The Post-9/11 Wars, Trends of ’26, State of Democracy

Today on the show, twenty-five years after 9/11, America is still living with the consequences of the war on terror. It produced major tactical successes, at enormous human and financial cost. Fareed speaks with CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen, author of "All the Presidents’ Wars," about the legacy of America’s war on terror. Then, Fareed talks to Derek Thompson, host of the podcast “Plain English” and author on Substack, about his deep dive into the “megatrends” that he sees defining the news cycle in 2026 including AI’s impact on jobs and media, social isolation, and global violence. Finally, there are many signs that liberal democracy itself may be in retreat — from the rise of authoritarianism around the globe to deepening political polarization and declining public trust. At the Aspen Ideas Festival, Fareed sits down for a wide-ranging conversation on the topic with three terrific guests: political scientist Francis Fukuyama, former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada Chrystia Freeland and New York Times columnist David French. GUESTS: Peter Bergen (@peterbergencnn), Derek Thompson (@DKThomp), Francis Fukuyama (@FukuyamaFrancis) Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland), David French (@DavidAFrench) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices