Ian Bremmer Shoots 'The World in 60 Seconds' on Campus
March 23, 2016
The afternoon before his March 23 evening lecture at Davidson, Ian Bremmer shot an episode of his signature "The World in 60 Seconds" video with political science students outside the Carole and Marcus Weinstein Center in Duke Hall. Bremmer fielded as many questions as he could answer in 60 seconds, with a few bonus rounds.
Bremmer is the president and founder of Eurasia Group, the leading global political risk research and consulting firm. He is a prolific thought leader and author, regularly expressing his views on political issues in public speeches, television appearances and top publications, including TIME, where he is the foreign affairs columnist and editor-at large. Dubbed the "rising guru" in the field of political risk by The Economist, he teaches classes on the discipline as Global Research Professor at New York University. His latest book is Superpower: Three Choices for America's Role in the World.
Following the video shoot, during an hour of Q&A in Davidson's international student lounge, Bremmer flopped back in an overstuffed chair and let fly his thoughts in more depth with the students.
Bremmer Quotes from the Q&A
"The Obama doctrine, not that there is a doctrine, has been 'strategic patience and don't do stupid s---.'"
"Most of the world's problems are chronic, not acute."
"We're still the world's only superpower. That doesn't mean what it used to.... and some of that is due to us."
"[Trump's] supporters are there, and they feel unheard and disrespected, and they have been unheard and they have been disrespected.... We can't be so p.c., especially on our campuses, that we forget about this other side."
"Boko Haram killed more people last year than ISIS.... Most Americans probably don't know what Boko Haram is."
"Why hasn't ISIS gotten better at cyber?"
"Paul Krugman annoys me even more than Rush Limbaugh. Rush Limbaugh is not that bright. But Paul Krugman is smart, and he uses his platform to promote only one side."
"The purpose of the Dean Rusk International Studies Program is to allow you to put yourself in [others'] shoes. Americans need to do more of that. That's how you can differentiate yourself, the ability to do that."
At the end of the hour, Dan Black '16 smiled grimly: "Now I'm going to have to rewrite my paper."
