Richard Haass: Why Is Today’s World So Dangerous? | The Foreign Affairs Interview

Foreign Affairs invites you to listen to its podcast, the Foreign Affairs Interview. This episode with Richard Haass was originally published on October 20, 2022.
Over the past 100 years, there have been many declarations in the pages of Foreign Affairs that the world is in a historic transition period. These days, that claim feels especially plausible. The United States’ unipolar moment appears to be ending-but it’s unclear what will replace it. Will China continue to rise? Will the war in Ukraine undo Russia? Will the United States move past the political divisions that are tearing it apart?
As Richard Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, sees it, this is shaping up to be a very dangerous decade. Haass has been a close observer of the forces affecting the world for some time. In addition to serving as the head of CFR for 20 years, Haass has had a long career as a U.S. diplomat, representing the United States and leading negotiations everywhere from Northern Ireland to Afghanistan. From January 2001 to June 2003, Haass was director of policy planning for the Department of State, where he was a principal adviser to Secretary of State Colin Powell. He has also served on the National Security Council and in the Defense Department.
We discuss how traditional geopolitical tensions are once again front and center at the same time that transnational threats, such as climate change and pandemics, demand international cooperation.
SOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE
“The Dangerous Decade” by Richard Haass
www.foreignaffairs.com/united...
“Green Upheaval” by Jason Bordoff and Meghan L. O’Sullivan
www.foreignaffairs.com/articl...
“Competition Without Catastrophe” by Kurt M. Campbell and Jake Sullivan
www.foreignaffairs.com/articl...
“The Growing Danger of U.S. Ambiguity on Taiwan” by Richard Haass and David Sacks
www.foreignaffairs.com/articl...
“Sanctioning Madness” by Richard Haass
www.foreignaffairs.com/united...
“The Use and Misuse of Economic Statecraft” by Jacob J. Lew and Richard Nephew
www.foreignaffairs.com/articl...
The Anarchical Society by Hedley Bull
A World Restored by Henry A. Kissinger
Thinking in Time by Richard E. Neustadt and Ernest R. May

[@michaelogden5958]

Mr. Haass, in my opinion, does a great job of parting the weeds to take a good look at the soil.

[@ndavies8]

Amazing insights.

[@Welikebananas1]

Appreciated, TY

[@jayclarke6671]

He makes some good points.

[@jim2376]

Peace dividend!?! In a world with dictatorships? "Only the dead have seen the end of war." Plato.

[@kuttermcneil1520]

Maybe I missed it but what is the difference between Ukraine and Kuwait?

[@dietrichbilger5581]

The building blocks available to a potential solution of the Russia's problem may already have been used, when bringing stability back to Europe after World War II, as mentioned in the interview. Both Ukraine and Russia will require massive rebuilding aid and stable integration into the community of nations for a lasting peace. Both Europe and China would have to directly play, and may be open to a crucial, cooperative role in this, (embraced by the US and beneficial to themselves) by helping design and financing a "Northern Silk Road", directly connecting Europe and Asia via a trade route from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, in which all parties will have a stake, bringing about their integration into the world community and with that, wealth, stability to that corridor. It would also solve Russia's century old psychological destabilizing ambiguity to rest of not knowing whether it should be part of Europe or Asia.

[@talpiotATprotonmailDOTcom]

Russia was in bed with Germany Israel and China to force the United States out of Eurasia. 🎉Tgat war is reaching a crescendo and Russia is going to be broken up. 🎉 Thank you Heinz Kissinger & Associates.

[@MFJoneser]

Focus and consistency is a product of robust health. Few are healthy in the US due to exploitation of the poor. It’s that brutally simple. No simple answers

[@lopezb]

He’s still giving excuses for the disastrous Iraq war….no wonder as he was involved.

[@tatorials3608]

Haus is stuck in 90s
He doesn’t get that we can’t work things out or both sides would have
Rose coloured glasses make everyone blind
He doesn’t get the facts anymore

[@thelastbison2241]

Politicians are not as smart as him.

[@VikramSingh4u]

Something to be said about self absorption and hypocrisy along with this self awarded righteousness. Proved wrong multiple times and instances. Wonder if these scholars do know how the world sees the US compared to what they imagine.

[@peetsnort]

One of the establishment pulling strings in Ukraine. Also on the Atlantic mob