The Current Administration Is Anything But Realist
On the basic incoherence of foreign policy under Trump and Vance.
Matthew Downhour
Matthew Downhour writes about liberal theory and the liberal tradition, and teaches history and economics.
neonliberalism
Neon Liberalism #14: A Turn Toward Taiwan?
Taiwan is a free country, a powerhouse in technology, and it has about one-twentieth the population of Europe less Russia. JD Vance talks about the U.S. possibly disengaging with Europe, but is such disengagement necessary for, and does it really herald, increased engagement with Asia, and particularly with China
neonliberalism
Neon Liberalism #10: The Battle for Ottawa
Is Donald Trump going to give Americans an education in war on the homefront? Samantha, Jason, and guest Matthew Downhour evaluate new challenges to the liberal international order and assess the incoming administration's taste for territorial aggrandizement. The Battle for OttawaPodcast Episode · Neon Liberalism · 01/19/2025 · 50mApple
neonliberalism
Neon Liberalism #7: Can HTS Land the Plane?
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham has dislodged the regime of Bashar al-Assad after a lightning offensive, raising new hopes for Syria's future. Having won on the battlefield, can HTS implant a successful government in Damascus? Liberal Currents contributing editor Matthew Downhour joins Samantha and Jason to talk about
The Bellicose Stance of the State
The incoming "America First" coalition is likely to put the United States in greater, not less, risk of conflict.
Liberals Must Get Comfortable Running Counter to the Media
Vocal pushback to harmful stories about DEI or trans healthcare won’t crumple the media or rob it of its ability to stand up against oppression.
A UBI in the United States May Necessitate Land Value Taxes
Towards a Georgist public finance regime for state level universal basic income.
America's Failure to Defend Liberalism Abroad
The US has failed to deliver on its promise of a rules based international order.
Western Liberals Need to Extend the Same Humanity to Gaza as They Did to Ukraine
Western liberals have not extended the same solidarity to the Palestinian people that they did to the Ukrainians.
Biden’s Foreign Policy Is Not Just ‘Better than Trump’, It’s the Best in the Field
The entrance of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. into the Democratic Primary and announcement that Cornel West will be seeking the nomination for the Green Party in 2024 have both sought to turn what is usually the automatic re-nomination of a presidential incumbent into a heated contest between rival factions like
The Number of Geopolitical “Poles” is Irrelevant Compared to their Disposition
The discourse about the structure of the world political order has come to turn increasingly around the question of ‘poles’ of geopolitical power—centers of influence and control, usually assumed to be particularly influential nation states, around which others orbit. Most recently, France’s president Emmanuel Macron declared, after discussions
A Uniquely American Liberalism: Christopher William England's Land and Liberty
It is often remarked that the Americans and Europeans use the term ‘Liberal’ in quite different contexts—in the US, to signify a greater welfare state, while in Europe it is a signifier of free markets, with the two usages coinciding only on social issues. The distinct history of the