Going Underground Hosted by Afshin Rattansi

Afshin Rattansi CHALLENGES Ex-CIA Advisor on the Legacy of America’s Wars: Success or Failure?

August 23, 2026·28 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Michael O’Hanlon, former Pentagon Defense Policy Board member, former CIA External Advisory Board member, and Author of ‘To Dare Mighty Things: U.S. Defense Strategy Since the Revolution’. He discusses the role of asymmetric warfare from the American Revolution to the wars of today, the paradox of the US’ superpower status despite many military defeats and stalemates since Korea and Vietnam, the myth of American isolationism, the legacy of the US invasion of Afghanistan, the US’ role in the rise of ISIS & Al Qaeda, his view of the root causes of the Russia-NATO proxy war in Ukraine, the risk of direct NATO-Russia conflict as NATO continues to build up on Russia’s borders, and much more. Chapters (00:00:00) - Going Undercover: The End of the American Empire(00:01:25) - With Dr. Michael O'Hanlon(00:01:49) - The Making of a Great Power(00:08:12) - President Trump on America's Aggressiveness(00:11:07) - The War in Afghanistan: In Valor or Loss?(00:13:56) - Michael O'Hanlon on US Defense Strategy Since the Revolution(00:17:11) - In your book, You Don't Have to Support Putin(00:19:32) - Joe Biden on the Ukraine Crisis(00:27:51) - Going Underground: Secret Plot to Kill Donald Trump

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