"IR Has Something to Say" Threads
Below are links to threads I have written on Twitter on various IR topics, typically showing how IR scholarship helps us understand the topic:
History of US involvement in Afghanistan
Internationalist v Restrainer Foreign Policy
Why the US history of race and racisim impacts national security
How Operationa Barbarossa Changed History
How the Emancipation Proclamation Prevented European Recognition of the South
Liberal International Order, Hedley Bull, and the IO 75th Anniversary Special Issue
What is meant by "Rules-based Order"?
History of US being an A**hole in Foreign Policy
Why Small States matter in US-China Great Power Competition
The "America First Cacus" and Clash of Civilizations
Comparing media coverage of the Trump Versus Biden Afghanistan Troop withdrawal
Breakdown of CPOST January 6 Capitol Attacks Report
Good Friday Special: International Politics of the New Testament's Passion Account
The Ever Given debacle and the fragility of the global economy
The problems with a global pandemic treaty
Should Americans be concerned about the National Debt?
How much does the US actually spend on defense?
Difficulty of determining why the US invaded Iraq in 2003?
Realism and Liberalism in the Biden Interim NSS document
Is there such a thing as a "defensive only" weapon?
Imperial Policing and the US military
Must the US reassure it's allies?
Biden and "Team America" foreign policy
Problems with the "Longer Telegram" (comparing it to the "Long Telegram")
The Meaning of January 6 for American Democracy
Thread of "IR and Movies" Threads from 2020
International Relations Lessons from "DIE HARD"
The "Empirical Evidence" supporting the Democratic Peace
Sovereignty as a concept and sovereignty in the United States
George Marshall and the challenges of generals as SecDef
Somalia troop withdrawal and the value of the using an "IR angle" to analyze events
Hypocrisy and Contradiction as features of the LIO
Israel, Saudi Arabia, and a "MENA NATO"
The purpose of Biden Administration supporting "permanent alliances"
The problems with "Democratic Consolidation" as a concept
US Presidential Election v College Football (not an IR thread)
Foreign Policy Implications of Biden Administration (continuity or change?)
"The Rock" as criticism of US pursuing primacy
UN is 78 years old, not 75 years old
Caucasus in 2020 compared to the Balkans in 1914
"Rocky IV" as ultimate "Cold War" movie
US-China relations: Competitor, Adversary, or Enemy?
Global consequences of Woodrow Wilson catching the 1918 Flu
John D Rockefeller, World War I, and the US Income Tax
Breonna Taylor's death and the blurring of policing and military agencies
US Foreign Policy as a Cause for Trump's rise to the Presidency
RBG and the "Globalization" of the Supreme Court
August 2017 and what we (don't) know about the causes of war
Merchants of Death, Militar Industrial-Complex, & US Generals
Battle of Belleau Wood and US Entry into WWI
Explaining US Opposition to the ICC
What if Wakanda became the World's Most Powerful Nation?
The Impact of Women's Suffrage on International Politics
Explaining "embarassing vote failures" at UN Security Council
Why D-Day is NOT like College Football
Feasibility of an "Alliance of Democracies"
The Civil Rights Movement and US Legitimacy during the Cold War
"Allies" or just "Treaty Partners"?
Using "Independence Day" to Teach IR Concepts (Reboot)
How COVID19 Undermines International Cooperation
The role of "Middle Powers" in "Solving" the COVID19 Crisis
Woodrow Wilson's Racism and the Creation of the League of Nations
Does COVID19 Make 2020 the new "1989"?
How COVID19 Contributed to Mass BLM Protests
The Peace Dividend and how MRAP Vehicles went to Police Departments
Mini-Thread on Link b/w Iraq War & Militarization of US Police Forces
Trump Withdrawal from WHO and why states exit IOs
COVID19 and the International Politics of Preventing Human Extinction
Debate over WTO and Role of International Organizations in World Politics
The World Health Assembly and US-China Power Politics Posturing
Controversy over ECB response to COVID19 and the Future of the EU
COVID19 Vaccine Telethon Non-participants and "Vaccine Nationalism"
COVID19 and Global Trade: Stabilize or Weaponize
World Politics of Chinese "Reparations" for COVID19
UFOs and International Relations
Trump, Leader Culpability, and COVID19 Response
Ten Key Books on the Global Politics of Oil
UN Security Council Lack of Response to COVID19
US states forming "pacts" and the Constitution as an International Organization
Leaders, States, or System as Explaning non-cooperation against COVID19
Russia "hiding" and "International Distancing" during COVID19 Crisis
China, WHO, and The Influence of States on IOs
Did Collapse of USSR lead to increased political polarization in USA?
Lessons from World War I allies and COVID19 Joint Response
Dollar Dominance and Continuing US Hegemony Despite COVID19
Defense Production Act from Truman to Trump
What the World Health Organization teaches about International Organizations
Economic Turmoil and Sovereign Default depends on irregular leaders
Explaining the Saudi Oil Production Boost?
Liberal Order Debate and Money
The International Politics of the Coronavirus Pandemic
Foreign Policy issues (Gold and Colonies) in the 1900 Presidential Election
Lineage of the IDEA of "World Order"
There was an Interwar "Realist v Idealist" Debate
US Presidents and Constraints on the Use of Force in Foreign Policy
US Exceptionalism and its critics
Walls and their impact on trade
Departure Day and the History of Britain with European Integration
What scholars know about link between trade and alliances
Recent History of "military option" for US to stop Iran Nuclear program
Leader "decapitation strike" and deterrence
Comparing the International System in 2020s to 19th Century
Origins of the phrase "International Order"
Reminder of role of issue linkage in Donald Trump Impeachment
"Naming and Shaming" in International Politics
Centrality of Russia to the study of international security
What Do We Know About War: Lessons from Ukraine
What Do We Know About War: Lessons from War Finance
Teaching Clash of Civilization
Mini-Thread on the Varieties of Realism
The Use of "Quid Pro Quo" (or "issue linkage") in International Politics
Why Abandoning the Kurds will not hurt US alliance reputation
Summary of Foreign Affairs Piece on Decline of War
Trump News Conference on NATO and the Kurds as allies
Reasons and Implications of Trump pulling Troops Out of Northern Syria
Economics Sanctions and Trading with the Enemy
Debunking "Broken Window" Theory of US Foreign Policy
Ukraine relations with Russia and "The West" as context for Trump-Zelensky Phone Call
US-Iran Relations and use of the phrase "Great Satan"
History of Saudi Arabia paying for US protection
WWI's Lessons for Possible War in Persian Gulf
Democratic Peace as a "degenerate" research program?
Oil market reactions to firing of John Bolton as NSA
Fighting and Violence as a way of improving bargaining position during war
Causes of Sovereign Debt Default and that it is actually rare (Argentina is unusual)
Onset of World War II, World War I, and Meaning for NATO in Europe
Anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
Denmark's Role in NATO Expansion
JFK & "Catholic Loyalty Tests" to the United States
Work on defining International Order
Definitions of International Order
Literature on land purchases in international politics
Mini-thread of Merze Tate and being pessimistic about Arms Control
Review of Terrorism research review pieces
Mini-Thread on International Origins of 2nd Amendment and US gun regulation
Followup Mini-Thread on No-First-Use Nuclear Policy and Preempitve War
Mini-Thread on No-First-Use Nuclear Policy and Preemptive War
Bureaucracy and "The Deep State" in Foreign Policy
Summary of Krep's "Taxing Wars" review and funding of Native American Wars
Measuring Democracy and state of US Democracy
Books on External Democracy Assistance
Short Thread on Why I Study International Politics
Mini-Thread on the World Wars skewing how we think of war
Mini-Thread on Clash of Civilizations not being highly regarded in policy or scholarship
Mini-Thread on early (18th century) thinkers about the Commercial Peace
Using the movie "Independence Day" to Teach International Relations
Legacy of Versailles reading suggestions
US Role in Maintaining Stability in the Persian Gulf
History of US Income Tax and War
Scholarship on US War Taxation
Iran Shot down drone and Trump Changing Mind on Retalitory Strike
Early History of IR as a Discipline
Day-to-Day politics in international relations
Hosting the Olympics is a Bad Investment
Followup Mini-Thread on Hegemonic Stability Theory
Tiananmen Square and Politics of the Olympics
Follow up Mini-Thread on Geoeconomics
International Politics of the American Civil War
Did NATO Expansion Help Democracy?
Mini-thread on the patterns of global conflict
Mini-thread on US financial instruments of empire
Thread on Religion infusing US Foreign Policy
Mini-Thread on use of field experiments in IR Research
Flattery as a Bargaining Tactic
Recognition in International Politics
Mini-thread on two-level games and international negotiations
Mini-thread on literature relevant to Syrian troop withdraw
Secrecy in International Politics
Mini-thread on British Empire and International Law
Mini-thread on Major Powers fomenting internal wars
Mini-thread on USMCA and Treaty Design
International Order and Military Bases
Journals publishing non-Western IR research
Mini-Thread on need to reconceptualize "conflicts" as "wars"
Conceptualizing "primary belligerents" in Modern Wars
The Continuing existence of Major Power Wars
Mini-thread #2 on most wars being short
Mini-thread #1 on most wars being short
Status in international politics
Mini-thread on new IR data resources
Influence of Advisers on foreign policy decision making
Belt and Road Inititative and Power Projection
Mini-thread on Fazal's "War of Laws"
How we identify wars (Followup)
Russo-Georgian War and How we identify wars
Mini-thread on Beckley's "Unrivaled"
Mini-thread on Russo-Georgian War as diversionary war
Writings commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Russo-Georgian War
Mini-thread on BJPIR issue reflecting on Ikenberry's "After Victory"
Does Dollar Hegemony Benefit non-US states?
Dollar Hegemony as a Benfit of Liberal Order to the US
Challenges of Identifying the benefits of the Liberal Order to the US
Flaws of the Liberal Order: Recap of Intervention
Flaws of the Liberal Order: Democratic Deficit
Flaws of the Liberal Order: Economic difficulties for non-Western economies
Mini-thread on the need to reflect on the Flaws of the Liberal Order
Tariffs as a useful bargaining tool
Mini-thread on future of Liberal Order
Mini-thread on Liberal Order Debate
Diplomacy of Leader visits and internaitonal politics
Work on manner and consequences of post-Cold War NATO expansion
Mini-thread on causes of Iraq War #1
Mini-thread on causes of Iraq War #2
Thread explaining my support for the Iraq War
Trends in Liberal Order phrases #2
Trends in Liberal Order phrases #1
Reasons someone would not sign open letter supporting Liberal Order