EPISODE · Mar 25, 2026 · 1H 2M
Conflict and Diplomacy in an Era of Recklessness | Sir Malcolm Rifkind on 2050
from Forecast 2050 · host Nebular
Sir Malcolm Rifkind served as Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom from 1995 to 1997 and as Defence Secretary before that. He has sat across from Soviet ministers while a KGB double agent secretly briefed both sides, watched the Berlin Wall fall when nobody saw it coming, and has been banished from Russia by Putin personally for his criticism of the invasion of Crimea. I sat down with Sir Malcolm in London this January to talk about the next 25 years of conflict and diplomacy, and how to navigate a world where nobody cares about the old rules anymore.Extended Show Notes: https://substack.com/home/post/p-192033568Transcript: https://substack.com/home/post/p-192033862Chapters:00:00 Intro01:05 Why Politicians Can’t Predict the Future03:37 The Power of Double Agents in Spycraft04:38 Social Media Diplomacy Was Inevitable12:46 Soft Power is Dead 16:25 The Cult of Youth in Global Leadership18:54 The West Must Think Long-Term to Survive27:43 Technological Innovation Will Hurt Old People 30:58 The Chinese Will Eat Their Rich38:11 Meeting Gorbachev and His Philosopher Wife44:32 There Are No Good Guys and Bad Guys46:46 Ukraine will Freeze Up like Korea, Kashmir, and Cyprus47:55 Taiwan is More Important than Iran53:23 How Smaller Countries Operate without Pax Americana55:09 “The Chinese and the Russians Cannot Believe Their Luck” - on NATO Collapse59:59 America May Not Be the Main Character in the FutureSir Malcolm Rifkind is a British statesman who served as Defence Secretary and then Foreign Secretary under Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major, and later chaired the UK Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee.Forecast 2050 is a series about the next 25 years—and the builders, thinkers, and leaders shaping what comes next.Finn on X: https://x.com/FinnMurphy12Finn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finn-murphy-16160465/Nebular is venture capital firm based in New York City. Head to nebular.vc for more info.
What this episode covers
Sir Malcolm Rifkind served as Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom from 1995 to 1997 and as Defence Secretary before that. He has sat across from Soviet ministers while a KGB double agent secretly briefed both sides, watched the Berlin Wall fall when nobody saw it coming, and has been banished from Russia by Putin personally for his criticism of the invasion of Crimea. I sat down with Sir Malcolm in London this January to talk about the next 25 years of conflict and diplomacy, and how to navigate a world where nobody cares about the old rules anymore.Extended Show Notes: https://substack.com/home/post/p-192033568Transcript: https://substack.com/home/post/p-192033862Chapters:00:00 Intro01:05 Why Politicians Can’t Predict the Future03:37 The Power of Double Agents in Spycraft04:38 Social Media Diplomacy Was Inevitable12:46 Soft Power is Dead 16:25 The Cult of Youth in Global Leadership18:54 The West Must Think Long-Term to Survive27:43 Technological Innovation Will Hurt Old People 30:58 The Chinese Will Eat Their Rich38:11 Meeting Gorbachev and His Philosopher Wife44:32 There Are No Good Guys and Bad Guys46:46 Ukraine will Freeze Up like Korea, Kashmir, and Cyprus47:55 Taiwan is More Important than Iran53:23 How Smaller Countries Operate without Pax Americana55:09 “The Chinese and the Russians Cannot Believe Their Luck” - on NATO Collapse59:59 America May Not Be the Main Character in the FutureSir Malcolm Rifkind is a British statesman who served as Defence Secretary and then Foreign Secretary under Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major, and later chaired the UK Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee.Forecast 2050 is a series about the next 25 years—and the builders, thinkers, and leaders shaping what comes next.Finn on X: https://x.com/FinnMurphy12Finn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finn-murphy-16160465/Nebular is venture capital firm based in New York City. Head to nebular.vc for more info.
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Conflict and Diplomacy in an Era of Recklessness | Sir Malcolm Rifkind on 2050
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