I am David Rubenstein coming to from the library of congress with the Jefferson Building and i have the pleasure today to introduce Richard Haass and has just written a book a brief introduction so thank you very much for coming today spent for those who may not know your background lets talk a little bit about the book you are a native in new york going to college in ohio than a rhodes scholar. What did you do to become a rhodes scholar. Not aware there only 32 people picked every year so what do you do to be one of the top 32 students . My children would claim it was administrative error. I did nothing i can also answer was one of 32 people who picked at the right time. My own guess and with that conventional background and with archaeology and i wrote a column for the campus newspaper and took the credit and the religion of a middle Eastern Studies major. I have no expectations of getting it i was not for no student. You went to oxford and got a phd. Classic in and out career i worked on the hill and the pentagon the state department and the white house and in between at universities or those think tanks every other country forces you to choose a path one of the great things about this country is you never have to decide what you want to do when you grow up. You have one of two positions and one is the bush 41 administration you are in charge of the middle east of the National Security staff and under the secretary of state power you are the undersecretary and as an ambassador as well and those of Northern Ireland Peace Process after 9 11 in charge of. Tell us what you do is a for people of nonmembers . And then to celebrate the 121 we are a hybrid organization and was 7584 and parttime scholars and the leading journal and several websites and we are the organization that we tried to cultivate talent to go to the next generation of Foreign Policy experts and then we tried to encourage and increasingly and educator. The curriculum from one oh one and with those congregational those that were scattered around the country and then we try to be a resource. So historically the counsel formulation was seen as a bastion in new york a Foreign Policy and with vietnam the establishment so it on split the country is change with the demographics and then counsel has evolved with that we have a significant minority representation there is a wide representation views. We are fully independent and nonpartisan anything to find an american find that the council formulations. Host this is your 15th book. So then they say this is how great it was in this area and heres what i did listen to me. Those kind of books. So i needed introduction to the world . This is very different and an argument they are not boring books but i decided to write something that is a foundational boat here is why the world matters and how it operates and the basic history and an introduction. Here is how to understand the basic level challenges in between that objective importance and that gap is the norm is graduating from any university in this country including the only ones and then to watch the nightly news programs you will not be any wiser. And then to have an individual a have more power and influence all over anyone else. Americans are thinking about International Relations are foreignpolicy when they vote. Have the background to make those judgments for those positions or joe biden. The council spent a fair amount of time to educate students about Foreign Policy matters do you think they are not getting the training or education and they should be getting in this area . And then to have the experience and then to be on crowded out and on College Campuses every two or four year college or university but then require at the whole idea the core curriculum is a relic. So i want to put something that is not necessarily written for those two major or focus in this area about those that candled my interest in this book is a Computer Scientist major and those that would be so amendment on a fundamentally affect anyone in college now he or she will live a life to track a parallel the 21st century we are living with covid19, we came through 9 11 and Climate Change so the world matters that globalization is not a choice how we respond to it so if thats a choice it is the informed choice. Your last book made into the hbo documentary. That is about the complications and then to be made into a documentary as well. And then that the world was beginning to unravel the days of even gotten worse than anticipated and then that is consistent being a primary will take four or five issues to get people a better understanding of why they matter and what decisions need to be made and what consequences. Since world war ii Foreign Policy decisions what would you say two or three best form policy decisions made in the last 50 or 60 years . It is interesting truman seconds secretary of state titled his memoir the Marshall Plan the Alliance System with the multilateral institutions and the doctrine of containment and with for decades and so many of the policies that were developed beginning of the Truman Administration and embraced by all successors. Anyone of those could be on the list of good policies and with president bush 41 the way he handled the end of the cold war. But it was the extraordinary accomplishment also the way they marshaled the world with the iraqi invasion the conquest of kuwait that was a textbook case of multilateralism could succeed in a modern world. They were in hours we had to fight but we chose vietnam would be on the list 2003 iraq war and korea is on the list not the initial resistance to the korean invasion but rather the faithful decision by truman and macarthur to go north of the 30 parallel to unify by force so that it not only failed to bring in hundreds of thousands of chinese troops with the secretary of defense and National Security advisor in the policymaking over the last 50 or 60 years and the food you admire the most . Every mentioned atchison and Marshall Kissinger was the great practitioner of the modern era it will recently have to say jim baker was effective and political skills in negotiating skills. And National Security advisor . Those that were were lucky enough to work with and for four years and then to balance two very different roles to be a dispenser of due process and those that are brought to them and disciplined decisionmaking to be a counselor or advisor to the president and often that second half gets in the way of the first that was in on better than anyone. Over the president of the United States is if they call you up to say im going to inaugural parties tonight and then to get up to speed on some issues and how to do with the Biggest Challenges i will face in each of these areas so as quickly go to these areas. The biggest challenge over the next year or two in europe will produce a . It is the reliance on alliance of the nato partners that gives us the basis for European Security issues like russia and global issues so the big priority is to repair the Nato Alliance and reestablish consultations between the United States and the most important allies. What is the Biggest Challenges in the middle east one or two in the middle east . Extraordinary range of challenges now beginning to move out of the confines of the 2015 Nuclear Agreement is not a status quo power but to negotiate the followon agreement to extend the limits on those activities i put that at the top and then how to push back against those iranian efforts with any number of failed states of syria and yemen and libya thats a potential failed state so that is and will be the only successful part of the world so what can we do . We will not be bringing peace anytime soon we dont want to take all the oxygen out of the room but we also dont want to under reach so that nuance conversation what is a minimal smart approach to the middle east. What is my biggest challenge in africa . What word you say . It is one of governance, too many countries in africa simply cannot run their own country as well. They are corrupt. The longerterm challenge is Climate Change africa is the one part of the world slated to have the interim is population increase. How do you find employment for all those people and take this population increase which could be an asset and prevent it from becoming a liability . Thats a longterm program to think of Good Governance and education and to provide a pathway for africa with 1 billion the next couple of decades. India and Southeast Asia would you say is the biggest challenge the president has to face . One is north korea the north the new president will inherit a nuclear and missile arsenal. The other is the India Pakistan relationship how to build a better relationship with india . And how do you try to reduce the odds when india and pakistan go to war there is a place where Nuclear Weapons might be used im afraid i will put that at the top of the list and that is to be prevented. And with china that is the structure how do we manage this relationship will be pushback for cooperation in the of that of Global Health and of those the strategic conversation to establish those rules of the road and to work more closely with the allies and then also to narrow the gap between those global challenges and international responses. What would you say how the next president would face including mexico . It would be related to covid19 south america stunningly unsuccessful but once we get past that point almost like africa the real challenges governance it is geopolitics it is politics how do with corruption and governments i can provide security to on people with gains or drug cartels so its a hard challenge for Foreign Policy were better at dealing with this classic challenges and much tougher problem to promote stability within countries but that is the challenge of mexico of other countries in the region of other countries in the region except when kissinger was secretary of state simultaneously is always been a dispute and of the president said how can i resolve that what word you say is a way to make that process so much smoother than it has been . It works under bush 41 and then the president made it clear he wouldnt stand for it president gets a foreignpolicy mechanism in machinery they deserve not only is the one that they need i word make it clear to the National Security council for that decisionmaking know and run. And with the intelligence cheese and then get in the room to say this is how it will be everyone has their day in court 75 cents you are putting your agencies interest ahead of mine with the administration so a zerotolerance for the fair credit gain is the important thing to establish from the getgo. This man those foreignpolicy inside out why should i care its overseas im worried about my job so i is the average american caring about foreignpolicy . A lot do by mentioning their job and their family. The world to be a tremendous threat to health or physical security we are seeing that with covid19 it began in china. Did not stay there. This will not be the last infectious pandemic of our lifetime. We saw it with 9 11 and Climate Change and what happens out there like las vegas. And think about jobs. So again it is an important source of economics and then to get into the issues of war and peace or cyberrelated issues. And of the National Security and the strength of our democracy and economy and the physical security but i think its something secretaries is a hard time explaining. And then to build that understanding that they have more support for Foreign Policy. And then to have rest of the world. So this is that rotary club to explain why the world matters to us and then to have those and its important factor we began the conversation most americans dont study this if they did they forgot. That people understand the connection the United States. You cant take it for granted have to be out there as an educator. 15 book serving as the head of Government Counsel formulations but also on the morning cable show called morning joe do you think that more people find out what you think professional and all the books you have written to recognize because of that in your books . [laughter] was a little truth to that it is a mixed blessing handled through your entire career and people. You know recognize your neighbor because of the interviews will television so i suffer from that myself. I see that the National Book Festival National ingenuity looking at foreignpolicy and to call that ingenuity over the years . And ultimately history is the result of the clash or intersection of ideas and people and has turned out for the american and Foreign Policy when people come up with big ideas talking about the creativity around president truman to set the Foundation Stones of three quarters of a century. And with this inheritance and then to call for American Ingenuity and then to take into account and with the challenges of Foreign Policy. And with the Climate Change and with the use of cyberspace that i have a machinery in place to deal with this needs to be the second great opponent. There ever was a moment for ingenuity this is it. A final question if somebody is watching and say i want to be like Richard Haass a foreignpolicy specialist what is the appeal of a career as a young man to go into form policy . And why have you enjoyed foreignpolicy . I dont have any regrets it is interesting the issues that you grapple with if you are lucky you can observe closeup i had the chance to make history and participate and then to be involved in things that truly matter the stakes are big. And then to have consequences and what could be more satisfying and with Public Policy and when i came of age in the late sixties and seventies the big issues form policy maybe five or ten years older would have gotten more interested in domestic issues maybe five or ten years younger it would be somebody else but when it came of age in graduate school watching what was going on with the United States and the soviet union that was my comingofage so it was clear this is the direction i was going and now is so interesting is the issues the world is grappling with. And so much more fundamental so much of that is said he knew of the chess pieces were and dealing with abstract issues of arms control but now the nature of the Us China Relationship how we deal with Climate Change or pandemics can you persuade americans the world matters and to have an active role in it . Versus historical stuff now is a more interesting time than ever to make the decision to get involved in a minimum on at a minimum as a citizen or a career. I spent some time with Foreign Policy i read your book i read a lot and i am supposed to brag about that i thought i knew a lot and i learned a lot i guess it used to tell me and if they dont have foreignpolicy background but even if they do how long did it take you to write this . The remains of a professor i once had the brilliant lecture how long did it take you to prepare . He looked at his watch and said about 30 years and 30 minutes and to some extent that was my relationship with this book the actual writing maybe only took me a year but in many ways it forced me to go back and call upon things i have experienced or thought about for decades and if it makes you feel better i have been doing this for 40 years fulltime when you are forced to write something as an introduction you cant do shorthand or assume things or gloss over. You have to be explicit it forces me to a level of detail to strip away the things i didnt get with these economic chapters. I learned a lot as well i try to write the book in a way thats good for people fulltime in the be helpful that this would be the first only book they would read on the subject. Thank you for educating me and the world and for being here today. Thank you for having me. I read in the book leadership with the two roosevelts with Lyndon Johnson and also law and order. What books are you planning on reading in the future and wh why . I a move to more historical types of books
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