ICYMI: Alexander Vindman — The Folly Of Realism Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other podcast

Content provided by Scan Media, LLC, Scan Media, and LLC. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Scan Media, LLC, Scan Media, and LLC or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.

Talkin‘ Politics & Religion Without Killin‘ Each Other »
ICYMI: Alexander Vindman — The Folly of Realism

13h ago 1:17:18

MP3•Episode home

One of the clearest, most necessary voices on Ukraine, democracy, and what the West keeps getting wrong.

In this ICYMI episode, Corey revisits his most recent conversation with Dr. Alexander Vindman — retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, former Director for European Affairs on the National Security Council, and author of The Folly of Realism: How the West Deceived Itself About Russia and Betrayed Ukraine.

From the thousand-year struggle for Ukrainian sovereignty to why U.S. administrations repeatedly misread Russia, Vindman explains how we arrived at this moment — and what a values-based foreign policy (“neo-idealism”) could mean for America’s future. He also opens up about family history, his brother Eugene’s first term in Congress, and what gives him both concern and hope in a destabilized world.

🧭 If you're new to TP&R through Podbean, Overcast, or a friend’s recommendation, this episode is a timely, clear-eyed introduction: personal, historically grounded, urgently relevant, and we even have some fun!

📣 Calls to Action

✅ TELL A FRIEND ABOUT TP&R!!! Help spread the message of meaningful conversation.

✅ Subscribe to Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other on your favorite podcast platform.

✅ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you listen

✅ Join the community on Substack: coreysnathan.substack.com

✅ Watch & subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion

⏱️ Timestamps & Key Topics

[00:00] Why Alexander Vindman’s voice has become essential to TP&R
[00:03] Eugene Vindman’s first term in Congress — governing from a purple district
[00:11] Lessons from military families, public service, and bipartisan problem-solving
[00:17] Reconnecting with family in Ukraine — personal history meets geopolitics
[00:24] The thousand-year struggle for Ukrainian sovereignty
[00:34] Russia’s imperial narrative and why the West kept buying it
[00:41] Nuclear weapons, U.S. policy missteps, and the legacy of denuclearization
[00:51] Neo-Idealism: Why values must guide U.S. foreign policy
[00:56] What worries Vindman about Trump 2.0 — and where he still finds hope
[01:08] The TP&R Question: How to talk across deep differences

🧠 Key Takeaways

History matters. Ukraine’s fight for independence is centuries old — and central to understanding today’s war.
The West misread Russia. U.S. administrations succumbed to “hopes and fears,” offering accommodation instead of strategy.
Nuclear exceptionalism distorts policy. Fear of escalation often hands leverage to bad actors.
Values are interests. Neo-Idealism argues that long-term U.S. strategy must be rooted in democratic principles.
Domestic health = foreign strength. The fight for democracy abroad is inseparable from the one at home.

💬 Notable Quotes

“Russia, absent Ukraine, ceases to be an empire. With Ukraine, it becomes one.”

“We succumbed to misplaced hopes and fears. We thought if we treated Russia as a partner, it would behave like one.”

“Values aren’t sentimental — they’re strategic.”

“You can find common ground by talking about family. That’s where our shared concerns lie.”

🔗 Connect with Corey

Corey is @coreysnathan on all the socials...

🙌 Our Sponsors

Pew Research Center: www.pewresearch.org
The Village Square: villagesquare.us
Meza Wealth Management: mezawealth.com

Proud members of The Democracy Group

🎙️ May your next conversation be a little braver — and a little clearer about what’s at stake.

378 episodes

#Politics #Religion #News Talk #News #Scan Media, LLC #LLC #Scan Media #Best Podcasts 2024