Ben Rhodes and the Evil Empire State of Mind (#559)

Ben Rhodes and the Evil Empire State of Mind (#559)

May 27, 2026 · 1h 52m

About this episode

Ben Rhodes discusses his new book and various aspects of American foreign policy and identity.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.wethefifth.com/subscribe Check out Ben Rhodes new book: All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches -Ben Rhodes, wounded ’90s Knicks fan -Are we winning in Iran yet? -what should the President do with Iran right now? -Sanctions suck, mostly -Cuba and the Obama opening -Libya and the regime-change trap -Kosovo worked-ish -Responsibility to protect yourself from over-learning lessons -Rhodes wants institutions, not impulse wars -Is Ben Rhodes Tucker-adjacent? -Soft power, hard questions -Navalny didn’t want America’s money -When Reagan said “Evil Empire” -Reagan also change his mind -Moynihan accuses Rhodes of America pessimism -Ben says it’s because he loves America -Private equity killed the vibes -Nostalgia-nomics -The left-populist temptation -JD Vance talks pretty -National identity without a monoculture -Ben Franklin and the virtue of doubt -Experts are annoying but sometimes useful Read All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches ( Bookshop | Amazon ) Prefer to watch & chat live with other members of…

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