
Is war more profitable than peace? David Keen explains | Talk to Al Jazeera
From Talk to Al Jazeera by Al Jazeera
April 5, 2026 · 29 min
About this episode
David Keen discusses the complexities of war and peace, exploring why some conflicts persist and the underlying interests that sustain them.
As the United States-Israel war on Iran deepens, conflict scholar David Keen examines why some wars persist without a clear victory. He argues that war can serve political control, economic interests and systems of power that outlive the battlefield. From sanctions and smuggling to military spending and useful enemies, Keen explains how conflict can become functional and why making peace more attractive than war is often the real challenge.
People in this episode
Guest: David Keen
Topics covered
- war
- peace
- political control
- economic interests
- conflict
- military spending
Keywords
- war
- peace
- David Keen
- political control
- economic interests
- military spending
- conflict
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Al Jazeera
Places: United States, Israel, Iran
More episodes of Talk to Al Jazeera
- Canadian FM: Is the US still a reliable ally? | Talk to Al Jazeera · May 17, 2026 · 28 min
- Hakan Fidan: Can Turkiye contain a wider Iran war? | Talk to Al Jazeera · May 12, 2026 · 28 min
- Did the US misjudge Iran? What this war reveals | Talk to Al Jazeera · April 19, 2026 · 29 min
- Zohran Mamdani on 100 days as New York mayor | Talk to Al Jazeera · April 9, 2026 · 21 min
- US messages via Witkoff and intermediaries are not negotiations: Araghchi | Talk to Al Jazeera · April 1, 2026 · 24 min
- Cuba is not alone, deputy FM says as US threats grow | Talk to Al Jazeera · March 29, 2026 · 27 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Talk to Al Jazeera podcast page.