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Recently there's been a lot of talk about the idea that America might be headed for a new civil war. But how likely is it that Donald Trump will declare Mar-a-Lago to be the capital of a new MAGA-nated States of America and wage war on the deep state? As Andy explores in this episode, it's not very likely at all - and all of these overblown concerns about civil war are distracting liberals from the much more real - and arguably more dangerous - challenges they face.

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Credits

Host - Andy Gawthorpe

*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ ***

As violence shook the Middle East over the past few weeks, a debate was raging in the United States over American support for Israel. It has seemed to many observers that the Democratic Party is increasingly turning against Israel. This episode breaks down the party's debate over Israel and argues that less has changed than meets the eye.

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Credits

Host - Andy Gawthorpe

*** Check out the free America Explained newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam ***

Russia is threatening war with Ukraine, and demanding that America give in to a whole host of demands if conflict is to be avoided. In this episode, Andy explores how the roots of this conflict lie in NATO's expansion eastwards after the end of the Cold War, and makes the case that if the United States isn't willing to actually militarily defend Ukraine, the only moral thing to do is to negotiate a way out.

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Check out Andy's post about Ukraine in the America Explained newsletter.

Credits

Host - Andy Gawthorpe

*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam ***

We stand on the brink of a transformation in abortion rights in America. Just last week the Supreme Court seemed to indicate its openness to gutting Roe in a decision which could come as soon as next June. Meanwhile, earlier this year Texas used a novel legal strategy to ban most abortions in the state, effectively ending Roe as a national standard. This episode discusses the history of Roe and its sister case Planned Parenthood v. Casey, analyzes the likely political impact of a decision to annul them, and also asks a question posed by Ruth Bader Ginsburg - was seeking to establish abortion rights in the courts rather than Congress ultimately a bad move for the left?

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Credits

Host - Andy Gawthorpe

Growth consultant - Anne Stoop

*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam ***

After nearly a year in office, how has the Biden administration changed U.S.-China relations? And what sort of legacy was left by Donald Trump? In this wide-ranging conversation with Xiaoxue Martin, a China expert at the Clingendael Institute think tank in The Netherlands, we discuss the overall state of relations and most important sticking points in the relationship - Taiwan and trade.

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Credits

Host - Andy Gawthorpe

Growth consultant - Anne Stoop

*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam ***

Democrats have enjoyed unified control of the federal government for nearly a year. What have they done with that opportunity? Two developments last week - elections in Virginia, New Jersey and elsewhere, and the passage by Congress of a historic piece of infrastructure legislation - give us the chance to assess where they're at.

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Check out two articles Andy wrote in The Guardian last week:

The real lesson of the election results? Democrats must go big and bold.

Biden scored a major victory on infrastructure. But is it enough?

Credits

Host - Andy Gawthorpe

Growth consultant - Anne Stoop

*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam ***

In this, the first ever episode of America Explained, I talked with Professor Marcia Chatelain from Georgetown about her book Franchise, a history of fast food and capitalism in African-American communities which has now won a Pulitzer Prize. In a conversation taped before the 2020 election, we also talked about how the politics of racial justice might change in the post-Trump era, and whether the high level of racial mobilization we saw in the summer of 2020 following the death of George Floyd might be maintained. Judge for yourself whether we were right, and let me know what you think by email or on Twitter.

*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ ***

This is a special episode in which Andy is interviewed by the host of the ISSA podcast at Leiden University, Edmund Flett, about U.S. foreign policy towards the Asia-Pacific, the U.S.-Chinese relationship, and America's latest security relationship in the region. Let Andy know what you think on Twitter and check out more ISSA podcasts here.

*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ ***

Last week Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States announced a new security agreement aimed at militarily containing China. In this episode I discuss what the agreement is, how it has its roots in the Obama administration, and why Europe is looking less relevant than ever to America's foreign policy.

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Credits

Host - Andy Gawthorpe

Growth consultant - Anne Stoop

*** Check out the America Explained Substack newsletter for a few written posts a month on the big issues in U.S. politics and foreign policy and no extra spam: https://amerex.substack.com/ ***

It's been about a month since Kabul fell to the Taliban, signifying America's defeat in one of the longest wars it has ever fought. While so much commentary has focused on blaming the Biden administration for either the decision to withdraw or the way the withdrawal was handled, this episode explores the deeper failures which led to America's defeat. I explored these issues with my guest Jeffrey Michaels, a former Pentagon official and NATO historian who is now a senior fellow at the Barcelona Institute for International Affairs.

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Credits

Host - Andy Gawthorpe

Growth consultant - Anne Stoop