Democracy Now! Audio Democracy Now! 2026-03-23 Monday
4 snips
Mar 23, 2026 Mike Preissner, executive director of the Center on Conscience and War and March Forward co-founder, discusses a surge in military service members seeking conscientious objector status. Natalie Tocci, European policy expert at Johns Hopkins SAIS, examines Europe’s cautious reactions and implications for NATO and the EU. Alfred McCoy, historian at University of Wisconsin–Madison, explores the strategic importance of the Straits of Hormuz and signs of imperial decline.
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Drones Versus Interceptors Creates Strategic Imbalance
- U.S. interceptor missile limits and cheap Iranian drones create asymmetric advantages for Iran and constrain U.S. options.
- McCoy compares thousands of inexpensive Shahid drones to a limited stock of multimillion-dollar interceptors, risking interceptor exhaustion.
Closing Hormuz Is Iran's Leverage In Negotiations
- Iran's ability to close Hormuz gives it leverage to force negotiations on U.S. terms.
- McCoy argues Iran can 'hold Washington to ransom' by sustaining closures and disrupting the global economy until concessions are made.
Conflict Shows Signs Of U.S. Hegemony Decline
- The conflict signals a broader decline in U.S. global hegemony akin to Britain's post‑Suez era.
- McCoy links U.S. limits in Eurasia and inability to project sustained power to diminished global leadership.
