In this episode we attempt to rewrite the conventional script of modern history. Rather than centering the West, we explore how the true story of the 20th and 21st centuries is the re-emergence of India and China—two ancient civilizations whose influence was temporarily eclipsed, but never extinguished.
We begin with the 19th-century collapses: the 1857 rebellion and the British Raj's imposition on India, and the devastating Second Opium War in China. From there, we trace how both countries clawed their way back to autonomy and global relevance, culminating in the true milestones of the 1940s: Indian independence and the Chinese revolution—far more consequential long-term than even World War II.
We then shift focus to the real Cold War story: the global wave of decolonization and independence movements. Finally, we discuss what this historical lens means for today and tomorrow. U.S. foreign policy, we argue, should drop the Cold War legacy framing and instead focus on the delicate, critical act of balancing China and India—while cultivating strong, respectful relationships with the rest of the world.
This episode challenges dominant narratives and proposes a new framework for understanding global power in the 21st century.
