ReThinking Foreign Policy

In this episode I spend some time discussing the murder of Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, and some of the responses to it. The main story is a look at Joe Biden's initial picks for his cabinet and lead administrative staff. Some of my views on that may surprise some of my listeners. Finally, I look at Mike Pompeo's efforts to eliminate any possibility of a Palestinian state and examine how, with the worst of intentions, Pompeo may actually have done us a favor. 

In this episode, I take on Mike Pompeo's assault on the BDS movement this week and on defenders of BDS on free speech grounds who contribute to its demonization. 

I also address Sen. Chris Coons' -- who is being considered as Joe Biden's Secretary of State -- unacceptable stance against a Biden administration re-entering the Iran nuclear deal without expanding it in unrealistic ways.  And I also look at the recent signing of a trade deal among Asian and Pacific countries and how this should be an object lesson for progressives. 

With the election less than two weeks away, Donald Trump and his cronies are accelerating their dangerous behavior in a desperate attempt to hold on to the White House. In Sudan, Trump has taken advantage of a collapsed economy to force Sudan into agreements that risk greater de-stabilization. Then, just before recording this podcast, Trump's lackey DNI accused Iran of election interference while offering zero substantiation and spinning a yarn that seems very difficult to believe.  The impact these things can have stretches far beyond this election. What's worse, none of this is likely to have a significant impact on the voting. 

I also look at Joe Biden's decision to vet a number of disaffected Republicans for positions in his cabinet. 

As the election grows closer, Donald Trump is focusing more on radicalizing his base than picking up votes. Is there a method to his madness? And are Republican leaders playing the same game Trump is, or are they looking to their own interests? 

We also revisit the controversy around AOC pulling out of a Yitzhak Rabin memorial event. Why? Because others won't let it go, and they keep missing the point. 

In the latest episode of the ReThinking Foreign Policy podcast, I cover Donald Trump's positive coronavirus test, the budding war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and understating the true impact of racism. The main story addresses the recent controversy over Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's decision to pull out of an event sponsored by Americans for Peace Now that will commemorate 25 years since the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. 

See my articles on these matters at:
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2020/09/28/aoc-ignites-a-debate-about-yitzhak-rabin/

and

https://crimesmisdemeanors.com/2020/10/03/racism-is-about-a-lot-more-than-hurt-feelings/

With all of our energy understandably focused on securing a Joe Biden victory in November, others are already jockeying to ensure they have an influential seat at the table of a Biden administration. Especially on foreign policy, those "someones" include disaffected Republicans and neoconservatives whose discredited ideas continue their prominence in the DC policy discourse. They are not going back to the Republican party any time soon and it will be crucial that they not find a home among the Democrats. 

In this episode, I discuss what sort of vision progressives might bring to a Biden foreign policy. Focusing on the standoff in the Persian Gulf, the current unrest in Israel, and the caritcaturization of truly problematic players like Russia and China, I draw some broad outlines of the ideas a progressive push on Biden might consist of. 

I am so delighted to be joined on the show today by Prof. Marc Lamont Hill. Besides being someone I am proud to call my friend, Marc is a tremendous intellectual and activist. 

He is one of the leading intellectual voices in the country and is the Steve Charles Professor of Media, Cities, and Solutions at Temple University. Prior to that, he held positions at Columbia University and Morehouse College.

In 2011, Ebony Magazine has named him one of America’s 100 most influential Black leaders, Marc is the author or co-author of four books, including most recently, the New York Times bestseller Nobody: Casualties of America’s War on The Vulnerable from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond.

Dr. Marc Lamont Hill holds a Ph.D. (with distinction) from the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on the intersections between culture, politics, and education in the United States and the Middle East.

Joe Biden is the presumptive Democratic nominee. That means the eggs are all in his basket for defeating Donald Trump in November. But how do we best achieve that goal? I argue that pretending Biden is a better candidate than he is would be self-defeating. Rather, we need to be realistic, with ourselves and with those we're trying to persuade to get out and vote for him, about who he is and the one reason we absolutely MUST vote for him--mo matter what else you can say about him, he's hundreds of light years better than Donald Trump.