U.S.-China Tensions: Threat Inflation and Balloon Deflation

When a Chinese spy balloon was spotted above the U.S. last week, Americans reacted the only way they know how—by shooting it out of the sky with a missile. But why do we keep insisting that China is our sworn enemy? We’re talking with Jessica Chen Weiss, the Michael J. Zak Professor for China and Asia-Pacific Studies at Cornell and Senior Fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis, and John Glaser, adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute and host of Cato’s Power Problems podcast. We discuss America’s reflexive urge to escalate even the smallest threat, why our geopolitical position is actually way more secure than we’re led to believe, and whether we might figure out a way to share the world stage with China. Writers Tocarra Mallard and Robby Slowik also join us to talk about why the State of the Union is always so overdramatic.  Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+. CREDITS
Hosted by: Jon Stewart  Featuring, in order of appearance: Tocarra Mallard, Robby Slowik, Jessica Chen Weiss, John Glaser  Executive Produced by Jon Stewart, Brinda Adhikari, James Dixon, Chris McShane, and Richard Plepler Lead Producer: Sophie Erickson Producers: Zach Goldbaum, Caity Gray Assoc. Producer: Andrea Betanzos  Sound Engineer: Miguel Carrascal Senior Digital Producer: Freddie Morgan Digital Producer: Cassie Murdoch Digital Coordinator: Norma Hernandez Supervising Producer: Lorrie Baranek Head Writer: Kris Acimovic Elements Producer: Kenneth Hull Clearances Producer: Daniella Philipson Senior Talent Producer: Brittany Mehmedovic Talent Manager: Marjorie McCurry Talent Coordinator: Lukas Thimm Senior Research Producer: Susan Helvenston  Theme Music by: Gary Clark Jr. The Problem With Jon Stewart podcast is an Apple TV+ podcast, produced by Busboy Productions.  https://apple.co/-JonStewart