American Prestige Bonus - War Without Ideology w/ China Miéville and Richard Seymour (Preview)
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Mar 29, 2026 Richard Seymour, political writer known for work on imperialism and contemporary politics, offers extended analysis on U.S. power and geopolitics. He discusses the collapse of ideological justifications for war. He explores how modern conflicts look like raw power politics. He examines U.S.-Israel ties and implications for global capitalism and shifting hegemony.
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End Of Ideological American Wars
- American wars once carried explicit ideological claims about bringing progress and history in a particular direction.
- Richard Seymour traces that mission from Woodrow Wilson to JFK and George W. Bush, arguing it no longer guides current US foreign policy.
Capitalism Everywhere Drives Power Wars
- Contemporary global politics shows consensus around capitalism rather than competing political economies.
- Seymour argues China, Russia, the US and Hungary are all variants of capitalism, leaving wars as raw power struggles without ideological framing.
Elite Decline Collapses Political Rationalizations
- Declining quality of ruling elites weakens ideological rationalizations for war and governance.
- Derek Davison suggests elites now often lack operatic ideological coherence and instead act opportunistically or clownishly.
