Why does the world feel more dangerous at a time of extraordinary technological progress? Gideon Rachman joins me to discuss his book, War Is Interested in You, and the return of leaders driven by territory, personal glory and their place in history. We explore Putin’s ambitions in Ukraine, the pressures on NATO, Trump’s decisions over Iran and how miscalculation could turn regional conflicts into something much bigger.
Gideon explains why the risk of a wider war has risen, while arguing that World War III is neither inevitable nor highly likely. We also discuss nuclear deterrence, the cost of conflict for ordinary people, Britain’s weak growth, rising taxes and debt and what AI could mean for jobs and the next generation.
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 - Why Aren't We Living In The Best Of Times?
00:02:53 - All Prime Ministers Eventually Go Mad
00:04:44 - Why It Gets Dangerous To Step Down
00:06:09 - The Table, The Generals And The Grovelling
00:09:43 - How Bad Policy Actually Happens
00:12:03 - We're Being Told To Prep
00:14:21 - Closer To World War Three Than Ever
00:18:34 - Why Would We Even Get Involved?
00:20:45 - Is Any Of This In Russia's Interest?
00:24:53 - Is There A Path To Peace?
00:29:24 - War By Accident
00:32:26 - What Would Actually Make It A World War?
00:34:33 - Every War Starts With A Miscalculation
00:38:55 - Would You Really Fire Back?
00:41:21 - The Letters Of Last Resort
00:43:48 - The Night They Thought Russia Would Go Nuclear
00:50:20 - What Is The Logic Of The Iran War?
00:56:20 - They're Briefing Congress On The Next Strike
01:02:09 - There Is Just No Money
01:10:25 - We Are Handing Our Children The Bill
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CONTACT PETE
› Website – http://petermccormack.com
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CONNECT WITH GIDEON RACHMAN
› War Is Interested In You – https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/475001/war-is-interested-in-you-by-rachman-gideon/9781529969825
› Financial Times – https://www.ft.com/gideon-rachman
› The Rachman Review – https://www.ft.com/rachman-review
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LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE
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FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR
› https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/
EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK
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