Daniel Bessner — American Empire before and after 9/11

<p>In this week’s TGS, I’m joined once again by intellectual historian Daniel Bessner. Given Daniel’s area of scholarly expertise—US foreign relations—it should be no surprise that <strong>the recent withdrawal from Afghanistan</strong> colors our discussion. But we range much further than that. We debate Daniel’s conception of <strong>“American empire”</strong> <strong>and its origins in the Cold War</strong>. He is quite critical of American foreign policy during that period (and beyond), and I do push back on some of his more pointed critiques. We go on to discuss the course of America’s engagement with <strong>the world after the Cold War’s end</strong>, and Daniel offers a theory as to why the 1990s saw so much<strong> popular interest in World War II</strong>. We move on to discuss <strong>climate change as a particular kind of foreign policy problem</strong>. I out myself <strong>not exactly as a “climate skeptic,”</strong> but as someone who thinks we may be panicking prematurely. And yet, I think that changes in the climate may force us to <strong>radically rethink where and how we find meaning</strong> in our lives. Finally, since we’re both professors, we talk about <strong>Covid and the state of the modern university</strong>. </p><p>As you’ll see, Daniel and I have some <em>very</em> stark disagreements. But he’s a sharp, erudite, and good-natured debating partner, and it’s always a pleasure having him on the show. And if you’re intrigued by his arguments, subscribe to his podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/american-prestige/id1574741668" target="_blank">American Prestige</a>. I’m sure you’ll have some comments on this one, and I’m looking forward to reading them. </p><p><em>This post is free and available to the public. To receive early access to TGS episodes, Q&amp;As, and other exclusive content and benefits, click below.</em></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJp28_7J--s&#38;t=0s" target="_blank">0:00</a> Daniel’s new podcast, American Prestige</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJp28_7J--s&#38;t=622s" target="_blank">10:22</a> Did the US needlessly prolong the Cold War? </p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJp28_7J--s&#38;t=899s" target="_blank">14:59</a> Daniel: The Cold War actually limited political liberty within the US</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJp28_7J--s&#38;t=1287s" target="_blank">21:27</a> The cultural logic of American empire </p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJp28_7J--s&#38;t=1979s" target="_blank">32:59</a> Global inequities and existential threats</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJp28_7J--s&#38;t=2452s" target="_blank">40:52</a> The spiritual challenges of climate change</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJp28_7J--s&#38;t=3034s" target="_blank">50:34</a> Glenn: Capitalism is “the natural order of things”</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJp28_7J--s&#38;t=3323s" target="_blank">55:23</a> What Covid reveals about the modern American university</p><p>Links and Readings</p><p><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/american-prestige/id1574741668" target="_blank">Daniel’s new podcast, American Prestige</a></p><p><a href="https://amazon.com/Cold-Wars-Killing-Fields-Rethinking/dp/0062367218" target="_blank">Paul Thomas Chamberlin’s book, </a><a href="https://amazon.com/Cold-Wars-Killing-Fields-Rethinking/dp/0062367218" target="_blank"><em>The Cold War’s Killing Fields: Rethinking the Long Peace</em></a></p><p><a href="https://amazon.com/Atlantic-Crossings-Social-Politics-Progressive/dp/0674002016" target="_blank">Daniel Rodgers’ book, </a><a href="https://amazon.com/Atlantic-Crossings-Social-Politics-Progressive/dp/0674002016" target="_blank"><em>Atlantic Crossings: Social Politics in a Progressive Age</em></a></p><p><a href="https://amazon.com/Holocaust-American-Life-Peter-Novick/dp/0618082328" target="_blank">Peter Novick’s book, </a><a href="https://amazon.com/Holocaust-American-Life-Peter-Novick/dp/0618082328" target="_blank"><em>The Holocaust in American Life</em></a></p><p><a href="https://amazon.com/That-Noble-Dream-Objectivity-Historical/dp/0521357454" target="_blank">Peter Novick’s book, </a><a href="https://amazon.com/That-Noble-Dream-Objectivity-Historical/dp/0521357454" target="_blank"><em>That Noble Dream: The “Objectivity” Question and the American Historical Profession</em></a></p><p><a href="https://amazon.com/Rescuing-Socrates-Changed-Matter-Generation" target="_blank">Roosevelt Montás, </a><a href="https://amazon.com/Rescuing-Socrates-Changed-Matter-Generation" target="_blank"><em>Rescuing Socrates: How the Great Books Changed My Life and Why They Matter for a New Generation </em></a></p><p>Glenn Loury’s Intellectual Origins (with Daniel Bessner)</p><p><a href="https://glennloury.substack.com/p/glenn-lourys-intellectual-origins-c2d" target="_blank">Part One</a></p><p><a href="https://glennloury.substack.com/p/glenn-lourys-intellectual-origins-4f9" target="_blank">Part Two</a></p><p><a href="https://glennloury.substack.com/p/glenn-lourys-intellectual-origins-a80" target="_blank">Part Three</a></p><p><a href="https://glennloury.substack.com/p/glenn-lourys-intellectual-origins-c03" target="_blank">Part Four</a></p> <br /><br />This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://glennloury.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">glennloury.substack.com/subscribe</a>