This week on the Sinica Podcast: a lecture by Robert Daly, director of the Wilson Center’s Kissinger Institute, delivered last year to D.C.-based Faith & Law at their Friday Forum. The lecture, titled “Is Our Foreign Policy Good? American Moral Absolutism and the China Challenge,” is a powerful and thought-provoking talk. Kaiser follows up with a long conversation with Robert about the themes raised in the talk, and then some. Enjoy.
03:04 โ A talk by Robert Daly from June 24th, 2022, given at Faith & Lawโs Friday Forum
45:49 โ What is lacking in the mainstream dialogue about American policies on China-related issues?
49:37 โ Over-willingness to turn towards a military approach in the U.S.-China relationship in recent years
1:00:48 โ The missionary aspect of the American approach in dealing with China
1:05:02 โ The differences and commonalities between Chinese and American exceptionalism
1:17:42 โ Are we in a state of Cold War with China?
1:23:54 โ The question of moral standing in light ofย whataboutism
1:27:08 โ Comparing American intentions with Chinese realities and the issue of moral absolutism
1:44:50 โ What a โJust Cold Warโ would involve?
1:51:34 โ Can the U.S. imagine a world in which it is not a hegemonic power?
A complete transcript of this podcast is available at TheChinaProject.com.
Recommendations:ย
Robert:ย The House of Sixty Fathersย (a Newbury Award-winning book) by Meindert DeJong with illustrations by the late Maurice Sendak
Kaiser:ย Wolf Hall: A Novelย by Hilary Mantel
Anda Unionย (Inner Mongolian band)