AMERICA UNBOUND?

Imagine you’re mid-round at a country club, the pressure’s off, and the only person in America who truly knows how power feels at the highest level is walking beside you. You’ve spent years studying philosophy, American politics, the Supreme Court, and the workings of media. Now you finally have a chance to test those ideas in real time, not in a seminar or a newsletter, but in conversation with t...

From global capitals to the quiet towns, a momentous question hangs in the air: What’s there to love America? When people ask this, they are often looking at the ragged edges of the headlines, the intense political polarization, the economic anxieties, the cultural snarling…. If you love neatness, if you love absolute predictability, or if you love a society that sits quietly in historical inertia...

Artificial intelligence is no longer a story about clever chatbots or Silicon Valley wizardry. It has become a story about power — national power, economic power, and cognitive power. And like every transformative technology before it, AI is reorganizing the world’s strategic landscape faster than governments can adapt. AI geopolitics is not destiny. It is a design. The question is not whether AI...

We stand at a remarkable and precarious moment in human history. The same intelligence — artificial intelligence — that could prevent the next LaGuardia, that could see the fire truck before the pilots can, that could save two young Canadians from dying in the dark on a New York runway — that same intelligence is simultaneously being used to select targets in a war that has already killed schoolch...

AMERICA RED IN TOOTH AND CLAW Something that should alarm anyone who cares about how nations interact with each other: it's about a moment on cable news that revealed far more than just another heated political debate. It was a window into a fundamental shift in how America sees its role in the world. On January 5th, White House Adviser Stephen Miller sat down with CNN's Jake Tapper. What...

Is anything truly new, or are we merely remixing the echoes of the past? From fashion to business and art, it feels like every novel idea has a familiar echo of something that came before. Every idea stands on the shoulders of older concepts, and every invention reimagines past creations. But does this mean there’s no true originality? Or does it reveal a deeper truth about how ideas evolve and re...

GOVERNING IN POLARIZED AMERICA The chokehold has been lifted. America breathes again! I mean we narrowly avoided complete, self-inflicted disaster. After harrowing days of the most long-drawn-out government shutdown in U.S. history—a marathon of political brinkmanship—Congress somehow reached a makeshift deal to get off the people's back. Federal workers will return to their offices, airports...

In the business world, prioritization is a crucial strategy to achieve definitive goals. Failure is not an option. In the case of the USA, the most important global power, what exactly does prioritization mean in foreign policy? To uphold the liberal order? To manage China so that it remains a peaceful global power? Listen to Professor Jennifer Lind and Professor Daryl Press of Dartmouth College o...

I have the honor of introducing a luminary in the field of international relations, Professor William  Wohlforth. He is  the Daniel Webster Professor of Government atDartmouth College.  Professor Wohlforth is renowned for his multidisciplinary expertise in international relations,  security, and foreign policy, and has madesignificant contributions to the understanding of the dynamics of geopoliti...

Joe Major serves as a Vermont State Senator. Although a freshman senator,  he brings much leadership experience and dedication to public service. Originally from  Buffalo, New York, Joe graduated from Howard University, also the Alma Mater of  Kamala Harris. They were class fellows. Joe served honorably as an officer in the U.S. Army. He is the Executive Director of the Upper Valley Aquatic Center...

When Donald Trump proclaims that America will “flourish and be respected again all over the world,” he evokes a grand, almost mythical image of dominance and superiority. He envisions America as the envy of all nations, reminiscent of past empires that thrived on military might and economic control. However, Trump isn’t the only one who has this vision. Leaders like Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Chi...

Diplomacy isn't just for diplomats, politicians, and world leaders. It's a crucial skill for navigating everyday interactions, whether at work, home or in social situations. For over two decades, I taught a graduate seminar, Global Corporate Diplomacy. Most of my students were middle-level business managers and military officers. At its core, diplomacy is about understanding, connecting, and persu...

Why are we unhappy? Maybe because we have so much, we’ve lost track of what we need. We’re over-stimulated, over-caffeinated, and over it. We have more than enough of everything—except for the stuff that matters. Real connections, genuine purpose, and a sense of meaning. If Donald Trump stays in the White House, would it be such a great tragedy? Would this be the end of America?  

Since the US presidential election that shook the nation with Donald Trump’s sweeping victory across all demographics and races, experts have addressed various issues that influenced the election results, including immigration, inflation, foreign policy, misinformation, and cultural issues. An overlooked but most fascinating, puzzling aspect of U.S. politics is the willingness of voters to look be...

In the grand symphony of human creativity, the question often arises: is anything truly new, or are we merely remixing the echoes of the past? From the Milan Fashion Week runway shows to the pages of fantasy novels, from the boardrooms of Silicon Valley to the canvases of modern art, the pursuit of originality drives us. Yet, as we dig deeper, we find that every fresh idea carries whispers of the...

Engaging in conversations with strangers has been shown to have numerous positive effects on well-being. It can improve trust and contribute to a person's social health and overall well-being. Meeting strangers is not just beneficial; it's essential for business success in the 21st century.  

In a world increasingly dominated by screens, reclaiming the art of conversation is moreimportant than ever.  By making a conscious effort to be present, listen actively, and engage in meaningful dialogue, we can foster deeper connections, build stronger relationships, and create a more fulfilling and enriching life, both personally and professionally.  So put down your phone, look up, and start a...

Early January 2002 President George W. Bush while watching a football game on television in his living quarters in the White House choked on pretzel and tumbled momentarily. But he never choked for a moment when he ordered the invasion of Iraq a year later. Nor did President Harry Truman choke when he ordered the dropping of atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, pooh-poohing J. Robert Oppenheimer...

In a brief video presentation for the World Economic Forum, Wharton Business School’s organizational psychologist Adam Gran t said, “It's character, not just talent, that determines success.”  He was echoing the Greek philosopher Heraclitus (500 BC) who said that “Character is destiny.” In other words,  one’s future is not preordained but is determined by one’s character. However, circumstance...

The Tuck Business School’s Dean Matthew Slaughter and his colleague Matthew Rees issued a report about the whirligig of the business world and America’s pivotal role with an intriguing title, “Will the World Get a Vote in America?” They lament that America has lost its place in the global economy, though, according to them, “most Americans want to build more bridges connected to the global economy...

Would America let down the world In 2024? Looking at the disorder and chaos of  2023, it seems more than ever that American global leadership is indispensable. Nonetheless, every year commentators and pundits utter the same shibboleths that the post-World War II global system which the United States built and sustained with its economic, military, and soft power is now breaking up amidst regional...

As it happened with other technologies of freedom such as the printing press, the Internet and social media, Generative AI would enable more people to access advanced AI capabilities, empowering individuals and groups to be more creative, productive, and knowledgeable. This would raise the average intelligence level of people and make societies more productive. By automating certain cognitive task...

In several landmark cases (Schenck v. United States, Brandenberg v. Ohio, among others) the US Supreme Court has ruled that free speech under the First Amendment has absolute protection unless it creates clear and present danger amounting to an imminent threat of violence. But when does that tipping point, “an imminent threat of violence,” occur when a university president should ask the police to...

Democratic institutions are the pillars of a free and democratic society. They include the electoral system, the courts, the media, and the legislature. These institutions check and balance each other, ensuring that no one branch of government becomes too powerful. Trump has repeatedly attacked democratic institutions. He has called the 2020 election fraudulent, even though there is no evidence to...

When the horrific savagery, red in tooth and claw, was let loose on innocent people in Israel and Gaza, and antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred were spreading in America and Europe, an anguished Jewish woman cried in pain, “Where is God in this time? Where is he or she?”