In the latest Always at War, Courtney and Alex are joined again by historian and Quincy Institute non-resident fellow Daniel Bessner to talk about his new book, Imperialist Realism.

Daniel walks us through what the American empire actually looks like today and the three-part psychological structure — cynicism, "missionism," and what he calls tragic guilt — that makes empire always seem like the "best" choice for American policymakers. Along the way, the trio dissects the many cultural reflections of Americans' begrudging acceptance of our empire, including the Marvel movies, and discuss what it might actually take for a future president to take on the national security state.

Links
Imperialist Realism (book): https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Imperialist-Realism/Daniel-Bessner/9781803414805
Danny's Substack: https://imperialistrealism.substack.com
American Prestige (Danny's podcast with Derek Davison): https://americanprestigepod.com

Timestamps
0:00 – Intro
2:58 – Daniel Bessner joins + his new book, Imperialist Realism
5:21 – Do Americans actually think of the US as an empire?
9:18 – What the US empire looks like
12:42 – Is this really a moment of imperial retrenchment?
17:28 – Why hasn't the Iran war escalated
23:48 – Structure of feeling vs. ideology
26:31 – The three pillars of imperialist realism
29:21 – Reckoning with US hegemony in pop culture: the Marvel movies and Captain America
33:12 – Is this a post-9/11 phenomenon, or older than that?
35:53 – How Trump breaks the mold
44:01 – Has the empire become self-perpetuating?
46:43 – Can someone use the imperial presidency to end the empire?
54:51 – Why is the United States always at war?

###
Why is America always at war? Join the Quincy Institute’s Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan as they expose the monied interests, outdated ideologies, and entrenched powers that have driven the U.S. to wage nearly 400 wars and interventions.

They’ll be joined by journalists, advocates, and experts to uncover who profits from America’s endless conflicts, and to imagine how we can build a better, more peaceful U.S. foreign policy.

Learn more about the Quincy Institute: quincyinst.org
Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org

Show art by Justin Hantz

###
Quincy Institute is an independent, nonprofit think tank.
Help fund our research: https://quincyinst.org/donations/
Read our reporting: https://ResponsibleStatecraft.org
Twitter: https://x.com/QuincyInst
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst
Website: https://quincyinst.org