In this series we’ve looked at under-reported threats to global stability, from the psychology of Xi Jinping to the coming water crisis to the War on Truth. But what happens next? In this extended end-of-season edition, Arthur Snell steps back to look at the big picture with experts in geopolitics, future warfare and the Chinese, Russian and American superpowers. Can the world pull itself from the brink – or is our Long Peace coming to an end? 

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•  “What we’ve seen is the loss of the structures that have contained violence.” – Dr Mike Martin

•  “Americans are tired – tired of not only of being at war, but also as being perceived as being warmongers.” – Candace Rondeaux

•  “People will fight for a cause. That cause can be nationalism, to serve a particular master or to promote a different vision of society.” – Margaret MacMillan

•  “You saw it with defeat in Afghanistan: the West does not have confidence in its own values, nor the staying power to implement them anywhere else.” – Ian Dunt

•  “We are in a very dangerous situation, where we face the potential of weapons systems outside of human control that perhaps can’t be stopped.” – Margaret MacMillan

•  “I worry now that we’re entering a stage where we might have a big war. I think there’s a 50-50 chance.” – Dr Mike Martin

•  “All around me I see people wanting to take on populism, who want a better kind of world that makes sense.” – Ian Dunt

DOOMSDAY WATCH was written and presented by Arthur Snell, and produced by Robin Leeburn – with assistant production from Jacob Archbold. Theme tune and original music by Paul Hartnoll. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. DOOMSDAY WATCH is a Podmasters production.

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