Michael Gove, the Editor of The Spectator, advocates for a realist reset in European politics, influenced by Trump's presidency. Geopolitical theorist Robert Kaplan adds depth, discussing how democracy can morph into tyranny. Journalist Paul Wood and cardiologist Christopher Labos debate the fine line between healthy skepticism and pseudoscience in the cholesterol conversation, highlighting misinformation surrounding heart health. Lastly, Peter Conrad illuminates the magical elements in Dickens' writing, exploring how these themes enchant and engage readers.
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insights INSIGHT
A New World Disorder
Trump's presidency signals a shift away from a rules-based international order to great power contention.
The ideal of a rules-based international order, which diplomats and allies strongly believed in, is now challenged by Trump's perspective.
insights INSIGHT
Global Cataclysm
Technology shrinks geography, creating a more anxious and interconnected world.
Crises in one area can quickly affect others, highlighting global interdependence.
insights INSIGHT
Weakening of Great Powers
Robert Kaplan suggests the decline of great powers like the US, China, and Russia may lead to disorder.
The weakening of these powers doesn't necessarily benefit others like the BRICS nations.
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In "Wasteland: A World in Permanent Crisis," Robert D. Kaplan delivers a stark assessment of the current global order. He examines the rise of instability, the erosion of traditional power structures, and the challenges facing the international community. Kaplan's analysis is grounded in his extensive travels and firsthand observations, offering a unique perspective on the complex geopolitical landscape. He explores the interplay of economic, social, and environmental factors contributing to global instability. The book serves as a wake-up call, urging readers to confront the realities of a world grappling with unprecedented challenges.
Dickens the Enchanter
Dickens the Enchanter
Inside the Explosive Imagination of the Great Storyteller
Peter Conrad
This week: the world needs a realist reset
Donald Trump’s presidency is the harbinger of many things, writes The Spectator’s editor Michael Gove, one of which is a return to a more pitiless world landscape. The ideal of a rules-based international order has proved to be a false hope. Britain must accept that if we are to earn the respect of others and the right to determine the future, we need a realist reset. What are the consequences of this new world order? And is the Trump administration reversing the tide of decline, or simply refusing to accept the inevitable?
Michael Gove joined the podcast alongside the geopolitical theorist Robert Kaplan, author of the new book Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis. Robert argues that the true understanding of realism has been corrupted, and that democracy ‘can easily become the tyranny of the majority’. (1:06)
Next: when does healthy scepticism over cholesterol become pseudoscience?
With ‘sky-high’ cholesterol, the journalist Paul Wood has gone down an internet rabbit-hole to improve his heart health. He declares ‘I was convinced by the cholesterol sceptics’. There was once a time when it felt like the front pages of newspapers had a story raising doubts about statins – a type of medication to control cholesterol – every week. Now, the internet is full of medical misinformation around high cholesterol, an issue that will affect over half of Britons. So, what is the truth behind cholesterol? And when does healthy scepticism tip over into pseudoscience? Paul joined the podcast alongside the cardiologist Dr Christopher Labos, author of Does coffee cause cancer? (25:24)
And finally: with a love of magic, is it any wonder Dickens could conjure up worlds full of surprises?
When people hear ‘the magic of Charles Dickens’ they undoubtedly think about the words - and the worlds - he created. Yet, many won’t realise that the great writer had a love of showmanship and stage magic himself. Peter Conrad says that Dickens could have even been an actor. What makes Dickens’s worlds so compelling? And how did his love of stagecraft influence his writing? Peter has authored a new book on the subject, Dickens the Enchanter: Inside the Explosive Imagination of the Great Storyteller, and joins the podcast. (37:10)
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