On the eve of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's 70th anniversary on April 4, Ivo Daalder, president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a former US ambassador to NATO, answers a question about the alliance's biggest success and its biggest failure. Be sure to submit your question for the next episode on Twitter to @IvoHDaalder using #AskIvo.
#AskIvo: What Is NATO's Biggest Success and Its Biggest Failure?
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The Chicago Council on Global Affairs is an independent, nonpartisan organization that provides insight – and influences the public discourse – on critical global issues. We convene leading global voices and conduct independent research to bring clarity and offer solutions to challenges and opportunities across the globe. The Council is committed to engaging the public and raising global awareness of issues that transcend borders and transform how people, business, and governments engage the world.
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Archive
Podium Notes: Happy Birthday Illinois
Illinois has had an outsize influence on the world, and on the occasion of the bicentennial it seems worthy of a recap.
This Week's Reads: May's Brexit Deal Might Bring Another Referendum
"The European Union and United Kingdom have agreed to the terms of their divorce," writes Council President Ivo Daalder, as he outlines how May's deal might actually result in a second referendum to keep Britain in the European Union.
Deep Dish: Brexit Heads to Parliament
Now that EU leaders have accepted the Brexit deal, it's up to Parliament to decide what happens next. Rory Stewart and Sebastian Mallaby join Phil Levy to discuss.
#AskIvo: Why Is Putin Moving Against Ukraine?
A recent naval clash in the Sea of Azov has increased tensions between Ukraine and Russia. But what is Russian President Vladimir Putin's objective?
Global Cities in the International System: A New Era of Governance
Nation-states need quickly to realize the potential of global cities, and take steps to empower them to meet the global challenges of the twenty-first century. They should allow them more fiscal autonomy and give them a louder, more influential voice in the deliberations of international organizations.
It's Time for Cities to Flex Their Soft Power
Cities, not nation-states, are the dominant unit of human organization in the twenty-first century. Humanity has shifted from a predominantly rural to urban species in a startlingly short period of time. The world today is stitched together by thousands of small, medium, and large cities—including 31 mega-cities, depending on how you define them—that are dramatically transforming our political, social, and economic relations. Yet, despite the centrality of cities in modern life and to resolving critical global challenges, our international affairs are still dominated by nation-states. This status quo is no longer acceptable.
Deep Dish: Stephen Walt’s Guide to Realism
US foreign policy since the end of the Cold War has been a resounding failure, argues Stephen M. Walt in his new book “The Hell of Good Intentions.”
This Week's Reads: The US-China Collision at APEC
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit became a flashpoint in what's now the most significant great power clash since the end of the Cold War. “China and the United States hijacked the APEC spirit,” one diplomat said.
This Week's Reads - A Return to the Interwar Era
French President Emmanuel Macron's speech Sunday sounded more like desperation than hope, afraid that we may have already turned the corner into a world full of nationalism, populism, and competition.
Deep Dish: The 'Doom Loop' Potential of Italy's Eurozone Clash
Italy and the European Union are deadlocked over Rome's budget, threatening a "doom loop" that could consume Italy's economy, the eurozone, and perhaps global markets.
#AskIvo: Is the United States a Viable Mediator between Israelis and Palestinians?
Council President Ivo Daalder answers a question on whether President Donald Trump can make the "ultimate deal" and bring peace to the Middle East.
World War I and the Long Decline of US Isolationism
As the world marks 100 years since the end of World War I, the American public of 2018 looks ever more distant from the isolationism that was rising in the American public of 1918.
Podium Notes: Stoking Brexit From the Council
With Brexit drawing near, this an important moment to note that the Chicago Council on Global Affairs has not been a passive observer of the awkward association between Britain and Europe. On three separate occasions, at critical moments in the UK's relationship with Europe, the Council provided a platform for leading Conservative Party politicians to make waves from across the ocean. From the Council's archive emerges a curious tale of treachery, tantrums, angry editors, and airport pizza.
Deep Dish: What a World Without US Leadership Looks Like
Ivo Daalder and James M. Lindsay discuss their new book "The Empty Throne: America's Abdication of Global Leadership" with Brian Hanson.
Wait Just a Minute: Michael Beschloss
In this episode, historian and author Michael Beschloss answers questions on presidential history, the system of checks and balances, and offers advice for President Trump and Congress.