Always at War

Catherine Lutz, cultural anthropologist and co-founder of the Costs of War Project, unpacks how fear, media framing, and political money keep the U.S. locked in perpetual conflict. She explores the language and imagery that normalize violence, the trade-offs between military spending and public wellbeing, and why promises of a peace dividend never materialized.

Nick Cleveland-Stout, researcher who tracks think tank funding and defense contractor influence, explains who profits from pushes for war with Iran. He maps contractor donations to hawkish think tanks and their media influence. He also exposes the revolving door of generals, contractors, and commentary, and why political strategy matters for real anti-war politics.

On this emergency episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex are joined by Kelley Vlahos, Editor-in-Chief of Responsible Statecraft, to discuss the US-Israel attack on Iran and subsequent war.First, they discuss why Trump chose war over diplomacy, whether the administration is feeling a sugar high after regime change in Venezuela, and why the endgame in Tehran remains dangerously unclear. Next, they examine the fracturing of the "MAGA" coalition around the war. Kelley explains why influential voices on the right are breaking with the White House, and how the administration is "running scared" from backlash within its political base.Then, they look at the generational divide that this war is exposing in US society and culture. From the "normie" echo chamber on Fox News to the democratization of information on TikTok and podcasts, they explore whether legacy media is losing its grip on the narrative, and why young Americans are more skeptical of war than ever before.Finally, they tackle the "Culture of War" in Washington. Kelley shares her insights from decades reporting in the nation's capital, detailing how the military-industrial complex has become a "self-licking ice cream cone" that treats peace as a personal threat to status and profit.###Why is America seemingly always at war? Join the Quincy Institute’s Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan as they expose the monied interests, outdated ideologies, and entrenched powers that have driven the U.S. to wage nearly 400 wars and interventions. They’ll be joined by journalists, advocates, and experts to uncover who profits from America’s endless conflicts, and to imagine how we can build a better, more peaceful U.S. foreign policy.Learn more about the Quincy Institute: quincyinst.orgContact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.orgShow art by Justin Hantz###Quincy Institute is an independent, nonprofit think tank. Help fund our research: https://quincyinst.org/donations/Read our reporting: https://ResponsibleStatecraft.org   Twitter: https://x.com/QuincyInstTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst  Website: https://quincyinst.org

Noah Kulwin, journalist and co-host of Blowback, digs into America’s interventionist playbook. He recounts Blowback’s origins and explains how chaos can be a strategic tool. They probe how Americans are insulated from war’s costs, why political elites cling to the status quo, and what global shifts mean for U.S. power.

On this episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex dive into the Trump administration's escalating threats against Iran and Cuba, exploring why Washington seems hell-bent on repeating its regime change failures of the past.First, they examine the looming threat of war with Iran and discuss how pro-Israel figures are pushing a "poison pill" for Iran talks that would ensure their failure, sparking a new forever war that Americans don't want.Next, they shift focus to the Cuba, where the US has initiated a campaign of strangulation against the Cuban people through a fuel blockade. They discuss the ideological underpinnings of America's Cuba policy since the revolution and the devastating human cost of the crises we've created — in pursuit of what, exactly?Finally, Courtney and Alex reflect on Washington's inability to reconcile basic facts and history with reality. Is there something in the water over there?###Why is America seemingly always at war? Join the Quincy Institute’s Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan as they expose the monied interests, outdated ideologies, and entrenched powers that have driven the U.S. to wage nearly 400 wars and interventions. They’ll be joined by journalists, advocates, and experts to uncover who profits from America’s endless conflicts, and to imagine how we can build a better, more peaceful U.S. foreign policy.Learn more about the Quincy Institute: quincyinst.orgContact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.orgShow art by Justin Hantz###Quincy Institute is an independent, nonprofit think tank. Help fund our research: https://quincyinst.org/donations/Read our reporting: https://ResponsibleStatecraft.org   Twitter: https://x.com/QuincyInstTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst  Website: https://quincyinst.org

Courtney and Alex are breaking down the latest news that explain why the U.S. remains perpetually at war — this week, courtesy of our benevolent overlords in Davos at the World Economic Forum.First, they congratulate Larry Ellison on Oracle's acquisition of TikTok and swift shadow-banning of Courtney’s account.Next, they discuss Trump's "Board of Peace" and plan to build a "New Gaza" over the ashes of a genocide — and the chilling details of what this "peace" vision could entail, from forced displacement or indentured servitude to biometric surveillance and re-education.Finally, they break down why Canada's Prime Minister decided to acknowledge the truth about the so-called "rules-based order" and whether Washington will ever let go of its favorite myths about American foreign policy. ###Why is America seemingly always at war? Join the Quincy Institute’s Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan as they expose the monied interests, outdated ideologies, and entrenched powers that have driven the U.S. to wage nearly 400 wars and interventions. They’ll be joined by journalists, advocates, and experts to uncover who profits from America’s endless conflicts, and to imagine how we can build a better, more peaceful U.S. foreign policy.Learn more about the Quincy Institute: quincyinst.orgContact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.orgShow art by Justin Hantz###Quincy Institute is an independent, nonprofit think tank. Help fund our research: https://quincyinst.org/donations/Read our reporting: https://ResponsibleStatecraft.org   Twitter: https://x.com/QuincyInstTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst  Website: https://quincyinst.org

Lee Schlenker, a research associate at the Quincy Institute, shares his insights on the Trump administration's controversial raid on Venezuela. He discusses the complex motives behind the escalation, including misrepresented drug narratives and oil interests. Schlenker critiques the administration's focus on extraction over democratic stability and explains how U.S. sanctions contributed to Venezuela's economic collapse. He also explores the implications for U.S.-Latin America relations and the possibility of reconciliation in the region.

Courtney and Alex go deep with tech journalist Taylor Lorenz on how social media shapes our perceptions of US foreign policy, and why war hawks like Hillary Clinton want to make it harder for Americans to get access to independent info on war and peace.First, they discuss how the internet went from being treated by US politicians as an emancipatory tool during the Arab Spring to a dangerous source of misinformation during the war on Gaza.Next, they unpack the role of social media sites like TikTok in Americans' rapidly shifting views on Israel, and the power that these platforms have to suppress,  disincentivize, and even ban content related to conflicts and diplomacy. Finally, they take a look at current efforts in Washington to restrict Americans' access to information through social media and the internet in the name of safety, and discuss what these efforts mean for the future of foreign policy dissent.###Why is America seemingly always at war? Join the Quincy Institute’s Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan as they expose the monied interests, outdated ideologies, and entrenched powers that have driven the U.S. to wage nearly 400 wars and interventions. They’ll be joined by journalists, advocates, and experts to uncover who profits from America’s endless conflicts, and to imagine how we can build a better, more peaceful U.S. foreign policy.Learn more about the Quincy Institute: quincyinst.orgContact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.orgShow art by Justin Hantz###Quincy Institute is an independent, nonprofit think tank. Help fund our research: https://quincyinst.org/donations/Read our reporting: https://ResponsibleStatecraft.org   Twitter: https://x.com/QuincyInstTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst  Website: https://quincyinst.org

Courtney and Alex are back to break down the latest stories that help explain why the US is always at war. First, they break down a pair of recent stunning  statements by former Obama speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about how young people are getting the wrong ideas about Israel from the terrible images they're seeing of the genocide in Gaza. The solution, of course, is not to prevent such carnage in the first place, but to try and game and work the algorithms and apps to prevent young people from accessing inconvenient, independent news about matters of war and peace.Next, the episode is #stillwithher as Courtney and Alex next discuss Clinton's reaction to the Trump administration's efforts to develop a negotiated framework that can end Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including her deployment of the overused Munich analogy to discourage the Trump team's diplomacy. Courtney and Alex to go deep on the realities actually facing Ukraine's war effort in 2025, and how hawkish opposition to diplomacy among Western elites like Clinton scuttled opportunities to advance an end to the conflict far earlier, when Ukraine had far more leverage at the negotiating table. ###Why is America seemingly always at war? Join the Quincy Institute’s Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan as they expose the monied interests, outdated ideologies, and entrenched powers that have driven the U.S. to wage nearly 400 wars and interventions. They’ll be joined by journalists, advocates, and experts to uncover who profits from America’s endless conflicts, and to imagine how we can build a better, more peaceful U.S. foreign policy.Learn more about the Quincy Institute: quincyinst.orgContact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.orgShow art by Justin Hantz###Quincy Institute is an independent, nonprofit think tank. Help fund our research: https://quincyinst.org/donations/Read our reporting: https://ResponsibleStatecraft.org   Twitter: https://x.com/QuincyInstTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst  Website: https://quincyinst.org

This week, Courtney and Alex discuss the news stories from around the world that caught their attention. First, they get into how American arms companies are profiting off of the push for regime change in Venezuela and the military buildup in the Carribean.Next, they unpack the Pentagon's "acquisition reform" — a terrible  idea that will make it easier for the military-industrial complex to build and profit off of dysfunctional weapons (this time, with even less oversight!)Finally, they discuss the confusing messages coming from top Israeli officials. While some say they're seeking a new, 20 year memorandum of understanding that would lock in U.S. aid to Israel for a generation, others seem to be pushing to end U.S. aid so that Israel has more "freedom of action." Either way, pro-Israel voices seem to be responding to real, growing opposition in the US to providing more aid to Israel after its genocide in Gaza. ###Why is America seemingly always at war? Join the Quincy Institute’s Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan as they expose the monied interests, outdated ideologies, and entrenched powers that have driven the U.S. to wage nearly 400 wars and interventions. They’ll be joined by journalists, advocates, and experts to uncover who profits from America’s endless conflicts, and to imagine how we can build a better, more peaceful U.S. foreign policy.Learn more about the Quincy Institute: quincyinst.orgContact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.orgShow art by Justin Hantz###Quincy Institute is an independent, nonprofit think tank. Help fund our research: https://quincyinst.org/donations/Read our reporting: https://ResponsibleStatecraft.org   Twitter: https://x.com/QuincyInstTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst  Website: https://quincyinst.org