Eric Edelman: America’s Strategic Position, Great Power Competition, and the Liberal World Order

Conversations with Bill Kristol

News, Society & Culture, Government, Politics

4.7 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 6 September 2019

⏱️ 74 minutes

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Summary

What role can America play in an increasingly complex and dangerous world—one in which America no longer maintains the overwhelmingly decisive advantage it enjoyed after the end of the Cold War? What steps must the United States take in order to improve its security and standing in a “Post-Post-Cold War" era? Why does American engagement abroad remain important for American safety and prosperity? In this Conversation, Eric Edelman of Johns Hopkins SAIS considers America’s strategic position today. Edelman highlights a clear decline in America’s military and diplomatic capacities as well as the growing strength of foreign competitors and rivals. To confront the challenge, Edelman calls for reforms in key institutions and practices—and a renewed commitment on the part of the American people to defend the liberal international order. This is a must-see Conversation for anyone interested in America’s role in the world.

Transcript

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0:00.0	And the Hi, I'm Bill Crystal. Welcome to Conversations. I'm very pleased to be joined today by my friend Eric Edelman,
0:21.0	a former Foreign Service Officer,
0:23.5	Ambassador, a senior official in the Defense Department,
0:26.6	many distinguished government positions.
0:28.3	Now, I think the Hurtog professor at Seis
0:31.3	at Johns Hopkins-Sice, which is a very distinguished institution here in Washington,
0:35.0	and many think tanks, many other titles, I won't belabor.
0:40.0	Anyway, good to have you with us.
0:41.0	Bill, it's always great to be here with you.
0:42.8	And you are a voice widely respected as a voice of clarity
0:47.6	but also on foreign policy, but also well-informed
0:50.5	historically.
0:51.0	I think you actually have a PhD industry is that right I do
0:53.9	that didn't ruin you didn't ruin your your career in Washington that's
0:58.2	it it almost did but if you'd like to say how no No, I mean, it's, in the Foreign Service when you enter, they don't think anything
1:08.0	you learned before you swore your oath on, you know, to the Constitution matters.
1:14.0	So I had to disabuse myself that my education
1:18.2	actually contributed to anything
1:19.6	to my foreign service career.
1:20.8	That's funny.
1:22.0	So in recent years, since you left the government, really, you've advised presidential
1:25.3	candidates, called on the Hill many, many times, talked privately, the senators
	...

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