Mead argues step one of global dominance is maintaining open societies
Walter Russell Mead · Why the World Order Is Collapsing and American Power Is Rising · Sep 8, 2026 · at 14:06
Walter Russell Mead explains the historical strategic blueprint used by maritime powers (the Dutch, British, and Americans) to achieve global dominance.
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“Step one, Is have an open society at home. You know, think of the Dutch in the 17th century that okay, everybody had these wars of religion... And so, they come up with new ideas for government finance that we still use, the joint stock company, new seagoing technology, circulation of the blood, Locke comes to Holland and writes a lot of his best work there. So that's step one. You have this open dynamic society and you've got, you know, the intellectuals are flocking there. Your universities are flourishing.”
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