Ep 116 The Tulsi Effect feat Danny Sjursen

Guest: Major Danny Sjursen, US Army (ret.). We discuss what Danny refers to as "The Tulsi Effect" and its impact of forcing the issue of war onto the Democratic party agenda and the 2020 presidential election. 

The issue of war and foreign policy is something that liberals and progressive candidates would much prefer to ignore in debates and on the public stage. As Danny Sjursen wrote: "This was ever so apparent in the first two nights of Democratic primary debates this week. Foreign policy hardly registered for these candidates with one noteworthy exception: Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard—herself an (anti-war) combat veteran and army officer." All of this is true, and stunning, especially given that our country "remains mired in several air and ground wars from West Africa to Central Asia."

Tulsi has made ending the wars a centerpiece of her campaign and even though she is not a frontrunner she does stand out for making this her priority and not only that, she is forcing the issue of war onto the Democratic agenda. We also talk about Joe Biden's Iraq War problem, Trump's chaotic and contradictory foreign policy cabinet, the silent anti-interventionist majority in America and the state of the anti-war movement. 

Major Danny Sjursen is a retired US Army strategist and former history instructor at West Point. He served tours with reconnaissance units in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is the author of a memoir and critical analysis of the Iraq War titled: Ghostriders of Baghdad: Soldiers, Civilians, and the Myth of the Surge. His articles are published by numerous media outlets: antiwar.com, The American Conservative, Truthdig, TomDispatch and others. He is the co-host of the Fortress on a Hill podcast. 

FOLLOW Danny @SkepticalVet, find his podcast at Fortress on a Hill. 

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Recorded on July 10, 2019. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

1. The Tulsi Effect: Forcing War Onto the Democratic Agenda, Danny Sjursen, The American Conservative
2. Tulsi Gabbard Was the Clear Winner of the Democratic Debates, Truthdig, Danny Sjursen
3. Here's one way Democrats can defeat Trump: be radically anti-war, The Guardian, Mark Hannah, Stephen Wertheim
4. Putting the Warriors on Terror on Trial, Danny Sjursen, antiwar.com
5. Giving Trump Credit (But Not Too Much) on Iran, Danny Sjursen, antiwar.com
6. Troika Fever, Danny Sjursen, TomDispatch