The Glenn Show

TGS Live: Elon Musk's Identity Politics + Robert Wright and John Mearsheimer on the Future of the International Order

37 snips
Feb 2, 2026
John Mearsheimer, a University of Chicago realist on great-power politics, and Robert Wright, author and commentator on religion, tech, and world affairs, discuss the unraveling rules-based international order. They debate US hypocrisy, Trump’s unilateralism, Gaza and international law, NATO’s future, Greenland and Venezuela, and how identity politics shapes global and domestic tensions.
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INSIGHT

Rules‑Based Order Was A Hegemonic Facade

  • The so‑called rules‑based international order often masked American hegemony and hypocrisy.
  • Robert Wright and others say candid acknowledgment of that hypocrisy matters but doesn't justify unilateral law‑breaking.
INSIGHT

Great Powers Make The Rules

  • Great powers write and enforce international law to serve their interests.
  • John Mearsheimer frames institutions and law as tools powerful states use rather than neutral constraints.
ADVICE

Plan For The Term, Not The Template

  • Treat Trump as an anomaly, not the new normal, but plan for his remaining term.
  • Mearsheimer advises vigilance because three years of his behavior can still do lasting damage.
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