The Lawfare Podcast Lawfare Daily: Revolutions and the Rule of Law
Nov 13, 2025
Fareed Zakaria, a renowned journalist and author of "Age of Revolutions," joins for a deep dive into historical revolutions and their relevance today. He explores how past movements like the Tea Party inspire current political changes. Fareed discusses cultural backlashes spurred by technological progress and compares modern populism to late 19th-century nationalism. He highlights the complexities of Trump's global versus nationalist stances and examines the fragility of U.S. institutions in this context, offering insights into potential reforms.
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Backlash Follows Rapid Change
- Fareed Zakaria argues major technological and economic shifts provoke cultural backlashes that reshape politics.
- These backlashes often manifest culturally even when rooted in economic dislocation.
Modern Nationalism Echoes 19th Century
- Zakaria links contemporary conservative nationalism to late-19th-century European movements like Bismarck's appeal to patriotism.
- He notes Trump mixes inward anti-globalism with a personal hunger to dominate the world stage, creating internal tension.
Structure Plus Contingency
- Zakaria combines structural history with contingent moments: deep economic forces set the stage but leaders and events shape outcomes.
- He cites capitalism and the Industrial Revolution as seismic structural shifts that remade society.
