Walter Russell Mead takes a look back at the Chinese spy balloons, the Silicon Valley Bank failures, Russia’s coup manqué, and the dominance of American popular culture on his podcast, What Really Matters.
Caption
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan, Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and Indonesia's Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka during the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on November 22, 2025. (Getty Images)