JJM vs. Kishore Mahbubani
On 21 December 2025, I appeared on Tom Switzer’s excellent new podcast — “Switzerland” — to discuss geopolitics with my good friend and intellectual rival, Kishore Mahbubani. We talked a lot about the rise of China and the US response, but focused on other geopolitical issues as well.
John containment of China is problematical when America and the collective west are not living up to the principles of freedom, democracy and human rights that they purport to care about. David didn't defeat Goliath because he was strong. He defeated Goliath because he was morally pure. When I look at what's happening in Trumpian America today, the ICE shootings, the collapse of constitutional democracy, the unleashing of unregulated AI, the genocide in Gaza, etc etc etc it's no better than the totalitarian surveillance state we have in China.
Mearsheimer explains why Russia should win a war of attrition in theory.
RUSI explains why Russia can lose it in practice.
The difference is simple:
Size only matters if losses can actually be replaced with sustainable combat power. When losses per kilometer rise faster than the ability to regenerate forces, volume turns into strategic self-harm.
Dismissing RUSI is often just a way to avoid discussing how wars are actually won.
Mearsheimer never present facts for his analysis.