Always at War

In the latest episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex sit down with Tori Bateman, the Quincy Institute's Director of Advocacy, to talk about her work trying to end Washington's addiction to endless war. Tori splits her time between two audiences that need almost opposite treatment. Grassroots constituents already know what they want: fewer wars and lower costs for Americans. Capitol Hill staffers are buried in acronyms and process fights and need to be pulled back to the bigger question of whether U.S. grand strategy is even working. Her job is translating between the two. Her two-person team turns dense research and reporting into something a member of Congress can act on and something a constituent can call about. We get into the machine she's up against — the military-industrial complex — and how they've made it very difficult for members of Congress to vote against war spending in their backyards. We trace why the War Powers Resolution, a Nixon-era tool meant to let Congress pull troops back from unauthorized wars, has produced more than twenty votes over the past year without ending a single conflict. Most have failed outright, and the one that passed was dismissed by the administration as non-binding. Tori walks us through why political timing, not conviction, often decides how war powers votes shake out. We also get into the outsized power of a single phone call. Tori describes a Hill staffer who had fifty constituents ask about Section 219, the U.S.-Israel Defense Cooperation Initiative buried inside the NDAA, before he even knew what it was — proof that constituents have more power than most people assume. The episode closes on the show's classic question: why is the United States always at war? Tori's answer sounds right to me: "It's easier to break stuff than it is to build things." ### Why is America 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 Join the Quincy Institute’s Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan as they expose the monied interests, outdated ideologies, and entrenched powers that have driven the U.S. to wage nearly 400 wars and interventions.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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org

In the latest episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex sit down with Eli Clifton and Ian Lustick — authors of the new book Israel's Lobby: America in the Grip of a Foreign Power — to understand how a concentrated network of pro-Israel donors and organizations became the most formidable special interest in Washington, and how it helped push the United States toward war with Iran. BUY THE BOOK: https://bookshop.org/p/books/israel-s-lobby-america-in-the-grip-of-a-foreign-power-eli-clifton/16ed5a856e6a2af0?ean=9781668210840&affiliate=95814 Together, they trace the seismic changes since Mearsheimer and Walt's landmark 2006 book, including the emergence of a more complex, multipolar world which gives presidents little structural cover to resist lobby pressure, Citizens United, which opened the door to massive outside spending by a tiny group of plutocrats, and an Israeli government that has moved steadily further right. Eli and Ian walk through how the lobby has evolved from defending Israeli policies to suppressing American dissent: suing universities into submission, pushing to deport green card holders who criticize Israel, and enlisting the Trump administration to enforce its agenda. When Secretary of State Marco Rubio justified the needless and costly Iran War by saying the US "identified that the Israelis were gonna do it... so we figured we had to do it" — that's the lobby's vision of American foreign policy made plain. Buy Israel's Lobby: America in the Grip of a Foreign Power: https://bookshop.org/p/books/israel-s-lobby-america-in-the-grip-of-a-foreign-power-eli-clifton/16ed5a856e6a2af0?ean=9781668210840&affiliate=95814 Track pro-Israel super PAC spending in real time: israelslobby.com ### Why is America 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org

In the latest episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex sit down with QI Senior Research Fellow Khaled Elgindy — former adviser to the Palestinian leadership on permanent status negotiations with Israel and author of Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians, from Balfour to Trump — to understand why America's constant interventions in the Israel-Palestine peace process have been doomed to failure. Khaled walks Courtney and Alex through decades of US-brokered peace processes from Oslo to Annapolis — when the US consistently avoided the hard questions on settlements, occupation, and Jerusalem, bent the rules for Israel, put the pressure on Palestinians, and called it diplomacy. Today, that blind spot has only grown: the current administration just reneged on its own Gaza ceasefire deal rather than hold Israel to a reciprocal agreement, while settler violence in the West Bank hits its worst levels since 1967 and settlement expansion reaches record highs. Read Khaled's latest piece in Responsible Statecraft: "Bored of Peace: Why Is Trump Undermining His Own Gaza Plan?" — https://responsiblestatecraft.org/hamas-disarmament/ Pick up his book, Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians, from Balfour to Trump: https://bookshop.org/p/books/blind-spot-america-and-the-palestinians-from-balfour-to-trump-khaled-elgindy/db594b89289c62a1?ean=9780815731559&bkshp-astro=t ### Why is America 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org

In the latest episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex examine Israel's $1 billion campaign to shape global opinion and policy toward Israel with the researcher who's done the work to expose it: QI Fellow Nick Cleveland-Stout. Nick's new paper, "The Eighth Front: Inside Israel's $1 Billion Influence Campaign," is the most detailed accounting yet of Israel's changing approach to winning hearts and minds after the genocide in Gaza. Nick walks Courtney and Alex through his new research, and traces how hundreds of millions of dollars flow from Israel's Foreign Ministry through a network of American firms to influence operations that target you. For decades, the Israeli government relied on AIPAC and allied American organizations to advance its interests in America. After Gaza, even the formidable Israel Lobby can't stop the erosion in US support for Israel — so Israel's hasbara budget for 2026 now tops $750 million. Nick explains how Clock Tower X — the firm run by Trump's former digital campaign director Brad Parscale — won the largest active Israeli foreign agent contract in the United States ($46.5 million) to run a nationwide texting campaign, buy into Salem Media's Christian conservative programming, and even build a network of fake websites designed to manipulate training data for AI chatbots. But can this investment in winning our hearts and minds actually overcome the what's driven a sea-change in US opinion on Israel — Americans actually seeing what happens when our government underwrites Israeli war crimes and military aggression? READ NICK'S NEW RESEARCH: https://quincyinst.org/research/the-eighth-front-inside-israels-1-billion-influence-campaign/ ### 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org ### Why is America 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org

In the latest episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex sit down with Almut Rochowanski, a non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute and longtime grassroots activist who spent nearly two decades working with civil society organizers across Russia, Ukraine, and the former Soviet Union. Almut walks Courtney and Alex through the "NGO-industrial complex": how grant cycles, donor priorities, and Western funding structures can hollow out genuine grassroots organizing and replace it with a top-down relationship between funders and "beneficiaries." She traces this history back to the suffragists and anti-militarist reformers of the nineteenth century, whose organic, mass-membership movements look almost nothing like some of the professionalized, donor-dependent NGO sector of today. Along the way, the conversation covers both the real possibilities and promises of foreign aid and why some funding is well-intentioned but structurally corrosive. The episode closes with an excellent look at why, in her view, no country has a monopoly on militarism — it's a story that's played out across empires throughout history, and right now America is the one with its hand on the rudder. CHECK OUT ALMUT'S SUBSTACK, DISCOMFORT ZONE: https://discomfortzone.substack.com/ SUPPORT QI'S FIRST AMENDMENT FUND: https://givingtools.com/give/939 ### Why is America 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org

SUPPORT QI'S FIRST AMENDMENT FUND: https://givingtools.com/give/939 CHECK OUT TRITA'S SUBSTACK: https://tritaparsi.substack.com/ In the latest episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex sit down with Quincy Institute co-founder and Executive Vice President Trita Parsi, an expert on Iran and US-Iranian relations. Trita has spent years warning Washington against a disastrous war with Iran — and now, he's speaking out in favor of the US diplomatic efforts to end it. Trita's effective advocacy has made him a target of very same neoconservative voices who pushed for this war in the first place — he explains to Courtney and Alex why Laura Loomer, the Free Press, and other hawkish voices are pushing for his deportation, and why Washington's war party sees the Quincy Institute as such a threat. Trita also breaks down why he's increasingly bullish the US-Iran MOU can hold, what makes the Trump team's efforts to restrain Israel different from Biden's, and why a new Middle East security architecture percolating right now — without America at the center — is a massive vindication of the restraint approach to the Middle East. After the interview, Courtney and Alex take a quick look at the Wall Street Journal editorial board's latest pro-war screed, and explain why the op-ed class is getting more desperate (hint: it's because they're losing!) ### Why is America 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org

On this episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex expose the secret plan to end US military grant aid to Israel while permanently shielding US military support for Israel from congressional oversight — and from you. First, they break down Section 224, a provision buried in the annual defense spending bill that would fuse US and Israeli military sectors — weapons procurement, production, AI, biotech, and more — replacing transparent military aid with an unprecedented military-to-military partnership that Congress and the public can no longer scrutinize or stop. Next, they follow the money: from a Washington Post op-ed written by a VC investor with millions at stake in Israeli military startups, to AIPAC's bad-faith attacks on critics, to the neoconservative blueprint — traced back to the Iraq War-era "Clean Break" memo — that has been quietly driving this merger for decades. Finally, they reveal Section 622, a companion bill introduced by Senator Tom Cotton that would legally require the president to share US intelligence with Israel — even as the Defense Department has raised its counterintelligence threat assessment of Israel to its highest level ever. ### Why is America 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org

This week, we're bringing you a special episode in collaboration with our friends at Trip the Beltway Fantastic! Your hosts Courtney and Alex joined Kelley Vlahos, Editor-in-Chief of Responsible Statecraft , on her podcast to break down the recent will-they/won't-they diplomacy between Washington and Tehran. The trio dissects the rhetoric pushed by prominent pro-war figures—particularly the dangerous notion that America should "negotiate while fighting"—and examines how this mindset transforms diplomacy into a tool for escalation rather than an off-ramp for peace. They also explore the partisan dynamics that complicate peace efforts, noting prominent Democratic critiques of diplomacy to end this and other wars, as well as the entrenched culture of the Washington foreign policy "blob" recently showcased at the Munk debate. Finally, the conversation returns to the central theme of Always at War : uncovering the specific incentives, myths, and financial interests that keep the United States trapped in a cycle of endless conflict ### Why is America 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org

On this latest episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex sit down with Jake Werner, head of the Quincy Institute’s East Asia program, to find out the answer to the question on everyone's lips in Washington: China bad? First, the three discuss the pervasive, bipartisan myth that Beijing wants to supplant America's role as the global military hegemony, tracing how the US foreign policy establishment systematically moved China from an economic partner to an existential enemy to shield itself from its own domestic and foreign policy blunders. Next, they explore the economic consequences of the neoliberal free-trade regime and the great recession, and how these crises left Washington casting about for anyone to blame but themselves. Finally, they examine why Washington is embracing the very tendencies it attacks China for — like ramping up McCarthyite surveillance and state-directed militarism — while largely ignoring the diplomatic opportunities to build a stable, mutually beneficial global system. Make sure to check out some of Jake's research: A Program for Progressive China Policy https://quincyinst.org/research/a-program-for-progressive-china-policy/ An Opening for a New US–China Economic Relationship https://quincyinst.org/research/an-opening-for-a-new-us-china-economic-relationship/ Competition Versus Exclusion in U.S.–China Relations: A Choice Between Stability and Conflict https://quincyinst.org/research/competition-versus-exclusion-in-u-s-china-relations-a-choice-between-stability-and-conflict/# ### Why is America 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org

On this episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex reveal the Department of War's newest scapegoat, Artificial Intelligence, and debate whether Congress will ever defend their constitutional power to declare war. First, they break down the technical distinction between LLMs like Claude and targeting systems like Palantir’s Project Maven, explaining how these tools are designed to maximize "target throughput" at the expense of civilian life. Next, they revisit the history of "revolutionary" technology in war, comparing the techno-utopian promises of the Vietnam era to the modern-day obsession with shortening the "kill chain." Finally, they examine the dangerous decay of Congress' constitutional authority over matters of war and peace and discuss the history of the War Powers Act—from the Nixon era to today’s conflicts in Cuba and Iran—and the possibilities and challenges of using this legislative vehicle to actually put a stop America's endless wars. ### Why is America 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org

On this episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex explore the many, disturbing creative writing exercises of the Washington "Blob." First, they deconstruct the latest outlandish op-eds from think tank war hawks, including an effort to frame the war on Iran as Tehran's "War of Choice," and discuss the solipsism of US foreign policymakers. Next, they reveal what Donald Trump admitted in a leaked, closed-door speech: that every dollar spent on war is a dollar taken away from Americans' critical needs. They break down the real opportunity costs of military spending, the guns vs. butter economic reality that D.C. elites have spent decades lying about. Finally, they discuss how the average American taxpayer shelled out over $4,000 in 2025 for weapons and war and the "moral injury" of financing civilian casualties with our own hard-earned cash. Closing with a reflection on Eisenhower’s "Cross of Iron," Courtney and Alex ask: when will Washington finally stop choosing empire over Americans? ### Why is America 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org

On this episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex sit down with Catherine Lutz, co-founder of the Costs of War Project and professor emerita at Brown University, to dissect the culture of war in Washington that keeps America perpetually at war — with taxpayers footing the bill. First, they discuss the "base coat" of fear that defines Americans' understanding of the world. Catherine explains how decades of domestic and international policy have primed the public to view global problems as "nails" that require a military hammer, and how this systemic anxiety is leveraged to justify a federal discretionary budget that prioritizes force over what's actually required to keep Americans safe. Next, they unpack the linguistic sleight of hand used by the media to make Americans identify personally with the violent actions of the state. From "allowing" oil shipments to reach Cuba to the "beautiful" imagery of weaponry on the evening news, they deconstruct how the language of dominance prevents the public from seeing the government as a separate entity capable of making distinct, often disastrous, choices on the global stage. Finally, they take a hard look at the opportunity costs of the current war in Iran. Catherine explains the trade-offs Washington routinely makes between military power and Americans' wellbeing — that every dollar poured into a war of choice is a dollar stripped from Americans' wellbeing. They challenge the persistent myth of the military jobs program and discuss what it would look like to finally reclaim a peaced dividend for the American people. ### Why is America 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org

On this episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex are joined by returning guest Nick Cleveland-Stout, co-creator of the Quincy Institute’s Think Tank Funding Tracker, to pull back the curtain on the financial interests shaping how Americans are being sold the war in Iran. First, they discuss the stark gap between the American public and the Washington foreign policy establishment on the Iran war, and why that disconnect is no accident Next, they dig into the think tank money trail: how institutions like the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, the Hudson Institute, and the Atlantic Council are funded by Pentagon contractors like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and RTX (formerly Raytheon) — and how their experts dominate cable news, making the case for war without disclosing who signs their paychecks. Nick reveals that in 2024 alone, Pentagon contractors gave at least $7 million to the top think tanks, with $44 million flowing in since 2019. Finally, they examine the revolving door between the military, defense contractors, and media commentary — including retired generals like Jack Keane, who holds millions in defense contractor stocks, going on Fox News to tell Americans to tighten their belts and back the war. Plus: why Democrats are making a mistake opposing the Iran war on procedure rather than principle, and what a real anti-war politics might actually look like. ### Why is America 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org

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 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org

On this episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex go deep with Noah Kulwin, journalist and co-host of the hit documentary podcast Blowback, on why American interventionism thrives on the very chaos it claims to be fighting. First, they get into how Noah came to be interested in America’s role in the world, the origins of Blowback, and how chaos figures into America’s strategy to maintain global military primacy. Next, they explore how the American public has been insulated from the costs of war since the end of the draft, and what this means for building opposition to our endless, ruinous interventions. Finally, they examine why America’s major political parties continue to invest in status quo foreign policy, and why Washington seems set on breaking the global chessboard if it doesn’t get to control the game anymore. RESOURCES Subscribe to blowback: blowback.show Read Jeff Stein’s reporting on US sanctions: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2024/us-sanction-countries-work/ ### Why is America 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org

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 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: 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 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org

On this episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex are joined by Lee Schlenker, research associate with the Global South program at the Quincy Institute, to unpack the fallout from the Trump administration’s attack on Venezuela and kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro — what it means for Venezuelans, for Trump's foreign policy, and for Americans who are sick and tired of paying for these endless military adventures all over the world. First, they discuss the mechanics of military escalation and why the administration chose a violent raid over ongoing diplomatic channels. Next, they examine the pretexts used to justify the intervention—from fabricated claims about fentanyl production to good old-fashioned anti-communism. They dive into the history of Venezuelan oil nationalization and explain why the U.S. foreign policy establishment remains obsessed with a "trillion-dollar" windfall, even if it comes at the expense of regional stability and Venezuelan sovereignty. Finally, the group looks toward what's next for Venezuelans and what this intervention tells us about the administration's broader plans in Latin America, analyzing why the administration’s "kinetic" success in Venezuela might not be so easily replicated 90 miles off the coast of Florida. 00:00 - Introduction 03:58 - Introducing Lee! 10:04 - Why the U.S. kept the Maduro government but kidnapped Maduro 15:28 - Extraction vs. Democracy 25:15 - Debunking the pretexts for war, from "Narco-terrorism" to the battle for hearts and minds 35:44 - The Oil War: A history of Chevron, Exxon, and the fight for profits. 51:08 - How is this being received in Venezuela? 1:08:28 - Lee on why the US is Always at War ### Why is America 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org

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 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: 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 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.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show 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/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org