2405 - Chomsky On The Myth of American Idealism w/ Nathan J. Robinson

Happy Monday! Sam and Emma speak with Nathan J. Robinson, editor-in-chief of Current Affairs, to discuss his recent book The Myth of American Idealism: How U.S. Foreign Policy Endangers the World, co-authored with Noam Chomsky. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on Mike Johnson’s successful speakership vote, Pete Hegseth’s nomination to Secretary of Defence, Biden’s Offshore drilling order, NYC’s congestion pricing, the Social Security Fairness Act, CFPB action, Biden’s arms sales to Israel, the Washington Post’s turmoil, and Musk’s promise to brighten Twitter’s algorithm heading into a second Trump presidency, before diving a little deeper into Rep. Johnson leadership in Congress. Nathan J. Robinson then joins, diving right into Chomsky’s assessment of the rhetoric and justifications around US Foreign Policy among the political and media classes, which tend to lie on the spectrum of “the US is never wrong” to the idea of “noble mistake theory” which constantly seeks to justify US misdeeds behind supposedly moral causes, bringing Robinson to the meat of the discussion: the idea of Chomsky’s “Mafia Doctrine” which posits that the exclusive internal consideration behind US Foreign Policy is the maintenance and expansion of US hegemony. Stepping back, Robinson walks through various examples from the post-WWII era of US hegemony, from their indifference to Kuwait’s independence to their insistence on sticking in long-term losing wars (Vietnam, Iraq) to avoid losing face, with a particular dive into the diplomatic malpractice that led us into the Gulf War. After expanding on the concept of “US Interests” and the deep divide between the various interests that make up the US, Nathan, Sam, and Emma unpack the US’ refusal to attempt any semblance of self-analysis, refusing to acknowledge how their maneuvers on the global stage put their “adversaries” in a precarious position while insisting on interpreting every move said adversaries take in response as directly offensive, before wrapping up the show with a discussion on the importance of engaged anti-war and anti-imperialist movements on the domestic level to achieve any semblance of pushback to this way of thinking.

And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma listen to Lindsay Graham’s plea to rush Trump’s cabinet confirmations, Tulsi Gabbard shows off her ability to praise cult leaders, and an UNRWA Officer gives her detailed account on the ongoing devastation facing Gaza in 2025. Relatedly, Blinken gives a vociferous defense of Israel, and an Israeli settler gives a vociferous defense of treating Palestinians as animals. The MR Crew also checks in on the DNC-sanctioned “influencer” class, Varat from Chicago checks in on Tim Pool’s emotional stability, and Pat from New Jersey Checks in on Congestion pricing. Donald Trump Jr. gives an update on his drug use, plus, your calls and IMs!

Follow Nathan on Twitter here: https://x.com/NathanJRobinson

Check out Nathan’s book here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738224/the-myth-of-american-idealism-by-noam-chomsky-and-nathan-j-robinson/

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