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American Prestige

American Prestige

By: Daniel Bessner & Derek Davison
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 A podcast from Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison that provides listeners with everything they need to know about what’s going on in the world. americanprestige.supportingcast.fmAmerican Prestige Political Science Politics & Government World
Episodes
  • Bonus - Star Wars, Empire, and the Politics of The Phantom Menace w/ Daniel Immerwahr (Preview)

    Bonus - Star Wars, Empire, and the Politics of The Phantom Menace w/ Daniel Immerwahr (Preview)
    Apr 12 2026
    Subscribe now for the full episode! Danny welcomes back to the show historian Daniel Immerwahr to talk about the political and ideological themes of Star Wars, particularly The Phantom Menace. They discuss George Lucas’s Vietnam War influences and anti-imperial framework; myth and generational conflict in the original trilogy; the rise of intellectual property and Silicon Valley ideology; the shift from rebellion to bureaucracy in The Phantom Menace; its depiction of trade, governance, and liberal institutional decay; the racialized and cultural representations in the prequels; the transformation of the Jedi into enforcers; technology and scientism; and how The Phantom Menace reflects the politics of the late 1990s “end of history” moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    10 mins
  • News - Israel Bombs Lebanon, Iran Halts Hormuz Traffic, Orban Faces Election Defeat

    News - Israel Bombs Lebanon, Iran Halts Hormuz Traffic, Orban Faces Election Defeat
    Apr 10 2026
    Subscribe now to skip the ads and get all of our episodes. 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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    47 mins
  • Special - The Iran Ceasefire (Preview)

    Special - The Iran Ceasefire (Preview)
    Apr 8 2026
    Subscribe now for the full episode. Danny and Derek talk about the announced Iran ceasefire, getting into the terms and uncertainty around the two-week ceasefire, disputes over the Strait of Hormuz and potential tolling, whether Lebanon is included in the agreement, the feasibility of the negotiating demands, internal U.S. political and military tensions, Iranian claims of victory and possible Chinese involvement, Israeli reactions, and how Gulf states and global actors are responding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    10 mins
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