Ian Bremmer on the Risks America Poses to the World

Donald Trump functions as a symptom of deep-seated domestic dissatisfaction rather than a primary cause of global instability, yet his presidency has introduced unprecedented incoherence into American foreign policy. The conflict with Iran and the summit with China reveal a pattern of overconfidence followed by strategic climb-downs, as Trump’s transactional approach clashes with complex geopolitical realities. Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group, argues that the "J-curve" theory—which once suggested open societies were inherently more stable—is failing because modern technology now empowers closed, authoritarian systems. Domestic economic stratification and the hollowing out of local communities, exacerbated by algorithmic media, have created a negative feedback loop that undermines the American dream. Ultimately, the United States' unilateral withdrawal from established global norms and alliances serves as the primary driver of current international uncertainty, rather than the rise of China.