466 - How Did Buddhism Affect The War? Viet History Makers - Thich Tri Quang

The Vietnamese with Kenneth Nguyen · Feb 4, 2026 · 1h 1m · transcript

Join Kenneth and political theorist Kevin as they unpack Kevin's research on "Buddhist Political Theory." Was Thich Tri Quang a peace-loving monk, a communist agent, or, as Time Magazine once called him, a "Vietnamese Machiavelli"?

We explore the uncomfortable contradictions of history: Why would a Buddhist monk advocate for a high-intensity American bombing campaign? How did his belief in spiritual "flourishing" drive him to participate in the downfall of the Ngo Dinh Diem government? And why did the American media find him so elusive?

In this episode, we discuss…