On this show, Chris, Melanie, and Zack discuss the so-called “new Washington Consensus” – a reaction to decades of trade liberalization and free market economics that, some warn, has undermined national security and left the United States and others vulnerable to economic coercion. In a recent article, Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman spell out the rationale behind new restrictions on foreign trade and investment and warn that “nothing less than a transformation of the U.S. government” is necessary to ensure that measures taken to protect our security don’t also weaken the global economy. Grievances for the impenetrable National Defense Authorization Act, Venezuela’s land grab, and Sen. Rick Scott’s ploy to designate garlic — yes, garlic — as vital to U.S. national security. Attapeople in this holiday season to those who deliver our packages, to Congress for delivering the National Defense Authorization Act, and to Finland for promising to deliver more munitions in 2024.
Episode Reading:
- Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman, “The New Economic Security State,” Foreign Affairs, November/December 2023.
- Attaboy: Re: Bowman amendment
- C. Todd Lopez, “Congress Passes Fiscal 2024 Defense Spending Bill, Pay Raise for Service Members,” Department of Defense News, December 14, 2023.
- Alexandra Sharp, “Why is Venezuela Threatening a Land-Grab War in Latin America?” Foreign Policy, December 7, 2023.
Image: UFCW International Union
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