The Bottom Line
The Bottom Line
Playlist by The Bottom LineA weekly take on US politics and policies and how they affect the world.Follow the podcast:
234 clip(s) in playlist
How shaky is the Iran-US ceasefire? | The Bottom Line
In this episode, experts with divergent world views agreed on one thing: it’s unlikely that the United States will resume the war on Iran. Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton tells host Steve Clemons that he still hopes for “regime collapse” in Iran, but that US President Donald Trump …
25:10
Mearsheimer: No signs of quick end to US-Israel war on Iran | The Bottom Line
The greatest threat to stability in the Middle East is not Iran, but “the US working closely together with Israel”, argues United States political scientist John Mearsheimer. Mearsheimer tells host Steve Clemons that the notion that the US and Israel are making a safer, more stable Middle East is …
25:02
Why does Trump say the US ‘already won’ the Iran war? | The Bottom Line
“The US has won” because Iran has become “incapable of being a significant threat” to the United States for at least three years, argues retired Lieutenant Colonel James Carafano, senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Carafano tells host Steve Clemons that even if Ir…
25:05
Why is Trump asking for Europe’s help in war on Iran? | The Bottom Line
“There is no good outcome” that can be gained from the United States-Israel war on Iran, argues the former ambassador of France to the US, Gerard Araud. Responding to US President Donald Trump’s attempts to get European countries more involved in the war effort, Araud tells host Steve Clemons that…
24:50
US Senator Van Hollen: Trump ‘has no idea where this war is going’ | The Bottom Line
Israel’s leaders have finally found a United States president “stupid enough and reckless enough” to join them in a war against Iran, argues US Senator Chris Van Hollen. Van Hollen, a Democrat, tells host Steve Clemons that the US capacity to degrade the Iranian military has never been in question…
27:55
Iran war: Redrawing the map of the Middle East, Israeli style? | The Bottom Line
Even though the joint United States-Israeli war on Iran is in its early days, “we already are in a scenario where the US has lost control of this war,” argues Vali Nasr, professor of international affairs and Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University. Nasr tells host Steve Clemons that Iran …
25:00
Do Americans agree that Trump has made the US ‘better, richer’? | The Bottom Line
US President Donald Trump is falling into the same trap as his predecessor, Joe Biden, when he tries to convince Americans that they’re better off financially, argues YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen. Cohen and Matt Duss, executive vice president at the Center for International Policy, join host Steve C…
25:03
Has BRICS given up on challenging Western economic dominance? | The Bottom Line
At its peak, the BRICS coalition of economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – was seen as a serious attempt to move away from the United States dollar and the domination of Western economic institutions like the World Bank, Group of Seven (G7), and International Monetary Fund (IMF…
24:59
Is Trumpism losing steam?
The Republican Party currently controls the White House and both houses of Congress in the United States. But will that change in November? Among Republican voters, US President Donald Trump is still wildly popular, despite criticism over uneven economic conditions and brutal anti-immigration tact…
24:55
Will Trump adopt Israel’s ‘red lines’ on Iran? | The Bottom Line
If the Trump administration adopts Israel’s “red lines” in the negotiations with Iran, the talks are doomed, argues Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Parsi tells host Steve Clemons that Iran is willing to reach a deal on its nuclear programme…
25:03