This is CBS. I am John Bachel.

Foreign policy and the American voting public. The mystery continues. I welcome Dan Dresner,

professor at the Fletcher School, Foreign Affairs. Most importantly, the co-host of Space

the Nation, his podcast. And he keeps the Dresner's world on sub-stack, which I highly recommend.

We go now to the general observation that Americans do not vote for an affairs. They vote

the pocketbook. Dan, I'm very good evening too. Thank you for this, professor. Your

explication of this matter is so convincing. I want to be contrary just a moment. It is

true that the American public stands back from foreign affairs. You know, the two oceans

provide us the room to come in late and come in big. However, in 1939, my father had

just graduated high school in a suburban high school in Montgomery County. And he had

a 1936 yellow Cadillac that his father had blessed him with. And he and his high school

friends all crowded into the car. And they put a sign on the front window as they joined

the July 4th parade. There will be fireworks later. You can imagine the scene. It's all

out of Hollywood. But the sign said veterans of future wars. The parade chairman castigated

them and made them leave the line because he said they were introducing an unacceptable

political argument into a celebration of American liberty. That was before the war. The

American people were not united in anything before the war, despite the obvious horrors

that were ongoing in Europe, even then that had been for years. The war would start later

that year at 39 with the German invasion of Poland. So have the American people change

from the early 20th century? Have we got a different nation now, Professor? Good evening

to. Good evening. I think there has been some change. First of all, no American born

in the 21st century is unaware that the US remains the most powerful actor in the world.

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