Victor Davis Hanson argues that the global political landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation, with American economic strength and strategic pressure weakening hostile powers while reshaping alliances from Latin America to the Middle East.

Hanson said the scale of the changes may be difficult to recognize while they are still unfolding.

"Sometimes, when you're in the middle of revolutionary times, it's sort of like being in the eye of the hurricane. You can't really detect or fathom what's going on, even though the changes are tumultuous," Hanson said.

He argued that much of the current political discussion has focused on affordability, Iran, and President Donald Trump while overlooking what he sees as profound geopolitical changes.

"The world is radically changing, and we don't even feel it, or we don't appreciate what's happening," Hanson said.

Hanson pointed first to Russia, arguing that its war in Ukraine has severely weakened the country economically, militarily, and politically.

"Russia has been fighting since February 28 of 2022. Its invasion, even if it does annex some of the Ukrainian territory, has been a colossal disaster. Its economy is in shambles," Hanson said.

He also claimed Russia has suffered enormous casualties while losing influence through former proxies.

"It has suffered 1.5 million dead and wounded. Its political leadership is in disarray. It's lost its proxies in Venezuela, in Syria, and Iran," Hanson said.

China, Hanson argued, is facing its own internal challenges, including demographic decline, economic stagnation and instability within its military leadership.

"China is not much better. It just fired its entire top echelon of its military. Its economy is stagnant. Its fertility is 1.0. It's a shrinking, aging population," Hanson said.

He portrayed Latin America as another region undergoing a major political realignment.

"Latin America is not in a pink tide," Hanson said.

According to Hanson, much of the region has moved away from left-wing governments and toward closer ties with the United States.

"Otherwise, you have about 28, 27 of the 32 Latin-speaking countries, Spanish-speaking countries, and some in the Caribbean have completely flipped through free and fair elections, with the aid and help of the United States," Hanson said.

He also pointed to developments involving the Panama Canal, Venezuela, and U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere.

"USAID that was propping up left-wing movements is over with. The Chinese controlling the exits and entry of the Panama Canal is over with. Maduro sending drugs and millions of people northward who were criminals is over with, and people in Latin America see the American economy, and they want to be a part of it," Hanson said.

Hanson then turned to Greenland, arguing that the strategic objective has been to keep the territory within the Western security orbit.

"All we need to do is make sure that this is a Western entity and it serves Western interest, and that's happened," Hanson said.

He said the United States now has an agreement allowing a stronger American security presence while Denmark retains sovereignty.

"Everybody says, let the Americans build bases and protect NATO's interest and the Western alliance's interest in Greenland. The Greenlanders will see prosperity from these bases. Denmark will retain sovereignty," Hanson said.

The Middle East, however, is where Hanson sees the possibility of the most consequential change.

"We are one country away from flipping the entire Middle East," Hanson said.

He argued that Iran has become increasingly isolated as Gulf states move away from supporting extremist organizations and develop different relationships with Israel.

"They see Israel as not an existential threat, but the enemy of their enemy, which is Iran," Hanson said.

Hanson characterized Iran's government as the final major obstacle to a broader regional shift.

"And so, Iran, with 93 million people in a history of civilization, high technology, high learning, has been hijacked for 50 years by a terrorist theocratic regime that has done all it can to hurt the interest of Europe and the United States and the world economy at large," Hanson said.

He argued that sustained pressure has badly damaged Iran's military, industrial and nuclear capabilities.

"And now, after about 200 days, that regime's military, industrial, and nuclear complex is in shambles. Its economy is broke. Its currency is worthless," Hanson said.

Hanson contended that the United States has accomplished those objectives without committing ground forces to Iran.

"That's what we've spent so far to free Iran and change the Middle East without putting one ground soldier there," Hanson said.

He believes the current pressure campaign could ultimately cause the Iranian regime to collapse.

"And we're right at the point where, if we continue this anaconda strangulation of this wicked regime, without putting ground troops in, without upping the military. Tempo unless they retaliate with the Strait of Hormuz opening up and oil prices now starting slowly to recede. This regime will crack," Hanson said.

He argued that such a development would rank among the most significant geopolitical events in decades.

"And if it should crack, it will be the most calamitous, major, significant change in world political affairs since the fall of the Berlin Wall," Hanson said.

Hanson ultimately tied these developments to what he described as renewed American economic strength and a more assertive strategic posture against China, Russia and hostile governments.

"We are going to stop the influence of China and Russia, communist governments in Latin America in the Western Hemisphere, and in Asia and Africa, and we are going to preserve Western civilization and the United States' preeminence," Hanson said.

He said the strategy is not about nation building but about defending American interests and responding forcefully when they are threatened.

"We are just saying, don't tread on us. There's no better friend and no worse enemy," Hanson said.

Hanson closed by arguing that the United States has adopted a more direct approach toward adversaries.

"But when you threaten us, if people threaten us, our allies, our interests-we are in Jacksonian fashion going to strike back, and we have, and the world is far better off for it."

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