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

American power remains resilient despite the crumbling of post-1945 institutional frameworks, driven by the nation's unique ability to harness technological revolutions. Walter Russell Mead, a historian and foreign policy expert, argues that the historical success of the English-speaking maritime order—from the Dutch to the Americans—relies on open societies, global trade, and the integration of rivals into a shared system. The current information revolution, however, is destabilizing this order by fostering civilizational divergence and increasing the complexity of deterrence. To maintain stability, the United States must balance power in critical theaters like Europe, Asia, and the Middle East without overextending its commitments. Successfully navigating this era requires a new social imagination to manage the economic and political stresses of AI, ensuring that the resulting abundance supports domestic cohesion and preserves the nation's role as a global pillar.