In Part 1 of this two to three-part series, host A.R. unpacks Samuel P. Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations and tests it against the world we actually live in.

What we cover:

• The theory: Huntington’s civilizational blocs and “fault lines”
• The critique: simplifications, identity flattening, and “us vs. them”
• Real-world flashpoints: U.S.–China rivalry, Russia’s war in Ukraine, Gaza (2023–25), Taliban rule in Afghanistan, EU migration politics
• Paradoxes of power: U.S.–Saudi alignment, China brokering a Saudi–Iran détente, BRICS expansion
• Globalization’s countercurrent: interdependence, soft power, and transnational networks
• Alternative lenses:
  • Francis Fukuyama: liberal convergence (End of History)
  • Edward Said: critique of civilizational framing (Orientalism)
  • Amartya Sen: overlapping identities (Identity and Violence)
  • John Mearsheimer: realism and power over culture
  • Joseph Nye: soft power, networks, and attraction
• 2025 outlook: slower U.S. growth, multipolar competition, and where civilizational narratives help—or mislead

Key takeaways:

• Identity matters, but power politics, resources, and institutions matter too.
• “Clash” narratives can become political tools.
• The future looks less like a single civilizational conflict and more like a messy, multipolar contest with moments of cooperation.