much the fighters. this final enclave of ices militants will be destroyed by the end of the week according to the syrian democratic forces. with thousands trapped by fighters, this final battle is proving to be externally difficult. bret: the fight over isis puts a spot on america s leadership in the world. the evolution of that global leadership position is the subject of a new book. the empire and the five kings: america s evocation and the fate of the world describes the u.s. as retreating from its traditional leadership spot in his world affairs. a man called the most prominent intellectual in france, the author. thank you for being here. thank you. bret: in this book, the empire is the u.s. the five kings, russia, china, turkey, iran, and sunni radical islamism. you say they are ascended? s vehicle they are the vacuum