Book Talk | Blood and Treasure @QuincyInst

Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

What do the historical interactions of war with financial innovation, economic incentives, and technological change mean for the world today?

Tariffs, sanctions, export controls, supply chain security, and industrial policies. We live in a world where the linkages between conflict and the economic sinews of countries and alliances have returned to the center of policymakers’ concerns. But this is hardly new – states have long known that power and plenty go together and are now ramping up their actions based on this realization again. In an engaging new book, Duncan Weldon traces these connections through cases that range from Genghis Khan’s pivotal role in globalization to the Bank of England’s contribution to British expansion; from the incentive structures of Caribbean piracy to the immense costs of the 20th century’s total wars.

Quincy Institute is an independent, nonprofit think tank. To support our work:
Help fund our research: quincyinst.org/donations
Read our reporting: ResponsibleStatecraft.org
TikTok: / quincyinst
Twitter: https://x.com/QuincyInst
Facebook: / quincyinst
Instagram: / quincyinst
Website: quincyinst.org

WHY STARVATION IN GAZA WAS ALWAYS AVOIDABLE

Hillary Clinton is wrong about Gaza (again)

How the Mainstream Media Covered Trumps Venezuela Take Over

$Is Trump already losing control of the Iran war? | EMERGENCY EPISODE w/Kelley Vlahos On this emergency episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex are joined by Kelley Vlahos, Editor-in-Chief of Responsible Statecraft, to discuss the US-Israel attack on Iran and subsequent war. First, they discuss why Trump chose war over diplomacy, whether the administration is feeling a sugar high after regime change in Venezuela, and why the endgame in Tehran remains dangerously unclear. Next, they examine the fracturing of the MAGA coalition around the war. Kelley explains why influential voices on the right are breaking with the White House, and how the administration is running scared from backlash within its political base. Then, they look at the generational divide that this war is exposing in US society and culture. From the normie echo chamber on Fox News to the democratization of information on TikTok and podcasts, they explore whether legacy media is losing its grip on the narrative, and why young Americans are more skeptical of war than ever before. Finally, they tackle the Culture of War in Washington. Kelley shares her insights from decades reporting in the nations capital, detailing how the military-industrial complex has become a self-licking ice cream cone that treats peace as a personal threat to status and profit. ### Check out Responsible Statecraft: https://responsiblestatecraft.org/ Check out Trip the Beltway Fantastic: https://tripthebeltway.substack.com/ ### Why is America seemingly always at war? Join the Quincy Institute’s Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan as they expose the monied interests, outdated ideologies, and entrenched powers that have driven the U.S. to wage nearly 400 wars and interventions. They’ll be joined by journalists, advocates, and experts to uncover who profits from America’s endless conflicts, and to imagine how we can build a better, more peaceful U.S. foreign policy. Learn more about the Quincy Institute: quincyinst.org Contact the show: alwaysatwar@quincyinst.org Show art by Justin Hantz ### Quincy Institute is an independent, nonprofit think tank. Help fund our research: https://quincyinst.org/donations/ Read our reporting: https://ResponsibleStatecraft.org Twitter: https://x.com/QuincyInst TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/quincyinst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quincyinst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com//quincyinst Website: https://quincyinst.org$

WHAT DRIVES AMERICANS TO MILITARY SERVICE IN A CHANGING WORLD?

Book Talk | Security Through Co-operation: Attempts at US-Russian Accord After the Cold War

The Further Expansion of the European Union and the Euro

The Trillion Dollar Pentagon Budget: Boondoggle or Beneficial?

UNCOVERED: Israels $1 billion influence campaign