Trump’s “Madman Theory” Is on Full Display in Iran
4/11/202651 min
President Trump threatened to commit war crimes before reaching a shaky ceasefire deal with Iran. On this week’s On the Media, the repercussions of the Nixon-era diplomatic theory that Trump appears to be testing in the Middle East. Plus, why shortwave radio remains a powerful tool for communication.
[01:00] Host Brooke Gladstone sits down with Bill Scher, the politics editor at the Washington Monthly, to discuss Trump’s escalating use of the “Madman Theory” in conflicts abroad and how it’s never been a winning strategy.
[16:15] Shortly after the first attacks on Iran in early March, mysterious messages in Persian were broadcast on shortwave radio. Shortwave radio has long been a tool for bypassing state surveillance, censorship, and regulations, as reporter Katie Thornton found in her examination of shortwave radio for season two of The Divided Dial. In this segment, Katie Thornton took a trip to the 737-person northern Maine town of Monticello to find one of shortwave’s farthest reaching broadcasters.
[37:12] Reporter Katie Thornton continues her examination of shortwave radio. This segment originally aired as part of season two of The Divided Dial, which was supported in part by a grant from the Fund for Investigative Journalism.
Further reading / watching:
- “Trump Believes in “Madman Theory.” But He’s Actually a Madman” by Bill Scher
- The Divided Dial, seasons 1 and 2
On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsBrooke Gladstone· Host0:00
President Trump declared victory on Tuesday evening after negotiating a tenuous ceasefire with Iran. This after days of increasingly alarming rhetoric.
Speaker 10:11
The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night.
Brooke Gladstone· Host0:16
What happens when the madman theory of foreign policy is no longer so theoretical? From WNYC in New York, I'm Brooke Gladstone. Trump's geopolitical game of chicken has been attempted before by Richard Nixon during the Vietnam War.
Bill Scher· Guest0:33
North Vietnam storms into Saigon and takes over the whole country, so the whole thing doesn't work. Still, madman theory gets talked about as if it is a reasonable strategy to employ.
Brooke Gladstone· Host0:43
Plus, extremists find a home at one of the world's farthest-reaching radio stations, based in Maine.
Speaker 30:50
The KKK contacted us, and they were really pleasant and nice, and I said, "Sure, we'll put you on the air."
Brooke Gladstone· Host0:56
It's all coming up after this.
Speaker 40:59
WNYC Studios is supported by Upway. Spring is the perfect time for an e-bike, and Upway makes it easy to find your ride. Save up to sixty percent on new and certified refurbished e-bikes, all backed by a one-year warranty. Shop online at upway.co or visit us in Brooklyn or Los Angeles. Our showrooms are open Monday through Saturday. For store hours and to find your perfect bike, head to upway.co. That's upway.co.
Speaker 51:26
This podcast is brought to you by USA for UNHCR.