Summary
Overview
Robert Kaplan, journalist and author of 'Wasteland: A World in Permanent Crisis,' discusses his decades-long career analyzing global disorder, from his prescient 1994 'Coming Anarchy' article through today's geopolitical challenges. He introduces his concept of a 'global Weimar' to describe our current era of permanent crisis, explaining how technology has shrunk geography while creating a world that's interconnected yet ungovernable. The conversation covers environmental concerns, demographic pressures, institutional fragility, and the dangerous dynamics in Russia, Africa, and beyond.
Career Origins and Journalistic Philosophy
Kaplan describes his evolution from conventional newspaper journalism to a more philosophical, interdisciplinary approach to writing. Starting at the Rutland Daily Herald in Vermont, he eventually bought a one-way ticket to travel the world, becoming bored with narrow journalistic focus. His editor at The Atlantic Monthly, William Whitworth, enabled him to incorporate philosophy, geography, history, and literature into his work, moving beyond simple reporting on military purchases to exploring deeper cultural truths.
- Started career at Rutland Daily Herald before buying one-way ticket to travel Europe and North Africa
- Became bored with conventional journalism's narrow focus, preferring to visit museums over reporting on military equipment purchases
- Atlantic Monthly editor William Whitworth enabled his interdisciplinary approach incorporating philosophy, geography, history, and literature
" When I was in Turkey, I didn't care how many F-15s the Turkish government was going to buy from the United States. I wanted to visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. I thought that would tell me more about Turkey than how many F-15s they were going to buy. "
The Coming Anarchy and Predictions Vindicated
Kaplan reflects on his controversial 1994 'Coming Anarchy' article, which contradicted the 1990s consensus that predicted global democratization following the Cold War. While policy elites at Davos predicted liberal humanism would spread everywhere, Kaplan's on-the-ground reporting in Africa and the Middle East revealed a very different reality. His prediction that these regions wouldn't simply follow Eastern Europe's path into democracy has been validated by subsequent decades of conflict and instability.
- 'The Coming Anarchy' was the most photocopied article of the 1990s, published when policy elites predicted universal democratization
- Traveled Africa and Middle East observing that these regions had different histories and wouldn't follow Eastern Europe's democratic path
- Followed up with 1997 essay 'Was Democracy Just a Moment' challenging the 'end of history' consensus
- Early observations of anarchy in Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast became models for later collapses in Libya, Syria, Iraq, and Myanmar
" The policy elite at famous posh conferences in Davos and elsewhere were predicting a world of liberal humanism. They predicted that Africa, Asia, every place would just follow Eastern Europe into democracy and good governance. And I was traveling around Africa, the Middle East and other places. And I said, that's not true at all. "
📚 4 more sections below
Sign up to unlock the complete summary with all insights, key points, and quotes
Get this summary + all future Making Sense with Sam Harris episodes in your inbox
100% Free • Unsubscribe Anytime
Sign up now and we'll send you the complete summary of this episode, plus get notified when new Making Sense with Sam Harris episodes are released—delivered straight to your inbox within minutes.