Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy

Walter Russell Mead - How America Keeps Winning - [Invest Like the Best, EP.490]

1h 14min

Walter Russell Mead, a historian and foreign policy expert, explains how America has historically maintained global dominance through a maritime commercial liberal order—a strategy inherited from the UK and the Dutch. He argues that while the post-WWII institutional world order is collapsing, American power itself remains strong, fueled by innovation and the information revolution. Mead offers a contrarian view: despite current disruption, the U.S. is well-positioned for the future, provided it can manage the internal upheavals caused by technology and forge a new social contract.

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✨ Key Takeaways

1

America's dominance stems from a four-step maritime strategy: open society, global trade, inviting others into the system, and cutting off adversaries. This pattern has been repeated for 300 years.
2

The information revolution is creating a new 'wild horse' of technology. The U.S. currently dominates it, but must create a new social contract (like the Homestead Act) to avoid internal collapse.
3

The U.S. has lost the ability to deter adversaries, leading to expensive wars rather than credible red lines. Deterrence requires presidents who can clearly communicate a vision to the public.
4

A new 'Tech Hamiltonian' faction has emerged, where tech companies are now central to national security and great power competition, reshaping foreign policy.
5

The Ukraine war shows a revolution in military affairs: drones make tanks and traditional navies obsolete. The U.S. is most vulnerable to this change due to its massive existing hardware.

💬 Notable Quotes

"Something happens like Pearl Harbor or 9/11, and suddenly the Jacksonians are activated."

— Walter Russell Mead
"The hobbits keep winning."

— Walter Russell Mead (on the maritime commercial powers)
"I float on a sea of kindness."

— Walter Russell Mead