Carnegie Council Video Podcast: Recent Episodes
Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs
Watch video highlights of events at Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. Speakers include distinguished authors, government and UN officials, economists, policymakers, and businesspeople. Topics range from the ethics of war and peace, to the place of religion in politics, to issues at the forefront of global social justice. To learn more about our work and to explore a wealth of related resources, please visit our website at http://www.carnegiecouncil.org.
Whether it's rigging elections in Hong Kong, arresting activists in Venezuela, restricting voting access in the U.S., silencing the opposition in Belarus, or censorship in Burma, there can be no doubt that democracy is under assault. For Global Ethics Day, Carnegie Council hosted a panel featuring activists fighting on the frontlines to uphold and strengthen democracy. What can individual citizens do to support democracy? What's the role of international organizations? For more, go to carnegiecouncil.org.
In the 20 years since the 9/11 attacks, national security decisions have tested the values of American democracy. This panel, hosted by Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal, examines lessons learned from the past two decades of conflict and the role that ethical action must play in helping to provide security while adhering to democratic principles. National security experts N. W. Collins, Sean McFate, and General Joseph Votel share their thoughts on these critical issues.
Artificial intelligence (AI) will affect the socio-economic development of nations across the globe. Caribbean countries are particularly susceptible because they tend to be labor intensive economies and are therefore at risk of significant economic and social disruption from automation and artificial intelligence. Three experts in this space--Cordel Green, Stacey Russell, and Erica Simmons--discuss these issues and much more.
What is grand strategy? What differentiates it from normal strategic thought? What, in other words, makes it "grand"? In answering these questions, most scholars have focused on diplomacy and warfare, but the most thorough interpretations consider the bases of peace and security--including gender, race, the environment, and a wide range of cultural, social, political, and economic issues. Oregon State's Christopher McKnight Nichols, editor of "Rethinking American Grand Strategy," will joins Senior Fellows Nikolas Gvosdev and Tatiana Serafin to discuss these issues and much more.
The post-World War II liberal order faces unprecedented upheaval as countries and their leaders retreat from globalism, embrace nationalism, and attack democratic norms. Whether it’s Bolsonaro in Brazil, Orbán in Hungary, or Modi in India--illiberalism is on the rise. Carnegie Council President Joel H. Rosenthal hosts a virtual panel to assess the current threats against democracy in Brazil, Hungary, and India; discuss steps to support a revival of democratic values globally; and finally, examine the question: Is democracy an ethical standard?
Artificial intelligence is impacting and will impact Africa as profoundly as any continent on Earth. While some African nations struggle with limited access to the Internet, others are leaping into the digital economy with Smart Cities. Access for all, digital literacy, and capacity-building remain as challenges. How through AI and ethics can prospects for all of Africa be improved?
In recent years, the discussion on "AI ethics" has succeeded in mainstreaming principles to limit the risks that would otherwise arise from the unrestricted use of AI, particularly with regards to privacy, safety, and equality. But it may have overlooked a much more fundamental question: what are the limits of "AI ethics"? Experts Meredith Broussard, Karen Hao, and Safiya Umoja Noble join Senior Fellow Arthur Holland Michel to discuss this question.
As the world still struggles to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, Senior Fellow Alexander Görlach discusses his book "Homo Empathicus," the role of empathy in politics, and China and human rights. How can the Biden administration get American democracy back on the right track? How should democracies respond to China and author autocratic nations?
U.S.-China competition is one of the defining stories of this era, but it has stopped short of violence, for now. In the novel "2034," Admiral James Stavridis, former NATO supreme allied commander, and Elliot Ackerman, a best-selling author and former Marine, imagine a naval clash between the two nations in the South China Sea in the next decade--and the path from there to a nightmarish global conflagration. In this talk with "Doorstep" co-hosts Tatiana Serafin and Nikolas Gvosdev, Stavridis and Ackerman will discuss a dark yet possible future that we must do all we can to avoid.
In these clips from the first session of the International Congress for the Governance of AI, Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, assistant secretary-general at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and Lord Timothy Clement-Jones, co-chair of the UK's All-Party Parliamentary Group on AI, discuss what comprehensive and trustworthy governance of this emerging technology looks like. Then Carnegie-Uehiro Fellow Wendell Wallach summarizes the day's sessions and gives of a preview of the second session on April 13.
In 2015, Rosa Brooks, a law professor at Georgetown University, applied to become a sworn, armed reserve police officer with the Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Department. In this talk with Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal, Brooks gives an inside look at policing in a big city from her view as an academic and journalist who is "fascinated by the relationship between law and violence."
In his long career as a journalist covering the Cold War and its aftermath, best-selling author Robert D. Kaplan often crossed paths with Bob Gersony. A high school dropout later awarded a Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam, Gersony conducted on-the-ground research for the U.S. government in virtually every war and natural-disaster zone in the world. In conversation with Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal, Kaplan discusses the powerful example that Gersony set of how American diplomacy should be conducted.
The pandemic has made us all shockingly aware of the way that a highly infectious disease exposes the moral frailties of our social systems. In this virtual event moderated by Carnegie-Uehiro Fellow Wendell Wallach, leading ethicists and historians discuss their work, how it has been affected by the pandemic, and what lessons we may take away from this global crisis.
Many shifts in the right vs. wrong pendulum are affected by advances in technology. In his new book "Right/Wrong," Juan Enriquez reflects on the evolution of ethics in a technological age. How will accelerating technology challenge and flip your ideas of right and wrong? What are we doing today that will be considered abhorrent tomorrow because of tech change?
In recent years, the global discussion on "AI ethics" has succeeded in mainstreaming key principles to limit the risks that would otherwise arise from the unrestricted and unconsidered use of artificial intelligence. But it may have overlooked a much more fundamental and uncomfortable question: What are the limits of "AI ethics"? This panel discussion, hosted by Senior Fellow Arthur Holland Michel, looks at this question and much more.
As the race for COVID–19 vaccines enters its next stage, we are faced with broad ethical challenges. How should countries plan for distribution and allocation? What can and should be done to bolster trust in the vaccines? Public health experts Ruth Faden, Nicole Hassoun, Clive Meanwell, and Reed Tuckson discuss these questions in this webinar moderated by Jeffrey Kahn, director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics.
In the fourth and final installment of "The United Nations at 75: Looking Back to Looking Forward," host Margaret P. Karns speaks with Bertrand Ramcharan, former acting high commissioner for human rights. In this candid talk, Ramcharan discusses why he thinks the "UN human rights system is in crisis" and details the complicated role of the high commissioner. Plus, ahead of the 72nd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, he explains why it is "the rallying document of our civilization."
Civil disobedience is a storied political tradition. Can it empower today's activists? How should we understand the connection between protest and democracy? Citing movements from the recent past and using empirical data, Harvard Kennedy School's Professor Chenoweth and The New School's Professor Woodly address the relationship between forms of resistance and successful progressive reform and detail how the Movement for Black Lives is putting these ideas into practice around the world.
Following up on the AI & Equality Initiative's first webinar on artificial intelligence and the future of work, Carnegie-Uehiro Fellow Wendell Wallach and Dr. Christina Colclough, founder of The Why Not Lab, build on that discussion with a conversation about the future of the worker. How can new technology be used to empower workers? What are some progressive strategies and policies that can help to reach this goal?
In the third episode of "The United Nations at 75: Looking Back to Look Forward," host Margaret P. Karns and Noeleen Heyzer, former executive director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, discuss the role of women in the UN over the years. Heyzer speaks about the Beijing Women's Conference; Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security; and the prospects for increasing gender equality in the UN system in the decades to come.
In the second episode of this podcast series marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, host Margaret Karns, professor emerita at the University of Dayton, speaks with University of Massachusetts Boston's Dr. Maria Ivanova about the UN's efforts on climate change, focusing on the role of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as an anchor institution on these issues. What are the UN's biggest successes when it comes to the environment?
In the first episode of this new podcast series marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, host Margaret Karns, professor emerita at the University of Dayton, speaks with David M. Malone, rector of United Nations University, about the Security Council, the Sustainable Development Goals, peacekeeping, and more. How can the UN continue to evolve along with the changing nature of international relations?
Can artificial intelligence (AI) be deployed in ways that enhance equality, or will these systems exacerbate existing structural inequalities and create new ones? In this webinar McKinsey Global Institute's James Manyika and Carnegie-Uehiro Fellow Wendell Wallach delve into questions concerning the ethical implications of AI, the present and future of work in the United States and Europe, and the evolution of the social contract.
Polling data suggests that the American public is not in favor of isolationism, but wants to adjust the terms of U.S. engagement. In this webinar, the Atlantic Council's Ash Jain and Senior Fellows Nikolas Gvosdev and Tatiana Serafin assess the “democratic community” approach. Will deepening cooperation with an alliance of democracies be the way forward?
In this "Protests in Perspective" webinar, moderated by Williams University's Professor Neil Roberts, South African government official Michael Canham and University of Chicago's Professor Adom Getachew discuss the 2020 protests in an international and historical context. What can the Movement for Black Lives learn from the anti-apartheid movement? What makes the African American struggle so resonant with minorities and oppressed people around the world?
Foreign policy may not be in the headlines when it comes to Biden vs. Trump, but U.S-China competition and questions about America's role in the world are deeply tied in to "front-page" topics like the pandemic, the economy, and political ideology. In a talk moderated by Senior Fellow Nikolas Gvosdev, the Atlantic Council's Ali Wyne discusses how "great power competition" is shaping the 2020 election.
The aftershocks of World War II did not end with German capitulation in May 1945. Millions were displaced, including concentration camp survivors, POWs, slave laborers, political prisoners, and Nazi collaborators. Many eventually returned home, but "the lost million" did not. Author David Nasaw and Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal discuss this forgotten chapter in history and its relevance to today.
In this wide-ranging conversation, Christopher Hill, former U.S. ambassador to South Korea, among other nations, and Senior Fellow Nikolas Gvosdev discuss U.S.-Asian relations in the context of the 2020 election. How concerned should Americans be about China's aggressive foreign policy? What's the effect on allies like Japan and South Korea? How can diplomacy help to defuse some of the rising tensions?
The killing of George Floyd and the wave of protests that followed bring to life the current struggle for civil rights, human rights, and social justice. Why did the protests go global? How does the history of global responses to American injustice inform our understanding of contemporary developments? Emory's Mary L. Dudziak and Wisconsin's Brenda Gayle Plummer share their thoughts in this fascinating discussion.
Professor Derek Reveron, chair of the U.S. Naval War College's National Security Affairs Department, discusses how subnational and transnational forces--namely, the COVID-19 pandemic--intersect with national security in this conversation with Senior Fellow Nikolas Gvosdev. What are the implications for how politicians and policymakers conceptualize American foreign and defense policy in the 2020s?
How have conversations in the immigration rights community shifted since this round of Black Lives Matter protests started? In this new environment, what are some tangible policy changes a more progressive administration could enact in the United States? Senior Fellow Kavitha Rajagopalan offers a nuanced perspective on the many connections between immigration and systemic racism in the United States.
Patrick Gaspard, president of Open Society Foundations, discusses the role of young people and civil society in this historic summer in the United States in this inspiring and wide-ranging conversation with Jonathan Becker, vice chancellor of the Open Society University Network. What does "radical citizenship" mean? How can we stay hopeful and engaged in the fight for equality across the globe?
Molly O'Toole, immigration and security reporter at the "Los Angeles Times," discusses Trump's "Remain in Mexico" asylum policy and its many ethical and legal issues. What's the status of challenges against this policy? How has it been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic? Plus, she draws some connections between the George Floyd protests against policy brutality and the issues that migrants face at the border.
Due to COVID-19, significant restrictions have been placed on freedoms to move about in many nations. Philosopher Christian Barry explores how the costs of these lockdowns can be weighed in a morally plausible way against the costs arising from increased spread of the virus. Many issues come back to a central question: Under what circumstances can some people be expected, even compelled, to bear costs for the sake of others?
The last decade has witnessed a vibrant public discussion about how to safely, ethically, and legally integrate complex artificial intelligence (AI) into modern life, particularly in the sphere of security, says Senior Fellow Arthur Holland Michel. How do we learn to trust AI systems that we don't understand? What are the implications of this new technology as many nations confront a combination of mass protests and the pandemic?
What do Americans think about the role the United States should be playing in the world? How do they conceive of the different trade-offs between domestic and international affairs, among competing options and sets of interests and values? The Chicago Council on Global Affairs' Dina Smeltz and Eurasia Group Foundation's Mark Hannah share the results of surveys from their organizations in this conversation with Senior Fellow Nikolas Gvosdev.
The rapid development of emerging technologies like AI signaled a new inflection point in human history, accompanied by calls for agile international governance. With the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic however, there is a new focal point in the call for ethical governance. Senior Fellow Wendell Wallach discusses his work on these issues in this interactive webinar with Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal.
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended daily life for everyone. From large corporations to small non-profits to schools to the military, leaders at all types of organizations are struggling to manage the fear and uncertainty that comes with this crisis. What are the best principles for leading amidst this chaos? Senior Fellow Jeff McCausland, a retired U.S. Army colonel, shares his strategies and historical examples of extraordinary leadership.
In this fascinating conversation with Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal, historian Ted Widmer looks back on 13 pivotal days in Abraham Lincoln's life in 1861--the basis for his new book "Lincoln on the Verge." How would American and world history be different without Lincoln's ethical leadership? And as the U.S. struggles through the COVID-19 pandemic, what can the Civil War era teach us about political divisiveness in 2020?
If global interconnections begin to fray in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, what happens to the ethical underpinnings of international relations? Senior Fellow Nikolas Gvosdev and Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal discuss this important question and much more as solidarity begins to weaken among European Union and NATO states.
With record-breaking winter warmth in Europe, catastrophic fires in Australia, and deadly flooding in Indonesia, we are deep into a climate crisis. In this wide-ranging talk, Janos Paztor, executive director of the Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative (C2G), talks about his organization's work on the governance of emerging climate altering technologies.
How much do morals matter for U.S. presidents when it comes to international affairs? What are the ethics of "America First" or 2003 invasion of Iraq? Joseph Nye, former dean of the Harvard Kennedy School, works through each presidency from FDR to Trump and scores their foreign policy on three ethical dimensions of their intentions, the means they used, and the consequences of their decisions.
With artificial intelligence embedded into social media, credit card transactions, GPS, and much more, how can we train it to act in an ethical, fair, and unbiased manner? What are the theories and philosophies behind AI systems? IBM Research's Francesca Rossi discusses her work helping to ensure that the technology is "as beneficial as possible for the widest part of the population."
Over the course of a generation, algorithms have gone from mathematical abstractions to powerful mediators of daily life. They have made our lives more efficient, yet are increasingly encroaching on our basic rights. UPenn's Professor Michael Kearns shares some ideas on how to better embed human principles into machine code without halting the advance of data-driven scientific exploration.
How can established powers manage the peaceful rise of new great powers? Bard's Michelle Murray offers a new answer to this perennial question, arguing that power transitions are principally social phenomena whereby rising powers struggle to obtain recognition as world powers. How can this framework help us to understand the economic and military rivalry between United States and China?
Can new developments in solar technology put the United States on track to produce 50 percent of its energy with renewables by 2030? What global citizen actions need to be undertaken to help reach this goal? Eban Goodstein, director of Bard Center for Environmental Policy, answers these questions and more in this hopeful and informative talk.
Larry Diamond's core argument is stark: the defense and advancement of democratic ideals relies on U.S. global leadership. If the U.S. does not reclaim its traditional place as the keystone of democracy, today's authoritarian trend could become a tsunami that could provide an opening for Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and their admirers to turn the 21st century into a dark time of surging authoritarianism.
The original idea of the Internet was for it be a "free speech nirvana," but in 2019, the reality is quite different. Authoritarians spread disinformation and extremists incite hatred, often on the huge, U.S.-based platforms, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. David Kaye, UN special rapporteur on freedom of opinion & expression, details the different approaches to these issues in Europe and the United States and looks for solutions in this informed and important talk.
What is the current state of the academic-policy gap and why should we care? What progress has been made in bridging this gap? What more can be done? Notre Dame's Michael Desch, founding director of the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs, and George Washington's Henry Farrell, an editor and writer at the "Washington Post"-affiliated "Monkey Cage" blog, engage in a thoughtful and spirited debate on the relevance of political science today.
China is radically expanding its strategy to wield influence in the domestic politics of other countries. This information campaign is designed partly to bolster China's power but also to undermine the space for rights and democracy in other states, and to potentially support pro-China authoritarian leaders. Don't miss this in-depth discussion that details how this is happening worldwide, what it means for the future, and what we can do about it.
There is skepticism about the core values of U.S. policy from both sides, says Ash Jain of the Atlantic Council, and the international order is under siege as never before. The Atlantic Council has launched an initiative aimed at revitalizing the rules-based democratic order and rebuilding bipartisan support among policymakers and the broader public. In this important discussion Jain explains the initiative's objectives and grapples with the audience's questions on how to move forward.
In his eloquent defense of liberalism, Adam Gopnik goes back to its origins and argues that rather than being emphasizing the role of the individual, "two principles, the principle of community and the principle of compromise," are at the core of the liberal project. Indeed, these are the essential elements of humane, pluralist societies; and in an age of autocracy, our very lives may depend on their continued existence.
Historian Ted Widmer and Michael Posner, an NYU Stern professor and former U.S. State Department official, discuss local politics, journalism, and money in elections in the age of ubiquitous Internet connectivity. How can high school students get involved in democracy? What are some ideas to save the media industry? How can--or should--the government regulate the social media giants? Don't miss this wide-ranging talk.
Just weeks after an armistice halted the most devastating conflict in generations, the victors of the Great War set out to negotiate the terms of the peace--and to rewrite the rules of international relations. A century later, we live in a world shaped by the Treaty of Versailles. In this fascinating discussion, a panel of distinguished historians delve into the complex situation on the ground at the time and the Treaty's legacy today, from Europe and the U.S. to Asia and the Middle East.
What lessons can we learn from America's past presidents? Can these lessons help us choose the next one wisely? In this timely talk, C-Span founder Brian Lamb explains how C-Span came about and discusses "The Presidents," which draws on four decades of interviews with noted presidential historians. From Abraham Lincoln to James Buchanan, this book teaches much about what makes a great leader--and what does not.
From the French Revolution to the Arab Spring to #MeToo, how does social change happen? In a book that was 25 years in the making, Cass Sunstein unpacks this puzzle by exploring the interplay of three decisive factors. Don't miss this insightful talk. It may change how you view the world.
Central European University's President Michael Ignatieff is a human rights scholar, an educator, a former politician, and, as he tells us, the son of a refugee. He discusses what he calls "the ordinary virtues," such as patience and tolerance; the status of human rights today and the dilemmas of migration; the essential critera for true democracy; and the ideal curriculum. His advice to students: Learn to think for yourself.
We've been through information and technology revolutions before, going back to Gutenberg, says former chairman of the FCC Tom Wheeler. Now it's our turn to be at a terminus of history and the rules that worked for industrial capitalism are probably no longer adequate for Internet capitalism. So our task is not to flee but to stand up, recognize the challenge, and deal with it.
In this wide-ranging talk, Carnegie Council Senior Fellow Alexander Görlach discusses the importance of empathy in liberal democracies, the shocking Uyghur detention in China, and how AI is affecting all facets of society. What does liberalism look like in 2019? How will technology change democracy and religion?
"Climate, cyber, then mass gun violence, sometimes motivated by terrorist ideology--and the ideology can most frequently be tied to far-right-wing extremism, sometimes tied to no ideology at all, sometimes tied to pathology. Those three things I think are the real risks that the Department [of Homeland Security] really should be focused on. In contrast, what is not a real risk is the conditions of the Southwest border."
"Nobody fights conventionally except for us anymore, yet we're sinking a big bulk, perhaps the majority of our defense dollars, into preparing for another conventional war, which is the very definition of insanity," declares national security strategist and former paratrooper Sean McFate. The U.S. needs to recognize that we're living in an age of "durable disorder"--a time of persistent, smoldering conflicts--and the old rules no longer apply.
"We're all really proud of our system. It's the world's oldest democracy, and we've always had to fight to make it real," says Michael Waldman of the Brennan Center for Justice. "But in the last 10-20 years and especially recently we've seen challenges to the right to vote and challenges to the role of big money in politics. That means we have to fight for democracy all over again." What can young people do to help get our democracy back?
Does preventive war really work? "In the vast majority of cases historically, what we see is the country that thought it was saving itself from a greater danger in the future actually creates this greater danger because you generate a level of hostility, a deepening rivalry, and a desire for revenge that comes back to haunt them," says Scott Silverstone. His advice: Hesitate. Before taking action, think through this "preventive war paradox."
"The rise of China is not the biggest story in the world," says Parag Khanna. "The Asianization of Asia, the return of Asia, the rise of the Asian system, is the biggest story in the world." This new Asian system, where business, technology, globalization, and geopolitics are intertwined, stretches from Japan to Saudi Arabia, from Australia to Russia, and Indonesia to Turkey, linking 5 billion people.
The Supreme Court's 1919 decision in "Schenck v. United States" is one of the most important free speech cases in American history. Because of it we have an elaborate set of free speech laws and norms, but the context is always shifting. In this fascinating talk Bollinger and Stone explore how our understanding of the First Amendment has been transformed over time, and how it may change in the future to cope with social media and other challenges.
China's economy has grown exponentially over the last four decades, but George Magnus, former chief economist at UBS, sees four traps that could derail its continued rise: rising debt, the struggle to keep its currency stable, aging demographics, and the challenges of changing from a low-income economy to a complex middle-income one. Will Xi Jinping be open to reform? What could be the effects of lingering U.S.-China trade tensions?
If populism is a reaction to a globalism that is viewed as unresponsive to the needs of citizens, can populism sustain any version of globalization? Eurasia Group's Ian Bremmer and Tom Nichols of the U.S. Naval War College discuss and debate this important question and much more.
The wide array of global issues--more than 90 percent of them--that Eurasia Group follows are now headed in the wrong direction in 2019. Eurasia Group president Ian Bremmer break down those risks--from U.S.-China relations and cyberwar to European populism and American institutions--and their ethical implications with Carnegie Council's Devin Stewart for their 11th annual discussion of the year's coming top risks.
From the U.S. operation against Iran's nuclear enrichment plant, to Chinese theft of personal data, North Korea's financially motivated attacks on American companies, or Russia's interference in the 2016 election, cyberweapons have become the weapon of choice for democracies, dictators, and terrorists. "New York Times" national security correspondent David Sanger explains how and why cyberattacks are now the number one security threat.
There are few, if any, who understand the Korean Peninsula situation better than Ambassador Hill. He served as U.S. ambassador to South Korea and assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, and was head of the U.S. delegation to the 2005 six-party talks aimed at resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis. In this wise and witty talk he explains where we are today, how we got here, and where we're likely to go in the future.
Artificial Intelligence's potential for doing good and creating benefits is almost boundless, but equally there is a potential for doing great harm. This panel discusses the findings of a comprehensive three-year project at The Hastings Center, which encompassed safety procedures, engineering approaches, and legal and ethical oversight.
"Were we a business, were we a mission, were we a public service, or were we a profit center?" Alan Rusbridger, former editor-in-chief of "The Guardian," grapples with the questions facing all newspapers in this new age where people "communicate horizontally" rather than via the old, vertical "tablet of stone model." He explains how "The Guardian" has not only survived but prospered and has surprisingly positive things to say about new media.
"The analogy that is at the heart of this book is about a jungle and a garden," says Robert Kagan. "In order to have a garden and sustain a garden, you've got to be constantly gardening. For me at least, that is a good analogy for this liberal world order, which itself is an unnatural creation which natural forces are always working to undermine." Human nature has not fundamentally changed, and this peaceful period is an aberration.
Trump has a love-hate relationship with the press, which he calls "the enemy of the people" when it crosses him, knowing nothing of the origins of the phrase, says Marvin Kalb. Yet the pillars of democracy are the sanctity of the court and the freedom of the press. "I think that President Trump—not wittingly, unwittingly—is moving this nation away from our common understanding of democracy toward something that edges toward authoritarianism."
Henry Kissinger is smart, charming, and a great writer, says historian Robert Brigham. But when it came to Vietnam, his arrogance and deceit made a bad situation worse. Kissinger altered the logbooks for military bombings and misled the president on the content of the secret talks in Paris. "He was a theorist who stuck to theorist dreams, and it cost the country dearly." What are the lessons for today's administration?
We live in a time when liberal democracy is on the defensive, not only in the U.S. but around the world. Yet these speakers, whose roots reflect the political spectrum, are optimistic that having a fresh discussion on moral values and basic principles such as freedom of speech, a free press, and the rule of law can help bring democracy back to health. Don't miss this valuable discussion.
Why has nationalism suddenly returned with a vengeance around the world? Why are nationalists so angry about free trade and immigration? Why has globalization become a dirty word? In this insightful talk, John B. Judis has some answers to these questions--and prescriptions for the United States.
"Is it still fair to say there are continuities in foreign policy two years into the Trump administration? I'm going to say yes, and I'll offer some evidence," declares Derek S. Reveron of the U.S. Naval War College and Harvard Kennedy School. Don't miss this expert analysis of America's role in the world.
Are there ever justifiable reasons for issuing threats to achieve foreign policy objectives? In particular, are President Trump's threats against Iran justified? Don't miss this rare opportunity to get the Iranian perspective with this stimulating discussion between Drs. Reichberg and Syse of the Peace Research Insitute Oslo (PRIO) and H.E. Gholamali Khoshroo, permanent representative of Iran to the United Nations.
Has a gap opened up between the U.S. national security community and the general public over foreign policy? If so, why? How can we close it? Moderated by Nikolas Gvosdev, this panel with foreign policy experts Asha Castleberry and Ali Wyne is part of a larger effort by Carnegie Council's U.S. Global Engagement Program to examine drivers in U.S. politics pushing the United States to disengage from international affairs.
The rise of global populism is the greatest threat to global democracy, and it's mainly driven not by economics, but by people's demand for public recognition of their identities, says political scientist Francis Fukuyama. "We want other people to affirm our worth, and that has to be a political act." How is this playing out in the U.S., Europe, and Asia? What practical steps can we take to counteract it?
It's important to understand that Russia and France have had a centuries-long relationship which is mostly positive, say French scholars Marlene Laruelle and Jean-Yves Camus. Today there are layers of close economic and cultural ties, as well as common geopolitical interests, and the French extreme right and Russia share many of the same conservative values. Thus the remarkable strength of Russian influence in France is not surprising.
Thomas Weiss, a leading expert on the history and politics of the United Nations, gives incontrovertible evidence of the UN's achievements, such as the eradication of smallpox, but also details where the organization has fallen short. This is a critical time for all multilateral organizations and treaties, he stresses, as Trump has no regard for international cooperation.
There is a huge divide in the way Americans assess U.S. foreign policy. Take for example, the June G7 meeting, which ended in a clash between Trump and some of America's closest allies: Some say it was a disaster; others say Trump did the right thing. Where do we go from here to restore trust in expertise and government? Don't miss this fascinating conversation with two leading commentators, Colin Dueck and Kori Schake.
Robyn Eckersley, Ronny Jumeau, Darrel Moellendorf, and Suma Peesapati each discuss how we can advance climate justice globally and locally in the years ahead. These clips summarize the participants' comments made as part of a roundtable hosted by the Carnegie Council's journal, Ethics & International Affairs, at the International Studies Association's Annual Convention, which took place in April 2018.
Nadine Strossen gives a rousing, detailed, and convincing defense of free speech as it is laid out in the First Amendment. "American law really is nuanced and makes a great deal of common sense," she says and while censorship of 'hate speech' in other countries is certainly well-intended, in practice the laws have proven to do more harm than good.
How can you ensure that ethics are a core component, not only of an international affairs education, but of graduates' performance once they go out in the field? In this event for students and alumni of the Elliott School of International Affairs, the School's Dean Brigety and Professors Nolan and Kojm, along with Carnegie Council President Rosenthal, discuss the thorny issues of ethics, leadership, and practice in international relations.
Last week, former ACLU President Nadine Strossen gave a powerful talk on her new book "HATE: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship." Throughout the presentation, Strossen offered an unqualified endorsement of free speech in response to hatred and discrimination. In this clip, Strossen, now a professor at New York Law School, uses Carnegie Council's mission statement to make the case for inalienable human rights and the moral responsibility “to raise our voices to counter hateful, discriminatory, and stereotyped ideas.”
In this panel Adrian Basora makes a strong case for democracy as not only promoting American values but also serving U.S. interests, while Maia Otarashvili gives a frightening overview of the rise of "illiberal values" (Viktor Orbán's phrase) in the Eurasia region. Basora and Otarashvili are co-editors of "Does Democracy Matter? The United States and Global Democracy Support" and Nikolas Gvosdev is one of the contributors.
As Obama's adviser on Russian affairs, Michael McFaul helped craft the United States' policy known as "reset" that fostered new and unprecedented collaboration between the two countries. Then, as U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2012-2014, he had a front-row seat when this fleeting moment crumbled with Vladimir Putin's return to the presidency. "It's tragic," he says. "How is it that we have come back to something close to the Cold War?"
What are the ethical implications of autonomous weapons? Can artificial intelligence adequately mirror human judgement? Paul Scharre, director of the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, sets out to answer these questions.
What will future wars look like? As technology and artificial intelligence advance quickly, the possibility that machines could independently select and engage targets without human intervention is fast approaching. Former U.S. Army Ranger Paul Scharre illustrates the complex ethical questions behind these new weapons with the story of when his sniper team encountered a little girl in the mountains of Afghanistan, walking with her goats. Can we use this new technology without losing our humanity in the process?
Professor Qin Gao, director of Columbia's China Center for Social Policy, explains the workings of the Chinese "Dibao" (limited income guarantee) system. "Dibao is doing relatively better than many other similar programs in developing countries," says Gao, yet it has limitations and some negative aspects. She also discusses Xi Jinping's ambitious goal to eradicate poverty by 2020, and the benefits of a Universal Basic Income (UBI)system.
Growing up in Apartheid-era South Africa, Robert Bank cared about social injustice from an early age. Today he travels the world for AJWS, working with local activists on a range of issues such as women's rights in India and LGBT rights in Uganda. "My job—very much like a conductor of an orchestra in some way—is to ensure that every instrument has its beautiful voice heard and that this melody is given the opportunity to really soar."
What are the qualities and conditions that enable people to become successful peacemakers? At a time when peace seems elusive and conflict endemic, Bruce Jentleson makes a forceful and inspiring case for the continued relevance of statesmanship and diplomacy and provides practical guidance to 21st-century leaders seeking lessons from some of history's most accomplished negotiators, activists, and trailblazers.
Are there such things as timeless principles of grand strategy? If so, are they always the same across epochs and cultures? What can we learn from reading the classics, such as Thucydides, Sun Tzu, and Clausewitz? "The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing," according to Isaiah Berlin. Which type makes better strategists, or do you need to be a bit of both? John Lewis Gaddis has some wise and thoughtful answers.
Harvard's Yascha Mounk argues that liberalism and democracy are coming apart, creating new forms of illiberal democracy (democracy without rights) and undemocratic liberalism (rights without democracy). Populist leaders are flourishing; indeed, Hungary is on the verge of descending into dictatorship, with shamefully little criticism from the Europe or the U.S. What are the causes of this phenomenon? What can we do about it?
For over two decades, John Lewis Gaddis has co-taught a legendary seminar in strategic thinking at Yale. Drawing on lessons from history and the classics from Thucydides to Lincoln to FDR, Professor Gaddis warns his students against leaders who dare to improvise and those who do not listen or learn. In this clip, Professor Gaddis explains how a "grand strategy" works in the real world. Referencing Isaiah Berlin's famous essay, who is more primed for success: the fox who knows many things or the hedgehog who knows one big thing?
The revelations about the misuse of Facebook data have started a pushback against the top five big tech companies: Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google. How do approaches to privacy and data use differ in the U.S., Europe and China? What kind of transparency should we demand? How will AI affect workers? All this and more in a lively and informative discussion with author and "Financial Times" columnist Rana Foroohar.