“We May Dominate the World: Unraveling the Rise of the American Colossus” with Sean A Mirski

Here's What We Know

This week on the Here's What We Know Podcast, our host Gary Scott Thomas had a fascinating conversation with Sean A Mirski, a lawyer, historian, U.S. foreign policy scholar, and author of the monumental book “We May Dominate the World: Ambition, Anxiety, and the Rise of the American Colossus." Sean shares how he spent eight years crafting his book while juggling a demanding law career. His book unpacks nearly 100 years of complex policy across the entire Western Hemisphere with gripping storytelling as we deeply dive into the pivotal moments that shaped our nation's destiny.

So if you're up for a historical exploration filled with drama, strategy, and lessons for our times, tune in now and be ready to geek out!
In this Episode:

• Explore how Sean’s time at the University of Chicago shaped him and touch upon his role as a visiting scholar.
• Sean shares insights into his writing process and rigorous research involving primary sources, from dusty archives to Library of Congress documents.
• The discussion delves deep into understanding history through human stories rather than dry facts.
• Sean reflects on the importance of presenting balanced perspectives that respect historical complexities instead of one-sided narratives.
• Sean emphasizes meticulous documentation and how easy it is to distort history without proper context or verification.
• Impactful historical events involve political figures like President Abraham Lincoln, General Ulysses S. Grant, Secretary William H. Seward, President Theodore Roosevelt, Republican politician James G. Blaine, Major General Smedley Butler, and President James Monroe.

This episode is sponsored by:
Habana Cuba (Be sure to use code "Gary20" to get 20% off your order!)
A Flood of Love

Bio:
Sean A. Mirski is a lawyer, historian, and U.S. foreign policy scholar who has worked on national security issues across multiple U.S. presidential administrations. A term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, he currently practices national security, foreign relations, and appellate law at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, and is also a Visiting Scholar at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He previously served in the U.S. Department of Defense under both Republican and Democratic administrations as Special Counsel to the General Counsel, where he earned the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Award for Outstanding Achievement. He has written extensively on American history, international relations, law, and politics, including as author of We May Dominate the World: Ambition, Anxiety, and the Rise of the American Colossus (PublicAffairs 2023), and as editor of the book Crux of Asia: China, India, and the Emerging Global Order (CEIP 2013). Earlier in his career, he clerked for Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. on the U.S. Supreme Court and then-Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and served as a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Named one of Forbes magazine’s “30 Under 30,” he graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and holds a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Chicago.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-mirski-06779222/
“We May Dominate The World: Ambition, Anxiety, and the Rise of the American Colossus” Book Link: Amazon
www.GaryScottThomas.com