John Mearsheimer – America's Sunk Cost in Ukraine
The Glenn Show
Glenn Loury
4.8 • 2.3K Ratings
🗓️ 27 October 2023
⏱️ 66 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
0:00 Why John thinks Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was rational
6:55 How small states deal with world powers
10:13 If Russia’s action were rational, were the US’s?
16:40 John: The Ukraine invasion violates international law, but Russia has reason to see it as just
21:58 The risk of escalation
29:26 Zelensky’s expert manipulation of the West
33:51 Is it a coincidence that so many recent presidential scandals involve Ukraine?
39:57 Can tolerant liberals tolerate illiberal societies?
45:45 American Russophobia didn’t cause the war, but it’s not helping
49:19 John: If Putin is overthrown, his replacement will probably be even more brutal
53:35 The foreign policy establishment’s grip on both Democrats and Republicans
Links and Readings
John’s book, with Sebastian Rosato, How States Think: The Rationality of Foreign Policy
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Transcript
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| 0:42.4 | Thank you. |
| 0:43.4 | Hi everybody, this is Glendlaury and you've tuned into the Glend Show. |
| 0:51.6 | I'm with John Mirshimer, who's professor of political science at the University of Chicago |
| 0:56.0 | and a very distinguished student of politics and foreign policy, and we're here to talk |
| 1:03.7 | about the issue of the day, which is the conflict in Ukraine. |
| 1:08.2 | Thanks John. |
| 1:09.2 | Thanks so much. |
| 1:10.2 | Glad to be here, Glendlaury. |
| 1:12.6 | Okay. |
| 1:13.6 | Why not start with the question, was Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine a rational act? |
| 1:21.9 | I think that kind of touches both bases in terms of the conflict and also your more |
| 1:29.9 | general reflections on rationality of state action? |
| 1:32.9 | Yeah, I think the conventional wisdom is that it was an unprovoked and irrational move |
| 1:40.6 | on Putin's part, that he was bent on creating a greater Russia. |
| 1:46.9 | He was an imperialist at heart. |
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