The Free Press
Honestly with Bari Weiss
Are We In A Pre-War Era?
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Are We In A Pre-War Era?
1HR 34M
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Recently, Walter Russell Mead wrote an outstanding article in Tablet titled “You Are Not Destined to Live in Quiet Times.” It’s about the paradox—and great dangers—of technological progress: “Human ingenuity has made us much safer from natural calamities. We can treat many diseases, predict storms, build dams both to prevent floods and to save water against drought, and many other fine things. Many fewer of us starve than in former times, and billions of us today enjoy better living conditions than our forebears dreamed possible. Yet if we are safer from most natural catastrophes, we are more vulnerable than ever to human-caused ones.” 

Today on Honestly, Walter talks about that significant vulnerability, and why human-caused catastrophes are the most serious threat to humanity today. Walter also explains why he believes we have definitively entered a pre-war era, and what he thinks needs to change in order to get us out of it.  

Walter Russell Mead is a fellow at Hudson Institute, a columnist at The Wall Street Journal, and a professor of foreign affairs and humanities at Bard College. He’s written numerous books on foreign policy, including last year’s excellent book on Israel titled The Arc of a Covenant, and he is the host of the brand-new podcast What Really Matters.

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I think a MAJOR point was misinterpreted in the discussion on populism. As described, it's a political feeling of the lower classes not wanting to be ruled by the upper classes because they're "not like me." I don't think that's it at all. I know a lot of very well educated people (myself included) who consider themselves populists at this point. What we are saying to our government is this: "I don't care who you are, what class, what level of education -- what I want is someone who is competent and who understands what my daily life and struggles look like." This is why so-called elites keep missing the boat. I was especially taken by the notion of Bari at a dinner party with her guests discussing politics and foreign policy. They all take that freedom for granted, the right to say what's on their minds, because they are on the "right" side of policy. Yet their very efforts are expended every day in trying to stop the average American from having that same freedom of discussion. Yup, I see real hard times ahead when the people trying to "understand" what's happening in America can't get past themselves to really see the truth at all.

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I generally shy away from interviews with politicians, but Rep Mike Gallagher would be a great interview on Honestly re: China.

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