Sometimes I wish I could rename/restructure this website and call it something like “Learn From the Historians.” The following interview with Russian scholar Richard Sakwa is a great example of why that idea appeals to me. In it, he discusses his latest book, “The Lost Peace: How the West Failed to Prevent a Second Cold War.” Unlike his earlier works, which focused on specific, narrower topics in Russian history (communism, Putin, Ukraine, etc) “The Lost Peace” takes a view from 35,000 feet, so to speak. In the interview below, he praises Professor Jeffrey Sachs’ wonderful book about JFK’s “peace speech” (“To Move the World: JFK’s Quest for Peace“). He also discusses various factors that led to a renewal of the Cold War (“Cold War 2” many are calling it). One reason  for this failure that I didn’t hear him mention — which seems glaringly obvious to me (although perhaps it’s in his book, which I have not read) — is that the United States empire needs war and warmaking to keep its economy afloat (or at least to keep the politicans who depend on warmaker patronage afloat). It’s a good stimulating interview (about an hour). [Don]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbMqN9KA2YE