Doug Bandow discusses America’s failing world empire and the “threats” posed by rival powers like Russia and China. These countries, of course, don’t pose a plausible threat to the safety and security of citizens in the United States, but they do pose a very real threat to America’s ability to control everyone else’s affairs around the globe. Bandow thinks that the supposed “aggressive posturing” by Russia and China really represents fairly moderate steps to counter America’s rather extreme policy of extending its empire right up to their borders, as the U.S. has done by pushing for NATO expansion and in trying to meddle in southeast Asia. Americans, says Bandow, would be much better off if their government decided to focus on its own affairs, rather than on the expensive and quixotic project of ruling the entire world.

Discussed on the show:

• “Allies Are Supposed to Help the US, but Americans Always Do the Paying” (Antiwar.com Original)
• “Madeleine Albright – The deaths of 500,000 Iraqi children was worth it.” (YouTube)
• “What’s the point of having this superb military if you can’t use it?” (The Economist)

Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and a regular contributor at Forbes Magazine, the National Interest, and elsewhere. He’s on Twitter @Doug_Bandow.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1Ct2FmcGrAGX56RnDtN9HncYghXfvF2GAh.

Podcast (thescotthortonshow): Play in new window | Download