Did Trump Defy Israel? Iran, Cuba & ”The Epstein Regime” (Ft. Benjamin Studebaker)

Get access to The Backroom (100+ exclusive episodes) on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OneDime

In this episode of 1Dime Radio, I am joined once again by Benjamin Studebaker to discuss the new Iran deal, the growing rift between the United States and Israel, and what this all reveals about American power, Israeli leverage, and the limits of elite theory.

We break down why the so-called Iran deal is really a memorandum of understanding, whether Trump has effectively recreated the Obama Iran deal after a disastrous war, why Israel is so angry about the terms, and whether the United States can actually discipline Israel when it comes to Lebanon, Hezbollah, and the broader regional conflict.

From there, we zoom out into the realpolitik behind the U.S.-Israel alliance, the history of Israel’s strategic function in the Middle East, nuclear weapons, Palestine, the Gulf states, and the international pressure behind the Islamabad Accords. We then turn to Cuba’s sudden market reforms, the collapse of Cuba’s external support, Venezuela, China, Vietnam, North Korea, and why so many Western leftists turn foreign regimes into fantasy objects of anti-imperialist spectatorship.

In The Backroom, this week’s bonus discussion is split into two exclusive episodes. In the first, Ben and I have a cordial debate about the narrative of the so-called Epstein regime, Israel, conspiracy thinking, and whether there is a rational kernel of truth in some conspiratorial interpretations of politics. In the second, we continue into elite theory, scapegoating, and why elites may not actually be as powerful, coordinated, or all-controlling as people often imagine.

Timestamps:

0:00 The Backroom Preview: “The Elites” Aren’t That Smart
3:43 The Iran Peace Deal, Israel, Cuba
6:13 A Massive L For the USA and  Israel?
14:11 Regime Change Fail & Trump’s Midterm chances
22:10 Israel Doesn’t Control the USA
30:36 Can the U.S. Discipline Israel?
39:33 The Necessity of a One State Solution
43:03 Did Israel Drag America In the War?
50:17 Lebanon & the Iran Deal’s Weak Spot
1:02:02 The Islamabad Accords
1:11:04 Cuba’s Market Reform Shock
1:25:22 The Truth about Cuban Socialism
1:34:32 Anti-Imperialism & Spectator Politics
1:39:36 Conspiracies & Elite Theory
1:44:51 “The Epstein Regime” Narrative (The Backroom Transition)

GUEST
Benjamin Studebaker
Political theorist and author of Legitimacy in Liberal Democracies

Substack: https://substack.com/@bmstudebaker
X/Twitter: https://x.com/BMStudebaker
Website: https://benjaminstudebaker.com/
Buy Legitimacy in Liberal Democracies: https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-legitimacy-in-liberal-democracies.html
Affordable paperback now available for $24.95.

FOLLOW 1DIME
X: https://x.com/1DimeOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonyof1dime/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@1Dimee
My Substack: https://1dimereview.substack.com/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OneDime

#IranDeal #IsraelIranWar #USIsraelRelations

Make sure to like, comment, subscribe, and hit the bell for more 1Dime Radio episodes on politics, philosophy, history, economics, and geopolitics.