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In this episode, in conversation with Robert Patton-Spruill, Mark Sussman, and Nikita Petrov, I provide an introduction to the life and work of Thomas Schelling and consider how a “Schellingesque” point of view might influence our interpretation of current events, like the Ukraine War, the “human shields” argument in Gaza, the Trump administration’s new national security strategy, nationalist and populist movements throughout the world, and nuclear deterrence today. We also talk about Schellingesque approaches to AI, but that segment of the conversation is available only to full subscribers.
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Video Links
0:00 Who was Thomas C. Schelling?
8:51 The Schellingesque
13:22 Ground News ad
15:05 Battlefield commitment and signaling
27:00 How deterrence works
35:14 Schelling's role in conceptualizing Stanley Kubrick's film Dr. Strangelove
49:08 Europe, Ukraine, and Trump's new national security strategy
1:04:41 Why does the US care about immigration in other nations?
1:09:02 Glenn: Bill Maher is either dishonest or wrong about asymmetrical war in Gaza
17:54 Schelling and Glenn on new nuclear powers
1:26:00 The problem of self-command
Recorded December 12, 2025
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Glenn Loury