On this latest episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex sit down with Jake Werner, head of the Quincy Institute’s East Asia program, to find out the answer to the question on everyone's lips in Washington: China bad?

First, the three discuss the pervasive, bipartisan myth that Beijing wants to supplant America's role as the global military hegemony, tracing how the US foreign policy establishment systematically moved China from an economic partner to an existential enemy to shield itself from its own domestic and foreign policy blunders.

Next, they explore the economic consequences of the neoliberal free-trade regime and the great recession, and how these crises left Washington casting about for anyone to blame but themselves.

Finally, they examine why Washington is embracing the very tendencies it attacks China for — like ramping up McCarthyite surveillance and state-directed militarism — while largely ignoring the diplomatic opportunities to build a stable, mutually beneficial global system. 

Make sure to check out some of Jake's research: 
A Program for Progressive China Policy
https://quincyinst.org/research/a-program-for-progressive-china-policy/

An Opening for a New US–China Economic Relationship 
https://quincyinst.org/research/an-opening-for-a-new-us-china-economic-relationship/

Competition Versus Exclusion in U.S.–China Relations: A Choice Between Stability and Conflict
https://quincyinst.org/research/competition-versus-exclusion-in-u-s-china-relations-a-choice-between-stability-and-conflict/#

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Why is America seemingly 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 Join the Quincy Institute’s Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan as they expose the monied interests, outdated ideologies, and entrenched powers that have driven the U.S. to wage nearly 400 wars and interventions.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: [email protected]

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

On this episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex reveal the Department of War's newest scapegoat, Artificial Intelligence, and debate whether Congress will ever defend their constitutional power to declare war. 

First, they break down the technical distinction between LLMs like Claude and targeting systems like Palantir’s Project Maven, explaining how these tools are designed to maximize "target throughput" at the expense of civilian life.

Next, they revisit the history of "revolutionary" technology in war, comparing the techno-utopian promises of the Vietnam era to the modern-day obsession with shortening the "kill chain."

Finally, they examine the dangerous decay of Congress' constitutional authority over matters of war and peace and discuss the history of the War Powers Act—from the Nixon era to today’s conflicts in Cuba and Iran—and the possibilities and challenges of using this legislative vehicle to actually put a stop America's endless wars.

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Why is America seemingly 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: [email protected]

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

On this episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex explore the many, disturbing creative writing exercises of the Washington "Blob." 

First, they deconstruct the latest outlandish op-eds from think tank war hawks, including an effort to frame the war on Iran as Tehran's "War of Choice," and discuss the solipsism of US foreign policymakers. 

Next, they reveal what Donald Trump admitted in a leaked, closed-door speech: that every dollar spent on war is a dollar taken away from Americans' critical needs. They break down the real opportunity costs of military spending, the guns vs. butter economic reality that D.C. elites have spent decades lying about.

Finally, they discuss how the average American taxpayer shelled out over $4,000 in 2025 for weapons and war and the "moral injury" of financing civilian casualties with our own hard-earned cash.  Closing with a reflection on Eisenhower’s "Cross of Iron," Courtney and Alex ask: when will Washington finally stop choosing empire over Americans?

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Why is America seemingly 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: [email protected]

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

On this episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex sit down with Catherine Lutz, co-founder of the Costs of War Project and professor emerita at Brown University, to dissect the culture of war in Washington that keeps America perpetually at war — with taxpayers footing the bill. 

First, they discuss the "base coat" of fear that defines Americans' understanding of the world. Catherine explains how decades of domestic and international policy have primed the public to view global problems as "nails" that require a military hammer, and how this systemic anxiety is leveraged to justify a federal discretionary budget that prioritizes force over what's actually required to keep Americans safe.

Next, they unpack the linguistic sleight of hand used by the media to make Americans identify personally with the violent actions of the state. From "allowing" oil shipments to reach Cuba to the "beautiful" imagery of weaponry on the evening news, they deconstruct how the language of dominance prevents the public from seeing the government as a separate entity capable of making distinct, often disastrous, choices on the global stage.

Finally, they take a hard look at the opportunity costs of the current war in Iran. Catherine explains the trade-offs Washington routinely makes between military power and Americans' wellbeing — that every dollar poured into a war of choice is a dollar stripped from Americans' wellbeing. They challenge the persistent myth of the military jobs program and discuss what it would look like to finally reclaim a peaced dividend for the American people.

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Why is America seemingly 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: [email protected]

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

On this episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex are joined by returning guest Nick Cleveland-Stout, co-creator of the Quincy Institute’s Think Tank Funding Tracker, to pull back the curtain on the financial interests shaping how Americans are being sold the war in Iran.

First, they discuss the stark gap between the American public and the Washington foreign policy establishment on the Iran war, and why that disconnect is no accident 

Next, they dig into the think tank money trail: how institutions like the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, the Hudson Institute, and the Atlantic Council are funded by Pentagon contractors like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and RTX (formerly Raytheon) — and how their experts dominate cable news, making the case for war without disclosing who signs their paychecks. Nick reveals that in 2024 alone, Pentagon contractors gave at least $7 million to the top think tanks, with $44 million flowing in since 2019.

Finally, they examine the revolving door between the military, defense contractors, and media commentary — including retired generals like Jack Keane, who holds millions in defense contractor stocks, going on Fox News to tell Americans to tighten their belts and back the war. Plus: why Democrats are making a mistake opposing the Iran war on procedure rather than principle, and what a real anti-war politics might actually look like.

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Why is America seemingly 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: [email protected]

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

On this emergency episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex are joined by Kelley Vlahos, Editor-in-Chief of Responsible Statecraft, to discuss the US-Israel attack on Iran and subsequent war.

First, they discuss why Trump chose war over diplomacy, whether the administration is feeling a sugar high after regime change in Venezuela, and why the endgame in Tehran remains dangerously unclear. 

Next, they examine the fracturing of the "MAGA" coalition around the war. Kelley explains why influential voices on the right are breaking with the White House, and how the administration is "running scared" from backlash within its political base.

Then, they look at the generational divide that this war is exposing in US society and culture. From the "normie" echo chamber on Fox News to the democratization of information on TikTok and podcasts, they explore whether legacy media is losing its grip on the narrative, and why young Americans are more skeptical of war than ever before.

Finally, they tackle the "Culture of War" in Washington. Kelley shares her insights from decades reporting in the nation's capital, detailing how the military-industrial complex has become a "self-licking ice cream cone" that treats peace as a personal threat to status and profit.

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Why is America seemingly 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: [email protected]

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

On this episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex go deep with Noah Kulwin, journalist and co-host of the hit documentary podcast Blowback, on why American interventionism thrives on the very chaos it claims to be fighting.

First, they get into how Noah came to be interested in America’s role in the world, the origins of Blowback, and how chaos figures into America’s strategy to maintain global military primacy.

Next, they explore how the American public has been insulated from the costs of war since the end of the draft, and what this means for building opposition to our endless, ruinous interventions.

Finally, they examine why America’s major political parties continue to invest in status quo foreign policy, and why Washington seems set on breaking the global chessboard if it doesn’t get to control the game anymore.

RESOURCES

• Subscribe to blowback: blowback.show 
  
  
• Read Jeff Stein’s reporting on US sanctions: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2024/us-sanction-countries-work/

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Why is America seemingly 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: [email protected]

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

On this episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex dive into the Trump administration's escalating threats against Iran and Cuba, exploring why Washington seems hell-bent on repeating its regime change failures of the past.

First, they examine the looming threat of war with Iran and discuss how pro-Israel figures are pushing a "poison pill" for Iran talks that would ensure their failure, sparking a new forever war that Americans don't want.

Next, they shift focus to the Cuba, where the US has initiated a campaign of strangulation against the Cuban people through a fuel blockade. They discuss the ideological underpinnings of America's Cuba policy since the revolution and the devastating human cost of the crises we've created — in pursuit of what, exactly?

Finally, Courtney and Alex reflect on Washington's inability to reconcile basic facts and history with reality. Is there something in the water over there?

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Why is America seemingly 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: [email protected]

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

Courtney and Alex are breaking down the latest news that explain why the U.S. remains perpetually at war — this week, courtesy of our benevolent overlords in Davos at the World Economic Forum.

First, they congratulate Larry Ellison on Oracle's acquisition of TikTok and swift shadow-banning of Courtney’s account.

Next, they discuss Trump's "Board of Peace" and plan to build a "New Gaza" over the ashes of a genocide — and the chilling details of what this "peace" vision could entail, from forced displacement or indentured servitude to biometric surveillance and re-education.

Finally, they break down why Canada's Prime Minister decided to acknowledge the truth about the so-called "rules-based order" and whether Washington will ever let go of its favorite myths about American foreign policy. 

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Why is America seemingly 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: [email protected]

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

On this episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex are joined by Lee Schlenker, research associate with the Global South program at the Quincy Institute, to unpack the fallout from the Trump administration’s attack on Venezuela and kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro — what it means for Venezuelans, for Trump's foreign policy, and for Americans who are sick and tired of paying for these endless military adventures all over the world. 

First, they discuss the mechanics of military escalation and why the administration chose a violent raid over ongoing diplomatic channels. 

Next, they examine the pretexts used to justify the intervention—from fabricated claims about fentanyl production to good old-fashioned anti-communism. They dive into the history of Venezuelan oil nationalization and explain why the U.S. foreign policy establishment remains obsessed with a "trillion-dollar" windfall, even if it comes at the expense of regional stability and Venezuelan sovereignty.

Finally, the group looks toward what's next for Venezuelans and what this intervention tells us about the administration's broader plans in Latin America, analyzing why the administration’s "kinetic" success in Venezuela might not be so easily replicated 90 miles off the coast of Florida. 

00:00 - Introduction 
03:58 - Introducing Lee! 
10:04 - Why the U.S. kept the Maduro government but kidnapped Maduro
15:28 - Extraction vs. Democracy
25:15 - Debunking the pretexts for war, from "Narco-terrorism" to the battle for hearts and minds 
35:44 - The Oil War: A history of Chevron, Exxon, and the fight for profits. 51:08 - How is this being received in Venezuela? 
1:08:28 - Lee on why the US is Always at War 

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Why is America seemingly 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: [email protected]

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