Where Are We Going? Societal Collapse – The Present Day

Past Present Future

D&HR Media Ltd

Politics, News, Philosophy, Society & Culture, History

4.7 • 747 Ratings

🗓️ 4 March 2026

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In today’s episode David talks to Luke Kemp, author of Goliath’s Curse, about the prospects for societal collapse in the 21st century. Are we living in a global Goliath? Is there any escape in an age when personal data has become the primary lootable resource? Does interconnectedness mean we are more vulnerable to collapse than ever? And what can we learn from the fate of Somalia? Join us on 11th March for a joint LRB/PPF event: The Slow Death of Democracy, with Lyse Doucet, Christopher Clark and Thant Myint-U. Tickets are available now https://www.tickettailor.com/events/londonreviewofbooks/2062789 You can find out everything you need to know about this podcast – who we are, what we do, plus merch, events and full lists of our episodes and PPF+ bonus episodes on our website https://www.ppfideas.com Luke Kemp’s Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse is available now https://bit.ly/4aFczds Next Time: Societal Collapse – The Future Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The Philly Cheese Stack is back at McDonald's and it's still intensely cheesy. Imagine the cheesiest thing ever. Now cover it in cheese. Add two beef patties, cheddar cheese sauce, crispy onions and even more cheese. The Philly Cheese Stack. Did we mention it's cheesy? Available into the 16th of March, 26 from 11am. Fee's applied to delivery orders. Price and participation may vary. Subjects availability. This is a paid message from GoFundMe.
0:23.0	My name is Ashley Kane. I'm the daddy of a little girl in heaven and a father to two boys on earth.
0:30.0	I've got an incredible relationship with GoFundMe, both personally and via our daughter's foundation, the Azalea Foundation.
0:37.5	GoFundMe has allowed me, the foundation, and thousands of people out there to give hope
0:43.9	to others in need.
0:45.6	You'd actually be surprised how many people out there are willing to show love and support
0:50.9	you in your time of need.
0:53.4	My advice for anyone that needs to start a GoFundMe
0:56.8	will be do it.
0:58.7	You don't need to feel shame.
1:00.2	You don't need to feel guilt.
1:01.4	You don't need to feel embarrassment.
1:03.2	If you need GoFundMe, use GoFundMe.
1:06.9	Start your GoFundMe today at gofundme.com.
1:19.9	That's gofundme.com. G-O-F-U-N-D-M-E.com. This message reflects one person's experience. Hello, my name's David Rundsenman and this is past-present future, the History of Ideas podcast.
1:36.2	Today, the third part of my conversation with Luke Kemp about societal collapse, and we have
1:44.0	reached the present. We are going to be talking about what collapse, and we have reached the present.
1:45.0	We are going to be talking about what collapse might mean for us in our world, in the 21st century,
1:52.0	the age of global interconnection, of data, of fossil fuels as a lootable resource.
1:59.0	What does collapse mean in the global Goliath?
2:05.6	Luke, we're going to talk today about social order and social collapse in the 21st century.
2:12.6	Bring this story up to the present before we then go on and talk about where we may be heading in the future.
	...

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