The Summit of All Fears

The Commentary Magazine Podcast’s 'The Summit of All Fears' delivers a blistering critique of American foreign policy orthodoxy, arguing that the belief in the eternal permanence of authoritarian regimes—China, Cuba, Iran—is a self-fulfilling delusion. Drawing parallels to the Cold War, the hosts contend that the Soviet Union’s collapse was not predicted because everyone assumed it was invincible. Today’s consensus that China will endure forever, they argue, is equally myopic. The episode centers on Donald Trump’s foreign policy as a disruptive force that rejects long-term containment in favor of high-stakes, deliverable-driven operations—like cutting off Cuba’s oil supply or targeting Iran’s nuclear program. These moves, they claim, are not neoconservative or blob-like, but a radical departure rooted in the belief that authoritarian regimes are fragile and can be toppled when incentives shift. The hosts warn that while Trump’s methods are chaotic and norm-breaking, the alternative—Biden’s hesitant, deterrence-only approach—has led to catastrophic failures like the Afghan withdrawal and Ukraine’s prolonged war. If Trump succeeds in dismantling these regimes, the cost of his authoritarianism may be worth it. The episode closes with a meditation on greatness, citing *Whiplash* as a metaphor: true excellence demands obsession, even cruelty, to achieve the impossible.