On Decline

If you’re currently lost in a downward spiral of doomscrolling, you are not alone. The news out of Ukraine is almost too much to bear, especially coming on the heels of a national crisis, wrapped in a global pandemic. But my guest on the podcast today says things have been bad like this for some time. That, in fact, our civilization is in a form of decline. Andrew Potter is an associate professor at the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University. He’s the former editor-in-chief of the Ottawa Citizen, a former public affairs columnist for Maclean’s, and a former director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada. His latest book is On Decline: Stagnation, Nostalgia, and Why Every Year is the Worst One Ever. Andrew Potter joins me for a conversation about the grim state of the world (that’s funnier and less depressing than you might expect). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tarahenley.substack.com