The Returning Powers Demand Anxieties

Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on a troubling geopolitical reality: the deepening alignment of China, Russia, and Iran. This isn't the Cold War 2.0—it's something more agile and dangerous. These powers are systematically challenging the post-Western world order, leveraging economic dependency, energy blackmail, and information warfare to erode democratic resilience from within. Their goal isn't just influence; it’s systemic disruption. So why is this concerning? Because they are betting on Western impatience and division. They believe our democracies lack the stomach for a long-term contest. To win this race, the West must pivot from reaction to strategy: fortify supply chains, achieve energy independence, and rebuild a unifying narrative about freedom and rules. The race isn’t just military; it’s economic, technological, and ideological. And it’s happening now. Guest Info: Dr. Brendan Simms is the founder and Director of the Centre for Geopolitics. He works on European geopolitics, past and present, and his principal interests are the German Question, Britain and Europe, Hitler’s global anti-semitism, Humanitarian Intervention and state construction. He is the author of this amazing book "The Return of the Great Powers."