Emmanuel Todd's 'The Defeat of the West' - a book that stings. Episode 1

'The Defeat of the West' should be one of the most discussed books on contemporary geopolitics. Is it though? It has all the makings of being prophetic. Yet, originally written in French, it has been translated into Russian, Spanish and Italian but not into English, a language of international communication. This limits any potential discussion. The book in the meantime has so far been condemned as provocative. But what is Emmanuel Todd really arguing? Do his arguments ‘hold water’? In this introductory episode, I begin a series of critical analyses of Todd's book. Rather than reviewing individual chapters and re-telling his story, I examine the intellectual architecture behind his argument and his data. I also add demographic and social statistics, and the power of hindsight-to test his arguments further. Drawing on demography, history, and statistics I argue that the book contains an underlying logic that is insufficiently recognised—even by its supporters and critics. This is not a literary review or a political commentary. It is an attempt to reconstruct and test Emmanuel Todd's argument using the tools of a demographer and quantitative social scientist. In a way, it is a peer-review made for general consumption. Whether Todd's conclusions ultimately stand or fall, understanding Todd’s argument and method is essential before judging them. If you are interested in demography, history, international affairs, and evidence-based analysis, this series is for you. Every video has history. Here is this video's: https://danielstaetsky.com/the-russia...