Deconstructing the 2025 US National Security Strategy | Van Jackson

Episode Overview

• This episode provides a detailed explanation of the National Security Strategy (NSS), defining it as an internal directive for the US security apparatus rather than a public-facing document.
• It analyzes the current administration's unorthodox approach to policy, highlighting a disdain for formal processes and the unusual dual appointment of Marco Rubio.
• The discussion breaks down the new strategy's focus on Latin America, framing it as a "permission structure" for an ideological crusade against left-leaning governments in the region.
• The hosts warn that this new focus could lead to a "new generation of forever wars" closer to home, without winding down existing military commitments elsewhere.

Key Concepts

• National Security Strategy (NSS): An intermittently produced White House document, drafted by the National Security Council, that serves as a blueprint for the president's agenda. Its primary audience is the internal "national security state," not the public.
• Permission Structure: The NSS functions to legitimize and authorize aggressive actions for the security apparatus, creating a formal justification for military buildups or interventions.
• Demand Signal: The military and other agencies interpret the NSS as a direct order or "demand signal" to shift resources and force posture, in this case, towards a military buildup in Latin America.
• "Cold War Liberal Crusade": A term used to describe the ideological motivation behind the new strategy, specifically an effort to "roll back the pink tide" of left-leaning governments in Latin America.
• A New Generation of "Forever Wars": A major concern is that the strategy is laying the groundwork for perpetual US military interventions in Latin America, which would exist alongside current engagements in the Middle East.
• Administration's Disdain for Process: The current administration is characterized as viewing formal, collaborative policy processes as "woke," preferring to bypass them, which contributes to more radical outcomes.
• Historical Parallel: The radical nature of this NSS is compared to the 2002 "preemptive war doctrine" strategy, which provided the justification for the invasion of Iraq.

Quotes

• At 0:49 - "Congress expects intermittently that the White House will issue a National Security Strategy, but there's not a lot of hard requirements around that..." - The guest explains that while there's an expectation for the NSS to be created, it is not a rigid, legally mandated requirement with strict rules.
• At 1:56 - "they don't respect process. They think process is woke, generally speaking." - The guest offers a sharp critique of the current administration's approach to governance and policy creation, suggesting they bypass traditional, collaborative methods.
• At 4:32 - "It's a strategy document about the political project of the presidency and how he wants to use the national security state to further that political project." - The guest provides a concise and insightful definition of the NSS's ultimate function as a tool for implementing the president's agenda.
• At 5:55 - "The closest probably is the 2002 National Security Strategy, which was... known as like the preemptive war doctrine strategy." - To illustrate the current NSS's radical nature, the guest compares it to the highly consequential 2002 strategy document that provided the justification for the invasion of Iraq.
• At 22:36 - "having a kind of Cold War liberal crusade in Latin America, like trying to roll back the pink tide." - The speaker explains that a key motivation behind the new strategy, particularly for figures like Marco Rubio, is an ideological push against socialist-leaning governments.
• At 22:57 - "the document creates a permission structure for all of that." - The speaker argues that the National Security Strategy serves to legitimize aggressive actions like regime change and military buildups for its primary audience, the national security state.
• At 23:30 - "...treating the NSS as a demand signal for like a dramatic force posture shift, which is to say a military buildup in Latin America." - Describing how senior military officials are already interpreting the new National Security Strategy (NSS) as a mandate to increase US military presence in the region.
• At 23:50 - "...a structure that would facilitate a new generation of forever wars, but just simply closer to home than the last generation of forever wars." - The speaker voices his primary concern that the new strategy is laying the groundwork for perpetual US military interventions in Latin America.
• At 39:43 - "if you're not addressing the demand for drugs, I think addressing the supply is pointless." - The speaker on the right argues that military interventions to stop the drug trade are futile as long as the underlying demand for drugs in the US persists.

Takeaways

• To understand US foreign policy, pay attention to internal-facing documents like the NSS, which reveal the government's true priorities more than public statements.
• Recognize that an administration's disregard for established policy processes can result in more extreme and less predictable strategic shifts with global consequences.
• Be aware that the focus of US military engagement may be shifting towards Latin America, potentially creating new, long-term conflicts in the Western Hemisphere.
• Critically evaluate the stated reasons for foreign policy actions, as justifications like fighting drugs or immigration can mask deeper ideological goals.
• Understand that military or supply-side solutions to problems like drug trafficking are often ineffective if the underlying domestic demand is not addressed.