

#429 - The New World Order
61 snips Aug 11, 2025
Anne Applebaum, a historian and journalist at The Atlantic, dives into pressing issues like the erosion of democracy and the civil war in Sudan. She discusses the impact of America's reduced global leadership and the consequences of cuts to USAID. Applebaum explores political dynamics during Trump's term and analyzes J.D. Vance's potential as a successor to the MAGA movement. The conversation also addresses the rise of anti-Semitism amid polarized politics, and reflecting on the fragility of democracy and the risks of civil unrest in the U.S.
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Sudan's Profit-Driven Civil War
- Sudan's war pits the Sudanese Armed Forces against the Rapid Support Forces over power, territory, and gold.
- Civilians suffer ethnic cleansing, theft by unpaid mercenaries, and are the main targets.
Many Outside Powers Exploit Sudan
- Numerous countries, from Saudi and the UAE to Ukraine and Russia, supply arms and exploit the chaos in Sudan.
- No outside power currently seeks to end the war; they profit instead.
America's Benevolence Is Disappearing
- The U.S. image of benevolence, from health programs to diplomacy, is fading abroad.
- Cuts to soft power make America feel transactional like other self-interested states.