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In 1958, a movie about a man-eating, bloodcurdling mass from outer space introduced the world to “The Blob.” But in recent years, that term has taken on a whole new meaning among foreign policy professionals in Washington. What exactly defines this Blob can be as amorphous as the movie monster, so we reached out to three people to explain who exactly belongs in this group. The term, we learned, describes a perspective that transcends party lines and has remained relatively unchallenged for decades. In this episode, we’ll explore the moment that all changed, and the Blob came face-to-face with… the anti-Blob.
GUESTS: Ben Armbruster, Managing Editor of ResponsibleStatecraft.org at The Quincy Institute; Emma Ashford, Senior Fellow at the New American Engagement Initiative in the Scowcroft Center of the Atlantic Council; Van Jackson, professor of International Relations at Victoria University of Wellington.
ADDITIONAL READING:
Build a Better Blob, Emma Ashford
The Blob Strikes Back, and Misses, Patrick Porter.
More, Less, or Different?, Jake Sullivan.
Policy Roundtable: The Future of Progressive Foreign Policy, Van Jackson.
For transcripts, see individual segment pages.
For transcripts, see individual segment pages.
For transcripts, see individual segment pages.
For transcripts, see individual segment pages.
For transcripts, see individual segment pages.
For transcripts, see individual segment pages.
For transcripts, see individual segment pages.
For transcripts, see individual segment pages.
2020 has been a scary year. In an effort to get to the root of why we’re all feeling the way we are, the first thing we did was something we probably should have done a long time ago… we reached out to a psychiatrist. We also asked all of you — our listeners, our friends, our family — to tell us the answer to what might seem like a pretty simple question: How safe do you feel? But the answers didn’t feel simple at all.
GUESTS: Arash Javanbakht, MD; Bunmi Akinnusotu, Host of What in the World?; You guys!
ADDITIONAL READING:
Sex and Death in the Rational World of Defense Intellectuals, Carol Cohn.
The Politics of Fear: How Fear Goes Tribal, Allowing Us To Be Manipulated, Arash Javanbakht.
When Mask-Wearing Rules in the 1918 Pandemic Faced Resistance, Becky Little.
As the 1918 Flu Emerged, Cover-Up and Denial Helped It Spread, Becky Little.