that continue to shape global order.The Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs is brought to you by the SDG Academy, the flagship education initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Learn more and get involved at bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org.Footnotes:ImperialismInternational LawEmpiresHistory of WarsLaw of WarLong 19th CenturyState of Exception Perpetual WarReconquistaExterminatory Violence1492: Conquest of ParadiseWar TruecesInformal EmpireNeocolonialismBritish Merchants Policing The Dividing of Africa by ⭐️ Thanks for listening to Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs! 📚 Join the conversation and go deeper into the ideas shaping our world. ➡️ Subscribe to the newsletter for episode updates, readings, and behind-the-scenes insights: https://bit.ly/subscribeBCJS ➡️ Explore past episodes, show notes, and featured books: https://bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org 🎧 Download and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. 📣 Love the show? Leave a rating and review - it helps more listeners find the podcast. 🔁 Share this episode with a friend, colleague, or book club who’d enjoy the discussion!

Send us a textJoin Professor Jeffrey Sachs and historian, Professor Richard Overy for an insightful conversation on one of humanity’s most unsettling questions: Why do we wage war? In his book, Why War? Overy takes us on a journey across time, from the ancient battlefields of the Roman Empire to the devastation of the World Wars and the conflicts shaping our present.Together, they examine what drives organized violence? Is it hardwired into human nature, or does it stem from competition for resources, power, and security? Drawing on psychology, history, and political strategy, Overy dissects the deep-rooted forces behind war— confronting the stark realities of conflict and examining whether war is an inescapable part of our past—or an unavoidable part of our future. This episode doesn’t shy away from the hard truths—there are no easy answers, and Overy delivers no false hope.The Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs is brought to you by the SDG Academy, the flagship education initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Learn more and get involved at bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org.Footnotes:Why Do Humans Make War?StatecraftYugoslav WarsAristotelianismBarbarian Proxy WarPeloponnesian WarsThucydidesJihad Israeli - Palestinian ConflictNuremberg TrialsHermann GoeringDemagogue of AthensBritain Mercantile StateNew ImperialismHobbes Social ContractMunich AgreementOperation Paperclip⭐️ Thanks for listening to Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs! 📚 Join the conversation and go deeper into the ideas shaping our world. ➡️ Subscribe to the newsletter for episode updates, readings, and behind-the-scenes insights: https://bit.ly/subscribeBCJS ➡️ Explore past episodes, show notes, and featured books: https://bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org 🎧 Download and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. 📣 Love the show? Leave a rating and review - it helps more listeners find the podcast. 🔁 Share this episode with a friend, colleague, or book club who’d enjoy the discussion!

Send us a textJoin Professor Jeffrey Sachs and global security expert Jon Wolfsthal to unravel the stark reality behind the Doomsday Clock - now set at a perilous 89 seconds to midnight. What does this ominous timepiece truly measure, and why has humanity never been closer to catastrophe? Wolfsthal offers a behind-the-scenes look at the decision-making process that determines the clock’s position and insights into how and if we can move the clock further away from midnight. Together, they dive deep into the rising threats of nuclear war, climate change, AI-driven warfare, and biological risks, exposing the fragile state of global security. The conversation traces the history of the clock—from moments of de-escalation, like the Cold War’s end, to the unraveling of arms control agreements and the resurgence of dangerous geopolitical tensions. But it’s not all doom and gloom—this episode also lays out real, actionable solutions to push back from the brink and build a safer future. Can world leaders act in time, or are we sleepwalking into disaster? Tune in for a crucial discussion on humanity’s future—before it’s too late.Footnotes:Doomsday ClockBulletin of Atomic Scientists Einstein and the Nuclear Arms RaceTreaty on the Prohibition Nuclear WeaponsIvana Nikolić HughesNuclear WeaponOppenheimer Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty JFK Peace SpeechCuban Missile CrisisBiowarfareAlpha Fold Nobel Prize Dual-use TechnologyBiosafety Level Genetic EngineeringDisruptive Technologies⭐️ Thanks for listening to Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs! 📚 Join the conversation and go deeper into the ideas shaping our world. ➡️ Subscribe to the newsletter for episode updates, readings, and behind-the-scenes insights: https://bit.ly/subscribeBCJS ➡️ Explore past episodes, show notes, and featured books: https://bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org 🎧 Download and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. 📣 Love the show? Leave a rating and review - it helps more listeners find the podcast. 🔁 Share this episode with a friend, colleague, or book club who’d enjoy the discussion!

Send us a textJoin Professor Jeffrey Sachs and historian Eugene Rogan, professor of Modern Middle Eastern History at Oxford, as they delve into the complex history of the Arab world, from the Ottoman conquest in 1516 to today’s geopolitical crises of the modern Middle East. Through the lens of his acclaimed book The Arabs: A History, Rogan brilliantly examines the long history of foreign domination, the rise of Arab nationalism, the roles of Europe and the US as outside powers, and the unresolved conflicts shaping the Middle East until today.  Together, they offer us a masterclass in history that sheds light on the urgent questions of war, power, and the possibility of peace in the region. From Ottoman rule to European colonialism, the impact of the Balfour Declaration, and the ongoing Israeli Palestinian conflict, the conversation provides crucial historical context for today’s challenges.The Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs is brought to you by the SDG Academy, the flagship education initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Learn more and get involved at bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org.Footnotes:ZionistPalestine and Israel ConflictBritish Mandate for PalestineBalfour DeclarationCapture of Cairo (1517)PotentatesFly WhiskPanic of 1819Creditor NationSovereigntyWorld War IConstantinople AgreementThe Fall of the Ottomans: The Great War in the Middle East⭐️ Thanks for listening to Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs! 📚 Join the conversation and go deeper into the ideas shaping our world. ➡️ Subscribe to the newsletter for episode updates, readings, and behind-the-scenes insights: https://bit.ly/subscribeBCJS ➡️ Explore past episodes, show notes, and featured books: https://bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org 🎧 Download and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. 📣 Love the show? Leave a rating and review - it helps more listeners find the podcast. 🔁 Share this episode with a friend, colleague, or book club who’d enjoy the discussion!

Send us a textJoin Professor Jeffrey Sachs and award-winning journalist Annie Jacobsen as they discuss Jacobsen’s chilling and rigorous depiction of nuclear war in her groundbreaking book, Nuclear War: A Scenario. With meticulous research and interviews with military and political insiders, Jacobsen takes us through a riveting, heart-pounding, second-by-second scenario of a world-ending nuclear war.  From the technological aspects of nuclear weapons and missile defense systems to the horrifying and total incapacity of modern society to survive a nuclear onslaught, Jacobsen depicts the razor-thin margin separating us from catastrophe.Together, they delve into the sobering realities behind nuclear war games, miscalculated missile strikes, and the relentless risks of omnicidal escalation that history and simulations reveal. They reflect on the lessons of Cold War diplomacy, near-miss incidents, and past disarmament efforts. This conversation isn’t just a wake-up call—it’s a rallying cry to face and address the ultimate existential threat of our age: nuclear war. Tune in for a discussion that is as riveting as it is vital.The Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs is brought to you by the SDG Academy, the flagship education initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Learn more and get involved at bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org.Footnotes:Nuclear WarAmerican Security StateUS Weapons SystemsThe Pentagon's BrainOperation Paperclip Doomsday ClockSTRATCOMInterceptor MissileThe Effects of Nuclear WeaponsNuclear Electromagnetic PulseThermonuclear WeaponIvy Mike BombRichard GarwinTheodore Postol⭐️ Thanks for listening to Book Club with Jeffrey Sachs! 📚 Join the conversation and go deeper into the ideas shaping our world. ➡️ Subscribe to the newsletter for episode updates, readings, and behind-the-scenes insights: https://bit.ly/subscribeBCJS ➡️ Explore past episodes, show notes, and featured books: https://bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org 🎧 Download and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. 📣 Love the show? Leave a rating and review - it helps more listeners find the podcast. 🔁 Share this episode with a friend, colleague, or book club who’d enjoy the discussion!