Ep. 118: General H.R. McMaster and American Democracy

Talking Beats with Daniel Lelchuk

"We need confidence in our republic, confidence in our ability to strengthen our republic, and we need to apply correctives to the problems we're encountering below the threshold of revolution."

General H.R. McMaster, one of the most distinguished military figures in the United States, joins the podcast. In his role post-government and post-military, he has become a commentator on national trends and international issues, with a particular focus on democracy and the health of our democratic system. A student of history and passionate advocate for the aspirational ideals of the constitution, his remains a voice of reason and a calming presence in a sea of increasing fanaticism and extremism. Using history as our guide ("this country has been through many trials and tribulations”), General McMaster offers sage guidance for how American citizens can help one another collectively through these times. General McMaster and Daniel also take deep dives into music and into the history of America’s longest war— Afghanistan.

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H. R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 26th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018. From 2014 to 2017 McMaster designed the future army as the director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center and the deputy commanding general of the US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). As commanding general of the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, he oversaw all training and education for the army’s infantry, armor, and cavalry force. His has extensive experience leading soldiers and organizations in wartime including Commander, Combined Joint Inter-Agency Task Force—Shafafiyat in Kabul, Afghanistan from 2010 to 2012; Commander, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Iraq from 2005 to 2006; and Commander, Eagle Troop, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Operation Desert Storm from 1990 to 1991. McMaster also served overseas as advisor to the most senior commanders in the Middle East, Iraq, and Afghanistan. McMaster holds a PhD in military history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was an assistant professor of history at the United States Military Academy from 1994 to 1996. He is author of Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World and the award-winning Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Lies that Led to Vietnam. He was a contributing editor for Survival: Global Politics and Strategy from 2010 to 2017. His many essays, articles, and book reviews on leadership, history, and the future of warfare have appeared in The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, Survival, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times.