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[The Collapse of the Rules-Based Order: A Geopolitical Analysis with Constantine Kissin]-[The Man Warning The West: Trump Is Changing The World Behind The Scenes!]

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett · B2 · 2026-01-22

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📋 Summary

The End of the Post-War Order

Constantine Kissin argues that we are witnessing the "final collapse" of the post-World War II and post-Soviet order. For decades, the West operated under a "shared myth" that the world was structured, predictable, and governed by a "rules-based order." Kissin posits that this framework has disintegrated, leaving a power vacuum. He explicitly states, "That shared fiction... is now gone," replaced by a reality where international law lacks an overarching authority to enforce it. In this new, harsher landscape, countries are increasingly acting in their own self-interest, with Donald Trump’s foreign policy reflecting this shift toward a more transactional, "every man for himself" approach.

The Decline of the Western Alliance

Kissin highlights a critical loss of focus and purpose within the West since 1991. Europe, in particular, is described as having become "very comfortable" and "very lazy," prioritizing luxury beliefs and welfare spending over military strength and industrial capacity. He points to Germany’s reliance on Russian gas and Britain’s decimated manufacturing as prime examples of this strategic failure. By neglecting their defense and economic foundations, Western nations have "emboldened our enemies." Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the aggression from Iran and China are not accidents, but direct consequences of the West losing its moral and military credibility.

The Multipolar Reality and Nuclear Proliferation

The world is shifting toward a multipolar structure dominated by nuclear-armed superpowers. Kissin warns that this reality creates a dangerous incentive for smaller nations to pursue nuclear weapons as the "only guarantee of security." He observes that while nuclear powers are somewhat constrained by their arsenals, the lack of a central global authority makes the world "much more violent, much more unstable, and much more unpredictable." The West’s moral authority has been further eroded by past interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, which undermined the credibility of the rules it once championed.

Economic Stagnation and the Entrepreneurial Exodus

Focusing on the UK, Kissin characterizes the country as having become "irrelevant" on the global stage. He attributes this to "economic suicide" policies, such as the pursuit of Net Zero, which has driven up industrial energy costs, and an unsustainable welfare state. The highest tax burden in peacetime history is driving out the "most driven, the most talented, the most successful" entrepreneurs. Kissin uses the example of the founder of Revolut leaving the UK to illustrate the massive loss of capital and tax revenue, noting that "congratulations, you taxed the rich... now half a million people have to pay more tax" to cover the shortfall.

The AI Disruptor and the Rise of Socialism

The conversation turns to the existential impact of AI and robotics. Kissin notes that as AI accelerates job losses, particularly in professions like driving, the resulting societal angst may drive young people toward "disproven, discredited, and completely unworkable solutions" like socialism. He suggests that if wealth generated by robots accrues only to a tiny elite, some form of wealth redistribution will become "unavoidable," whether it happens "voluntarily or... at the end of bayonets."

A Path to Recovery: Reality over Ideology

Despite the "doom and gloom" of the current trajectory, Kissin remains an "accelerationist," believing that the only way to shift the culture is for the consequences of current policies to become undeniable. He advocates for a "gigantic paradigm shift" that prioritizes what "works in practice" over what "feels good." To salvage the West, he argues for rebuilding military capacity, ending the reliance on mass immigration to mask GDP stagnation, fostering a growth-focused economic mindset, and nurturing alliances—specifically with the United States—based on shared interests rather than ideological comfort.

🎯Key Sentences

1
What the hell is going on?
2
The floor is yours.
3
Putin felt this was the moment to test the waters.
4
America does not allow foreign nations to meddle in its backyard, so to speak.
5
I wouldn't personalize it down to that level.
Expand All

📝Key Phrases

1
test the waters
2
take eye off the ball
3
in light of
4
backed by
5
every man for himself
Expand All

📖 Transcript

There's mention of Greenland being invaded by the United States.
There's the situation in Iran.
Trump has snatched Maduro from Venezuela.
There's talk of China taking back Taiwan.
What the hell is going on?
Well, what you're seeing is the West becoming weaker and emboldening our enemies, and the final collapse of a shared myth that we were living in a structured world where everything is done according to the rules.

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