strategyaaron

Aaron H. Ellis

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POLITICS
UPDATED WEEKLY

strategyaaron

Strategy is achieving your ambitions as "stuff" tries to stop you. Aaron Ellis explores the stuff shaping people's environments and how they try to master it – whether in politics, world affairs, business, or pop culture. strategyaaron.substack.com

11 HR AGO

Xi, Trump, and Taiwan

China is conducting an intimidatingly large war game just off Taiwan — a response to the island’s new president visiting Guam and Hawaii. The drama over this seemingly innocuous trip will make sense if you read The Taiwan Story by eminent Sinologist Kerry Brown. Kerry talks to Aaron about the history behind the dispute, its potential to throw the world into chaos if things turn violent, and the uncertainty created by Donald Trump’s return. He believes that rather than try to “solve” things, leaders need to rediscover the value of diplomatic ambiguity. Aaron and Kerry also touch on his career as a diplomat, his experiences teaching in China in the 1990s, and whether or not Xi Xinping is as good looking as Trump claims… If you want to buy The Taiwan Story or any of Kerry’s other books, visit the strategyaaron Bookshop page: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/strategyaaron Other links: Kerry’s site Aaron’s site | Bluesky | Instagram This week’s recommended read is Sam Lowe’s latest piece about the increasing difficulty for companies to avoid tariffs. Thanks for listening! Feel free to share! Get full access to strategyaaron at strategyaaron.substack.com/subscribe

46 min
4 DEC

One month on

After some necessary mourning, Aaron and journalist Andrew Naughtie discuss the U.S. election result. They talk about their respective experiences of the night, what things they got wrong, as well as the reasons for Donald Trump’s win. Did the Democrats abandon the “working class”? Or was Kamala Harris too left-wing? Or was it just inflation, stupid? They also touch on Hasan Piker’s armpits — and why attention will now shift to the U.S. Senate. If you want more analysis from Andrew, subscribe to his Substack Memo from America Other links: Aaron’s site | Bluesky | Instagram If you want to buy any books mentioned AND support independent stores in the UK, visit the strategyaaron Bookshop page: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/strategyaaron Thanks for listening! Feel free to share! Get full access to strategyaaron at strategyaaron.substack.com/subscribe

1h 6m
27 NOV

A new third way?

Carl Cashman is the leader of the Liberal Democrats in Liverpool. He does what Sir Ed Davey hopes to do nationally — be the official opposition to Labour. Aaron and Carl discuss the actual differences between the two progressive parties, if the LibDems should give up ground on the centre-left in order to win over more disillusioned Conservatives, and whether or not the Coalition government should be “rehabilitated”. They also talk about The Master — Tony Blair. If you want to buy any of the books mentioned AND support independent stores in the UK, visit the strategyaaron Bookshop page: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/strategyaaron Other links: Carl’s Instagram | Bluesky Aaron’s Instagram | Bluesky | site The recommended read this week is Sam Freedman on how regional mayors can improve public services across the country Thanks for listening! Feel free to share it! Get full access to strategyaaron at strategyaaron.substack.com/subscribe

55 min
7 NOV

What now...?

What does Trump’s re-election mean for NATO and the wider relationship between Europe and the United States? Will he follow through on his threats of quitting the alliance and starting a trade war? In his book Pax Transatlantica, international relations scholar Jussi Hanhimäki offers some reassuring history. For decades now, people have worried that the transatlantic relationship is on the verge of collapse — yet it’s only gotten stronger. NATO even added members in Trump’s first term! Jussi and Aaron also discuss populism as a transatlantic phenomenon, the search for overarching ideologies after the end of the Cold War, as well as possible ends to the war in Ukraine. If you want to buy Jussi’s book AND support independent stores in the UK, visit the strategyaaron Bookshop page: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/strategyaaron Other links: Aaron’s website Aaron’s Instagram If you want to read more about the potential impact of Trump’s return on world affairs, check out the latest piece by Lawrence Freedman Thanks for listening! Feel free to share! Get full access to strategyaaron at strategyaaron.substack.com/subscribe

54 min
3 NOV

All the President's Movies

Film scholar Paul Klein is back! With the presidential election just a couple of days away, he and Aaron rank the best films about U.S. politics. They touch on what makes a good politician, the fears and desires which drive both politics and cinema, and why America has such a unique ability to regenerate itself. Of course, there are a lot of spoilers… In no particular order, with trailers linked, the films are: * Lincoln (2012) * The Best Man (1964) * Game Change (2012) * The Candidate (1972) * All the Way (2016) * All the President’s Men (1976) * The Manchurian Candidate (1962) * Primary Colors (1998) * Mr Smith Goes to Washington (1939) Share your choices in the comments! The recommended read this week is the latest Memo from America from Andrew Naughtie Thanks for listening! Feel free to share! Get full access to strategyaaron at strategyaaron.substack.com/subscribe

1h 38m
23 OCT

Two weeks out

There are thirteen days until the U.S. election. With no sign of change in the apparently tied race, no one really knows what to think. Rather than parse the many, many polls, Aaron and journalist Andrew Naughtie do a deep-dive into Trump, Harris, and the last thirty years of American politics. They discuss why Donald Trump has such a hold on the Republican Party, how it’s qwhite interesting that a certain demographic finds Kamala Harris “unimpressive”, the relevance of her political apprenticeship in California, and whether or not her campaign is deliberately killing “the vibe” before a final joyful push. Aaron and Andrew also talk about the toxic legacy of the 2008 Democratic primary. If you want more analysis of the election from Andrew, subscribe to his Substack Memo from America: Get full access to strategyaaron at strategyaaron.substack.com/subscribe

1h 29m
16 OCT

The power of protest

Protesting can be emotionally fulfilling but it isn’t always politically successful. In Changemaker: A Data-Driven Guide to Being an Effective Activist, Lisa Mueller draws on political science to explain what can turn a protest into a catalyst for social change. She and Aaron discuss tempering the impulse to act with strategic thinking, why broad coalitions need focused messaging, and how important non-violence is. As the U.S. presidential election is just a few weeks away, they also touch on what people should be thinking about now ahead of a potential Trump win. If you want to buy Changemaker AND support independent stores in the UK, visit our Bookshop page: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/strategyaaron Other links: Lisa’s site Aaron’s site Aaron’s Instagram The recommended read this week is Samir Puri’s piece on Britain and the Chagos islands Thanks for listening! Feel free to share it! Get full access to strategyaaron at strategyaaron.substack.com/subscribe

54 min
9 OCT

Empires of absurdity?

Napoleon III feared a global American hegemon. Yet when the United States fell into civil war, France’s ruler saw a chance to stop it. He overthrew the liberal government of Mexico and installed an Austrian prince — Maximilian von Habsburg-Lothringen — as the country’s new “emperor”. If the Union did somehow succeed, its rise to world domination would be checked by a strong, French-backed monarchy on its southern border. But as Edward Shawcross explains in The Last Emperor of Mexico, this ambitious imperial project quickly turned into an absurd disaster. He and Aaron discuss what went wrong and whether Maximilian could’ve rescued himself if he’d been a better politician. They also talk about the mastermind behind the scheme and the subject of Edward’s next book, Napoleon III. Was he really the absurd figure everyone remembers — or an astute political strategist and the intellectual godfather of autocratic populists today? If you want to buy The Last Emperor of Mexico AND support independent stores in the UK, visit our Bookshop page: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/strategyaaron Other links: Edward’s site Aaron’s site Aaron’s Instagram Aaron’s recommended read this week is Lawrence Freedman’s interview with documentary filmmaker Norma Percy Thanks for listening! Feel free to share! Get full access to strategyaaron at strategyaaron.substack.com/subscribe

56 min

Strategy is achieving your ambitions as "stuff" tries to stop you. Aaron Ellis explores the stuff shaping people's environments and how they try to master it – whether in politics, world affairs, business, or pop culture. strategyaaron.substack.com

Creator

Aaron H. Ellis
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2K
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14
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