Is the World Order Actually Disintegrating? | with Ian Bremmer

Is the World Order Actually Disintegrating? | with Ian Bremmer

Author: The Progress Network with Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas April 22, 2026 Duration: 40:41
What happens when the rules of the global game are being rewritten in real-time? Ian Bremmer, the founder of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media, joins host Zachary Karabell to discuss how to navigate a world defined by a "long geopolitical recession" and the erosion of the post-1945 order. From the escalating conflicts in the Middle East and the surprising vulnerabilities of the economic models in the Gulf to the "asymmetric war fighting" that allows drones to bring the global economy to its knees, this episode reckons with a world that seems to be disintegrating rather than coming together. Bremmer and Karabell explore why we aren’t getting a better picture of what’s happening on the ground in places like Iran and Yemen, and whether the "noise" of modern social media is a tool for freedom or a new mechanism for state control. As political revolutionaries rise and established media organizations downsize, Bremmer and Karabell ask: is our current information environment worse than it was 30 years ago, or can individuals still "sniff out" the truth? And: Is this the peak of global chaos, or just a cyclical trough before a new rebound? What Could Go Right? is produced by The Progress Network and Kaleidoscope. For transcripts, to join the newsletter, and for more information, visit: theprogressnetwork.org Subscribe to our (FREE) Substack newsletter: https://theprogressnetwork.org/newsletter/ Watch the podcast on YouTube: / theprogressnetwork Follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @progressntwrk Subscribe to Zachary’s Substack: www.edgyoptimist.substack.com/ Follow him LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zacharykarabell Follow Zachary on X @zacharykarabell

It’s easy to feel that everything is falling apart, but what if the dominant narrative of decline is missing a crucial piece of the story? What Could Go Right? asks that question directly, offering a necessary counterpoint to the daily drumbeat of crises. Hosted by The Progress Network’s Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas, this podcast operates from a simple but radical premise: while the problems are real, so is the human capacity for ingenuity and constructive change. Each episode brings together a diverse group of thinkers, from scientists and activists to policymakers and cultural commentators, for conversations that go beyond diagnosing issues to exploring tangible solutions and underreported advances. You’ll hear nuanced discussions on everything from climate technology and economic innovation to the reshaping of governance and culture, all grounded in a realistic sense of possibility. This isn’t about blind optimism; it’s about engaged, evidence-based hope. Tuning in means joining a community that believes understanding what’s working is just as important as understanding what’s broken. If you’re weary of doomscrolling and looking for substantive dialogue that charts a path forward, this is the podcast for you.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

What Could Go Right?
Podcast Episodes
Average Joes Making Positive Change [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:14
Emma is on vacation! Which means this week, we’re doing something a little different. Before she left, she put together this roundup of stories about amateur do-gooders pitching in to make the world a better place: Womba…
The Case Against Cynicism | with Greg Jackson & Steven Johnson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:48
Despite record highs in life expectancy and historic lows in violent crime, society remains convinced that everything is completely broken. Steven Johnson (The Infernal Machine) and historian Greg Jackson (host of Histor…
How to Read Economic News Without Spiraling | with Alex Mayyasi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:24
Every time we open a news app, we are hit with a fresh wave of economic dread. But why does the financial forecast always sound like a pending apocalypse, even when the data tells a remarkably stable story? Longtime Plan…
Is Free Expression Actually Under Attack? | with Dinaw Mengestu [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:03
We hear often that freedom of speech is under threat. And it’s easy to feel like things have never been worse in that regard. But is that really true? Dinaw Mengestu, an acclaimed novelist, MacArthur Genius grant recipie…