The Real Death of the West | Prof. David Gibbs

Historian David Gibbs argues that today’s international disorder grew from decisions made after the Cold War, when Western policymakers sought to preserve military dominance despite the disappearance of the Soviet threat. Kyoto University Symposium 2026: "Geopolitics in the Time of Monsters" Presentation 2: Prof. David Gibbs Drawing on declassified documents and Gibbs' research, he examines military spending, NATO, Yugoslavia and the politics of intervention. The audience discussion considers oil, capitalism, humanitarian arguments, China and public opposition to war. Recorded at the Kyoto Symposium 2026, this session includes the presentation and the full questions and answers. David’s Links: University profile: https://history.arizona.edu/person/da... Research and publications: https://dgibbs.arizona.edu/ Kyoto Symposium programme: https://neutralitystudies.com/events/... Neutrality Studies Links: Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Time Stamps 00:00 Introduction: the search for new enemies 03:02 Military spending and the lost peace dividend 07:43 Support Neutrality Studies 08:39 The strategy of permanent dominance 14:44 Yugoslavia, NATO and European independence 24:46 Arms manufacturers, PNAC and NATO expansion 31:36 Q&A: oil, capitalism and intervention 46:17 Ideology, humanitarian claims and public resistance