American Prestige

Latest Episodes:

E265 - Texas’s Radical Roots w/ David Griscom Sep 09, 2026

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Danny and Derek speak with David Griscom, co-host of Left Reckoning and author of The Myth of Red Texas: Cowboys, Populism, and Class War in the Radical South, to talk about the all-but-ignored history of leftwing politics in Texas. Topics include: the current state of Texas politics, the Farmers’ Alliance and the People’s Party, the Texas Socialist Party and its newspaper The Rebel, the role of religion in Texas socialism, and the prospects for socialism in modern-day Texas.

Along with the book and podcast, be sure to also check out David’s Substack The Rattler.

Register now for Danny’s ⁠Quincy webinar⁠ and his ⁠live Elliott Bay Book Company appearance⁠ talking about ⁠Imperialist Realism⁠.

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Bonus - Trump and the End of History w/ Lee Jones (Preview) Sep 07, 2026

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Danny and Derek speak with Lee Jones, co-host of the Bungacast podcast, about Donald Trump’s foreign policy and the decay of the neoliberal order. Topics include: the unraveling of Fukuyama’s end of history thesis, the erosion of representative democracies, how MAGA and European rightwing populism differ from historical fascism, interpretations of Trump’s National Security Strategy, U.S. spheres of influence, fallout from the Iran war, and whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan.

Register now for Danny’s Quincy webinar and his live Elliott Bay Book Company appearance talking about Imperialist Realism.

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News - U.S.-Iran Fighting Resumes, Trump Claims U.S. Stake in Venezuela's Oil, Israel Moves Toward Ethnic Cleansing of Gaza Sep 04, 2026

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The AP Labor Day barbecue seeks more bouncy castle security personnel. In this week’s news: a grim climate update (3:27); the Trump administration is trying to avoid Iran escalation until the midterms pass (6:22); the Iran war appears to resume (6:40); settler violence escalates in the West Bank (12:07); a leaked Pentagon document shows that generals object to extended deployments in Iran (13:44); Israel's defense minister backs Gaza ethnic cleansing (17:20); Libya's rival governments sign an election agreement (21:26); Somali piracy is on the rise (23:01); Russia uses more advanced drones to pummel Ukraine (24:24); German authorities accuse Russia of an attempted drone attack (25:48); Trump threatens a Falklands policy reversal (27:47); Iceland voters reject EU accession talks (29:39); the US takes ownership of Venezuela’s oil (31:15); and Operation Southern Spear turns one (36:53).

Don't forget Derek's Substack,Foreign Exchanges.

Enjoy Danny's new Substack,Imperialist Realism.

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E264 - Democracy’s Elite Problem w/ Hugo Drochon Sep 02, 2026

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Danny and Derek welcome political theorist and historian Hugo Drochon to the show for a discussion about the tension between democracies and the elites who actually run them. They talk about elites taking turns in power, the 80/20 rule, the iron law of oligarchy, “dynamic democracy” and social change, and how these ideas apply to Trump, foreign policy, and the future of the EU and NATO.

Grab a copy of Hugo’s book Elites and Democracy.

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Bonus - The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism w/ Matt McManus (Preview) Aug 31, 2026

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Danny and Derek speak with Matt McManus about his book, The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism. They discuss the core definitions of liberalism and socialism, how liberalism differs from classical republican thought, John Stuart Mill as the first liberal socialist, Karl Marx's relationship to the liberal tradition, and John Rawls's place in liberal socialism.

Read Matt’s book, ⁠The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism⁠.

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News - New US Sanctions on Iran, Syrian Democratic Forces Dissolve, US-Canada Trade Talks Collapse Aug 28, 2026

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American Prestige brand MREs use Argentinian beef, but don't worry, it's the good kind. In this week’s news: the US launches a new sanctions campaign against Iran (1:36); Iran and Oman negotiate the management of the Strait of Hormuz (5:50); a Haitian gang killing (9:28); the Israeli government takes bids for its E1 settlement (12:00); the US removes Syria from the terrorism sponsors list (14:38); the Syrian Democratic Forces announces its dissolution (15:51); Trump submits the Saudi nuclear deal to Congress (18:39); progress is made in negotiations between the DRC and M23 (23:46); the Ebola outbreak in the DRC continues to expand (26:33); the CIA director visits Russia (28:14); US-Canada trade talks collapse (31:17); and the United States prepares a deep sea mining auction around overseas territories (35:42).

Catch a replay of last night's livestream.

Don't forget Derek's Substack, ⁠Foreign Exchanges⁠.

Enjoy Danny's new Substack, I⁠mperialist Realism⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

E263 - North Korea’s Roots in Christianity w/ Jonathan Cheng Aug 26, 2026

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Danny and Derek speak with Jonathan Cheng, China bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, about the Christian origins of North Korea’s founding ideology and the subsequent personality cult. The discussion explores missionary Samuel Moffat’s work in Pyongyang, the conversion of Kim Il-sung’s family to Christianity, Christian nationalism during Japanese colonial rule, the turn toward socialism, Kim’s postwar personality cult, and how Christianity informs the Kim family’s rule today.

Be sure to grab a copy of Jonathan’s book Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea's Personality Cult.

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Bonus - The Oligarch-Authoritarian Bargain w/ Christopher Hartwell (Preview) Aug 24, 2026

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Danny and Derek speak with economist Christopher Hartwell about how wealthy elites who strike bargains with authoritarians often come to regret it. They discuss oligarchs in post-Soviet Russia, authoritarian state capitalism, Hungary’s break from Orbán, Trump courting tech billionaires, asset-price inflation and financialization, and the durability of state capitalism in China.

Read Christopher’s piece for Foreign Affairs, co-written with Tricia Olsen: “The Disposable Oligarchs.”

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News - Israel Strikes Syria, Trump Escalates the Economic War on Iran, Potential US-North Korea Diplomacy Aug 21, 2026

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Danny and Derek must disclose that they have had Hasan Piker on this program. They are listening and learning from him. In this week’s news: Israel bombs a Syrian airbase, potentially moving closer to a conflict with Turkey (1:22); Jared Kushner and Benjamin Netanyahu agree to scrap the Gaza Board of Peace's Hamas disarmament plan (7:09); the Iran MOU expires as Trump escalates the economic war (9:20); the Islamic Republic might restart the shooting war (13:36); the Pentagon and Arab governments rethink America’s military presence in the Gulf (15:58); Trump curtails military exercises with South Korea, possibly moving toward diplomacy with North Korea/DPRK (18:53); the Sudanese military concludes a new cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia (24:47); the Ebola outbreak in the DRC continues to expand (27:39); in Ukraine, Zelenskyy faces calls for new elections (30:06); Trump suspends new tariffs on Canada (33:01); the U.S. moves Operation Southern Spear onto land (34:50); and a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report details the cost of the new “Trump class” battleships (36:45).

Watch a replay of last night's livestream with Séamus Malekafzali.

Don't forget Derek's Substack, Foreign Exchanges.

Enjoy Danny's new Substack, Imperialist Realism.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

E262 - American Austerity in the Philippines w/ Lisandro Claudio Aug 19, 2026

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Danny and Derek welcome historian Lisandro Claudio back to the program to talk about how austerity, first imposed by the U.S. during its colonial rule of the Philippines, continues to influence the Filipino political economy. They discuss the colonial gold standard, dollar diplomacy, Miguel Cuaderno and the Central Bank of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos being forced to depreciate the peso, the Filipino Left’s anti-debt stance, and the country’s dependency on exported labor.

Grab your copy of Lisandro’s book The Profligate Colonial: How the US Exported Austerity to the Philippines.

Listen to our "History of the Philippines" series with Lisandro.

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