Channel Title: Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft Channel Description: Do you ever get the sense something is wrong with U.S. foreign policy? Do you ever get the sense that there's something amiss with the role that the United States has chosen to play in the world today? That's why the Quincy Institute exists, to promote an approach to foreign policy that emphasizes engagement in the world and de-emphasizes the reckless use of U.S. military power. We differ from other organizations in Washington because we are neither on the right nor on the left. Regardless of partisan identity, we welcome those who share our view that U.S. policy must change, become less warlike and more committed to diplomacy. If you agree, join us at the Quincy Institute as we set to remake U.S. foreign policy. <video> Book Talk: Why Can’t America Retrench? Description: Every winning American presidential candidate since 2008 has campaigned to one degree or another against foreign military expeditions in favor of doing more “nation-building at home.” Barack Obama opposed the Iraq War. Donald Trump agreed, and he added the pledge to end the war in Afghanistan. Joe Biden co-opted much of Trump’s campaign rhetoric, pledging to end “forever wars” and provide a “foreign policy for the middle class.” But once in office, each of these presidencies faced formidable obstacles to achieving these goals. What explains this pattern? In his new book, Why Can’t America Retrench? (And How It Might), Peter Harris, associate professor of political science at Colorado State University and a non-resident fellow at Defense Priorities, delves into the entrenched domestic interests that stand in the way of restraint in American foreign policy. George Beebe, director of the Grand Strategy program at the Quincy Institute, will discuss the book with the author. The conversation will take place on Tuesday, November 12th from 12:00 – 1:00 PM Eastern Time. </video> <video> How Foreign Governments & Arms Dealers Try to Shape U.S. Policy Description: Think tanks shape a lot of the foreign policy conversation in Washington. But do you know who pays for the experts you listen to? Shouldn't Americans have a vested interest in knowing who's underwriting those opinions? To help, the Quincy Institute has created a first-of-its-kind, publicly available repository of U.S. think tank funding — www.thinktankfundingtracker.org. The site tracks money from foreign governments, the U.S. government, and Pentagon contractors to the top 50 think tanks in the United States over the past five years. It's a vital research guide for anyone wishing to learn more about where foreign policy think tanks get their funding. www.thinktankfundingtracker.org </video> <video> The Rules-Based Order Is in Crisis: What Comes Next? Description: Is the world doomed to live under an increasingly discredited and selective “rules-based international order” (RBIO) instead of an inclusive order centered on international law? Is the RBIO the only construct that can strengthen American security and prevent the world from descending into chaos, or is a better alternative possible? The Quincy Institute’s Better Order Project has brought together more than 130 experts, scholars, and practitioners from over 40 countries to collectively develop a package of proposals aimed at rejuvenating and stabilizing the international order, based on shared commitments to international law, multilateralism, and the ability of states to participate on an equal basis. Over three webinars, we discussed several of these proposals with some of the international participants in the Better Order Project and addressed how to chart a smoother path through today’s rocky transition away from unipolarity: Panel #1: The ‘rules-based international order’ — A path toward stability or a recipe for rivalry? Panel #2: Economic Coercion and Military Force — Taming unilateralism in a changing world Panel #3: How to reform the UN Security Council to save multilateralism Download the full webinar transcript here: https://quincyinst.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/26134404/The-Rules-Based-Order-Is-in-Crisis_-What-Comes-Next_-Transcript.pdf </video> <video> Georgia’s Parliamentary Election and Its Implications for the West Description: Georgia’s parliamentary election on October 26 is expected to be the country’s most consequential in recent memory. The Quincy Institute recently released a policy brief, The West and Georgia’s Crisis, that seeks to unpack the nuance behind the Georgian political imbroglio and challenge the conventional wisdom on Georgia in the U.S and Europe. With the Ukraine war on Georgia’s doorstep, the ruling Georgian Dream party appears to be seeking to walk a tightrope between Georgia’s pining for European Union membership and the state’s interest in balancing relations with all centers of power, including Russia. Meanwhile, the diffuse, yet staunchly pro-Western, opposition has sought to frame this election as a binary choice between a pro-European or pro-Russian future as they accuse the Georgian Dream of pushing the country into Moscow’s authoritarian embrace. To discuss the results of Georgia’s election and subsequent developments in the country, the Quincy Institute held a conversation featuring Emil Avdaliani, professor of international relations at the European University in Tbilisi, Georgia, Almut Rochowanski, non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute with decades of experience working with civil society in Georgia and across the former Soviet Union, and Beka Natsvlishvili, director of the Institute for a Fair Economy and a former member of the Georgian parliament. Anatol Lieven, director of the Eurasian Program at the Quincy Institute, and Artin DerSimonian, junior research fellow in the Eurasia Program, co-moderated the discussion. </video> <video> Oliver Stone: The Legacies of War Description: Check out "Vietnam at 50: Documenting the Legacies of America's Forever Wars," featuring a vital discussion with America's foremost director of films on the Vietnam War - Oliver Stone. To mark Veteran's Day, the fifth anniversary of the Quincy institute for Responsible Statecraft, and the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam war, the Center for War and Society at San Diego State University and the Quincy Institute invited Stone aboard the USS Midway in front of 250 guests to discuss how America's relationship with war influenced his work over the past 30 years. This event is part of the San Diego State University's Center for War and Society Speaker Series sponsored by J. Fred and Susan Oliver. </video> <video> What Is the Future of the Axis of Resistance? Description: The so-called Axis of Resistance, which includes Hezbollah, Iran-aligned militias in Iraq, Assad-led Syria, the Houthis, Hamas, and others, has faced some of the most significant setbacks in its history. Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated by Israel in Tehran, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and most of the senior leadership were killed by Israel, and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who held considerable influence, was killed in Gaza. It remains unclear if Israel will target IRGC commanders within Iran as part of its promised retaliation for an Iranian ballistic missile attack, which followed strikes on Axis leaders. Political scientists have long debated the long-term effectiveness of leadership decapitation in terrorist groups, with mixed results. What lies ahead for the Axis of Resistance? Can it recover from the loss of high-profile leaders who had strong personal followings? Will these groups face internal conflict or leadership struggles? Or will they demonstrate resilience? What is Israel’s ultimate objective, if any, in targeting the Axis? Answering these questions and more, the Quincy Institute held a conversation featuring Steven Simon, senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute, Nir Rosen, writer, journalist, and filmmaker, and Narges Bajoghli, assistant professor of Middle East Studies at the Johns Hopkins-SAIS. Adam Weinstein, deputy director of the Middle East program at the Quincy Institute, will moderate. Download the full webinar transcript here: https://quincyinst.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/31165305/What-Is-the-Future-of-the-Axis-of-Resistance_.docx.pdf </video> <video> The War-Crisis Nexus in Europe: Germany, Europe and the War in Ukraine Description: The collapse of Germany’s governing coalition, the unpopularity of all three governing parties and the rise of the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) is symptomatic of the beleaguered standing of many mainstream parties in Europe and the strains affecting the EU as a whole. A recently published Quincy brief, The Risks to Germany and Europe of a Prolonged War in Ukraine, argues that the Ukraine War, the shut-off of Russian gas supplies, and public concerns about the dangers to Germany have contributed greatly to Germany’s political and fiscal crisis, and that pursuing an unambiguous victory for Ukraine against Russia carries severe risks for the stability and prosperity of Europe as a whole. These risks could increase radically if the Trump administration were to throw responsibility for Ukraine onto the shoulders of the Europeans without first having achieved a peace settlement there. Fiscal constraints faced by Europe’s NATO members create an unavoidable trade-off between providing arms and equipment to Ukraine, a determined drive by European NATO members to assume more responsibility for their own territorial defense, and maintaining Europe’s endangered health and social welfare systems.   To discuss these issues and the future of Germany and the EU, the Quincy Institute held a panel of leading experts on contemporary Europe: - Dr. Matthias Matthijs, Dean Acheson chair at SAIS - Molly O'Neal, former Foreign Service officer and Quincy Institute non-resident fellow. - (Moderator) Anatol Lieven, director of the Eurasia program at the Quincy Institute Download the full webinar transcript here: https://quincyinst.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/20151141/The-War-Crisis-Nexus-in-Europe_-Germany-Europe-and-the-War-in-Ukraine-.pdf </video> <video> Biden's Africa Trip: What Are the Payoffs? Description: In his first and likely only visit to Sub-Saharan Africa as president, President Biden visited Luanda, Angola in early December. He met with Angolan President João Lourenço to discuss collaboration on a number of issues, including economic cooperation. Among the Biden administration's leading initiatives in Angola is the Lobito Corridor, a collection of rail and infrastructure projects. What place do Angola and Africa hold in the administration's foreign policy priorities? What are the gains from investment projects like Lobito? What should the next president prioritize as it relates to U.S. foreign and economic policy towards Africa? To discuss these questions and more, the Quincy Institute hosted a webinar featuring: - Ziyanda Stuurman, senior analyst for southern Africa at the Eurasia Group - Elizabeth Shackelford, non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute - Dan Ford, junior research fellow at the Quincy Institute - (Moderator) Kelley Beaucar Vlahos, senior advisor for the Quincy Institute and editorial director at Responsible Statecraft The conversation took place on Friday, December 6th from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Eastern Time. Download the full webinar transcript here: https://quincyinst.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/06142734/Bidens-Africa-Trip_-What-Are-the-Payoffs_.docx-1.pdf </video> <video> Power Plays: U.S.-Turkey Relations Under Trump Description: Donald Trump’s re-election was welcomed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who congratulated him and invited him to visit Turkey. Erdoğan may hope that a Trump administration will focus more on dealmaking than criticizing Turkey’s domestic policies. Ankara also recalls Trump’s willingness to withdraw from Syria, where the U.S. partners with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes factions linked to the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK)—Turkey’s primary adversary. However, the recent takeover of Damascus by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), allegedly with Turkey’s tacit approval, and end of the Assad regime will shift dynamics. Meanwhile, Trump’s new cabinet and their strongly pro-Israel stance may conflict with Turkey’s growing ties to Hamas and its severed relations with Israel. How will the evolving dynamics in Syria and Turkey’s shifting alliances with groups like Hamas impact U.S.-Turkey relations under a second Trump administration? The Quincy Institute held a conversation that discussed how U.S.-Turkey relations in the Middle East may evolve with Steven Simon, senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute, Kadir Ustin, executive director of the SETA Foundation, Gönül Tol, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, and Colonel Rich Outzen, non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council. Adam Weinstein, deputy director of the Middle East program at the Quincy Institute, moderated. Download the full webinar transcript here: https://quincyinst.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/17113331/Power-Plays_-U.S.-Turkey-Relations-Under-Trump.docx.pdf </video> <video> Book Talk: Lost Souls – Soviet Displaced Persons and the Birth of the Cold War Description: Since the late 1940s, the Western reception of refugees, emigres and dissidents from the Soviet bloc and Russia has been both a humanitarian policy, and an important part of strategy and propaganda against the West’s geopolitical and ideological adversaries. This strategy continued to a reduced extent after the Cold War, and has now returned with full force as a result of the flight of Russians to the West as a result of the invasion of Ukraine. To discuss these issues and the legacy of the Soviet Union, Anatol Lieven, director of the Eurasia program at the Quincy Institute, was joined by Professor Sheila Fitzpatrick, pre-eminent social and cultural historian of the Soviet Union and modern Russia. They discussed her soon to be released book, Lost Souls: Soviet Displaced Persons and the Birth of the Cold War (Princeton University Press, November 14th, 2024), which draws both on her historical research and her personal contacts with East European and Soviet diasporas. </video> <video> Syria and the United States After Assad Description: For over 13 years, the Syrian civil war raged on until Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia over the weekend. By 2018, the Assad regime appeared to have secured its survival, with U.S. Army General Joseph Votel testifying to Congress that it was fair to say Assad had “won” the civil war with the help of Russian and Iranian forces. By 2024, regional Arab governments were poised to normalize relations with Assad. In a stunning turn of events, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led by Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, advanced from its stronghold in Idlib to seize Damascus. Although HTS is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., Jawlani claims to embrace modern governance and reject extremism. Many Syrians are celebrating the end of Assad’s brutal rule, but the future remains uncertain. How will the U.S. engage with the new Syrian leadership? What will happen to the growing captagon drug trade? What are the implications for Israel, Iran, and Hezbollah? What will be the fate of the roughly 900 U.S. troops and their Kurdish partners in northeastern Syria? Download the full webinar transcript here: https://quincyinst.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/12144022/Syria-and-the-United-States-After-Assad.docx.pdf </video> <video> How Would Israel's West Bank Annexation Impact Jordan? Description: The prospect of Israel annexing the West Bank, an idea increasingly bandied about within Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Cabinet, would be especially threatening to Jordan. A large-scale exodus of Palestinians from the West Bank into Jordan would lead to a profound crisis. Many Jordanians now question if Israel aims not merely to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state, but to revive the idea that Jordan is Palestine — a notion that is categorically rejected by the Jordanian government. The kingdom already hosts over a million refugees, more of whom may arrive following Assad’s downfall and subsequent unrest. It's beset with economic problems, and incapable of providing water to its existing population, pressures that could threaten King Abdullah II’s continued rule. While the Trump administration’s position on Israel’s potential seizure of the West Bank remains to be seen, it is clear that a destabilized Jordan would be at odds with U.S. interests. Will Trump fulfill his campaign pledge to end the forever wars in the Middle East? He'll have to choose between reining in Israeli actions, or risk greater conflict in Jordan and beyond. For more check out Qi Research Fellow Annelle Sheline's report: https://quincyinst.org/research/jordan-on-the-edge-pressures-from-the-war-in-gaza-and-the-incoming-trump-administration/# </video> <video> What Is The Legacy of the Syrian Civil War? Description: The Syrian civil war, which followed the Arab Spring, stands as one of the 21st century’s most brutal conflicts, with estimates of over half a million deaths, millions displaced to Turkey, Lebanon, Europe, and beyond, and widespread human rights violations, including torture and terrorism. Throughout the war, numerous regional and international actors became involved. Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia provided military support to the Assad regime; Turkey backed militias and tolerated HTS’s presence in Idlib; and the SDF, supported by the United States, fought ISIS but also sought territorial control of northeastern Syria. The Obama administration avoided direct intervention, wary of repeating Iraq, though it briefly launched and shut down a program to train anti-Assad rebels. President Trump later expressed interest in withdrawing the roughly 900 U.S. troops in Syria, but was dissuaded by his advisers. Throughout the conflict, the U.S. imposed a stringent sanctions regime on the Assad regime, isolating Syria economically. The collapse of the Assad government this month shocked many and brought relief to millions of Syrians, though some remain apprehensive about how the new government will lead. What does the end of the Assad regime mean for Syrians, the region, and the United States? What lessons should Washington take from Syria’s civil war and U.S. Middle East policy? To discuss the end of the Assad regime and the beginning of a new Syria, join a discussion between Omar Dahi, professor of economics at Hampshire College, and Steven Simon, senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute. Adam Weinstein, deputy director of the Middle East program at the Quincy Institute, will moderate. The conversation will take place on Thursday, December 19th from 12:00 – 1:00 PM Eastern Time. </video> <video> 20 Years After Fallujah: Lessons Learned and Unlearned Description: Twenty years have passed since the Battle of Fallujah in the Iraq War -- a battle which saw the heaviest urban combat U.S. forces had faced since Hue City in 1968. What is the legacy of the battle and its lessons, both those absorbed and overlooked by the United States? What does the future of warfare and counterinsurgency look like? To discuss these questions and more, the Quincy Institute and War Horse hosted a live conversation at Western Market, 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, sparked by new reporting from The War Horse on the battle. Featuring: - Thomas Brennan: a veteran of the Second Battle of Fallujah and founder of The War Horse, a nonprofit newsroom exploring war and its impact. - Erica Gaston: Head of the Conflict Prevention and Sustaining Peace Programme at the United Nations University - Cheryl Ites: former Program Analyst in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. - (Moderator) Thom Shanker, director of the Project for Media and National Security at George Washington University </video> <video> The Aftermath of South Korea's Martial Law Fiasco Description: In a sudden late-night announcement on December 3, 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, marking the first suspension of democratic rights in South Korea since the end of military dictatorship in 1987. Thanks to lawmakers’ rapid reactions and successful emergency gathering, martial law was revoked and lifted six hours after the declaration. Nonetheless, the sight of citizens and lawmakers facing off against soldiers in front of the National Assembly evoked vivid memories of past periods of military rule. Yoon’s gambit spread outrage across South Korean society, shocked global partners, and incited massive protests demanding Yoon’s impeachment. In light of the ongoing political turmoil in South Korea, there are many questions to be answered. How did partisan tensions spin out of control? What are the domestic political consequences of the martial law fiasco? What are the implications for the US-ROK alliance and South Korean foreign policy? To discuss these questions and more, the Quincy Institute held a panel with Nathan Park, non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute, Natalia Slavney, research analyst at the Stimson Center, and James Park, research associate at the Quincy Institute. Jake Werner, acting director of the East Asia Program at the Quincy Institute, moderated the conversation. </video>

Contacts and Links

Description

Do you ever get the sense something is wrong with U.S. foreign policy?

Do you ever get the sense that there's something amiss with the role that the United States has chosen to play in the world today?

That's why the Quincy Institute exists, to promote an approach to foreign policy that emphasizes engagement in the world and de-emphasizes the reckless use of U.S. military power.

We differ from other organizations in Washington because we are neither on the right nor on the left. Regardless of partisan identity, we welcome those who share our view that U.S. policy must change, become less warlike and more committed to diplomacy.

If you agree, join us at the Quincy Institute as we set to remake U.S. foreign policy.

Videos from channel