The gang's back with another variety episode. Why Saudi Arabia throws so much money at Trump. Matt's trip to Israel amid ceasefire negotiations. The truth about DEI initiatives and the Pentagon. The best time for nuclear no first-use was 4 years ago; the second best time is now. What's Elon Musk doing with far right parties in Europe? And why is "the quad" both a joke and Steve Bannon's Asia fantasy?

More Perfect Union: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su8NHZY-CyY&t=92s

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Guest Daniel Bessner of The American Prestige Podcast joins the Un-Diplomatic livestream to talk about many topics. Is international relations dead or just irrelevant? Where did Democrats go more wrong, on domestic or foreign policy? What was the problem with Noam Chomsky's theory of change? And what even is a crisis of liberalism?

Subscribe to The American Prestige Podcast: https://americanprestige.supportingcast.fm/listen

Subscribe to the Un-Diplomatic Newsletter: https://www.un-diplomatic.com/

Catch Un-Diplomatic on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/undiplomaticpodcast

Just for the strategy nerds, sharing a free preview of the Bang-Bang Podcast episode covering Ender’s Game, the 2013 film adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s classic sci-fi novel of the same name. Neither achieving box office nor critical success, the movie still evokes a wide range of reactions. Especially when it comes to its ambiguous relationship to the original text. Van and Lyle have fellow vet and strategist Alexander McCoy on the show to debate their competing reads. Along the way, they come to agree that certain insights gleaned from the cinematic rendering might be at odds with Card’s politics. Ranging from the ultimate lovelessness of war to the emptiness of any strategy unharnessed from justice and peace.

Subscribe to the Bang-Bang Podcast for the full episode and more: https://www.bangbangpod.com

Alex on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alexandermccoy.bsky.social

“A Primer on Orson Scott Card and the Ender’s Game Controversy,” by Anna Silman

The Internationalists, by Alexander Ward

“The Great Humbling,” by David Klion

“Four Futures,” By Peter Frase

Strategy and Conscience, by Anatol Rapaport