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profpaulpoast.bsky.social
Paul Poast
@profpaulpoast.bsky.social
8.1K followers 140 following 1.3K posts

International Relations and Foreign Policy. UChicago Prof. Chicago Council Fellow. WPReview Columnist. Still on Twitter/X, but now here too.

https://www.paulpoast.com/

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Economics 22%
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profpaulpoast.bsky.social
Paul Poast @profpaulpoast.bsky.social · Oct 4
From now on, I will be focusing on LinkedIn for posting on social media. I'll still use this platform to observe what people are saying, but I will be posting exclusively on LinkedIn.

If you don't already follow me there, you can find me here:

www.linkedin.com/in/paul-poas...
www.linkedin.com

Reposted by Daniel W. Drezner, Paul Poast

wpr.bsky.social
World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · 8h
Before the new year begins, our columnists weigh in on how the Trump administration’s foreign policy of upheaval will continue to reverberate across the globe.

Read predictions from @dandrezner.bsky.social, @rikefranke.bsky.social, @bloggingsbyboz.bsky.social & @profpaulpoast.bsky.social here:
WPR’s Columnists on What to Expect in 2026: Part 1
Our columnists weigh in on how the Trump administration’s foreign policy of upheaval will continue to reverberate across the globe.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Reposted by Paul Poast

wpr.bsky.social
World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · 7d
Aid cuts by the U.S. and other wealthy nations around the world have caused a decline in health funding. More children are dying as a result, @profpaulpoast.bsky.social writes.
The Rise in Infant Mortality in 2025 Is a Stain on Humanity
Aid cuts by wealthy nations around the world have caused a decline in health funding. More children are dying as a result.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Reposted by Paul Poast

armida.bsky.social
Armida van Rij @armida.bsky.social · 9d
Find the full series here, with excellent contributions from @leslievinjamuri.bsky.social Julie Smith, Jim O'Neill, @dandrezner.bsky.social @profpaulpoast.bsky.social and many others.

globalaffairs.org/commentary/a...
Predictions and Reflections on America at 250
Experts share how changes in American leadership, alliances, and global engagement shaped the nation’s first 250 years—and what the current moment reveals about the next.
globalaffairs.org

Reposted by Paul Poast

wpr.bsky.social
World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · 13d
Trump’s racist remarks are disturbing. But the use of such language and the influence of such ideas in global politics is far from surprising, @profpaulpoast.bsky.social writes.
Trump Is Making American Foreign Policy Racist Again
Trump is not the first U.S. president to allow racist views to influence his foreign policy decisions.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Reposted by Paul Poast

wpr.bsky.social
World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · 14d
If it wasn’t before, it is now clear that race, racial differences and even white supremacy inform Trump’s worldview and therefore the policies of his administration.

That’s disturbing, but far from surprising, @profpaulpoast.bsky.social writes.
Trump Is Making American Foreign Policy Racist Again
Trump is not the first U.S. president to allow racist views to influence his foreign policy decisions.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Reposted by Paul Poast

patrickrhamey.bsky.social
Patrick Rhamey @patrickrhamey.bsky.social · 17d
I'm very excited to share this new article with an all-star cast of coauthors on the dangers of ignoring domestic causes in public-facing IR! @lanoszka.bsky.social @seva.bsky.social @profpaulpoast.bsky.social @joannaszostek.bsky.social @bohdanakurylo.bsky.social
Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: Accounting for the Domestic alongside the International
Abstract. An old debate on the value of systemic explanations of international relations (IR) reemerged in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukra
academic.oup.com

Reposted by Kori Schake, Paul Poast

foreignaffairs.com
Foreign Affairs @foreignaffairs.com · 18d
Washington’s allies “may still hope for U.S. support, but they are also starting to hedge against the possibility that the United States will be absent when problems arise,” write Robert Kelly and @profpaulpoast.bsky.social.
How Much Abuse Can America’s Allies Take?
Longtime partners will soon start to drift away.
www.foreignaffairs.com

profpaulpoast.bsky.social
Paul Poast @profpaulpoast.bsky.social · 20d
If you are looking for me on social media, I'm over at LinkedIn.

For example, my latest post offers a "thread-like" reflection on the new NSS

www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
With a day to digest it, here are my initial thoughts on the Trump Administration's newly released "National Security Strategy": 1) Contextual Caveat 1 - these documents probably don&#3...
With a day to digest it, here are my initial thoughts on the Trump Administration's newly released "National Security Strategy": 1) Contextual Caveat 1 - these documents probably don't matter: It i...
www.linkedin.com

Reposted by Paul Poast

wpr.bsky.social
World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · 21d
Trump’s coercive diplomacy is consistent with a long-standing focus of U.S. foreign policy: control of the Western Hemisphere.

Read more from columnist @profpaulpoast.bsky.social:
Trump’s Approach to Latin America Is Not Such an Outlier
Trump’s coercive diplomacy is consistent with a long-standing focus of U.S. foreign policy: control of the Western Hemisphere.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Reposted by Paul Poast

wpr.bsky.social
World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · Nov 21
Though ubiquitous in foreign policy discussions, “the West” is rarely examined or defined.

So what is “the West”? That’s not so easy to pin down, @profpaulpoast.bsky.social writes.
‘The West’ Is Harder to Pin Down Than It Seems
Though there are many ways to define the West, modern policymakers have a fairly precise idea of who it includes.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Reposted by Paul Poast

wpr.bsky.social
World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · Nov 16
There are many steps between testing and deploying nuclear weapons, which have never again been used in war since 1945. But any rollback of safeguards is concerning, @profpaulpoast.bsky.social writes.
For the U.S., Resuming Nuclear Testing Would Come With Costs
If Trump follows through on his order to resume explosive testing of America’s nuclear weapons, the implications would be significant.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Reposted by Kori Schake, Paul Poast

wpr.bsky.social
World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · Nov 14
If Trump follows through on his order to resume explosive testing of the United States’ nuclear weapons, the implications would be significant, @profpaulpoast.bsky.social writes.
For the U.S., Resuming Nuclear Testing Would Come With Costs
If Trump follows through on his order to resume explosive testing of America’s nuclear weapons, the implications would be significant.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Reposted by Paul Poast

wpr.bsky.social
World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · Nov 8
Trump’s trip to Asia mostly resulted in promises and flattery. But promises alone don’t guarantee follow-through—and that’s often where Trump’s deals break down.

Read more in @profpaulpoast.bsky.social’s latest column:
Trump Didn’t Quite Close the Deal on His Asia Tour
Trump came away with many promises, but everything will now depend on follow-through, which is where his deals often break down.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Reposted by Paul Poast

wpr.bsky.social
World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · Nov 7
Trump came away from his trip to Asia with many promises, but everything will now depend on follow-through, which is where his deals often break down, @profpaulpoast.bsky.social writes.
Trump Didn’t Quite Close the Deal on His Asia Tour
Trump came away with many promises, but everything will now depend on follow-through, which is where his deals often break down.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Reposted by Paul Poast

wpr.bsky.social
World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · Nov 1
The first phase of Trump’s Gaza peace plan is proving difficult to maintain, and even if it does ultimately hold, there is a fundamental problem that could undermine the later phases, @profpaulpoast.bsky.social writes.
Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan Is Set Up for Failure
Phase 1 of Trump’s plan has mostly been implemented, but the subsequent phases are far less likely to succeed.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Reposted by Paul Poast

wpr.bsky.social
World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · Oct 31
Phase 1 of Trump’s Gaza peace plan has mostly been implemented, but as @profpaulpoast.bsky.social writes, the subsequent phases are far less likely to succeed.
Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan Is Set Up for Failure
Phase 1 of Trump’s plan has mostly been implemented, but the subsequent phases are far less likely to succeed.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Reposted by Paul Poast

wpr.bsky.social
World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · Oct 25
Rather than learn the lesson that military force is not sufficient to tackle nonstate actors, the Trump administration is doing it again, @profpaulpoast.bsky.social writes.
Trump Hasn’t Learned the Lessons of America’s ‘Forever Wars’
The military campaign against alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean could draw the U.S. into a “forever war” of Trump’s making.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Reposted by Paul Poast

wpr.bsky.social
World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · Oct 24
The military campaign against alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean could draw the U.S. into a “forever war” of Trump’s making, @profpaulpoast.bsky.social writes.
Trump Hasn’t Learned the Lessons of America’s ‘Forever Wars’
The military campaign against alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean could draw the U.S. into a “forever war” of Trump’s making.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Reposted by Paul Poast

rosellacappella.bsky.social
Rosella Cappella Zielinski @rosellacappella.bsky.social · Oct 23
Thrilled to have an opportunity to revisit Wheat and Strategic Competition for @warontherocks.bsky.social w/ Justin Gilpin CEO Kansas Wheat Commission.

We talk a lot about Russia and China and their most recent attempts to use wheat as a tool of statecraft.

warontherocks.com/2025/10/how-...
How Food Feeds Strategic Competition
In 2022, Rosella Cappella Zielinski and Justin Gilpin wrote, “Breadbasket Diplomacy: Preserving Wheat as a Tool of American Statecraft,” where they argued
warontherocks.com

Reposted by Paul Poast

wpr.bsky.social
World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · Oct 18
Nine months into his presidency, it is clearer than ever that Trump wants to take the United States back to the late 19th century, both domestically and in its relations abroad. So how is he doing in that regard?

Columnist @profpaulpoast.bsky.social examines that question:
Trump’s Vision of American Greatness Is From the Gilded Age
It is now evident that for Trump, the “again” in Make America Great Again refers to the late 19th century.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Reposted by Paul Poast

wpr.bsky.social
World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · Oct 17
It is now evident that, for Trump, the “again” in Make America Great Again refers to the late 19th century, @profpaulpoast.bsky.social writes.
Trump’s Vision of American Greatness Is From the Gilded Age
It is now evident that for Trump, the “again” in Make America Great Again refers to the late 19th century.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Reposted by Paul Poast

wpr.bsky.social
World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · Oct 12
What is the best means of crafting and using a military?

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seems to think it is a “warrior ethos.” But as @profpaulpoast.bsky.social writes, Eisenhower offered a much stronger argument:
As Eisenhower Knew, Hegseth’s ‘Warrior Ethos’ Isn’t What Wins Wars
The U.S. defense secretary’s emphasis on warfighting ignores the other important factors that make a military cohesive and effective.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Reposted by Kori Schake, Paul Poast, Steve Murdoch

wpr.bsky.social
World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · Oct 11
Eisenhower wanted a society made up of Americans who were citizens first and soldiers second, and of soldiers who can behave in polite society, effectively offering a counterargument to the “warrior ethos” Pete Hegseth keeps pushing.
As Eisenhower Knew, Hegseth’s ‘Warrior Ethos’ Isn’t What Wins Wars
The U.S. defense secretary’s emphasis on warfighting ignores the other important factors that make a military cohesive and effective.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Reposted by Paul Poast

wpr.bsky.social
World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · Oct 10
The U.S. defense secretary’s emphasis on warfighting ignores the other important factors that make a military cohesive and effective, @profpaulpoast.bsky.social writes.
As Eisenhower Knew, Hegseth’s ‘Warrior Ethos’ Isn’t What Wins Wars
The U.S. defense secretary’s emphasis on warfighting ignores the other important factors that make a military cohesive and effective.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Reposted by Paul Poast

judah-grunstein.bsky.social
Judah Grunstein @judah-grunstein.bsky.social · Oct 10
If Patton could have delivered Hegseth’s speech, Eisenhower offered the counterargument in his farewell address. Instead of calling for a warrior culture, he warned of a society so militarized that it prioritized manufacturing weapons over building schools.

Great one by @profpaulpoast.bsky.social.
As Eisenhower Knew, Hegseth’s ‘Warrior Ethos’ Isn’t What Wins Wars
The U.S. defense secretary’s emphasis on warfighting ignores the other important factors that make a military cohesive and effective.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

profpaulpoast.bsky.social
Paul Poast @profpaulpoast.bsky.social · Oct 3
President Donald Trump might not be crying for Argentina, but he does seem concerned about the future of the country’s economy.

In my latest for @wpr.bsky.social, I explain how the potential "Trump bailout" is just another instance of this time NOT being different.
Trump’s Bailout of Argentina Is Not as Unusual as It Seems
The U.S. pledge to bail out Argentina’s economy may be due to Trump’s bond with Milei, but it’s not unprecedented.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com

profpaulpoast.bsky.social
Paul Poast @profpaulpoast.bsky.social · Oct 2
IR Book of the Week!

"War and Power" by @phillipspobrien.bsky.social. Book argues that the focus on what makes nations "Great Powers" has led to a skewed our understanding of the true sources of power, particularly in the context of war.
War and Power: Who Wins Wars—and Why
War and Power: Who Wins Wars—and Why - Kindle edition by O'Brien, Phillips Payson. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading War and Power: Who Wins Wars—and Why.
www.amazon.com

profpaulpoast.bsky.social
Paul Poast @profpaulpoast.bsky.social · Oct 1
I shared my thoughts on Trump's "Gaza Peace Plan" 👇

TL,DR: There are some real positives, but unclear it will be accepted, hold, or enforced.
Trump introduced his Gaza Peace Plan yesterday. After a day to reflect on it, here are my thoughts: 1) WILL IT BE ADOPTED? Regardless of the content, it's not yet clear that the sides will acce...
Trump introduced his Gaza Peace Plan yesterday. After a day to reflect on it, here are my thoughts: 1) WILL IT BE ADOPTED? Regardless of the content, it's not yet clear that the sides will accept t...
www.linkedin.com

profpaulpoast.bsky.social
Paul Poast @profpaulpoast.bsky.social · Sep 30
Additionally, there were a host of comments by Trump & Hegseth that are consistent with this recent @wpr.bsky.social column:

www.worldpoliticsreview.com/interstate-w...
The ‘World at War’ Is Becoming Increasingly Lawless
International and domestic violence, have long been seen as intrinsically linked, largely because they both can feed on one another.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com