The world has a huge debt problem. Economic growth is slowing, but global debt is skyrocketing. David Malpass sits down with Ian Bremmer on GZERO World for his final interview as president of the World Bank Group to discuss the debt crisis, his tenure at the World Bank, and solutions for combatting growing economic inequality.
The richest country in the history of the world should be able to keep its infrastructure updated and its roads intact. Congress passed the Biden administration’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which includes $550 billion dollars for America’s roads, bridges, mass transit, rail, airports, and ports. On GZERO World, Secretary Pete Buttigieg discusses what he has called "the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the Interstate highway system."
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie shares his views about the 2024 GOP primary and Trump: "I think there's one lane for the nomination, and right now Donald Trump's in the front of that lane." Christie says that "to get in the front of that lane, you better intervene and go right through him because, otherwise, trying to go around him? I don't think it's a strategy."
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has a chilling warning about the future of Israeli democracy: The government's judicial overhaul plan puts the very foundations of Israeli democracy at risk. In an interview with Ian Bremmer on GZERO World, Barak explains that the reforms could erode the independence of the courts and weaken minority protections.
The West is already at war with Russia. NATO boots may not be on the ground, but the US and its allies are helping Ukraine with arms and cash, and by upping the pressure on Moscow with tough sanctions. Vladimir Putin knows this, but he's fighting a 20th-century war in 2022 — and losing on global PR and social media. One country watching very closely is Finland. Ian Bremmer talks to former Finnish PM Alexander Stubb, who explains why his country has gone from longtime neutral actor to NATO hopeful.
Two months ago, Joe Biden said invading Ukraine would cost Russia and Vladimir Putin dearly. Since then, not much has gone Putin's way. But can he climb down without a win he can sell back home? While the Russians focus on the Donbas, the US now seems to think it can make Russia lose — which could trigger an escalation if Putin feels he's out of options. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to political scientist Ivan Krastev, who believes Putin has the autocrat's curse: his back is against the wall because he can't be perceived as weak.
Russia's war in Ukraine has significantly increased the likelihood of direct confrontation with NATO. Russia now sees NATO as its enemy and vice versa. On GZERO World, former US Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder warns that Russian military aggression poses a real and present danger, making the current situation arguably worse than its been since the end of the Cold War.
Preet Bharara, former US attorney for the Southern District of New York, stopped by GZERO World to discuss three big legal stories in the news: the charges facing former US President Donald Trump, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's gifts from a billionaire Republican donor, and the recent classified documents leak.
US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finally had their COVID-delayed summit in March 2023. Biden and Trudeau clearly get along, and US-Canada ties are as strong as ever. Yet, some thorny issues still need to be ironed out. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer discusses the bilateral relationship with David Cohen, the US ambassador to Canada, Kirsten Hillman, Canada's Ambassador in Washington, and Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand.
The recent spate of bank failures has caused significant turbulence in markets and left investors jittery across the globe, from Silicon Valley to Switzerland. But is this a sign of a systemic banking crisis or of a more fundamental flaw in capitalism? In an interview with Ian Bremmer on GZERO World, former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers provides an in-depth analysis of the situation.
Water is critical to life, yet billions of people worldwide lack access to it. Gilbert Houngbo, Chair of UN-Water, sheds light on this critical issue on GZERO World. Houngbo attributes the water crisis to both "lack of resources and bad governance," and stresses the need for investment in water-related infrastructure to help solve the problem.
On 20th anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq, US Senator Tammy Duckworth and NBC's Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel sit down with Ian Bremmer on GZERO World to reflect on the legacy of a war that reshaped the Middle East and continues to reverberate around the world.
The recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria have highlighted the challenges of providing aid in a region plagued by conflict and political instability. In conversation with Ian Bremmer on GZERO World, the International Rescue Committee's President and CEO, David Miliband, explains that aid delivery remains a challenge, particularly in the northwest of Syria controlled by armed opposition groups.
After one year of war in Ukraine, Zelensky's military has performed far better against Russia than even some of its staunchest supporters expected, and Putin's illegal invasion of a sovereign neighbor has rallied the West to Kyiv's cause. Ian Bremmer is in Germany for the annual Munich Security Conference to ask world leaders how much further the West is willing to go in its support for Ukraine. Ian speaks with Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, who has been called Europe’s new Iron Lady, and NATO’s Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană, who offers a candid assessment of a war that has no clear end in sight.
On GZERO World, tech expert and NYU Professor Scott Galloway shed light on artificial intelligence's dark side. But don't lose hope yet: Galloway emphasizes the potential of AI and language structure-driven search to revolutionize traditional search methods, and the value of social media data sets for decision-making.
Senator Mitt Romney, a throwback from another era of US politics, has a message for the rabble-rousers on both sides in Washington, DC: pipe down. On GZERO World, the former Republican presidential candidate sits down for an exclusive interview with Ian Bremmer to talk debt ceiling drama, Ukraine war fatigue, and pondering war with China.
Almost three years after COVID, we're still grappling with the geopolitical convulsions that the pandemic unleashed or worsened. They're all wiping out decades of progress on fighting global inequality. What can we do about it? On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to UN Foundation President and CEO Elizabeth Cousens, who thinks it's the perfect time for institutions backed by the 1 percent to step up even more.
“GZERO World with Ian Bremmer,” our weekly global affairs program, is now in its fifth season on US public television. Over the past five years, the program has brought you interviews with heads of state, newsmakers, and leaders of industry. Our mission is to help you make sense of the world and the people and events shaping politics today, and there’s no better place to do that than on public television.
We returned to Davos for the World Economic Forum's annual meeting. The 2023 WEF is all about "polycrisis," which, in WEF-speak, means many crises simultaneously that compound each other like tangled knots. But how do you untangle those knots? That's a question that the world's business and political elite is struggling with a time when the globalization they adore is being questioned by the developing world.
What keeps the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog up at night? On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer asks Grossi about the world's nuclear threats and what the IAEA is doing about them. Grossi views himself as a mediator — if leaders are willing to listen to him.
What's in store for the global economy in 2023? Well, it's not going to be pretty. A raging war in Europe, sky-high inflation, and an unstable China will create strong economic headwinds in the year to come. But it's not all doom and gloom. Ian Bremmer looks at the state of the global economy in this new year with renowned global economist, Dambisa Moyo, to put it all into perspective on GZERO World.
2022 started and ended very differently for Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. It's one of the oldest lessons in the history books: political power can be fleeting. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer looks back at 2022 and forward to 2023 with two frequent guests of the show: former US State Department official Anne-Marie Slaughter and The Atlantic contributor Tom Nichols.
Woman, life, freedom. Those three words have filled the streets of Iran since the ongoing women-led protests against the regime, the biggest since 2009, began last September. How did Iranian women get here? On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad.
What happened in the US midterm elections is becoming clear: the red wave-turned-ripple was only enough for Republicans to narrowly win the House, while the Democrats kept the Senate. But 'why' it happened is a harder question to answer. On GZERO World, NPR White House correspondent Tamara Keith speaks to Ian Bremmer about all things midterms.
The escalating Russia/Ukraine war has united European support to Kyiv’s cause, but it’s also brought a plethora of economic, political, and social challenges. Inflation, a sinking Euro, and the possibility of an energy crisis brings to question just how long Europe’s support for Ukraine will last? On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks with German diplomat Christoph Heusgen, who served as his country’s ambassador to the United Nations and is now chairman of the Munich Security Conference.
The Biden administration finally released its long-anticipated National Security Strategy, basically America's biggest threats — foreign and domestic. The No. 1 external enemy is not Russia but rather China. It also emphasizes the homegrown threat of Americans willing to engage in political violence if their candidate loses at the ballot box. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to David Sanger, who knows a thing or two about national security because it's his beat at the New York Times.
Xi Jinping just got a rare third term as the head of China's ruling Communist Party. But having so much power comes with big tradeoffs and implications for China — and the rest of the world. Zero-COVID is saving Chinese lives, yet killing the Chinese economy. And the West is wary of Xi's increasingly muscular foreign policy. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to Antoine van Agtmael, the investor who coined the term "emerging markets" and knows a thing or two about China.
US midterm elections have traditionally been a referendum on the president. But in 2022 even Joe Biden wants the vote to be all about his predecessor, Donald Trump, who still dominates the GOP. This week on GZERO World — and for the first time in front of a live studio audience — Ian Bremmer speaks to New York Times Chief White House Correspondent Peter Baker and New Yorker staff writer Susan Glasser, who have co-authored a new book about the Trump presidency.
This year, the annual fall meetings of the World Bank and the IMF are all about global economic doom and gloom. How bad will it get? Are we headed toward a worldwide recession? And who will bear the brunt of the pain? To get some answers, GZERO World with Ian Bremmer has two very special guests: World Bank President David Malpass and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.
In early September, in just 48 hours the UK got a new prime minister (Liz Truss) and a new king (Charles III, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II). Both take over at a turbulent time in British politics, with no shortage of current and future challenges. To name just a few: a stagnant economy, sky-high energy prices, more Brexit fallout with the EU, and Scots demanding a fresh independence vote. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to former British PM Tony Blair (1997-2007), who believes there will be a lot of uncertainty over the next year or two if Truss insists on big tax cuts and big borrowing.
Colombia is Latin America’s longest-standing democracy, but it’s never elected a leftist president … until now. Gustavo Petro swept to power by a slim margin in June, thanks largely to young Colombian voters. What do they want from him? Change. It won't be easy. Petro wants to provide free university education and health care, to end oil exploration, and to tax the rich. Will he deliver? On GZERO World, Colombia's new leader sits down with Ian Bremmer in his first American interview to talk about his plans for Colombia's future, his views on the War on Drugs, and how he'll handle relations with Venezuela and the US.
The UN's blueprint to make the world a better place is on life support. The pandemic wiped out years of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, and right now there's no way they'll be met by 2030. Secretary-General António Guterres has a message for world leaders converging in New York for the annual UN General Assembly: We need to rescue the SDGs. But Guterres (and the international community) still has a lot more on their plate. On GZERO World, he warns that we may run out of food next year if the deal to get Ukrainian grain shipments out is not extended to Russian fertilizer.
What's in the US Inflation Reduction Act, and how will it help accomplish the Biden administration's climate goals? On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, who explains how the IRA will do things like bring back energy manufacturing jobs or help the US show up at the upcoming COP27 climate summit in Egypt as a global leader on clean energy.
Almost one year ago, US forces departed Afghanistan after two decades of war. Their enemy was the Taliban, who didn't wait for all American soldiers to leave before taking over the country. One year later, Afghanistan is in shambles. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to former US marine and CIA officer Elliot Ackerman, whose new book "The Fifth Act," details the chaotic American withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The next decade will be a turning point in the global cyber arms race. And the stakes are very high. If measured as a country's GDP, cyber crime would now be the world's third-largest economy after the US and China. And it only takes a single password — as Americans learned after the 2021 Colonial Pipeline attack — for cyber crime to cripple a company or humiliate a nation. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to Jen Easterly, director of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, tasked with defending the country from all cyber threats — foreign and domestic.
US inflation is now at a 40-year high. So, what can we do about it? The Federal Reserve is trying to cool down the overheated economy by raising interest rates. But if the Fed goes too far, the rate hikes could trigger a recession that'll hit low-income Americans hardest. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to economist and University of Chicago professor Austan Goolsbee, who says the recipe to fixing inflation depends on whether you see it as a demand or supply problem.
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen says social media companies can change for the better. On GZERO World, Haugen tells Ian Bremmer why governments need to rethink how they regulate social media. A good example is the EU, whose new law mandating data transparency could have global ripple effects.
US President Joe Biden famously said he would treat Saudi Arabia as a "pariah" for ordering the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But with oil prices near record highs and Iran seen as a growing menace, he felt he had no choice but to go there to revive the US-Saudi relationship. Biden didn't get much out of his trip, which Princeton University professor and MBS confidante Bernard Haykel says was a "big win" for the Saudis and the crown prince himself. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to Haykel, a Saudi expert, who discusses how MBS consolidated power, why the targeting of other journalists is unlikely, the kingdom's strategic value to the US, MBS's strategy to modernize his country, and the prospects for future warmer ties with Israel.
How will the shocking assassination of Shinzo Abe, Japan's former and longest-serving prime minister, reshape the country and the broader region? And will it lead to realizing Abe's unfulfilled dream of amending Japan's postwar pacifist constitution? On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to longtime Abe adviser Tomohiko Taniguchi, who shares how he felt when he found out his close friend had died.
The US is now a much more divided country than it was almost 50 years ago, when the Supreme Court granted the constitutional right to abortion — recently overturned by the court. Interestingly, most of the rest of the world is moving in the opposite direction, including in majority-Catholic countries. But striking down Roe v. Wade will surely have a bigger impact on US politics. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to New York Times columnist Emily Bazelon, who knows a thing or two about this ultra-divisive issue because she's also a a senior research fellow at Yale Law School.
We're not done with the pandemic — yet. Although COVID will likely become endemic sometime this year in some parts of the world, the virus will still rage on everywhere else. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer catches up on the pandemic's state of play with former CDC chief Tom Frieden, who has a message for everyone who hasn't gotten vaxxed yet: do it.
In recent years, part of the pushback against globalization has been led by autocrats who reject things like free trade and the liberal international order. For them, globalization means losing control, which they don't like one bit. But the world today remains more interconnected than ever, particularly in cyberspace. So, do they want less globalization, or rather a version that fits their narrative? On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs columnist for the Financial Times, who knows a thing or two about the likes of Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, or Donald Trump, and who has just written a book about strongmen.
For years, titans of industry and government have visited the tiny alpine village of Davos in Switzerland to discuss how to fix the world's problems. They pushed a globalist agenda, promoting things like liberal democracy and cooperation to address big problems like climate change. But fewer people are buying what Davos is selling in 2022. Blame the pandemic and Russia's war in Ukraine. So, what were the main takeaways at this year's geopolitical WEF?
To fix our broken international political system, we need a crisis. For instance, a pandemic, climate change, or Big Tech having too much power. But it must be a crisis that's so destructive it forces us to respond fast, and together — like World War II. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer talks to Anne-Marie Slaughter, former US State Department official and now CEO of New America, and political scientist and Harvard professor Stephen Walt about the Ukraine war and other crises.
On May 9, Vladimir Putin marked the 77th anniversary of Russia's Victory Day in World War II by co-opting its narrative to justify invading Ukraine and paint itself as a victim of Western aggression. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to Michael McFaul, who knows a thing or two about Russia and Putin from his days as the former US ambassador in Moscow. "There is not a single economic actor in Russia that thinks this is good," notes McFaul.
Russia and Ukraine are agricultural powerhouses. But the war and sanctions against Moscow have crippled their ability to feed the world.Who's most at risk? Developing countries that rely on those imports. What will the impact be? The disruptions could double the number of people that went hungry due to the pandemic. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to Ertharin Cousin, who knows a thing or two about food security since she used the run the UN World Food Programme.
Russia's war in Ukraine has put China in an awkward spot: they condemn the invasion, but not the invader. Still, it's not really a "limitless" partnership because Xi Jinping has many reasons to be careful about supporting Vladimir Putin, his toxic BFF. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to Melinda Liu, Newsweek's veteran Beijing bureau chief, who describes the relationship between the two autocrats as a "marriage of convenience."
Political scientist Yascha Mounk says we're in a new era of naked power politics. That means Vladimir Putin doesn’t care what you think about his blind ambition. And he really doesn’t have to because authoritarians like him are on the rise.
Since taking office, the Biden administration has worked hard for the US to return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which Donald Trump walked away from in 2018. Now, reaching an agreement is more urgent than ever because the Iranians are closer to getting the bomb than they've ever been. But Russia's war in Ukraine has complicated things, and some fear that even if a deal happens, the US may withdraw again with a Republican president in 2025.
As Russian forces invaded Ukraine, Pakistan's PM Imran Khan, one of Vladimir Putin’s few friends these days, visited Moscow. His trip did not go down well in the US, a longtime ally of Islamabad. On this episode of GZERO World, Ian Bremmer talks to Pakistan’s former Foreign Minister, Hina Khar, about Afghanistan, her country’s future choices, and, of course, India.
After weeks of military buildup and lies, Russia has attacked Ukraine. With diplomacy dead, Western allies are now turning to sanctions. The mood was somber at the recent Munich Security Conference, where world leaders were scrambling to avoid exactly this outcome. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer talks to former CIA boss David Petraeus to discuss the "porcupine" Vladimir Putin has eaten, and to John Kerry, former US secretary of State and the Biden administration's current climate czar, about Putin's other big problem with climate.
The US and China are as wary of each other as they've ever been. But the Chinese think they are on the rise, while America is declining. On this week's episode of GZERO World, Ian Bremmer talks to billionaire Ray Dalio, head of the world's largest hedge fund, who thinks rising US debt, a widening wealth gap among Americans, and the meteoric rise of China all play into Beijing's plans to overtake the US as a global superpower.
Until the 1965 Voting Rights Act, Black people in America who wanted to vote faced impossible poll questions and literacy tests. But the Supreme Court gutted the law in 2013, allowing states to pass new voting legislation that progressives say restrict Black access to the ballot box.
The 2022 midterm elections will be the first major test of these laws — which Democrats in Congress are unlikely to be able to stop. How will this all affect Black turnout in November?
Will Putin invade Ukraine?That's the million-dollar question. Joe Biden certainly seems to think so. But whether Vladimir Putin will actually do it, or is just playing political chess, is anyone's guess. Putin has long griped about the collapse of the Soviet Union, which explains how he feels about Ukraine. The US and NATO accuses him of posturing, but he thinks NATO is doing the same.
As we spend more time online and looking at our screens, we're increasingly living in a digital world. But we don't always know who runs it. Tech companies are writing the rules — through computer algorithms powered by artificial intelligence. The thing is, Big Tech may have set something in motion it doesn't fully understand, nor control. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer talks to former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who believes we need to control AI before it controls us.
In China, Xi Jinping's zero-COVID approach faces its toughest test to date with omicron. Why? Because China lacks mRNA jabs, and so few Chinese people have gotten COVID that overall protection is very low.
One year after the attack on the US Capitol, American democracy is still hurting. For Ian Bremmer, a democracy dies when regular people like the rioters choose violence over votes, and we can no longer agree on objective reality. But Republicans have done such a great job at whitewashing that Democrats are now the ones with their back against the wall ahead of the November midterms.
In Yemen, the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis you’ve probably never heard of, 80 percent of people need international aid just to survive. Two-thirds are hungry, and half don’t know where their next meal will come from. Life is very hard in Yemen, UN Resident Coordinator David Gressly tells Ian Bremmer on GZERO World. Most infrastructure is destroyed, few can access clean water or health care, and many Yemenis are afraid to go outside because of landmines.
According to the 1619 Project's’ Nikole Hannah-Jones, America was founded on liberty, equality, and…slavery. The institution of slavery, she argues, was the foundation upon which the country achieved its economic and political greatness. It’s a claim that set the cultural world on fire when the 1619 Project was published in the New York Times in 2019 and now, as she compiles and expands upon that project in a new book, controversy has erupted once again.
Few people know more about the Taliban than journalist and author Ahmed Rashid, who wrote the book on the group — literally. In the months after 9/11, his critically acclaimed 2000 study Taliban became a go-to reference as the US geared up to invade Afghanistan and knock the militant group from power. Now, twenty years later, with the US out of Afghanistan and the Taliban back in charge, Ian Bremmer sat down with Rashid to learn more about the Taliban today.
As the holiday shopping season gets underway, consumers are facing empty shelves and sky-high prices. What explains the supply chain crunch and how is it related to the highest levels of inflation in the US in 30 years? Ian Bremmer is joined by economist Larry Summers, who served as the Treasury Secretary under President Clinton and as the Director of the National Economic Council under Barack Obama. Also on this episode of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer: the plight of the lowly shipping container.
On GZERO World, a tale of two very different Koreas. From K-Pop supergroup BTS to Oscar-winner Parasite to Netflix global sensation Squid Game, South Korea seems to be churning out one massive cultural hit after another. And North Korea is taking notice. As South Korea's cultural cachet continues to climb, so does Little Rocket Man's anger. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called the K-Pop invasion a "vicious cancer" and sees the South's soft power as a direct threat to his rule. Jean Lee, former AP Pyongyang bureau chief and veteran Korea correspondent, speaks with Ian Bremmer.
In recent years, as nuclear disarmament worldwide has slowed to a crawl, world powers are engaging in a new kind of arms race: a technological one. Today's nuclear threat is not about who has the most nukes, it's about who has the smartest ones. Arms control expert Kelsey Davenport joins Ian Bremmer on GZERO World to talk about the world's long fascination with these horrible weapons and how close we still remain to all-out nuclear war.
Fires, floods, and droughts. Climate change is already happening but so far humans have been slow to react. Will the UN Climate Conference (COP26) produce lasting change or just more hot air? On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks with Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Program. Plus, a look at what's driving the United Kingdom's fuel shortage.
Can Big Government still rein in Big Tech or has it already lost control? Never before have just a few companies exerted such an outsized influence on humanity. It may be time to start thinking of these corporations as nation-states in their own rights. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks with Nicholas Thompson, CEO of the Atlantic and former WIRED editor-in-chief, about how to police the digital world.
Artificial intelligence is changing the way we live — and very soon it'll go beyond medical breakthroughs and the algorithms that control your social newsfeeds. Will AI become the biggest technological disrupter since the Industrial Revolution, replacing many workers with robots? In this week's show, Ian Bremmer discusses the future of AI with AI scientist Kai-fu Lee, who's just come out with a book about what our AI-driven world may look like 20 years from now.
Can President Biden tamp down growing global skepticism and persuade his allies that the US is really "back"? Or is America's credibility irreparably damaged no matter what Biden, or any future president, says or does? Ian Bremmer is joined on GZERO World by global affairs journalist and Middle East expert Robin Wright of The New Yorker to discuss why Biden, the most geopolitically experienced US president in decades, is already looking to hit the reset button on America's foreign policy.
The pandemic hit the global economy hard, and many economies are still hurting. But it could have been even worse. In May 2020, economic historian Adam Tooze told GZERO World that the world was facing a second Great Depression. Now in a new interview with Ian Bremmer, Tooze is back to explain why the US economy rebounded so surprisingly fast, while much of the rest of the world lags behind.
António Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, does not mince words when it comes to the dire state of the world. "We are standing at the edge of an abyss," Guterres warns. COVID is "defeating" the global community and a climate catastrophe is all but assured without drastic action. Amidst this unprecedented peril, there remains a startling lack of trust among nations. And yet, there is still hope. In a frank (and in-person!) GZERO World interview, Ian Bremmer heads to the UN ahead of the annual General Assembly week to discuss COVID, climate, the US-China rift, and the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan.
20 years have passed since 9/11, but is the US any safer? As the Taliban regains control in Afghanistan, was the War on Terror a failure or has it kept America safe from harm? And how did US allies feel as the last American planes left Kabul? On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to two people who have had a hand in crafting global policy since the towers fell: Michael Chertoff, who served as Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security under President George Bush; and Rory Stewart, who worked extensively in Afghanistan in his role as UK Secretary of State for International Development and beyond.
Two decades of war in Afghanistan came to a tragic close on August 31 as President Joe Biden announced from the White House that the last US troops had left the country. "I was not going to extend this forever war," Biden said, "and I was not extending a forever exit." On GZERO World, we hear from three people whose lives have been forever changed by the conflict.
Berkeley scientist Jennifer Doudna won the 2020 Nobel Prize for her work on the revolutionary gene-editing technology known as CRISPR. It has the potential to cure genetic diseases like sickle cell anemia and hereditary blindness and may even be used to treat cancer and HIV. But when it comes to editing humanity, where do we draw the line?
This year's Olympics faced some major hurdles. But the pandemic was only part of the picture. The Tokyo Games played out against a backdrop of mounting global tension surrounding gender equality, racism and human rights, leaving many people to examine the place of politics on the playing field and podium. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer looks at the long history of protest at the Games with Dick Pound, the longest serving member of the International Olympic Committee and a former Olympic athlete himself.
Alcohol. It's a dangerous drug that has ruined countless lives and derailed many a global summit. But it's also humanity's oldest social lubricant, a magical elixir that can fuel diplomatic breakthroughs, well into the wee hours of the night. As Winston Churchill once quipped, "I've taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me." On GZERO World, we take a deep dive down the bottle and examine the role alcohol has played in society, politics, and global summitry—from the earliest hunter-gatherer days to that memorable Obama Beer Summit in 2009. Joining Ian Bremmer is philosopher Edward Slingerland, whose new book Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way Into Civilization makes a compelling, if nuanced, case for alcohol's place in the world.
COVID-19 was a global catastrophe that blindsided the world's wealthiest nations, and it's far from over. But as disasters go, it was hardly unprecedented. Humanity has a long history of failing to prepare for the worst, from volcanic eruptions to earthquakes to famines to shipwrecks to airplane crashes to financial depressions. But how do we get better at preventing such calamities from happening, and how many seemingly unavoidable "natural" disasters are actually caused by humans? On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer talks about all that and more with Stanford historian Niall Ferguson, who is just out with the perfect book for the topic, "Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe."
American power was indisputable in the 20th Century. But today the country is facing unprecedented polarization caused, in part, by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the 2008 financial crisis and the amplification of disinformation on social media. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer asks former Obama Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes whether the American Century is truly over, or if there's anything we can do to restore the country's reputation as a "shining city upon a hill."
On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks with renowned organizational psychologist Adam Grant about how to reimagine "work" in a post-pandemic world. As the pandemic recedes in some parts of the world, many employers—from Fortune 500 CEOs to small business owners—are bringing their workers back to the office full time. The thing is, not all of those employees want to go back.
Jane Harman, a nine-term member of Congress (D-CA) who served for decades on the major security committees in the House of Representatives, discusses the shortcomings of the US national security strategy for the last few decades, and assesses the Biden administration's plans to strengthen it. In an interview with Ian Bremmer, she discusses the priorities for addressing critical issues at home and abroad, from the COVID pandemic to the climate crisis and terrorism.
A look at US President Joe Biden's first trip abroad, which included a very important first stop at the G7 summit in the United Kingdom. Did he convince allies that "America is back" and ready to resume its leadership role in global affairs? In this episode of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, former US Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder weighs in on Biden's performance and the way forward for the US and its closest friends.
In a very moving interview with Ian Bremmer, exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya expresses deep hopes and fears for her home country of Belarus. After diverting a Ryanair flight to arrest a dissident journalist, will President Alexander Lukashenko now be held accountable by leaders of the Western world?
Renowned economist and London School of Economics Director Minouche Shafik tells GZERO World that we've broken the social contract. How do we create a better, more secure future for both younger and older generations?
Former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso offers candid insight into the current politics and turmoil in Brazil. After years of economic hardship and a COVID death toll devastating the country, where does Brazil go from here?
US Admiral James Stavridis (Ret.) discusses hypothetical scenarios for a US-China war. His bestselling new military thriller, 2034, blurs the lines between fiction and reality.
As the COVID crisis looms large in India, Barkha Dutt says the country desperately needs help. In a gut-wrenching interview with Ian Bremmer, the Delhi-based journalist wrestles with both the personal and collective devastation happening across the country.
Should politics be boring? According to Tom Nichols, the answer is yes. Nichols explains why a no-drama presidency is exactly what the US needs right now.
Ian Bremmer examines the impact of President Biden's recent statement recognizing Armenian genocide at the hands of Ottoman Empire, an atrocity that began 106 years ago during World War I.
After twenty years of American troop presence in Afghanistan, President Biden announced the US would withdraw all troops by September 11, 2021. US Congressman Mike Waltz (R-FL) explains why he thinks the administration's decision is a mistake.
Elizabeth Kolbert, a Pulitzer Prize-winning climate journalist, joins Ian Bremmer on GZERO World to talk about some of the more extreme climate solutions currently on the table and how likely they are to be used in the coming years.
Vaccine nationalism could prolong the pandemic, according to the World Health Organization's Chief Scientist, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, who argues that what the global vaccination effort most urgently lacks are doses, not dollars in a wide-ranging interview with Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.
Italy's new leader may finally deliver political stability, according to Enrico Letta, one of those six prime ministers to have resigned in the last ten years. Letta joins Ian Bremmer on this episode of GZERO World.
The global fight for gender equality was set back by the pandemic, says Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. At the same time, it has been women who have shepherded the world through the worst pandemic, as they occupy the majority of frontline healthcare jobs. Mlambo-Ngcuka joins Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.
The Middle East continues to consume the attention of the United States' military and diplomatic efforts. President Biden is determined to change that, and to turn Washington's attention to Asia to confront a growing China. But according to Johns Hopkins University Middle East scholar Vali Nasr, President Biden's approach to the Middle East will have to adapt to the once-in-a-generation power grab occurring between Iran, Israel, and Turkey while Arab nations in the region increasingly lose influence.
Across the world, from the Philippines to Hungary to Venezuela, nations have embraced authoritarian rule in recent years, in many cases with significant popular support. What is the enduring appeal of authoritarianism, what has the pandemic done to accelerate its growth, and how susceptible is the United States to its sway? Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anne Applebaum joins Ian Bremmer on GZERO World to investigate the allure of these anti-democratic movements and to shed light on their unlikely champions.
The country's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, joins Ian Bremmer to talk vaccines, school re-openings, and when—and how—the pandemic could finally come end. He was last on GZERO World just weeks before the pandemic hit in the fall of 2019 and he described at the time what kept him up at night: a "pandemic-like respiratory illness." This time, he'll talk about how closely that nightmare scenario foreshadowed the COVID-19 pandemic. He'll also offer some guidance about what public health measures vaccinated Americans should continue to take in the coming months (hint: masks stay on).
Mexico finds itself at a critical moment in history: its populist president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (also known as AMLO), appears unable to get control of the rampant violence that he promised to curb or of the raging coronavirus that he himself was just infected by. And during this moment of crisis, Mexico's most important trading partner, the United States, has just elected a new president. Ian Bremmer welcomes acclaimed journalist and Univision anchor Jorge Ramos to GZERO World.
Can the US vaccinate enough of its population to prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths before new and more contagious COVID-19 variants take hold? Surgeon and public health expert Dr. Atul Gawande, most recently of the Biden/Harris COVID-19 Transition Task Force, joins Ian Bremmer on GZERO World to discuss the latest in the global effort to vaccinate our way out of this pandemic.
Can Democrats and Republicans agree on anything? Ian Bremmer talks to two very different lawmakers from each chamber Congress: two-term Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and freshman Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC).
Renowned tech journalist Kara Swisher has no doubt that social media companies bear responsibility for the January 6th pro-Trump riots at the Capitol and will likely be complicit in the civil unrest that may continue well into Biden's presidency. But if Silicon Valley's current role in our national discourse is untenable, how can the US government rein it in? Swisher joins Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.
For the first time in twenty years, extreme poverty around the world is growing. How does the developing world recover from a pandemic that has brought even the richest nations to their knees? David Malpass, the President of the World Bank, joins Ian Bremmer on GZERO World to talk about how his organization is trying to help the developing world in the wake of a once-in-a-century pandemic.
The US is still reeling from an unprecedented cyber attack on US government agencies and major American companies, very likely perpetrated by Russia. Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson joins GZERO World to take stock of what we know—and what we don't. At what point should we view such a breach as more than just high-tech espionage? When does it constitute an act of war?
