At the beginning of the 20th century, Europe in general and Britain in particular bestrode the world like a colossus.

Now, a quarter of our way through the 21st century, we find ourselves at best, diminished powers, and at worst, cringing vassals of the United States.

How did the continent of Athens, Rome, Madrid, Paris, Berlin, and London become so enfeebled. And as we emerge from

the warm bath of post-war comforts into the cold realities of a contentious, multipolar world,

how are we to assert ourselves? Do we have it in us to stand on our own two feet again?

With me to discuss whether the old world has life in her yet is Firas Modat,

the geopolitical analyst and a presenter at the Lotus Heaters, where today we are filming a joint

episode of my show, The Forge, and Fierrasis's Realpolitik. Fierras, thank you for sitting down

with me. Thank you. My pleasure. Now, let's start with a sort of, sort of,

slaughtering some, potentially slaughtering some sacred cows.

I'm keen for your insight on this.

Is the so-called special relationship between Britain and America,

and even Europe and America, an expensive illusion

conjured to make us feel relevant in the world,

but increasingly costing us dear?

It is certainly an illusion because if you look at the geopolitical interests of the countries involved,

be it Britain and the United States or Britain and the rest of Europe, or the United States and the rest of Europe,

they're not the same interests. They are absolutely

divergent interests. And within Europe, the interests diverge. So there is the problem of the EU,

which assumes that the critical interests of Poland are the same as the critical interests of Spain,

which is fundamentally delusional, there is the special

relationship of the United States with Israel, which is the only real special relationship

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