This Friday, the Hoover Institution announces a major new initiative to envision a new economic and security commons for the United States and other free societies; Abbas Milani speaks with H.R. McMaster about current conditions in Iran and the possible futures for Iran and its people following the war; and Niall Ferguson joins Jon Hartley for a discussion of networks, empires, and the economic and political history of the West over recent centuries.
Announcing the Economic and Security Commons Initiative
Today, Hoover Institution Director Condoleezza Rice announces the creation of a new all-of-Hoover effort to address the breakdown of the old global order. A new initiative will build solutions that show how America and other free societies can respond to a period of profound global transformation defined by large-scale geopolitical shifts and rapid technological change. This Hoover Initiative for an Economic and Security Commons will involve experts across Hoover, Stanford University, and beyond to develop concrete ideas on how America and its partners might adapt to this new era. In a column released today on Freedom Frequency, Rice describes the new effort as one where “we will share ideas engaging with partners around the world and work to map the global and political landscape with teams focusing on nearly thirty specific topics. Our initiative will encompass economics, security, and technology, cutting across the usual disciplinary divides.” Discover how Hoover is working to shape a better future for America and its allies.
War with Iran
In this episode of Today's Battlegrounds, H.R. McMaster and Abbas Milani discuss the Iran War, its effects on the Iranian people, and prospects for peace and security in the Middle East and beyond. Reflecting on the war in Iran at this critical moment, Milani and McMaster discuss the conditions inside the country, the state of the regime, and the widening gap between society and the ruling system. They examine how power is exercised within an increasingly fragmented structure and whether the regime’s grip is weakening under internal pressure. The conversation explores possible futures for Iran and the broader Middle East, including the roles of major powers such as China and Russia, prospects for negotiations with the United States, and the importance of supporting the Iranian people. Milani highlights Iran's historical significance and the mission of scholarship and policy engagement at the Hoover Institution in shaping understanding of Iran and its future. Dive into how the current war with Iran could transform that country and the Middle East.
Economic History
On the latest episode of the Capitalism and Freedom in the Twenty-First Century podcast, Policy Fellow Jon Hartley and Senior Fellow Niall Ferguson explore Ferguson’s career as a historian and prolific public intellectual. Hartley asks Ferguson about the power of networks, a concept that figures heavily in Ferguson’s books The House of Rothschild, volumes one (1998) and two (1999), and The Square and the Tower (2017). Hartley and Ferguson then discuss the rise and fall of empire, which Ferguson charted in his books Empire (2003) and The Great Degeneration (2013). The conversation then turns to America’s global role, drawing on Ferguson’s Colossus (2005), and the enduring legacy of Adam Smith on the 250th anniversary of The Wealth of Nations. Economist Hartley and historian Ferguson conclude by considering the future of the Anglosphere, economic growth, and 21st-century socialism. Listen to learn more about the role of networks and empires in the history of the West.
Economic Statecraft
In this excerpt from Finishing the Inflation Job and New Challenges for Monetary Policy, Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster insists that truly understanding what motivates China will spur free societies toward the strength and cohesion they need to prevail in the 21st century. The free world needs to discard complacency and illusions, he argues, which include the false belief that Beijing is merely reacting against US actions instead of steadily working toward a future of its own making. China’s physical, ideological, and financial coercion advance its power abroad, McMaster explains, calling on the United States and its allies to acknowledge the stakes. The former national security advisor concludes that winning this competition will demand a combination of strength, statecraft, and belief in the attractiveness of liberty and opportunity. Unpack how integrated statecraft will enable the United States to prevail in geopolitical competition with China.
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