Alfred McCoy: Cold War on 5 Continents, Global History of Empire & Espionage

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit geopoliticsandempire.substack.com*The audio version of this podcast episode is available ad-free to Paid Subscribers on Substack (also on Spotify via Substack integration); or on Apple Subscriptions/Supercast for $4.99 a month/$49.99 a year. The free audio version with ads is available via the Spreaker link below or on any podcast player. You can watch the free video version via any of the links below.Dr. Alfred McCoy provides a sweeping historical analysis of the Cold War, focusing on how individual covert operatives ("men on the spot") shaped world events. McCoy explains how his early work on the CIA’s role in heroin trafficking during the Vietnam War evolved into a broader study of covert operations and their impact on world history. He characterizes the era as a golden age of intelligence, where the threat of nuclear catastrophe forced superpowers to compete through indirect, clandestine operations. McCoy describes his personal experiences with CIA surveillance and his research into the global drug trade, illustrating how the agency penetrated American civil society and media. He argues that the geopolitical strategies developed during this period, particularly the containment of Eurasia, remain central to understanding modern power dynamics. Finally, the discussion explores the decline of American hegemony, contrasting past interventionist models with current shifts toward a multi-polar world order, noting how historical tactics of surveillance and control are increasingly being applied within the domestic United States.Listen/Download on SpreakerWatch on BitChute / Brighteon / Odysee / Rumble / YouTube*Support Geopolitics & Empire!Become a Member Donate https://geopoliticsandempire.com/donationsConsult https://geopoliticsandempire.com/consultation**Listen Ad-Free for $4.99 a Month or $49.99 a Year!Apple Subscriptions Supercast https://geopoliticsandempire.supercast.com***Visit Our Affiliates & Sponsors!Above Phone https://abovephone.com/?above=geopoliticsAmerican Gold Exchange https://www.amergold.com/geopoliticseasyDNS (15% off with GEOPOLITICS) https://easydns.comEscape The Technocracy (15% off with GEOPOLITICS) https://escapethetechnocracy.com/geopoliticsOutbound Mexico https://outboundmx.comPassVult https://passvult.comSociatates Civis https://societates-civis.comStartMail https://www.startmail.com/partner/?ref=ngu4nzrWise Wolf Gold https://www.wolfpack.gold/?ref=geopoliticsWebsitesCold War on Five Continents: A Global History of Empire and Espionage https://www.amazon.com/Cold-War-Five-Continents-Espionage/dp/B0F1Z9CX74Alfred W. McCoy, Harrington Professor of History https://history.wisc.edu/people/mccoy-alfred-wAlfred McCoy at TomDispatch https://tomdispatch.com/authors/alfredmccoyAbout Dr. Alfred W. McCoyAlfred W. McCoy holds the Harrington chair in history at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and is the author of The Politics of Heroin, the classic study of global drug trafficking that the CIA attempted to suppress. Among his two dozen published books, the most recent are In the Shadows of the American Century, To Govern the Globe, and Cold War on Five Continents.*Podcast intro music used with permission is from the song “The Queens Jig” by the fantastic “Musicke & Mirth” from their album “Music for Two Lyra Viols”: http://musicke-mirth.de/en/recordings.html (available on iTunes or Amazon)