# The World We’ve Made: Ben Rhodes on Hypocrisy, Hubris, and Humiliation

- Link: https://instituteforglobalaffairs.org/2021/06/the-world-weve-made-ben-rhodes-on-hypocrisy-hubris-and-humiliation/
- Published: 2021-06-22T17:19:00-04:00

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For many, America’s Cold War victory validated the country’s self-image as a “shining
city upon the hill,” whose democratic ideals were worthy of emulation. More than
thirty years later, as authoritarianism and ultranationalism surge around the world,
many wonder whether a dark undercurrent of America’s international conduct is somehow
responsible. [This week](https://www.noneoftheabovepodcast.org/episodes/s3e6), the
Institute for Global Affairs’ [Mark Hannah](https://twitter.com/ProfessorHannah)
sits down with Ben Rhodes, President Obama’s deputy national security advisor. Ben
grapples with this in his new book, _After the Fall: Being American in the World
We’ve Made._ Though America in many ways remains[ a worthy exemplar of democracy](https://egfound.org/2021/05/modeling-democracy-democracy-in-disarray/#full-report),
Ben identifies several trends in the United States, which eerily echo in Hungary,
Russia, and China. 

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**This podcast episode includes references to the Eurasia Group Foundation, now 
known as the Institute for Global Affairs.**