“Anatomy of the imperium.”
The Scrum is pleased to have published several extracts, in two successive postings, from Aaron Good’s excellent American Exception: Empire and the Deep State, an outstanding achievement for its history of the national security state from its formative years onward and for the framework Good gives us so that we can understand our many present-day predicaments with the clarity of mind they require.
Part 1 of the series is here, and Part 2 here.
In this webcast, Good comments on his thesis and explains the intellectual path that led him to develop it. Prominent among his influences is the work of C. Wright Mills, notably The Power Elite, an enduring classic in its field that suggested to Good the structure of the national security state as we have it today. We also discuss Good’s take on postwar American history and his thoughts on the likely way ahead for our troubled republic.
Good concludes with a declaration of his optimism. We were not surprised, having got to know him in the course of our collaboration. As we conversed we couldn’t help thinking of Gramsci’s much remarked mot, “Optimism of the will, pessimism of the mind.”
We invite readers to join us for not quite an hour with Aaron Good and urge them to join Good on his podcast, American Exception, which can be found here.
—P. L.
