On Foreign Entanglements, Rob and Jason debate libertarian foreign policy. They discuss Conor Friedersdorf’s recent essay making the case against Obama, with Jason detailing the different types of foreign policy libertarianism and Rob wondering whether Friedersdorf conflated morality, legality, and constitutionality. Rob assesses the tradeoffs associated with Obama and the drone program, noting that voting inherently produces a “dirty hands” problem. Rob wonders if a libertarian foreign policy will ever catch on, then they discuss the political and economic sources of secessionist sympathies in various European countries. Rob and Jason conclude with a brief discussion of American attitudes towards Saakashvili’s Georgia.

On Foreign Entanglements, Matt and Jamie discuss the Foreign Policy Initiative’s new poll of US opinion on foreign policy. They debate whether isolationism is still an important strain in American politics. Why was the Obama administration so slow to acknowledge the Libyan consulate murders as a terrorist attack? Were the embassy demonstrations a sign of US weakness in the Middle East? Both Matt and Jamie think supporters of Bush’s “Freedom Agenda” should’ve been prepared for Morsi’s UN speech. Finally, Matt criticizes Netanyahu’s infamous bomb chart speech, while Jamie defends an aggressive stance against Iran.

On Foreign Entanglements, Rob and Toshi discuss the East China Sea island dispute between China and Japan.  Toshi gives a brief history of the dispute, then explains why tensions have escalated in recent months. Rob wonders how much the growing strength of the Chinese navy affects the calculations of policymakers in Tokyo and in Southeast Asia.  Rob and Toshi discuss the role that the United States can play in de-escalating the crisis. They also consider China’s relationship with Taiwan in this context. Plus: how does climate change influence disputes like this one?

On Foreign Entanglements, Matt talks to Carey about Ambassador Chris Stevens and the three other Americans killed in Benghazi. Carey disputes the idea that diplomats get “captured” by their host countries. Matt asks Carey about the impact of the 2011 WikiLeaks cables, and Carey goes on to explain the difficulties of diplomacy in the age of Twitter. Matt asks Carey about his experience establishing the embassy in post-Soviet Georgia, and Carey closes by offering lessons for Libya and Egypt today.

On Foreign Entanglements, Rob speaks with Michael about the political conventions. Michael, who attended both conventions, says it was like going from a country club to New York City. Rob and Michael talk about newfound Democratic confidence in foreign policy, and they wonder how hawkish the party can become. Rob asks Michael who he thinks might take the key foreign policy positions in the Obama and Romney administrations, and they evaluate John Bolton, John McCain, and George W. Bush as picks for Secretary of State. Looking past the 2012 election, Michael asks Rob about the prospects of a 2016 Rand Paul run for the GOP nomination.

On Foreign Entanglements, Matt and Meir discuss the new IAEA report on Iran’s nuclear program. Meir is concerned that war with Iran has become an identity issue for some Americans. Turning to the recent Non-Aligned Movement conference in Tehran, they discuss the surprising roles of Ban Ki-moon and Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. Matt argues that Obama’s strategy of diplomatic engagement at the UN has been vindicated. Is Israel or the US ever likely to bomb Iran? Matt worries that the tension between US and Israeli red lines increases the risk of war.

On Foreign Entanglements, Rob speaks with Dmitry about Russian foreign and security policy. Rob asks Dmitry why the Russians have continued to support the Assad regime in Syria. They then discuss Russia’s approach to Responsibility to Protect. Rob wonders how Russia conceives of the relationship between US foreign policy and Islamic extremism. Finally, Dmitry suggests that some in the Obama administration quietly welcome the obstructionist role that Russia has played at the UN on Syria.

On Foreign Entanglements, Matt and Rob explore the foreign policy aspects of the election. They begin with what Paul Ryan means for foreign policy in the campaign, and for the battle between neocons and realists within the GOP. They next discuss what Israeli threats to attack Iran are intended to do, and how such threats might affect the course of the election. Rob and Matt then talk about Syria, including the effect of unrest on Iran-Israel relations and on US Presidential rhetoric. How have neoconservatives dealt with the Arab Spring? Finally, they delve into a new right-wing effort to undercut the Obama administration on killing Osama bin Laden.

On Foreign Entanglements, Rob speaks with Taylor about the current state of Chinese politics. Taylor explains the scandalous Bo Xilai affair, and Rob wonders whether there’s a crisis of civil-military relations in China. Taylor lays out the situation in the South China Sea and discusses China’s “salami slicing” strategy. Rob and Taylor analyze the potentially destabilizing effects of AirSea Battle. Is it crazy for the US to prepare for the possibility of war with China? They conclude with a conversation about how the Chinese view the US election.

On Foreign Entanglements, Matt talks with Aziz about how Romney’s “culture” comments were received among Palestinians (hint: not well). Matt outlines the problem with introducing “providence” into political discussions. Would President Romney really recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and would that mean the end of the two-state solution? Matt thinks that Romney inadvertently kicked off a rare good conversation about Israel-Palestine in DC. Aziz argues that Mahmoud Abbas is right to not negotiate with Netanyahu. Finally, if the two-state solution is dead, what happens next?