About this episode
Another war in the Middle East. A retreat from the international order. A presidency built on self-dealing and arbitrary power. It’s enough to make you think the U.S. is in a steep decline — but Fareed Zakaria thinks otherwise. SOURCES: Fareed Zakaria , journalist and author. RESOURCES: " Iran is an imperial trap. America walked right in ." by Fareed Zakaria (The Washington Post, 2026). "‘ Bomb and hope’ is not a strategy ," by Fareed Zakaria (The Washington Post, 2026). Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present , by Fareed Zakaria (2024). The Accidental Superpower: The Next Generation of American Preeminence and the Coming Global Disorder , by Peter Zeihan (2014). The Affluent Society , by Jonathan Galbraith (1958). EXTRAS: " Fareed Zakaria on What Just Happened, and What Comes Next ," by Freakonomics Radio (2024). " Are We Living Through the Most Revolutionary Period in History? " by Freakonomics Radio (2024). " The Folly of Prediction ," by Freakonomics Radio (2011). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.