The Hundred Year Pivot Ep. 8 – Jonathan Kirshner

In this episode of The Hundred Year Pivot, Demetri and I sit down with Jonathan Kirshner, a leading classical realist and scholar of international relations, for a wide-ranging discussion on realism, uncertainty, and America’s shifting role in global affairs. Jonathan outlines realism as a descriptive framework for understanding a world defined by anarchy—where no supreme authority exists—and the resulting unpredictability of state behaviour. We explore how changing geopolitical conditions are prompting nations, including the US, to more clearly articulate and pursue their national interests, touching on recent US foreign policy choices, the weakening of the dollar order, and the rise of personalist regimes and pluto-populism. The conversation draws on history to distinguish between risk and uncertainty, while warning of the dangers that arise when societies lose shared truths—making realism an essential lens for navigating today’s turbulent international landscape.

This is a conversation that’s simply too good to miss.

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