Princeton’s Stephen Macedo joins me to break down what really happened in the COVID response: why governments abandoned their own plans, why U.S. states split so dramatically, and why the red–blue mortality gap exploded after vaccines.

We look at global contrasts from Sweden to New Zealand, ask whether authoritarian regimes actually performed better, and tackle the big question: Did we learn the right lessons from the pandemic?

Macedo closes with the single reform he believes would matter most before the next pandemic hits.

If you want a sharp, honest look at COVID’s political legacy, start here.

🎶 Backdrop Melodies:"Parade" by the evocative Nctrnm.