Narrator: Imagine a young boy growing up in the housing projects of Chelsea, Massachusetts. From his window, he can see the glittering skyline of Boston, a symbol of a world of wealth and opportunity that feels a million miles away. He’s told that the American dream is simple: if you study hard and work hard, you can bridge that gap. And he does. He studies, he works, he launches a company, and he achieves the success he once only dreamed of. But years later, he looks back at his old neighborhood and finds it filled with anger and disillusionment. His own brother, feeling left behind by the very system that promised him a better life, casts his vote for a populist leader who promises to tear it all down.

This personal journey of political scientist Ian Bremmer is the emotional core of his book, Us vs. Them: The Failure of Globalism. It’s a powerful exploration of a world increasingly defined by division, where the promises of a connected, globalized world have soured for millions, leading them to throw rocks at a system they feel has ignored them for far too long.

Narrator: At the heart of Bremmer's argument is a simple metaphor: people throw rocks when they feel ignored. This act is a primal scream, a desperate expression of frustration from those who feel disenfranchised, powerless, and stripped of any real opportunity for change. Populist leaders, Bremmer explains, are masters at harnessing this anger. They don't create the frustration, but they give it a name and a target, crafting a simple and powerful "us vs. them" narrative. The "us" are the worthy, hardworking citizens, and the "them" can be anyone—the rich, the poor, immigrants, or foreign nations—blamed for stealing jobs and security.

This anger is not new. Bremmer points to the 1999 WTO riots in Seattle as an early warning sign. What began as a peaceful labor protest against the perceived injustices of globalization quickly spiraled into a chaotic battle. Protesters threw rocks, and police responded with rubber bullets. To the globalist elite, it was dismissed as "anarchist street theater." But in reality, it was one of the first major "rocks" thrown at the system, a clear signal of the growing discontent with a global economic order that many felt was leaving them behind. The warning, however, was largely ignored, allowing the resentment to fester for nearly two decades before erupting in the political upheavals seen across the Western world.

Narrator: For decades, globalism was presented as a game everyone could win. But as Bremmer meticulously details, the reality is far more complex. It has created a stark divide between winners and losers, fueling both economic insecurity and deep cultural anxiety. The data paints a grim picture of this division. A 2015 Pew Research study revealed that the American middle class was no longer the nation's economic majority. In 1970, middle-income households earned 62% of the nation's income; by 2014, that share had plummeted to just 43%.

This economic pain is compounded by the rise of automation. While politicians often blame trade for job losses, a Ball State University study found that automation and related factors were responsible for a staggering 88% of lost U.S. manufacturing jobs between 2006 and 2013. This reality fuels the anti-globalist rhetoric of figures like former White House strategist Steve Bannon, who bluntly stated, "The globalists gutted the American working class and created a middle class in Asia." This sentiment, shared by millions, is not just about economics; it's about a perceived loss of identity, control, and dignity, creating a fertile ground for nationalism to flourish.

Narrator: The "us vs. them" dynamic is not confined to the United States and Europe. Bremmer warns that the same forces of anger and division are spreading to the developing world, where governments and institutions are often far more brittle and less equipped to handle the shock. He argues that many of these nations are becoming victims of their own success. As globalization lifts millions out of poverty, it creates a new middle class with higher expectations for good governance, clean environments, and economic opportunity. When governments fail to meet these new demands, a "virtuous circle" of progress can quickly become a "vicious circle" of unrest.

The story of Mohammed Bouazizi in Tunisia is a tragic and powerful illustration. In 2010, the 26-year-old street vendor, harassed by police and with his vegetable cart confiscated, saw his only means of supporting his family disappear. In a final act of desperation, he set himself on fire. His sacrifice, broadcast by Al-Jazeera, ignited the frustrations of millions and sparked the Arab Spring, toppling a dictator and sending shockwaves across the region. Similar stories played out elsewhere: environmental protests in Turkey's Gezi Park and riots over a nine-cent bus fare hike in Brazil both revealed a deep well of public anger against corruption, inequality, and unresponsive governments.

Narrator: In response to widespread anxiety, Bremmer argues that governments worldwide are retreating into a fortress mentality. They are building walls—not just physical barriers, but economic, informational, and social walls designed to protect the "us" from the "them." Bremmer's central thesis on this point is chilling: "Walls don’t kill democracy. They protect democracy for 'us' by denying it to 'them.'"

He points to Israel as a prime example. The construction of security barriers and the implementation of advanced defense systems like the Iron Dome have created remarkable security and prosperity for citizens inside the walls. But this safety comes at a devastating cost to the Palestinians living outside them, who face high unemployment, poverty, and limited freedom.

These walls take many forms. Economic walls are rising through protectionism, with countries using non-tariff barriers to shield their industries. Informational walls are being fortified through censorship and surveillance, with a record number of journalists imprisoned in countries like Turkey, Egypt, and China. Perhaps most dystopian is the rise of internal, social walls. China's developing social credit system aims to track every citizen's behavior, creating a system where, in the government's own words, they can "allow the trustworthy to roam everywhere under heaven while making it hard for the discredited to take a single step." This is a future of digital apartheid, sorting citizens into winners and losers within their own borders.

Narrator: While the trend towards building walls is strong, Bremmer insists it is not the only path forward. The final section of the book argues that the only sustainable solution is to fundamentally rewrite the social contract—the implicit agreement between a state and its citizens. The old contract, built for a different era, is broken.

This reinvention requires bold thinking across several fronts. Education must be reimagined for a world of lifelong learning to help workers adapt to automation. Tax systems need to be reformed, perhaps even considering a "robot tax" to offset the societal costs of job displacement. And new social safety nets must be created for the growing "gig economy," which could include exploring concepts like a guaranteed basic income.

Bremmer draws a parallel to the creation of the Social Security system in the United States during the Great Depression. Faced with a catastrophic crisis, the government made a bold choice to create a new safety net, fundamentally altering its contract with the American people. He argues that the world is at a similar inflection point today. The choice is not between left and right, but between building walls and undertaking the difficult but necessary work of reinvention.

Narrator: The single most important takeaway from Us vs. Them is that the rise of populism and the angry, divisive politics that define our era are not the disease itself. They are symptoms of a much deeper ailment: the failure of globalism to create shared prosperity and the fracturing of the social contract that once bound societies together. Attacking the populist leaders without addressing the legitimate grievances of their supporters only deepens the divide.

Bremmer’s analysis leaves us with a profound challenge. We can continue down the path of building higher walls, creating a world of fortresses where security for the few is bought with the exclusion of the many. Or, we can recognize that necessity must once again become the mother of invention. The critical question the book poses is whether we have the courage to stop throwing rocks and start drawing up the blueprints for a new, more inclusive social contract fit for the 21st century.