Announcing the New York Strategy Seminar — August 19

Iran and the Most Dangerous Midterms in Our Lifetime

Over the past several months, our community has become something larger than a Substack.

We have now held Strategy Seminars in Washington and Chicago, bringing members of our community together for serious, extended discussions about the Iran war, escalation, and the changing balance of power. These in-person events have been a tremendous success.

Now we are doing it again — in New York.

I will be in New York on Wednesday August 19 ahead of a major CNN appearance on August 20 about my forthcoming book, Our Own Worst Enemies: America in the Age of Violent Populism.

So I thought this was the right moment to bring these two parts of my work together.

The New York Strategy Seminar

Iran and the Most Dangerous Midterms in Our Lifetime

How War Abroad Could Intensify Political Conflict at Home

Wednesday, August 19

5:00 PM–7:00 PM Eastern

Manhattan, New York

Healthy snacks and beverages provided

Exact location provided to participants

The timing could not be more important.

The Iran war has entered a new phase. The bombing campaign has paused, but Iran continues to use hard power to reshape the regional balance. The Strait of Hormuz remains at the center of the conflict, and Washington faces increasingly difficult choices about how to end the war without conceding a major shift in the balance of power.

At the same time, the United States is heading toward a midterm election that could become one of the most dangerous in our lifetime.

The central question is not simply what happens in Iran.

It is how war abroad could intensify political conflict at home.

This seminar will bring together the strategic questions I have been examining in our Substack and at the center of my forthcoming book, Our Own Worst Enemies.

We will discuss:

• where the Iran war is heading, the consequences of a prolonged war, and what would constitute a genuine end to the conflict;

• how the Iran war could interact with America’s already-fractured political system;

• and what we should expect as the United States approaches the Midterms.

The session will include slides, maps, historical comparisons, and substantial time for discussion and Q&A.

This will be a serious strategic discussion, not a cocktail reception. The goal is to have the kind of extended conversation about strategy, escalation, and American politics that is difficult to have on television, in a podcast, or in a written post.

Seating Is Limited

Attendance is limited and so priority is for:

1. Founding Members;

2. Annual subscribers;

3. Monthly subscribers;

4. Free subscribers if seats remain available.

There is no additional charge.

Registration

Please complete the form below if you would like to attend.

Register here:

REGISTRATION LINK

Submitting the form does not guarantee admission. A wait list will be maintained. Those living outside the New York area must provide their own travel.

I am particularly looking forward to this seminar because it brings together two questions that increasingly cannot be separated:

What is the Iran war doing to America’s position in the world—and what could that war do to America itself?

I hope you will join us.

— Robert Pape