Lou welcomes special guest Eliott Ackerman. He is the author of the novels 2034, Red Dress In Black and White, Waiting for Eden, Dark at the Crossing, and Green on Blue, as well as the memoir Places and Names: On War, Revolution and Returning. His books have been nominated for the National Book Award, the Andrew Carnegie Medal in both fiction and non-fiction, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize among others. He is both a former White House Fellow and Marine, and served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart.
They discuss the United States’s exit in Afghanistan and how we just left the women and children behind with no protection. The United States made twenty years of promises both in our words and actions and we just walked away. It’s a blight on our national honor. Why did we have to pull out every last service member? What should be our foreign policy in Afghanistan moving forward? Did the weak NATO response in Afghanistan contribute to Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine? Did China witness the debacle of Putin in Ukraine and hold off invading Taiwan?
Eliott gives insight on his book 2034 which is about a hypothetical World War III between China and The United States primarily at sea. What motivated him to write it? Lou mentions how China is financially tied to the United States which is important because they would have a lot to lose if they would engage in a World War with The United States for real. They discuss if there was a fear factor with China and Putin Concerning Donald Trump.
Putin and the Ukraine. Elliott knew this would not be easy for Russia in the Ukraine. Ukrainians are proud people who will never stop fighting. Will Putin use Nuclear weapons? What’s the end game? They end the podcast questioning the legitimacy of our electoral process. Why is it so dangerous, especially in our presidential elections?