Published March 20, 2026
Global leadership ultimately depends on internal cohesion. In this Q&A section, Stephen Kotkin argues that social media, not foreign rivals, now poses the most serious test for open societies—raising urgent questions about trust, legitimacy, and the future of democratic self-government.
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Recorded on August 14, 2025.
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The opinions expressed in this video are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hoover Institution or Stanford University.
© 2026 by the Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University.
Stephen Kotkin
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