Grave Reflections on History and the Present

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The speaker reflects on a conversation where the gravity and darkness of the current situation stood out. They discuss how historical events like the First and Second World Wars offer lessons about the potential downfall of civilizations due to complacency and refusal to confront history. The ongoing war in Ukraine adds a contemporary perspective to the discussion, emphasizing the importance of learning from the past.

France’s president is known for pronouncements of grand scope with one eye toward history. But when our journalists visited him at his residence his assessment of the state of the world was bleak—a dark, prophetic call to arms. In this special episode, we ask whether his view is accurate, whether his proposed solutions would work and whether he is the person to enact them.

Read the full transcript of our interview here.

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