Introducing ‘Interesting Times’

Matter of Opinion

New York Times Opinion

Society & Culture, Ross Douthat, News, New York Times, Journalism

4.2 • 7.2K Ratings

🗓️ 6 April 2025

⏱️ 3 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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0:00.0	There's a saying that comes to mind these days.
0:04.6	May you live in interesting times.
0:08.4	It's understood to be a curse, even though it sounds like a blessing.
0:12.7	The golden age of America begins right now.
0:17.2	From New York Times opinion, I'm Ross Douthat.
0:24.3	Donald From New York Times opinion, I'm Ross Douthat. Donald Trump's return to power is a clear sign that we've experienced a real turning point in history.
0:31.0	A shift from one era to the next.
0:34.3	That shift wasn't always so obvious.
0:36.9	Trump's victory in 2016 was seen as an accident, an aberration.
0:42.1	The election of Joe Biden was interpreted as a restoration of normality.
0:46.8	But that's not how it went.
0:50.0	Somewhere between the emergence of COVID and Russia's invasion of Ukraine,
0:54.9	the normality that Trump's opponents aspire to restore has slipped into the past.
1:01.1	If you look around, it's clear the post-Cold War era has ended.
1:05.1	I'm not aligned with Putin. I'm not aligned with anybody.
1:08.2	I'm aligned with the United States of America.
1:11.2	American power is still with us, but its preeminence is under threat.
1:15.1	Beijing declaring, it's prepared to go to war with America.
1:19.2	Technological innovation is suddenly accelerating.
1:22.5	A lot of people have said that this is the craziest technology they've ever seen.
1:27.0	At the same time, the spiritual landscape is shifting.
1:31.4	The old-time religions still win converts,
	...

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