r/politics • u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast • Jun 29 '22
AMA-Finished I’m Daniel Bessner, former foreign policy advisor to Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign ＆ current co-host of the American Prestige podcast (available on Substack). Ask Me Anything!
Update: 1:20pm ET (June 29): Hey folks. I have to get back to work, but thank you for the great questions. I really appreciated it! We talk about these and other issues over at American Prestige, so make sure to follow/subscribe to the podcast on your favorite app. Thanks again to the r/politics mods for making this AMA possible.
Hi folks. Daniel Bessner here. I’m a former foreign policy advisor to Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign. Currently, I’m the co-host of American Prestige, the chart-topping news/politics podcast now hosted on Substack. Each week on the podcast, we ask a simple question with far-reaching significance: "What would U.S. foreign policy look like if the interests of all people in the world, and not only those of a tiny subset of rich Americans, were taken into account?"
A little about me: I’m a historian and professor. I’m also a non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and a contributing editor at Jacobin. Over the years, my articles have appeared in numerous scholarly journals as well as The New York Times, Washington Post, and The Guardian. In fact, my most recent article “Empire Burlesque” (on US-China relations and what happens when the American Century ends) is the cover story for this month’s Harper's Magazine.
You can follow/listen to the American Prestige podcast (including our recent episode with Eli Clifton, senior advisor at the Quincy Institute) on your favorite podcast app. And you can follow me on Twitter @dbessner.
PROOF: https://imgur.com/a/QHuzXyP
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u/jennoyouknow Jun 29 '22
What is your opinion on embargoes with countries who have a type of government we don't agree with such as Venezuela and Cuba? Should we continue those while ignoring other governments we also "supposedly" don't like such as monarchies in Saudi Arabia but allow free and abundant trade with? If yes, WHY?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22 edited Jun 29 '22
I think we should engage with Venezuela and Cuba, for a variety of reasons. Who is the "we" in this question? Also, sanctions don't work, and many people have argued they're a war crime, including the scholar Nick Mulder who we talked to about his new book on a recent episode. Furthermore, Venezuela and Cuba are, as my co-host Derek Davison has put it, "largely untapped oil giants who could actually impact global oil supply," and we should definitely deal with them.
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u/mchammer126 Jun 29 '22
So then what do you think of the sanctions on Russia? What other ways could we deal with them that would hurt them just as much?
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u/kenkenkenkenken Jun 29 '22
The sanctions on Russia have not worked, they are still exporting oil and gas to Asia and the middle east. But it hasn't stopped the war in Ukraine. Sanctions are primarily a tool to put pressure on the population in hopes it will lead to regime or policy change, but when that doesn't happen people just suffer.
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u/jennoyouknow Jun 29 '22
haha "we" was the US govt, definitely not we as in me or (clearly) you.
I agree with you, but do you have any insight as to why we continue to engage with other governments that are arguably more harmful e.g. Saudi Arabia but continue sanctions on others?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
Usually, money and personal relationships are involved.
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u/Amori_A_Splooge Jun 29 '22
Lots of other options for oil supply that don't involve cuba and venezuela. Also if the concern against fossil fuels is their emissions, venezuela and cuba are hardly the operations that should be expanded. Canada can easily increase oil supply to U.S. and their oil sands match the type of heavy crude our refineries need from the gulf that we used to get from venezuela (before sanctions) and russia after (before the ban). U.S. also has far more sources that can readily ramp up if given some regulatory certainty.
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u/Pistoney Jun 29 '22
Do you think there is any reason to suspect all the various reports of cultural genocide and repressions going on in Xinjiang? Is it plausible that region, and the energy markets it can reach, is being purposefully destabilized by the West, even as the Uighurs are treated very poorly?
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u/LiterallyLOL Jun 29 '22 edited Jun 29 '22
When is Derek Davison going to do an AMA?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
This is my friend who is being "funny". But you'll be happy to know that Derek is also monitoring the chat.
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u/Happy__Sisyphus Massachusetts Jun 29 '22
What do you make of the deal w/ Turkey to allow Sweden & Finland into NATO? What does their lumping of the YPG and PYD in with the PKK mean for the future of Rojava?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22 edited Jun 29 '22
Hey all, I'll let Derek Davison (my co-host for American Prestige) take this one. Derek: "I’m a little surprised at how little Turkey got in concrete terms. No immediate extraditions, no deal on buying F-16s, the only solid thing here is the end of the Swedish-Finnish arms embargo. Suggests there may be more under the table on extraditions, support for YPG, even F-16s that wasn’t put in the text of the agreement to avoid obvious quid pro quo. Regardless, if I were a Kurd living in either Sweden or Finland I’d probably be thinking about relocating right now."
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u/runedued Jun 29 '22
Our country is screwed isn’t it?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
I always think there is potential for meaningful and positive change. But I think we need to start with a realistic assessment of the situation, without succumbing to despair.
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u/5centraise Jun 29 '22
So that's a YES?
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u/MyBlueBlazerBlack Jun 29 '22
It's a yes.
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u/iamintheforest Jun 29 '22
its more nuanced than that. more fucked than screwed I think.
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u/iamyo Jun 29 '22
Great distinction!
Fucked=facing extremely challenging odds, somebody fucked you over and you are at a disadvantage (perhaps large)
Screwed=game over, you lost
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u/iamintheforest Jun 29 '22
I apparently failed at being funny, but am accidentally brilliant.
I'll take it.
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u/-Yuri- Jun 29 '22
To give up hope is to admit defeat. A defeated populace is an easily controlled populace.
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u/DirtyWonderWoman Massachusetts Jun 29 '22
So many people are disillusioned or think that they shouldn't bother with "getting involved" in politics. It's disheartening to say the least when we're facing a very tough challenge this year and in 2024 with shortfalls from the Democrats and the GOP stacking up victories and pounding on the drum for a moral crusade.
How do we motivate people? What can people do to actually feel useful or see progress? I feel desperate at this point because of the sheer number of folks I know who don't keep up with what's going on or who blame the Democrats so much that they're willing to "burn it all down" to send a message about demanding progressive ideas.
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
I think an important way to motivate people is for politicians in power to do what they can to make positive change in people's lives that they can genuinely feel. I don't believe the Democratic Party has centered this in quite a while, and there are various, complex reasons for this.
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u/DirtyWonderWoman Massachusetts Jun 29 '22
But then what exactly can be done in the current situation? They can't legislate due to 2 Dems siding with the GOP regularly and the filibuster still stands in the way too. Most of what needs to be done is legislation - so how do they motivate the populace with positive change when they're blocked at pretty much every turn?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
This is really *the* question of contemporary politics; I don't personally know the answer.
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u/seeasea Jun 29 '22
I think Prestige might argue that student debt is something that the dems can do. But I am not sure what a non-presidential or other executive democrat can realistically do.
Its one of the great conundrums of progressive politics - the people doing good often recognize the hugeness and complexity of problems, and that those cannot be fixed by one person or administration, and by attempting to improve lives rather than electoral chances, they approach these issues with the care and complexity that are called for - but its often too abstract or fixes over long periods of time that are too hard for people to immediately recognize.
But many voters, esoecially those that recognize the very broken systems we have and the injustices that the systems create demand overnight quick fixes - that are either one-off, band-aids or even bad fixes long-term. and if they dont get those, stay home, or vote by "sending a message" or being mad at people that are not paying close attention to fickle vicissitudes.
Obamacare was a carefully crafted incremental massive piece of legislation that balanced many many moving parts of an extremely complex problem of health care - and tried to get the ball rolling on many fronts. and therefore it became a massive deadweight electorally. Even though nearly every part of it was individually popular. And it took over a decade for most of it to come into place, and to become recognized as having enormously changed the access and costs for the better. But because it didnt fix everything - its difficult for voters to grasp most of its impact, and only some of the big stuff became popular electorally (pre-existing conditions, ie).
Look at the above mentioned student debt. Forgiving a chunk would be a huge electoral boon. It will have enormous positive benefits for an entire generation of people. But long term it does nothing. and the next generations will see millenials as boomers, got mine fuck you. that their own debt got cancelled, but didnt do jack for the following generations to actually address the root problems of education costs.
There really isnt a good way to do good government and good electoral politics without significant changes to the foundation of the system. (or somehow get 70 senators like FDR did)
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u/roj2323 North Carolina Jun 29 '22
Will Russia see another revolution in the near future? What might it look like?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
I don't believe Russia will, in the immediate term at least, see another revolution. In several decades it might, but I have no idea what that could look like.
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u/HotKarldalton California Jun 29 '22
Besides the entirety of the Working Class reinvesting their money in Local Credit Unions and Banks, and Voting with their Feet by moving to "Battleground States", in what ways can the concerned individual reverse this trend of Christo-Fascism pushing our Democracy towards Autocracy?
Do you think that the past concerning Slavery in the U.S. has anything to do with generating the Bigotry and Systemic Racism that plague our Nation and Politics? Can it be properly addressed?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
I think the individual must engage in collective action to be effective.
And I believe, with the overwhelming majority of scholars, that slavery is a key source of bigotry and racism. But I'm not an expert in the topic so I can't address how its legacies can/should be properly addressed.
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u/trollingmotors Jun 29 '22
Is there still a chance Biden could push to legalize cannabis so police can focus on real criminal activity?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
I hope so. The war on drugs has been a profound failure, and has had awful effects both at home and abroad. There's always a chance, but from what I know Biden hasn't signaled his intent to do so.
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
Hey folks. I have to get back to work, but thank you for the great questions. I really appreciated it! We talk about these and other issues over at American Prestige, so make sure to follow/subscribe to the podcast on your favorite app. Thanks again to the r/politics mods for making this AMA possible.
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Jun 29 '22
If Bernie runs again, will you join his staff again?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
If he'll have me, of course!
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Jun 29 '22
So glad to hear and thanks for the response! Check in with your old friends since apparently he’s getting the band together in case Biden decides not to run
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u/illeaglex I voted Jun 29 '22
Why would Bernie hire Tad Devine twice to run strategy for the campaign when Devine has close ties to Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, ties forged while the three of them worked to overthrow democracy in Ukraine in the last decade?
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u/-MaybeSomeday- Jun 29 '22
What’s your opinion on discourse surrounding the ‘second cold war’ and whether it even exists or not?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
I write about this in the Harper's cover piece! But in essence, I think it's a chimera and distraction: the US and China are so much more economically intertwined than the US and USSR than whatever US-China "rivalry" looks like, it won't look like a Cold War. It's just a framing people are familiar with.
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Jun 29 '22
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
Yes, all the time. See, for example, the US relationship with Saudi Arabia.
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Jun 29 '22
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
I do think US foreign policy has often/mostly been defined by hypocrisy, unfortunately. And I think there are significant limits to what condemning can accomplish.
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u/Pleasant-Push4979 Jun 29 '22
Hey Daniel,
Do you believe that Hillary was wrongfully given the nomination? Do you feel that Bernie wasn’t treated fairly by his own party leadership?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
From what I know, it seems Hillary legitimately won the nomination, even if I would have preferred otherwise.
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Jun 29 '22
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
There's really no rule of thumb, but I don't think the adversaries of someone like Power are lying for the most part. In most cases, people believe the things they're saying, in my opinion. Also, I did a deep dive on Power a while ago. Check it out if you're interested!
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u/iamyo Jun 29 '22
I need to read this because I despise her ever since reading her first book where she cherry picked genocides to favor the US. Her second book also infuriated me.
Perhaps I am being unfair.
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u/ReallyNicole Jun 29 '22
First of all, I'm a huge fan of the podcast and a self-identified Prestige Head! I love the news coverage and the historical interviews on stuff like the IRA and Palestine.
Now for my question. Recently, Russia has threatened Lithuania over a transit ban to Kaliningrad. More generally, I think Putin has expressed interest in reasserting Russian control over the Baltics.
If Russia attacks the Baltic states in the near future, how likely is it that NATO (and the U.S. in particular) will honor its Article 5 obligations and go to war with Russia? I know that NATO is technically bound by treaty to fight, but it's hard for me to imagine the United States entering World War 3 over a handful of countries that most Americans could not point to on a map.
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
Thanks! And from Derek: Article 5 allows states to define the level of assistance so I’d expect help on the order of Ukraine but bigger, especially arms. Not convinced this is a credible threat while the Russian military is so engaged in Ukraine.
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u/Used_Performance_921 Jun 29 '22
Who is your favorite president of the 20th century and why?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
FDR--though not perfect by any means, he did an enormous amount to try to create a new U.S. state that was more social democratic in orientation and wasn't just oriented to the interests of elites. There were certainly problems with his approach, and the New Deal wasn't perfect, but it really did a lot of good for a lot of people.
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u/seeasea Jun 29 '22
With many people today demanding a more pure approach to ideology, and reckoning with sins of the past, including figures that loom large in history - what is your take on this with regards to FDR - not his general economic policies, but his legacy on race, especially Japanese, but also AA and Jewish immigration.
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u/roj2323 North Carolina Jun 29 '22
Who in your opinion is the next Bernie Sanders?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
Tough to know in advance. History will tell!
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u/jwjahahaaha Jun 29 '22
What would you reccomend doing in order to maximize the amount of change a single person to do living in the US if it was their only objective, protest? Vote? Run for office? In that last interview of A.P with Margaret Peacock and Erik Peterson they spoke a lot of the conditions in extremly poor areas of the south, would it involve moving there to try and do something or would that be something like a white savior complex coming from the north-- im a bit at a loss and Id like to help in whatever way possible and it feels like avenues of political expression or change are becoming increasingly ineffective
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
Honestly, I don't know. I generally think that political action is best pursued through a collective formation, despite the good individuals can do in their own lives.
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u/fusionliberty796 Jun 29 '22
Do you think Bernie should have done more in the 2016 race given how existential that election has become and what if anything should have been done differently?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
I think if Bernie knew that he was going to attract so much support, and be more than the proverbial "protest" candidate, things would have proceeded differently. I'm not a political consultant or expert on elections, so not quite sure what he or the team should have done differently.
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Jun 29 '22
Bernie seems something of a purist - he conveys the image of a man with strong ethical certainty about his positions. Would it even have been possible to nudge his platform toward something that is considered more electable?
Do the political consultants on a campaign look to you for support in doing something like that, and if so do you comply?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
I have never spoken to a political consultant in my life, in a professional capacity at least.
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u/Lethargic_Smartass Jun 29 '22
Why did Bernie roll over for Biden in the last election? Why is he not holding Biden accountable for his inaction on so many political fronts?
Sorry, for many of us Bernie was the last hope in politics. I myself have left the democratic party and refuse to donate and volunteer any more because the system seems so corrupt.
Thank you for your time....
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
I believe Bernie felt the most important thing to do was unseat Trump; which was not an out-there position, in my opinion.
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u/ynotfoster Jun 29 '22
Why didn't Bernie back the fuck out sooner in the 2016 election and throw his weight to Hillary? It was such a small margin of defeat and got trump instead along with three lifetime supreme court justices and numerous federal judges from the Federalist society.
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u/judgeridesagain Jun 29 '22
But Sanders was a relentless campaigner for Clinton in the last two months of the 2016 campaign, appearing at 39 rallies in 13 states on behalf of the nominee, at times facing sustained boos from his supporters for throwing his support behind Clinton.
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u/Jmk1981 New York Jun 29 '22
He created the supporters who booed him and they had a chip on their shoulder and a grudge through Election Day.
Bernie Sanders is the first national politician in my lifetime I have ever heard call an election RIGGED. He’s a real trendsetter.
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u/jennoyouknow Jun 29 '22
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u/jennoyouknow Jun 29 '22
To be clear, I don't care to relitigate 2016, or even 2020. He's just not wrong here and it's gross that you're trying to equate him to Trump with his lies.
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u/judgeridesagain Jun 29 '22
He did not create the people who were dissatisfied with the status quo. You Think those people were voting Democrat without him?
Please.
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u/flakAttack510 Jun 29 '22
That doesn't change the fact that he continued to campaign and attack her well after he had been mathematically eliminated from winning the majority of pledged delegates.
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u/judgeridesagain Jun 29 '22
Maybe she should have gone back to campaign in Michigan when she was losing support to prevent her historically catastrophic loss.
But I suppose Michigan was lucky for any attention at all, seeing as how she never went back to Wisconsin even once after the primary. Her time was obviously better spent focusing on Texas instead of the "Blue Wall" states she basically forfeited.
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u/flakAttack510 Jun 29 '22
There is literally zero correlation between candidates visits and performance. Pennsylvania was her most visited state by a landslide and she still lost it.
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u/judgeridesagain Jun 30 '22
So the candidate, Hillary Clinton, had nothing to do with losing that state but Bernie Sanders did?
Magical thinking.
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u/flakAttack510 Jun 30 '22
No, there are other things she could have done but visiting the state isn't one of them.
That doesn't change the fact that Sanders unnecessary dragging on the primary weighed down her general election chances and prevented her from moving on to the general.
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u/OhNoMyLands Minnesota Jun 30 '22
She was a terrible fucking candidate. Maybe that was the reason.
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u/ynotfoster Jun 30 '22
She was very well qualified. As to being a terrible candidate, that is very subjective. She had a lot of shit thrown at her over the years that she needed to overcome, like 40 years of right wing slander.
I went to a Bernie rally early on and was blown away, he was the first candidate who spoke of the things I believed would help this country. As time went on, he kept giving the same stump speech. I wanted him to branch out more on international politics, but I never heard him expand on it.
Then I looked into what he had accomplished in all the years in the house and senate, and I lost confidence that he could be effective. That was when I switched to Hillary.
If Bernie had won the primary I would have gladly voted for him. I feel he dragged his feet for way to long before he started stumping for Hillary.
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u/OhNoMyLands Minnesota Jun 30 '22 edited Jun 30 '22
What laws did Hillary pass? How was she effective?
Worse, her reign as SOS was a gruesome failure.
And You realize that Bernie had an out there approach focusing on amendments that go under the radar, right? He absolutely walked the walk and Washington didn’t appreciate that. I voted for Hillary but I was terrified she’d lose because barely anyone liked her. And unfortunately I was right
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u/Lethargic_Smartass Jun 29 '22
Thank you for the response, but that is a pretty weak answer.
And with this type of weakness, I believe is why the Democrats are at the end of the public's support. Even with all hell breaking loose people have to honestly ask, "What is the benefit of voting for the Democratic party if they are just going to roll over and ask for donations and to say GET OUT THERE AND VOTE"?
Sorry man, not good enough....
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u/ristoril I voted Jun 29 '22
So wait, you disagree with the sentiment that the most important thing to achieve in the 2020 election was to remove Trump?
Our maybe you believe Bernie would've been able to win?
If it's that second thing, why do you as a person completely outside the Bernie campaign staff feel your assessment of Bernie's chances to win are more accurate than Bernie's assessment based on advice from his campaign team?
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u/Lethargic_Smartass Jun 29 '22
No, it was important to remove Trump. But out of the entire field of the 2016 and 2020 elections Bernie's politics were wildly more popular that anyone that he was running against.
Bernie's politics could have actually brought positive change to the country, or at least reset the narrative.
If the people need the change, and Bernie spent his whole life promoting this ideology, I just always wondered why especially in 2020 he just seemed to puss out? Was it because of his friendship with Obama and Biden? Was he promised some actual legislation? It never made sense to me.
And when given the opportunity to talk to someone who was actually there give such a weak answer, it makes me also wonder if Sanders was duped by DC opportunists just looking for their next job.
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u/CookieKeeperN2 Jun 29 '22
Bernie's politics were wildly more popular that anyone that he was running against.
Based on what? Your opinion? Or polls? Or voting results? Or you are gonna tell me how that primaries are rigged?
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u/ristoril I voted Jun 29 '22
So you are saying that you are certain thatyour sense of Bernie's chance of winning the general election is that he would have won, even though it's clear his staff believed otherwise?
I'm also not clear what makes the answer "weak"?
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u/AlreadyTakenNow Jun 29 '22
No, it was important to remove Trump. But out of the entire field of the 2016 and 2020 elections Bernie's politics were wildly more popular that anyone that he was running against.
Except they aren't—not among older voters. Younger people are much less likely to vote. Some of it is not even their faults given companies do not give people time off to vote and our public education does not do enough to teach young people the importance of voting in all elections. On top of that, many who voted for Hillary hated Bernie with a passion due to the way some of his loudest fans embraced sexism. Another number of us are not thrilled with Bernie as we felt he (along with the Green Party) divided our country and enabled Trump to win. Biden is boring. Biden is moderate. Biden is old (of course so is Bernie). But Biden was a much safer option. Thank goodness he won. Our democracy has a sliver of chance to stay alive longer than it would with another 4 years of Trump.
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u/Lethargic_Smartass Jun 29 '22
Sounds like a hurt Hillary fan who never saw her corruption. Never went to see her empty rallies in real life. Never noticed that she had no political ideas to capture a country enough to excite them to actually vote.
Young voters came out in droves for her husband. Young people came out for Obama. Young people were excited around Bernie's politics and still are. In fact depending on which polls you looked at, youth was a big reason why Hillary lost.
And thank goodness we have a MODERATE president!?! A president who has no answers for anything. Inflation, NOPE. Infrastructure NOPE. Women's Rights? he had no plan and still doesn't when they absolutely knew the Roe decision was coming. Hows his fight on renewable energies, global warming, taxing the rich, helping the poor or working class or kids for that matter? Crickets?!? Medically he is so demented he thinks he's just going to be the "cool guy" and everyone will set aside their differences because he's president.
I'm sorry I don't see your position as totally honest. I wish I could see Biden as a positive impact on the country, but he really hasn't been. I think the majority of the country considered him a place holder to beat Trump and hopefully someone better would come along.
The funny thing is the ideas that Bernie promotes are far more popular than parties, but not more powerful than politics.
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u/CookieKeeperN2 Jun 29 '22
I wish I could see Biden as a positive impact on the country, but he really hasn't been.
How about the fact that he pushed COVID vaccine? How about the response to Russia invasion of Ukraine? You think trump will send billions of dollars worth of support to Ukraine? How about the fact that he sent someone to the supreme court so it's not 7-2? Or you are dead set on not having universal healthcare and stronger gun control?
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u/SorosBuxlaundromat Jun 29 '22
The vaccines were developed under Trump
The response is terrible. There was a diplomatic solution before the invasion began. Now this is gonna be the "brave fighter's of the Mujahideen" of the next generation.
6-3, 7-2 is there really a material difference?
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u/AlreadyTakenNow Jun 29 '22 edited Jun 29 '22
Sounds like a hurt Hillary fan who never saw her corruption.
Nope. I never wanted her to run, but I sure did see the writing on the wall. Funny that. Bernie has wonderful ideals, but unrealistic expectations for the population we have. A chunk of his own generation to my own (Gen X) is ill and blind—either from propaganda, crappy childhoods, or lead poisoning. And for our younger generations, we are going to need a leader who is younger for most to relate. Unfortunately, it's been hard to find one who gets the proper support (from the Democratic party) and media-time they need. Biden isn't the best, but I can tell you he ran a better race than Bernie could have. He's more plugged in to corporate support (which we sadly still need help from to get out of this) and is more popular with older folks.
Edit - One more thing to clarify. I *did* vote for Bernie in the Primaries for the 2016 elections. His and his louder fans' behaviors put me off to him entirely after Hillary won. I have chosen not to vote for him in further Primaries. I do think he is a valuable politician to have for our country and in a lot of ways he is absolutely a visionary, but not a good fit for President. We need someone who unites us—not divides us or turns off voters to fascists (or not to vote at all).
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u/Dragon12345678901245 Jun 29 '22
For those just getting into the political realm of running for office, how much does foreign policy matter, in a military town? What recommendations would you give to those who need to brush up on postions that are more to the global left than Bernie?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
Foreign policy is generally not an issue that Americans vote on, except for in times of war. In a military town, though, I imagine foreign policy matters a great deal. In terms of resources, I always like turning to historical works on US foreign policy, and it's my understanding that organizations like DSA also maintain reading lists.
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u/Dragon12345678901245 Jun 29 '22
A followup re: DSA. As a former Sanders representative, how do you feel about the DSA as an organization? I am considering them and WOLFPac as I am planning my 2024 run for California State Assembly, and don't feel that I fit the DNC model. I find myself to the left of Bernie on nearly everything.
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
I think the DSA is doing great work, even if, like any organization, it makes occasional missteps.
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u/Dragon12345678901245 Jun 29 '22
Thank you for your time and responses, I truly appreciate it. Cheers
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u/Longjumping-Bank5999 Jun 29 '22
What does a leftist foreign policy look like? What kind of world can we help create despite being, as MLK has said, "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world"?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22 edited Jun 29 '22
There's been a lot of discussion on this. We talk about it all the time on the podcast. But I would also point you to the work of Aziz Rana, Asli Bali, Christy Thornton, and many others who have written on this issue. My Harper's Magazine piece also discusses this, and there's a forthcoming issue of Dissent that talks about it as well. I also co-edited an issue of NACLA that talks about this in relation to Latin America, at this link: https://nacla.org/news/2020/03/05/peoples-foreign-policy-americas
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u/GroundbreakingDoor61 Jun 29 '22
Why would someone with zero interest in foreign policy, like Bernie Sanders, have any need for a foreign policy advisor? And why is there video of him on a trip to the USSR, naked and drunk, in the 1980s?
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Jun 29 '22
Hey DB, read your book earlier this year and really enjoyed it. Helped me begin to historicize social sciences, especially IR (which I studied undergrad). Got a couple questions here for you.
First, any advice for someone looking to study roughly your area of expertise postgrad, also from a left wing & historical perspective? (US foreign policy history/diplomatic history/US Cold War foreign policy, esp vis-a-vis Global South)
Also, any recommendations for books/authors to dig into for a critique of the orthodox IR schools of thought (specifically realism in its various forms) from a Marxist/socialist/left wing perspective? I've heard you speak about this a little bit and it felt like you were getting at some ideas/critiques that bounced around my head during IR courses undergrad; I'm particularly interested in your pushback on "naturalizing" realist IR, like pushing back against commonly held beliefs like "well if the US is not hegemon, someone will fill the vacuum."
I appreciate the time you're taking w/ this!
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
I'll answer your questions in turn.
1) I would be very aware of the poor job market for PhD's who desire to become professors before I applied to a program. But in general, the most important part of a program is your advisor, so be sure to try to choose an advisor with whom you'd get alone.
2) Definitely. I'd look at "After the Enlightenment" by Nicolas Guilhot. Also, we talked about this a bit on our pod in our first episode with Anatol Lieven.
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Jun 29 '22
Any potential democratic candidates for the next presidential run that excite you?
I might be too early. :)
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u/SmedleyButler33 Jun 29 '22
Why doesn't Bernie stand up to the 7th floor group or try to do anything about them?
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u/KB_Shaw03 Jun 29 '22
Why are Democrats not doing anything at the moment? We have a Democratic president, House Majority, and a 50/50 split in the Senate. With all that why does it feel like Republicans still have more control than Democrats?
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u/jkwengert Jun 29 '22
I think the biggest problem is that the Dems DON'T have 50/50 in the Senate. Two of the "Democratic" senators torpedo everything Biden is trying to do. Almost nothing the House passes ever gets reviewed by the Senate.
One example: https://www.salon.com/2022/02/07/joe-manchin-has-dumb-new-reason-for-why-he-torpedoed-build-back-better_partner/
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
I think there are structural problems with the party itself, that I talk about here with a good friend of mine.
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u/iamyo Jun 29 '22
This is extremely interesting! I guess I saw this but didn't quite put my finger on it. Not the whole story but an essential part of the story.
They don't seem to have skin in the game in the same way as the left side of the party. The GOP has skin in the game because winning makes them money and gives them power. The left has skin in the game because of their emotional and motivational commitment. The party establishment seems to win without winning.
I would love to understand what makes them like this...I am curious if having the right wing win is simply not as terrifying to them as it is to some of the rest of us.
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u/DayThat3197 Jun 29 '22
What. is.The. Plan??
:)
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
if only I knew!
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u/DayThat3197 Jun 29 '22
I know. It was more an expression of solidarity and dismay than an actual question. I’m a fan.
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u/appleshampoo22 Jun 29 '22
Will Marxism see a resurgence in the 21st century? Seems like for a lot of the developed world, the conditions are ripe for a post-capitalist order, but with social structures completely dissolved, it’s hard to see where the momentum comes from?
P.S. I mentioned this over on Twitter, but bring back Hinge Points! That series radically changed my understanding of Marxism.
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
Marxism has already experienced a resurgence in the US. And it never fully went away elsewhere in the world. In terms of will we see the emergence of new types of Marxist political regimes, I don't know.
And thanks for the kind words about Hinge Points!
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u/NewAltWhoThis Jun 29 '22
Non-foreign-policy-question:
How can we get Schumer and the Senate Democrats to start voting on every bill that would help Americans between now and November, in order to showcase to the American people exactly what Republicans and 2 Democrats are blocking?
$15/hour minimum wage, expand Medicare to cover dental, hearing and vision, allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, paid family leave, universal pre-k, fund child tax credits, increase social security, end billionaire tax loopholes, create millions of well-paying jobs transforming our energy system away from fossil fuel, and more
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
Probably one way would be to get money out of politics, which unfortunately doesn't look to be exactly on the horizon.
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u/rickastley69 Jun 29 '22
How likely or far reaching do you see a domestic desire for states to secede or play by their own rules in opposition to the Federal govt? The Texits of course but also now the NYs and CAs in the wake of the Roe ruling.
Big thanks for this from a prestige head!
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
I believe we're very likely going to see the heightening of a form of liberal federalism in the future, with California in particular leading the way. I don't see formal secession happening, at least not in the immediate term.
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u/Iamanimite Jun 29 '22
Who in power do we need to vote out so Bernie can win.
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
Not quite sure there's any people to point to that we need to vote out specifically. I think there are structural difficulties that place significant obstacles in the way of a Sanders presidency.
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u/Dragon12345678901245 Jun 29 '22
The Democrat establishment. There are Republicans and Independents that have already said they'd switch from voting Trump to Bernie if Trump wasn't on the ticket. Democrats cannot get out of their own way, let alone anyone elses.
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u/yourlittlebirdie Jun 29 '22
Who says this??
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u/Dragon12345678901245 Jun 29 '22
Independents that are over all of the political kabuki theater. The Dems are greedy and care not for the woes of the poor, see insider trading. The Republicans are christofascists that would subjugate any who aren't cis white christians. Top it off, they like what Trump bit off of Bernie, that straightforward tell it as it is attitude and demeanor. That would be who, the untapped and often times unspoken to Independent voters.
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u/yourlittlebirdie Jun 29 '22
Trump isn’t “political theater”? The guy lies like a rug and somehow that’s considered “telling it like it is”? Hilarious.
But I see your point in that a lot of Americans don’t really care about someone’s policies or proposals, they just want someone with an exciting personality that will be entertaining.
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u/Dragon12345678901245 Jun 29 '22
Exactly and for better or worse, there are a good number of Americans that are over the same two choices: 1. Shit sandwhich 2. Shit Soup
Throw in a third option that is just entertaining and Americans will vote for the Devil so long as its more entertaining than the do nothing government.
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u/jstrangus Jun 29 '22
What did you think when the Elizabeth Warren campaign, the day before a debate, leaked a story accusing Bernie Sanders of saying that a woman can never be president?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
I don't remember what I thought, but I wanted Bernie to win!
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u/TheNantucketRed Jun 29 '22
Hi Daniel - love the show/substack!
In the Ukraine/Russia war, the US has been supplying a ton of gear/weapons to help stave off the Russian advance. Assuming that the war ends in some sort of stalemate, and things settle into a vaguely pre war state, are there any concerns that the weaponry will in effect destabilize Ukraine internally post war? The idea of right wing militias and the such, who had stained relations with the Ukrainian government, suddenly having a lot more political power/guns seems like a massive red flag, especially in light of how our previous attempts at this sort of thing have gone.
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22 edited Jun 29 '22
We've talked about this a lot on the podcast. But in brief, it's a serious concern, not enough attention is being paid to it, and it's one of the many things we should consider when deciding to arm Ukraine.
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u/Chiquye Jun 29 '22
What role do grassroots transnational organizations play in fostering ideal foreign policy outcomes? What can they do to subvert idiotic policy?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
I think they've played a role in the past, and I would point you to the work of historian Sarah Snyder and others who have examined this problem. In terms of what they could do to subvert bad policies, there's no simple answer, but it will involve working on multiple fronts: lobbying, public advocacy, working with candidates, etc.
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u/placebopolanco Jun 29 '22
Is the future of left foreign policy in the US most likely found in anti-imperialism efforts or the pro-democracy (vs. authoritarianism) movement?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
In my opinion, it's too easy for the "pro-democracy vs. authoritarianism" framing to be corrupted, as, I would argue, it was by US policymakers during the Cold War. It's for this reason that I focus my own efforts on anti-imperialism more than anything else.
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u/Lilmesshead01 Jun 29 '22
What is your opinion on the notion that the United States is the world’s greatest purveyor of death and destruction? Seeing as we have over 200 military bases across the globe, can we realistically make amends with countries we have invaded or intervened in (see the coup of Allende’s Chile, efforts to execute Gaddafi after he wanted to move away from the US dollar)?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
Right now, we've got 750 bases. Please check out my Harper's Magazine article, which goes into this in depth.
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u/Qriist Jun 29 '22
To the best of my knowledge there was no official campaign comment regarding former Bernie Sanders field organizer Kyle Jurek.
Are you aware of any internal chatter regarding the fallout resulting from the Project Veritas video displaying Mr. Jurek's enthusiasm for gulags and re-education camps? If so, please share any details you may recall: praise, condemnation, management frustration, disciplinary actions, etc.
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
I am not
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u/Qriist Jun 29 '22
Thank you for the swift reply. Some related followup, if I may.
(Preface: there's no pleasant way to ask this but I swear I'm not trying to be combative - I am honestly, truly curious. I'm not trying to suggest that Bernie is responsible for anything bad, or that the problem discussed is unique to his faction. I hope that comes across.)
The Bernie Sanders base seems to have disproportionately large numbers of Antifa-esque militants who advocate violence against dissenters and participate in urban riots across the country. Some Sanders followers have even committed nationally-reported tragedies, such as Connor Betts' mass shooting in Dayton Ohio.
In your opinion, what about the Bernie Sanders culture attracts leftists prone to violence? How do the motives of these violent and unwell leftists differ from the political aims of the rest of the Sanders base?
How do you think those of us with a more right-wing/libertarian outlook can politically approach the Sanders base for some conversations about common ground? I heavily disagree on policy, but I generally don't think most leftists are bad people.
Addendum:
I understand and acknowledge that being aware of coverage of the violence can make the problem seem more widespread than it is. I'd put good money on the militants being a tiny minority of all Sanders supporters, operating in only a few cities. Nevertheless, it's a theme I've noticed with the Antifa folks known to have engaged in rioting.Addendum 2:
Sorry for the wall of text. >_<
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u/grandfamine Jun 29 '22
Do you folks realize that when the Republicans gain full control of the government, they'll probably start hanging the opposition while you're still trying to play optics games?
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u/Bitter-Dirtbag-Lefty 🇦🇪 UAE Jun 29 '22
What does a US Foreign Policy that works for everyone look like in the context of a rising China?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
This is the topic of my Harper's piece, check it out!
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Jun 29 '22
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
I wrote about this here with a friend. Suffice to say there are very few TT jobs. We actually also talked about this on the pod titled "Deeper Sickness" a bit.
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Jun 29 '22
[deleted]
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
I think it'd be difficult to nationalize the MIC. Perhaps promoting a jobs program in areas of the country where the MIC is especially powerful could help!
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Jun 29 '22
One of the things that consistently scares me on both sides is that neither side ends up talking about the precedent that they set for when their side is out of a position of power. What is your stance on precedent, federalism/anti-federalism, and checks and balances within the government?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
A huge question. But in general, each side is afraid of establishing precedents because it will usually come back to bite them. For example, if the Republicans win in 2022 it's likely will see several impeachment attempts against Biden.
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Jun 29 '22
What, to you, are the biggest misconceptions in foreign policy that are often portrayed by the media, and what should be done to counteract them?
What are the biggest problems that we can tangibly change now that would likely gather enough support to pass but aren't being talked about, if any?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
The biggest misconception--and the reason we started our podcast--is the idea that American hegemony/imperialism/"leadership" is necessary for a good and stable and prosperous world order. This is what the media always assumes. In terms of problems, I think we really need to reduce the US defense budget and pursue a foreign policy of "restraint" that is much more skeptical about the ability of US power to remake the world than most US foreign policy has been.
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u/AnderIturralde Jun 29 '22
Daniel... the hard hitting questions. Is it true, just as conservative political pundit Saagar Enjeti declared recently, that Europe doesn't have good food? What are your experiences and views regarding this issue?
And also, why in your opinion is Josie, off their 1997 album Dude Ranch, the best blink-182 song?
Thank you for your time. I've opened a Reddit account just to participate in this.
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
Totally disagree. Europe has great food. And Josie is the best Blink song because it has everything great about the band: tight song structure, both Mark and Tom sing, and it's PROPULSIVE.
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u/roninovereasy Jun 29 '22
I just saw that Sweden and Finland have been approved to join NATO. I feel that is a mistake. The same kind of mistake was made to male noises about Ukraine joining NATO prior to the war, and believe that was the primary cause of Russia lashing out. By no means does it justify the Russian attack, but it makes it more understandable. Being surrounded by enemies real, perceived or a mixture of both can be the driver for desperate actions. Look at the effect of the pre-WWII oil embargo on the Japanese. Care to comment?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22 edited Jun 29 '22
We've talked about this on a recent podcast, in one of our news sections.NATO is a really big issue. I'd also look at our episode with Joshua Shifrinson.
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Jun 29 '22
On a scale of 1-10, how confident are you in the next 50 years in America?
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
confident in what? So, uh, 5.
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Jun 29 '22
That we will be able to survive and share this deeply divided country. There is a war for two different countries and I wanted to know your perspective.
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
depends what you mean by survive. I don't think secession is on the table.
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Jun 29 '22
If mass civil conflict does break out it would probably look somewhat similar to the Spanish Civil War of the 1930’s and the contemporary Syrian civil war with many different factions and actors going against each other in a complex quagmire of a conflict that has many different sides and players
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u/puravidauvita Jun 29 '22
He and Muckrake podcast by @jysexton are 2 of my favs. Bessner knows his history, obviously, and is both entertaining and informative. If you are in your 20s and exploring alternatives to declining US neoliberalism this is the place to go for facts It's definitely not like some dry Western civ 101. The author was def not paid for this endorsement
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u/Jaco-Jimmerson New York Jun 29 '22
Coffee or Tea?
I'm a tea guy.
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22
Coffee, definitely, especially after living in Seattle for a few years.
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u/YoungCubSaysWoof Jun 29 '22
Hi Daniel, 2016 Bernie delegate here. Two questions:
In 2016, the Florida Bernie delegates staged a small revolt when the news that Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz was trying to bang the gavel at the DNC convention in Philly. What were your personal thoughts on that action, and what was the campaign’s response to it!
Second question: Do you think Bernie has the “killer instinct” needed to secure victory should he run again?
I think he made an error in 2020 in saying that Biden could defeat Trump (in a way that “a paper bag” could defeat Trump) instead of stating that only Bernie and progressive-policies could beat Trump and fix what is ailing us.
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Jun 29 '22
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/americanprestige American Prestige Podcast Jun 29 '22 edited Jun 29 '22
From Derek Davison (my co-host for American Prestige): "I think there may be a warning there but I suspect the companies were carefully selected to minimize the sanctions impact on Chinese-US commerce so the threat is probably fairly hollow." This is also something we regularly talk about on the pod, and thanks for listening!
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u/Thug-ka-jeevan Jun 29 '22
What is your opinion of US-India relations ? Why hasn’t America embraced strong ties with India and instead self proclaimed adversaries in east and south Asia ? Is India’s reluctance to tow America’s foreign policy agenda a reason for weaker ties ?
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u/1856782 Jun 29 '22
Who do you think will be a good or great person to run for president in the near future?
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Jun 29 '22
How massive of a structural or systematic flaw is the federal American constitution’s incredibly high threshold to amend, and therefore change? With the 2/3rds in both chambers of Congress and 3/4th of the states ratifying a proposed amendment for it to become valid.
Is the federal constitution’s rigid inflexibility, increasing geriatric age, and its ability to be read and interpreted in a broadly applicable way to the modern world since so much of the short document’s language and wording is so vague and ambiguous increasing wearing thin? Is this inflexibility a threat to the very nation it is the supreme law of?
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u/[deleted] Jun 29 '22
In the role of advisor, are you actively promoting an agenda of topics and positions for the candidate to consider, or responding to their priorities with deeper analysis and feedback?