Historian Niall Ferguson joins John to discuss the challenges facing Western societies, the geopolitical landscape, and cultural issues. He reflects on the shifting nature of Western academic institutions, which he believes have moved away from intellectual diversity and become dominated by progressive orthodoxies, prompting him to support the creation of a new university in Austin dedicated to open debate and the fearless pursuit of truth. Ferguson also addresses U.S. political dynamics, examining the impact of Donald Trump on American foreign policy and his influence on public discourse regarding China and globalism. He further explores the geopolitical threats posed by the rise of authoritarian states like China and Iran, advocating for a renewed focus on national security, fiscal responsibility, and technological innovation in the West. Niall Ferguson is the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and a senior faculty fellow of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. His most recent book is Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Conversations feature John Anderson, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, interviewing the world's foremost thought leaders about today's pressing social, cultural and political issues. John believes proper, robust dialogue is necessary if we are to maintain our social strength and cohesion. As he puts it; "You cannot get good public policy out of a bad public debate." If you value this discussion and want to see more like it, make sure you subscribe to the channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtnYSEGViOnb7k8ezUaWUww?sub_confirmation=1 And stay right up to date with all the conversations by subscribing to the newsletter here: https://johnanderson.net.au/contact/ Follow John on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnAndersonAC Follow John on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnandersonac Follow John on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnandersonac/ Support the channel: https://johnanderson.net.au/support/ Website: https://johnanderson.net.au/ Podcast: https://johnanderson.net.au/podcasts/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------