Lippincott Talk

In March, commentator Scott Greer wrote a piece “Keeping the Empire” that critiqued my understanding of foreign policy. Greer’s argument was serious and I have attempted to deliver a thoughtful response. In essence, I hold that the American regime was founded on the defense of the natural rights of men—a view of justice that holds in all times and all places. This view of justice precluded empire, which I describe as rule without consent. As I show in this episode, the Founders and their heirs consistently articulated the core purpose of government as the protection of person and property (life and liberty). This fundamental equality of men requires the consent of the governed. Early American foreign policy was devoted to preserving these two key features of our regime. This foreign policy was devoted to neutrality, non-intervention, and national defense. It made America wealthy and powerful beyond all possible imagining. In the 20th century, however, the American government tossed this view aside in favor of a missionary philanthropic foreign policy aimed at global uplift. I hold that this shift has been bad for the safety and happiness of the American people.

On April 6th, I successfully defended my PhD dissertation To Match Slaughter With Greater Slaughter: FDR, the Pacific War, and the Birth of the New World Order. In this episode I describe the ways in which my time in the service shaped my thinking and guided me back to the question of justice and war in a serious way.In the coming weeks and months I intend to do a full series on my research with the goal of explaining the importance of the work I devoted the last six years of my life to. I hope you find this useful.

Josiah Lippincott discusses the need for disengagement in the Middle East and why a deal with Iran will be in our interest. All power to the negotiators!

Josiah Lippincott discusses why AI won't destroy the economy, why universal basic income is a bad idea, and reveals the connection between Marxist doctrine and anti-tech sentiment.