What Really Matters with Walter Russell Mead

This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss the Iowa caucuses, Taiwan elections, the spread of Iranian terror, and how Davos Man is fairing in the era of global disorder. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss gig workers, Milei in Argentina, Biden's immigration fiasco, and why the US is more like Latin America than Europe. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

In the final episode of 2023, Walter and Jeremy take a look back at Chinese spy balloons, Silicon Valley bank failures, Russia's coup manqué, and the dominance of American popular culture. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss Iran-backed attacks on global commerce, whether America is a gerontocracy, how oil is saving Biden’s hide, and why Anglo-American power is the big story of world history. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss the Ivy League presidents, Bibi’s phone call with Putin, the crisis of homeownership in America, and why many American Jews prefer "refugee Zionism" to "national Zionism." Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss Biden’s sanctions on Israeli settlers, why students in the developed world are getting worse at math, America’s sterling advice on how to lose a war, and what we can learn from Henry Kissinger’s achievements in the Middle East. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss Missouri v. Biden, Milei v. Peronists in Argentina, trouble on the Korean peninsula, and whether the Biden administration is getting ready to pull its support from Israel and Ukraine. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss a new US-Indonesia defense agreement, robots replacing manual labor in Kentucky, Erdogan’s support for Hamas, and understanding Biden’s approach to Israel through the lens of Iran policy. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss why the US is pumping more oil than ever, what China and Russia get out of ditching Israel, how China’s third-world lending is panning out, and the American right’s on-again, off-again love affair with Jews. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss antisemitism in China, Hindu nationalist support for Israel, Saudi-Israeli peace, and why progressives liked Israel more when Stalin was alive. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, what Israel’s Arab citizens think of the war, the Biden administration’s segregated therapy sessions for Muslim and Jewish staffers, and why the U.S. has so little to show for decades of peace process. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss Biden’s Oval Office address, Iranian attacks on US targets in the Middle East, attacks on synagogues in Europe and North Africa, and why people who hate America and capitalism also hate Israel. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

Walter and Jeremy discuss Israel’s wartime unity government, the specter of a second front in Southern Lebanon, why American universities are “honoring the martyrs of Hamas,” and whether President Biden has already determined to accept Israeli and American defeat. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss why so many Americans are living at home, the Biden administration’s Iran policy, whether parts of Oregon will break off and join Idaho, and why elites are more miserable than normies. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss Nagorno-Karabakh, a U.S. government shutdown, the India-Canada spat, why every American institution is liberal, and the time Walter met Winston Churchill. Also check out our friends at the Moment of Zen podcast. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss the crisis of faith in higher ed, what German cars have to do with rightwing populism, why the U.S. Navy is mothballing its submarine sinkers, and how abortion politics have changed one year after Dobbs. Also check out our friends at the Moment of Zen podcast. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

This week, Walter and Jeremy battle colds to discuss America’s new lithium wealth, the Palestinians’ bargaining position in Saudi-Israeli peace talks, the drugs, violence, and migration problems in America’s backyard, and why you should read Sir Walter Scott. Also check out our friends at the Moment of Zen podcast. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

This week, Walter and Jeremy talk Biden’s drug price controls program, a possible autoworkers strike, “de-dollarization,” and whether the BRICS exist. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

Walter and Jeremy discuss US military advice to Ukraine, Latin America’s economic future, the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement, and whether a worthwhile Canadian initiative qualifies as news. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/whatreallymatters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

Walter and Jeremy talk homeschooling, the US-Japan-South Korea security pact, AI’s threat to the nation state, China’s economic woes, The Magic Flute, and Walter’s evening with Fidel Castro. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/whatreallymatters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

Walter and Jeremy discuss Taiwan, voter fraud, Imran Khan, climate politics, and how to fall in love with poetry. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/whatreallymatters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

Walter and Jeremy discuss Lina Khan vs. Amazon, judicial reform in Israel, nuclear fusion, Clinton and Obama in Ukraine, and the death of nonproliferation Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/whatreallymatters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

Walter and Jeremy discuss weed v. booze, the God wars in Africa, Trump’s Hispanic base, how Britain botched victory, and America’s Blue Model society. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/whatreallymatters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

Walter and Jeremy discuss the Sino-Russian alliance, the U.S. national debt, the rise of the European right, Roosevelt v. Wilson, and the Puritan-Woke connection. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/whatreallymatters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

Walter and Jeremy discuss a third-party ticket, inflation in Argentina, Chicago’s pension crisis, the stupidity of Paul Ehrlich, and the rise of Abrahamic religion. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/whatreallymatters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

This week, Mead and Stern discuss Jeffrey Epstein, Chinese real estate, the teen mental health crisis, and A.P. Giannini's California dream. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/whatreallymatters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

This week, Mead and Stern discuss Russia and Saudi Arabia, the remote work revolution, 19th-century French industrial policy, and living in the shadow of a Singularity. Recommended reading Via Meadia by Walter Russell Mead (Tablet) The Arc of a Covenant: The United States, Israel, and the Fate of the Jewish People by Walter Russell Mead (Knopf) RSS: A View to the Inside by Walter Andersen and Shridhar Damle (Penguin) Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/whatreallymatters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follow Walter on Twitter Follow Jeremy on Twitter Email us: [email protected]

Tablet news writer Walter Russell Mead, a historian, pundit, and popular author, is encyclopedic about politics, culture, and history. On What Really Matters, Mead and Tablet deputy editor Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what news matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. Check out Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column at https://www.tabletmag.com/columns/via-meadia.