What Really Matters with Walter Russell Mead Are Americans a People?
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Jul 10, 2026 A brisk news roundup on U.S.-Iran tensions and why the Iran MOU collapsed. A look at shifting American policy toward Ukraine and the strategic logic behind it. A debate about whether modern society is becoming post-literate amid changing media. A deep dive into American identity, asking if the nation is defined by creed, culture, or something else.
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Trump’s Ukraine Shift Is Pragmatic And Energy Driven
- Trump shifted toward supporting Ukraine because he reads geopolitical facts through an energy and competitive lens.
- Mead says diminished Russian refining and European arms purchases validate Trump's earlier pressure on allies, framing it as a win for Team America.
Format Change Doesn’t Equal Cognitive Decline
- Concerns about 'post-literacy' are overstated; format changes don't equal loss of cognition.
- Mead notes visual and fragmented forms deliver different kinds of information and new media also have upsides.
Bad Writing And Academic Capture Hurt Readership
- Decline in readership also reflects poorer contemporary writing and academic capture of literature.
- Mead blames bland policy books and university-driven literary trends for shrinking audiences for serious fiction and poetry.