There’s a saying that comes to mind these days: May you live in interesting times. It’s understood to be a curse, even though it sounds like a blessing.“Interesting Times With Ross Douthat” is a new weekly podcast from New York Times Opinion. Every Thursday, he will map the new world order through interviews and conversations. Answering questions like: What does our new political era really look like? What is the future of democracy around the world, with American empire in retreat? What happens to movies and books — all of culture — in our digital and A.I.-dominated age?Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Full Episode
There's a saying that comes to mind these days. May you live in interesting times. It's understood to be a curse, even though it sounds like a blessing.
The golden age of America begins right now.
From New York Times Opinion, I'm Ross Douthat. Donald Trump's return to power is a clear sign that we've experienced a real turning point in history, a shift from one era to the next. That shift wasn't always so obvious. Trump's victory in 2016 was seen as an accident, an aberration. The election of Joe Biden was interpreted as a restoration of normality. But that's not how it went.
Somewhere between the emergence of COVID and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the normality that Trump's opponents aspire to restore has slipped into the past. If you look around, it's clear the post-Cold War era has ended.
I'm not aligned with Putin. I'm not aligned with anybody. I'm aligned with the United States of America.
American power is still with us, but its preeminence is under threat.
Beijing declaring it's prepared to go to war with America.
Technological innovation is suddenly accelerating. A lot of people have said that this is the craziest technology they've ever seen. At the same time, the spiritual landscape is shifting. The old-time religions still win converts, but there's a yearning for other gods as well. Pagan, psychedelic, extraterrestrial, the machine god of AI.
The smartphone and virtual reality are forcing deep changes to basic human relationships.
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