Will Chalk

Well, let's hear from the American political scientist Francis Fukuyama, the author of The End of History and the Last Man, about the victory of liberal democracy at the end of the Cold War.

He's been speaking to my colleague James Menendez.

There has been a sense amongst some that if we, they, can just ride it out for the next few years, then normal business can resume after that.

But from what you say, that's very unlikely.

But in the immediate term, I mean, it is a dangerous game risking a rupture with the U.S.

Can I ask you this?

You, of course, will forever be associated with your book, The End of History, and to paraphrase appallingly, the victory over liberal internationalism over communism at the end of the Cold War.

Is that liberal internationalism with the perspective from 2026, is that much more fragile a system than you thought at the time when the suggestion was that humanity had found its natural course and this was going to prevail forever?

There's no better alternative, do you mean?

Is it also a product of the fact that as we move further and further away from the end of the Second World War, that that urgency towards greater cooperation between nations to avoid another catastrophe fades and people start to take what they've known for granted?

That was Francis Fukuyama.

And that is all from us for now, but there'll be a new edition of the Global News Podcast later.

If you want to comment on this podcast or the topics we've covered, you can send us an email.

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This edition was mixed by Chris Ablakwa and produced by Stephen Jensen and Wendy Urquhart.

The editor is Karen Martin and I'm Will Chalk.

Until next time, goodbye.

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