Foreign policy expert Walter Russell Mead’s new book — The Arc of a Covenant — kept Adaam up at night with its unique insight into the American-Israel relationship and its gripping historical anecdotes (Stalin! Truman! Roosevelt, oh my!). In this conversation, we investigate the culpability of “THE JEWS,” explore why gentiles catalyzed the creation a Jewish nation-state, discuss the ways anti-Semites keep accidentally helping Israel, and break down the specter of Orientalism that keeps haunting American foreign policy. Plus, we get into the Iran deal and some good old-fashioned geo-politics, by way of a Matt Yglesias tweet.

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On the agenda:

-Debunking the Israel myth [7:57-15:00]

-Antisemitism: long-rooted and occasionally helpful [15:01-29:44]

-Orientalism [29:45-36:16]

-Shaping the world in America's image [36:17-49:58]

-The Cold War, Stalin, and Truman (or The Randomness of History) [49:59-1:07:28]

-The history of the craziest, most practical, idea [1:07:29-1:15:57]

-Matt Yglesias, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and geopolitics today [1:15:58-1:26:49]

-Liberal Democracy: Nothing's set in stone [1:26:50-1:29:47]

Follow WRM at @WRMead.

Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com.