The Great Power Show: National Supremacism - The New Ideology of Global Politics

We’re living through a moment of profound global churn. Trust in politics is eroding. Nationalism is surging. Great powers are retreating from the idea that the world can grow together. Instead, they are embracing zero-sum competition, technological supremacy, and national power as the primary source of legitimacy.

In this episode of The Great Power Show, Manoj Kewalramani is joined by Pratap Bhanu Mehta, political theorist, public intellectual, and one of sharpest thinkers on democracy, liberalism, and the international order.

They take a step back from the headlines to ask some bigger questions: What happens to the global system when national supremacy becomes the reigning ideology? Are liberal democracy and individual freedom facing a deeper crisis, not just politically, but philosophically? And as technology reshapes power, identity, and governance, are we moving toward a world where the individual is increasingly subordinated to the state and collective ambition?

They also explore the limits of great power dominance, the shrinking space for middle powers, Russia’s role in the world, China’s vision of modernity, and why the real battle today may be over legitimacy, at home as much as abroad.

This is a wide-ranging conversation about power, identity, technology, and the future of global order.

Access the full podcast here on Spotify

(Also available on Apple and Substack)