What Really Matters with Walter Russell Mead Trump's New National Security Strategy
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Dec 12, 2025 The discussion kicks off with the U.S. seizing a Venezuelan oil tanker, highlighting its economic impact and implications for Latin America. Healthcare woes take center stage as rising premiums and critique of employer-based coverage unfold. They delve into China's energy future, revealing the strategic hurdles in its fracking ambitions. Finally, the new National Security Strategy emerges as interventionist, with surprising GOP policy overlaps, centering on limiting China's influence. A reflective moment on Manhattan traffic adds a personal touch.
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Tanker Seizure Is Strategic Escalation
- The U.S. seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker marks a real escalation that hits Maduro where it hurts.
- Walter Russell Mead says this move can inflict massive economic damage by deterring shippers from handling Venezuelan crude.
Show Of Force Can Shift Regional Politics
- Demonstrating force in one case can deter others and gain influence across Latin America.
- Mead argues Trump's actions may persuade regional governments to align with the U.S. or adopt similar policies.
Healthcare Costs Depress Wages; Tech Is The Fix
- U.S. health-care costs are high and trickle into wages and hiring decisions.
- Mead urges technology and automation as the path to make healthcare cheaper and more productive.