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Origins of American Empire in the Asia-Pacific Region

On this episode of American Prestige, Stuart Rollo discusses the US’s imperial evolution alongside China’s parallel trajectory.

Derek Davison and Daniel Bessner

May 28, 2024

Terminus: Westward Expansion, China, and the End of American Empire.(Johns Hopkins University Press)

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Origins of American Empire in the Asia-Pacific Region with Stuart Rollo | American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

We all know about the United States’ deep commercial ties with China in this day and age, but has this been the case since America’s inception?

On this episode of American Prestige, hosts Danny and Derek are joined by Stuart Rollo, postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney, for a discussion of his book Terminus: Westward Expansion, China, and the End of American Empire. The group examines the United States’ imperial evolution alongside China’s parallel trajectory, considering the (sometimes oblique) role of China in major US conflicts, domestic Chinese milestones’ effect on the US-China dynamic, the watershed change in their trade relations in the 1970s, and how America is trying to manage its current imperial decline.

Note: Stuart was unfortunately ill with Covid when recording this episode, but said that the show must go on!

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We all know about the United States’ deep commercial ties with China in this day and age, but has this been the case since America’s inception? On this episode of American Prestige, we’re joined by Stuart Rollo, postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney, for a discussion of his book Terminus: Westward Expansion, China, and the End of American Empire. The group examines the United States’ imperial evolution alongside China’s parallel trajectory, considering the (sometimes oblique) role of China in major US conflicts, domestic Chinese milestones’ effect on the US-China relationship, the watershed change in their economic dynamic in the 1970s, and how America is trying to manage its current imperial decline.

Note: Stuart was unfortunately ill with Covid when recording this episode, but said that the show must go on!

The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Israel Bombs Lebanon, Iran Halts Hormuz Traffic, Orban Faces Election Defeat | American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Danny “Hollywood” Bessner and Derek “Bethesda” Davison are back with the news. This week: Israel bombs Lebanon and kills hundreds (2:09) as Iran halts traffic through the Strait of Hormuz in response (5:43); the U.S. and Iran prepare for peace talks in Pakistan (8:26); Trump threatens to resume the war if talks fail (13:02); the Gaza Board of Peace demands Hamas provide a disarmament response (14:56); Afghanistan and Pakistan pause talks and agree to avoid escalation (17:16); Myanmar’s parliament elects junta leader Min Aung Hlaing as president (20:04); Vietnam’s National Assembly elects Communist Party chief To Lam as president (21:14); KMT leader Chiang Li-wun visits China to pursue closer ties (22:59); Burkina Faso’s junta leader extends military rule (27:06); Hungarian polling projects Viktor Orban to lose power to the opposition (31:51); Chadian forces deploy to Haiti under a UN-backed mission (34:54); Haiti postpones voter registration amid ongoing violence (37:15); Trump pressures NATO to secure the Strait of Hormuz (41:51).

Don’t forget to subscribe to the Marx Prestige miniseries. New episodes out on Tuesdays!

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Derek DavisonDerek Davison is a writer and analyst specializing in international affairs and US foreign policy. He is the publisher of the Foreign Exchanges newsletter, cohost of the American Prestige podcast, and former editor of LobeLog.


Daniel BessnerTwitterDaniel Bessner is an historian of US foreign relations, and cohost of American Prestige, a podcast on international affairs.


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