We end Season 2 exploring the challenges posed by America’s key adversaries — China, Russia, and Iran — each driven by expansionist ambitions that threaten global stability. This season we highlighted Iran’s nuclear aspirations and ideological extremism, China’s economic and technological dominance under the Chinese Communist Party’s expansionist agenda, and Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine fueled by imperial ambitions. And yet, while these external threats are serious, America’s greatest danger may lie within its own divisions, as polarization and disputes over basic facts weaken the nation from inside. It's time to bridge divides, restore respectful dialogue, and help Americans confront their internal adversary: disunity.

Professor Brent Nelsen, director of the Tocqueville Center at Furman University, reflects on Alexis de Tocqueville’s warnings about democracy, America’s deepening political polarization, and the role universities must play in bridging those divides. Nelsen warns that polarization now shapes perceptions of truth itself, yet he remains committed to the possibility of healing through dialogue and compromise.

Dr. Thomas Graham, former Senior Director for Russia at the National Security Council and now a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, takes us on a deep dive into Russia’s mindset, its leader Vladimir Putin, and what the future might hold for U.S.-Russia relations. As a seasoned diplomat, Dr. Graham unpacks the psychology of Russian power and what the U.S. gets right — and wrong — about its most complex geopolitical rival.