Why Is It So Hard to Imagine the End of American Empire?
Americans’ muted reaction to the quarter-century anniversary of 9/11 reveals a waning zeal for the American imperial project. We tolerate it only because we believe it can’t end. But it can.
30 Article(s) by: Daniel Bessner
Daniel Bessner is the Anne H. H. and Kenneth B. Pyle Associate Professor in American foreign policy in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington.
The Courts Won’t Save Us
Just 100 days into Donald Trump’s second term, some wonder if the US faces a constitutional crisis. Yale law professor Samuel Moyn tells Jacobin that, rather than resisting authoritarianism, the courts have enabled Trump’s rise.
This Is America
Donald Trump’s authoritarian second term has led critics to describe him as a fascist in the mold of Adolf Hitler. But Trump’s reactionary politics are all-American — and the path to defeating him runs through reform of America’s antidemocratic institutions.
Donald Trump Is Dismantling Liberal Internationalism
America’s belief that it can be militarily dominant in every major region appears to be wavering. But without challengers, the Republicans’ loss of conviction in liberal internationalism will harden into a more dangerous global authoritarianism.
It Was Always in the US’s Power to Force a Cease-Fire
After 15 months of bloodshed, news has emerged of a cease-fire deal in Gaza. The US always had the power to restrain Israel but refused to use it.
Liberals’ Heated Fascism Rhetoric Sidesteps Self-Reflection
In response to the threat of a second Donald Trump presidency, Democrats are dusting off apocalyptic rhetoric of looming fascism and total democratic collapse. It's a self-soothing deflection of responsibility more than anything else.
The War on Gaza Is the Result of Decades of Extreme Israeli Policy
The ongoing violence in Israel and Palestine is the fruit of decades of increasingly right-wing Israeli policy, aided and abetted by the United States. To address the root causes, the US must end its support for Benjamin Netanyahu’s extremist government.
Twenty Years After Invading Iraq, American Liberalism Is Discredited Yet Still Dominant
US imperialists’ post–Cold War directionlessness was solved by 9/11 and the invasion of Iraq — only for Iraq and the entire “war on terror” to lead to disaster. The imperialist liberal vision has been thoroughly discredited. So how is it still staggering on?
My Son Hunter Is a Total Waste of Hunter Biden’s Wild Story
Breitbart’s movie about Hunter Biden, My Son Hunter, is neither entertaining, informative, competently made, nor politically persuasive. How do you screw this one up?
How Should the Left Think About Realism in Foreign Policy?
Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted a fierce debate over realism as an approach to thinking about foreign policy. Historian Daniel Bessner tells Jacobin what socialists can learn from realism and what they should reject.
Everything You Need to Know About What’s Happening in Afghanistan
The rapid collapse of Afghanistan to Taliban rule has created a chaotic, complicated situation. But here’s the fundamental point: the US has nothing to show for two decades of bloodshed and occupation.
Joe Biden’s Foreign Policy Isn’t About Democracy or Human Rights — It’s About Maintaining US Dominance
Joe Biden hits his 100-day mark in office this week. His foreign policy has been as bad as expected, animated by the grotesque idea that now and forever, the US should call the shots around the world.
We Need an Anti-Imperialist Alternative to Biden’s Status Quo Foreign Policy
When it comes to foreign policy, Joe Biden represents a continuation of the imperialist status quo. We need a leftist alternative that weakens US empire and prizes democracy, rather than one that assumes the US is right to dominate the world.
Walter LaFeber (1933–2021)
Walter LaFeber, a giant in the field of American diplomatic history, died this week at 87. His work refused to prettify the destructive record of US foreign policy and emphasized the unacknowledged economic motives behind American statesmen's high-flying rhetoric.
Slimer on Coke, Muncher on Zoloft
Ghostbusters’ Slimer embodied the hedonistic greed of the Reagan era. But the reboot’s Muncher is a reflection of our sad and depressed 2020s.
The Barack Obama Memoir: Don’t Trust the Process
From his new memoir, it’s clear that Barack Obama believes process is politics. But no amount of “process” will solve the problems that plague us — for that, we need the political will he could never muster as president.
How the QAnon Cult Stormed the Capitol
Perhaps the strangest thing about the media coverage of the Capitol Hill rally was how little of it focused on the visible presence of QAnon. What’s behind the Q cult, and how can we confront it?
Trump Is a Threat to Democracy. But That Doesn’t Mean He’s Winning.
The violent attempt to stop the certification of the electoral vote shouldn’t be ignored. But fascism isn’t on the brink in America. Pretending we’re on the precipice of losing our democracy plays into the hands of those who want to give new, repressive powers to the security state.
The General Who Brought Down the American Empire
In 2002, the Pentagon staged a $250 million war game known as the “Millennium Challenge.” It was supposed to be a fixed fight — until a retired Marine lieutenant general, playing the role of a Middle Eastern country, brought the US military to its knees.
Are the Democrats Losing on Purpose?
It looks like Biden won a narrow victory. But when Democratic candidates lose elections, is there any accountability for the Democratic Party operatives responsible? They don’t lose their jobs; they don’t even seem to take a pay cut.