Alfred McCoy: Cold War on 5 Continents, Global History of Empire & Espionage

Alfred McCoy: Cold War on 5 Continents, Global History of Empire & Espionage

Author: Geopolitics & Empire February 13, 2026 Duration: 1:24:27

Dr. Alfred McCoy provides a sweeping historical analysis of the Cold War, focusing on how individual covert operatives (“men on the spot”) shaped world events. McCoy explains how his early work on the CIA’s role in heroin trafficking during the Vietnam War evolved into a broader study of covert operations and their impact on world history. He characterizes the era as a golden age of intelligence, where the threat of nuclear catastrophe forced superpowers to compete through indirect, clandestine operations. McCoy describes his personal experiences with CIA surveillance and his research into the global drug trade, illustrating how the agency penetrated American civil society and media. He argues that the geopolitical strategies developed during this period, particularly the containment of Eurasia, remain central to understanding modern power dynamics. Finally, the discussion explores the decline of American hegemony, contrasting past interventionist models with current shifts toward a multi-polar world order, noting how historical tactics of surveillance and control are increasingly being applied within the domestic United States.

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Websites

Cold War on Five Continents: A Global History of Empire and Espionage https://www.amazon.com/Cold-War-Five-Continents-Espionage/dp/B0F1Z9CX74
Alfred W. McCoy, Harrington Professor of History https://history.wisc.edu/people/mccoy-alfred-w
Alfred McCoy at TomDispatch https://tomdispatch.com/authors/alfredmccoy

About Dr. Alfred W. McCoy

Alfred W. McCoy holds the Harrington chair in history at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and is the author of The Politics of Heroin, the classic study of global drug trafficking that the CIA attempted to suppress. Among his two dozen published books, the most recent are In the Shadows of the American Century, To Govern the Globe, and Cold War on Five Continents.

*Podcast intro music used with permission is from the song “The Queens Jig” by the fantastic “Musicke & Mirth” from their album “Music for Two Lyra Viols”: http://musicke-mirth.de/en/recordings.html (available on iTunes or Amazon)


Tracing the lines on the map that connect past conflicts to present-day crises, Geopolitics & Empire offers a deep and often sobering analysis of how power is projected and contested across the globe. This isn't about surface-level headlines; instead, each episode digs into the historical roots of modern alliances, economic warfare, and the enduring strategies of empires, both old and new. You’ll hear discussions that connect pivotal moments in history to the diplomatic and military maneuvering we see today, providing context that is frequently missing from the daily news cycle. The conversations hosted here are built on the understanding that today’s border disputes, trade wars, and intelligence operations are chapters in a much longer story. By weaving together the categories of history, government, and current affairs, this podcast creates a comprehensive narrative. It’s for anyone who feels that the world’s flashpoints can’t be understood without examining the ambitions, rivalries, and foundational events that set the stage decades or even centuries ago. Tune in for a rigorous exploration of the forces that truly shape international relations, where every treaty, revolution, and strategic pivot is examined for its lasting consequences on the global order.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

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