Fareed Zakaria GPS – September 7, 2025

Episode Title: Growing autocratic alliances; Is there hope for a two-state solution?; The Trump’s administration’s upheaval of American medicine; The AI crisis in education

Overview

This episode of Fareed Zakaria GPS examines several of the most pressing geopolitical and domestic issues of the moment. The main theme centers on the shifting global alliances among autocratic powers, the future (or lack thereof) for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, upheaval in American medicine in the wake of recent political changes, and the existential challenges posed by AI in education. Fareed Zakaria hosts in-depth, candid discussions with leading experts: Anne Applebaum on authoritarian alliances, Rob Malley and Dan Senor on Israel-Palestine, Sanjay Gupta on U.S. health policy, and Derek Thompson on the AI education crisis.

I. A New World Order: The Rise of Autocratic Alliances

Guest: Anne Applebaum, historian and author
Key segment: [01:02]–[14:15]

Key Points & Insights

• Historic Display of Solidarity
  The episode opens with the striking images of Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un together at Beijing's WWII anniversary, emblematic of deepening ties among autocracies hostile to the West.

  • “A stunning image from Wednesday’s celebration in Beijing marking 80 years since Japan’s World War II surrender…united in their autocracy, have opposition to the West.” — Fareed Zakaria [01:02]

• US Policy and Alienation of Key States
  Zakaria criticizes Donald Trump’s foreign policy as alienating major regional powers (India, Brazil, South Africa) with aggressive tariffs, sanctions, and unpredictable diplomacy — driving them toward China and weakening the U.S.-led order.

  • “It may be the greatest own goal in modern foreign policy.” — Fareed Zakaria [03:02]

• China’s Advantage
  While the U.S. alienates, China courts these countries with infrastructure projects and aid, shifting global allegiances.

  • “China has courted South Africa with trade and aid, and public sentiment in that country has moved to be quite favorably inclined towards Beijing.” — Fareed Zakaria [05:31]

• The Unifying Thread Among Autocracies
  Anne Applebaum asserts their alliance is less about ideology and more about opposition to Western democratic norms of transparency, accountability, and human rights.

  • “What unites them is their dislike of us. And by us, I mean the democratic world, the language of rule of law, the language of transparency, the language of accountability.” — Anne Applebaum [09:00]

• Shift Away from US Predictability
  Key non-autocratic states (India, Turkey, Egypt) are hedging bets with China/Russia due to the U.S. being seen as unreliable and whimsical.

  • “America was a predictable power…now the United States is seen as unpredictable. And the President is whimsical. He might change his mind at any minute. It’s very dangerous to go and see him in the Oval Office because he might attack you.” — Anne Applebaum [10:25]

• Not a Simple Cold War Redux
  Today’s opposition to liberal democracy is both external (Russia, China) and internal (far-right groups within Western democracies), making it more complex than the Cold War.

  • “The opponents of liberal democracy are also inside liberal democracy…It’s actually a more complicated picture.” — Anne Applebaum [11:44]
  • “It’s more complicated than the Cold War because the enemies of liberal democracy are now both outside and within.” — Fareed Zakaria [13:41]

• Counter Movements Exist
  There are also pro-democracy opposition movements within autocratic countries.

  • “There is an Iranian opposition, there is a Russian opposition, there’s even a Chinese opposition…they are interested in changing their own governments.” — Anne Applebaum [13:50]

II. The Two-State Solution: Illusion or Possibility?

Guests: Rob Malley (former U.S. negotiator and author), Dan Senor (political analyst)
Key segment: [15:38]–[27:43]

Key Points & Insights

• The Death of the Two-State Solution
  Rob Malley argues the notion of an imminent two-state solution has always been more fantasy than reality, and neither side ever truly embraced it as an end goal.

  • “It was an illusion, a delusion. To some extent, it was a lie…realities on the ground have moved so far away from that goal that I think it’s time to be honest with ourselves.” — Rob Malley [16:47]

• Fundamental Incompatibility
  At root, Israelis want security and exclusivity; Palestinians want justice and redress for 1948. These aspirations are incompatible with a true two-state paradigm.

  • “Deep down, what the Palestinians really want…is full justice, redemption…what Israelis deep down want…full security…neither one of them really wanted to go there.” — Rob Malley [17:19]

• US Failure and Status Quo Perpetuation
  The U.S. continues to publicly prioritize two states, but does nothing to advance it. The consequence: a brutal, stasis punctuated by periodic violence, breakdowns, and morally unacceptable alternatives like annexation or ethnic cleansing.

  • “The two state solution as we conceived it, a real two state solution. It’s not going to happen…more creativity is needed.” — Rob Malley [18:29]

• Alternative: Focus on Improving Conditions
  Dan Senor is less pessimistic, suggesting the priority should be creating conditions over time that make future peaceful coexistence possible—like security, safety, and homes for both sides—but not focusing on immediate statehood.

  • “We could…try to create the conditions where [a two-state solution] could possibly be possible someday. Even along the way, it will improve the situation…” — Dan Senor [19:36]

• On International Recognition of Palestine
  Senor expresses strong skepticism about UN recognition for a Palestinian state under current conditions, especially with hostages still held by Hamas.

  • “Operating in a world in which the Palestinians are coming to believe that they are going to get a state while Hamas is holding hostages…is the opposite of creating the conditions where you can bring the temperature down.” — Dan Senor [19:36]

• War, Proportionality, and Genocide Debates
  Malley accuses Israel of indiscriminate violence; Senor rebuts by framing Israel’s military actions as essential for survival, arguing that true genocide would be the destruction of Israel if it disarmed.

  • “There’s no military doctrine…that can justify that. There’s no justification for it. And it’s why an increasing number of organizations around the world are calling it a genocide.” — Rob Malley [21:42]
  • “If Israel were to drop its arms today…there would be no Israel. If Hamas were to drop its arms…there would be no Palestinian civilian human catastrophe.” — Dan Senor [23:37]

• Where Does This Lead?
  Both agree a generation is being radicalized, and prospects for coexistence are bleak.

  • “There is a generation of Palestinians who are going to grow up with nothing to lose…their only memory [will be] the blockade or what’s happening now.” — Rob Malley [26:53]

III. The Trump Administration’s Upheaval of American Medicine

Guest: Dr. Sanjay Gupta (neurosurgeon, CNN medical correspondent)
Key segment: [28:31]–[33:42]

Key Points & Insights

• Pain and Prescription Culture in the US
  The US consumes a disproportionate share of the world’s opioids—at one time 90% of certain prescriptions despite having only 4% of the global population. Zakaria and Gupta discuss how expectations, culture, and healthcare systems shape this phenomenon.

  • “Americans are 4% of the world's population and consume…90% of the world's opioids.” — Fareed Zakaria [28:33]
  • “We’re still five to ten times greater in terms of invasive procedures and invasive medications.” — Sanjay Gupta [28:48]

• The Role of Mind in Pain
  Gupta explains pain is subjective, often amplified or dampened based on expectations, mental health, and past experiences.

  • “Expectations and experience are inextricably linked. If you think something is going to hurt, it’s probably going to hurt.” — Sanjay Gupta [29:30]
  • “The brain is the ultimate decider of whether or not you have pain.” — Sanjay Gupta [30:09]

• RFK Jr.’s Impact on American Medicine and the CDC
  Zakaria raises concerns about RFK Jr. stripping the CDC of key experts and politicizing health. They agree there are issues with the CDC’s mission sprawl, but major damage is being done by the politicized approach.

  • “Our healthcare system has been really damaged by what has happened over the last year. Really damaged. We’ve lost brain talent. People are going to other countries. The US is not viewed as…leader in healthcare.” — Sanjay Gupta [33:15]

IV. AI and the Existential Crisis in Education

Guest: Derek Thompson (author, journalist)
Key segment: [33:53]–[39:14]

Key Points & Insights

• AI is Upending Written Assessment
  ChatGPT and similar tools make it trivial to produce well-written essays, undermining the value of grades and trust in student work.

  • “If ChatGPT is good at anything, it’s very, very good at writing an A minus take home essay in practically everything.” — Derek Thompson [35:30]

• Consequences for Credentials and Trust
  AI-generated assignments mean teachers and employers can no longer fully trust transcripts or let written grades serve as meaningful evidence of learning.

  • “What does GPA even mean these days?…it might simply be an assessment of your ability to cheat, not your ability to learn.” — Derek Thompson [35:30]

• Shift to Oral and Defended Assessments
  Thompson predicts a move towards oral exams and defenses, noting that people will need to “defend your ideas, not just turn in a written assessment.”

  • “AI can fake the written assessment, it cannot fake your defense of those ideas in front of the classroom.” — Derek Thompson [36:55]

• AI as a Tool for Teachers
  Many teachers are already using AI to save time, organize curricula, and even potentially grade blue-book style exams.

  • “Something like 50 to 60% of teachers surveyed by Gallup say they use generative AI. And the majority of those say that it saves them up to six weeks of work a year.” — Derek Thompson [37:32]

• Potential Upside: New Education, New Skills
  The crisis could lead to a focus on rhetoric, elocution, and oral skills—perhaps more aligned with real-world, white-collar work.

  • “Maybe this transition from a written to oral based education could actually help us in the long run.” — Derek Thompson [39:06]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “American foreign policy these days is a collection of the random slights, insults and ideological obsessions of one man.” — Fareed Zakaria [06:31]
• “The idea that you would pivot to say, hey, look, we gotta talk about cardiac disease, we gotta talk about cancer, diabetes…and even dementia, that became under the purview of the CDC…” — Sanjay Gupta [31:47]
• “If Israel were to drop its arms today, period, full stop, there would be no Israel…if Hamas were to drop its arms today, there would be no Palestinian civilian human catastrophe.” — Dan Senor [23:37]

Important Timestamps

• [01:02] – Fareed's take on the new autocratic alliances
• [08:59] – Anne Applebaum on what unites autocracies
• [15:38] – Gaza, two-state solution debate with Rob Malley & Dan Senor
• [28:31] – Sanjay Gupta on chronic pain, opioids, and U.S. healthcare
• [30:51] – CDC critique and RFK Jr. discussion
• [33:53] – Derek Thompson on AI and the existential crisis in education

This episode ties together global realignments, the hard realities of Middle Eastern geopolitics, rolling crises in U.S. governance and medicine, and the disruptive power of AI—emphasizing challenges to established orders both at home and abroad. The discussions are rich, often sobering, and essential for anyone seeking deeper understanding of today’s chaotic world.