Sinica Podcast Michael Brenes and Van Jackson on Why U.S.-China Great-Power Competition Threatens Peace and Weakens Democracy
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Jan 2, 2026 
In this engaging discussion, historian Michael Brenes and international relations expert Van Jackson delve into their book, exploring how the U.S.-China rivalry reshapes domestic politics and weakens democracy. They reveal how framing this relationship as a geopolitical threat encourages neo-McCarthyism and detracts crucial resources from social welfare. The duo critiques the bipartisan consensus driving security-heavy policies and advocates for a new 'geopolitics of peace,' emphasizing cooperation over conflict. Their insights challenge conventional narratives and propose a refreshing approach to international relations.
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Pentagon Shift To China-Centric Planning
- The Pentagon quietly retooled after 2010 to prioritize defeating China in scenarios like a cross-strait conflict.
- That reorientation required ramping rhetoric and xenophobia to justify sustained military buildup.
Cold War Myths Distort China Policy
- Two Cold War myths mislead policy: that it was a 'long peace' and that containment caused Soviet collapse.
- Michael Brenes warns those myths obscure the Cold War's violence and make the Soviet analogy invalid for China.
Security Dilemma And Nuclear Feedback Loop
- U.S. threat inflation produces a security-dilemma feedback loop that drives Chinese modernization.
- Van Jackson uses U.S. nuclear modernization as an example that spurs reciprocal Chinese build-up.
