David Meltzer

Letters from Abroad

News EN ↓ 4 episodes

Letters from Abroad Reflections on America, history, and the present moment This podcast and its companion blog are inspired by Alistair Cooke’s Letter from America , which shaped how many in Britain came to understand the United States and its place in the world. Born in the UK and formed by a life in America, Cooke spent decades explaining one country to the other with calm, unhurried curiosity. I’m attempting something in that spirit: stand-alone reflections on contemporary affairs, seen from an American perspective but filtered through the experience of someone who did not grow up there. I...

Author

David Meltzer

Episodes

Vaccines and the Problem of Trust 25.01.2026 13:00

In this episode, I'm talking mainly about the early history of vaccination against polio in the United States and the recent, radical and rather worrying shift in national vaccination policy in the USA. After trying very hard to reproduce the gentle cadence and authority of Alistair Cooke's voice using digital tools, I decided to use my own voice instead. I'm afraid that I don't have his mid-Atlan...

America's Long Argument with Science 25.01.2026 13:25

This episode looks at the rise of science skepticism in the US, to the point that is now affecting American domestic and foreign policy as Washington goes into full denial over climate change with potentially world-changing consequences. After trying very hard to reproduce the gentle cadence and authority of Alistair Cooke's voice using digital tools, I decided to use my own voice instead. I'm afr...

Greenland and the March of Geopolitical Time 25.01.2026 13:07

Recent events in Davos, Switzerland prompted me to get this podcast finished off ASAP. It zooms out from the focus on Greenland and takes a wider look at American defence policy since the end of the Second World War and how quickly things have changed in the past year or so since President Trump returned to the White House After trying very hard to reproduce the gentle cadence and authority of Ali...

An Auld Alliance in an Era of Global Uncertainty 25.01.2026 13:24

This episode looks at the recent White house defence review, how it differs from Congress's and examines the role of the United States in rebuilding the Western alliance after the Second World War and leading its security. I've used 'Auld' in the title as it's old Scots for 'Old' and it seemed apposite to use here (see below). After trying very hard to reproduce the gentle cadence and authority of...