Hello and welcome to the GZero World Podcast. I'm Ian Bremmer, and this is where you can find extended

versions of my interviews from public television. In case you somehow missed it, America turns 250 this

July 4th. Milestone birthdays are time for celebration, but if recent polling is any indication,

a lot of Americans aren't

exactly ready to party. Most say the country is heading in the wrong direction. Trust in government

remains near historic lows. Political polarization is high, and nearly 60% of Americans believe that the

nation's best days are behind it. It may seem like a low

point for the United States, but this isn't the first time that Americans have felt birthday blues.

After all, the bicentennial year, 1976, came just after the disastrous end to the Vietnam War,

President Nixon's Watergate scandal, an energy crisis, and high inflation.

Americans had lost faith in institutions and were deeply pessimistic about the future.

Sounds kind of familiar.

The United States didn't solve all of its problems in those turbulent years, but of course

it didn't collapse either.

In many ways, the country celebrating its 250th birthday now is wealthier and healthier and safer

and more inclusive than the country that celebrated its 200th.

So how should Americans think about this moment?

Can you be patriotic while still being deeply critical of your country's direction?

Is there a difference between loving America and liking what you see happening right now?

And why has patriotism become such a political battleground in the first place?

My guest today has spent years weighing in on exactly those questions.

Bill Maher, one of America's most recognizable comedians, political

...