Book · 1986 · United States
The Irony of American History
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The second is a book by Reinhold Niebuhr called The Irony of American History. And it's really all about the great danger when you are powerful of believing you are virtuous and believing that you know, might is right.
Fareed Zakaria · The Ezra Klein Show · Apr 2026 Listen at 1:07:22 Why people recommend it
The Irony of American History is a classic theological and political critique examining the moral perils of national power, written by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. On the podcast The Ezra Klein Show, during the episode titled The Moral Cost of Trump’s War released on April 10, 2026, guest Fareed Zakaria recommended the publication as his second major book suggestion. Fareed Zakaria explained that the work focuses heavily on the immense dangers that arise when a powerful nation assumes its own inherent virtue and operates under the dangerous assumption that might makes right. The speaker used the text to illustrate how historical hubris and moral self-righteousness can corrupt foreign policy and national character. By pointing listeners to Reinhold Niebuhr's insights, Fareed Zakaria offered a timeless philosophical framework for evaluating the ethical burdens, temptations, and inevitable contradictions that accompany global hegemony and military dominance in international affairs.
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Fareed Zakaria The second is a book by Reinhold Niebuhr called The Irony of American History. And it's really all about th… 1
“The second is a book by Reinhold Niebuhr called The Irony of American History. And it's really all about the great danger when you are powerful of believing you are virtuous and believing that you know, might is right.”
