Principle, Policy, and Purpose: The Balance of Values and Interests
The American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr once stated that the essence of statecraft is locating the point of concurrence between the parochial and the general interest, between the national and international common good.[1] Niebuhr emphasizes that realism implies an obligation to see the world as it actually is, not as we might like it to be. He warned that hubris can blind realism, finding expression in outsized confidence in both the power as well as the values of a country as being universal. Any country is susceptible to such temptations.
Germany Cannot Replace the U.S., But Europe Can Live with Trump
There is ample evidence that there has been a major shift toward a greater international role for Germany and that the public is gradually accepting such a bigger role. Germany …
Looking to Germany: What Berlin Can and Can’t Do for the Liberal Order
With U.S. President Donald Trump poised to pull the United States back from global leadership and with the United Kingdom mired in a messy withdrawal from the European Union, Germany …
International Security in the 21st Century
On November 21, 2016, AGI co-hosted the Bonn Security Forum together with the Center for International Security and Governance (CISG) at the Universität Bonn. The following report is a result …
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History Does Not Repeat Itself. People Do.
It is said that Mark Twain once commented, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” Maybe a more accurate version is that history doesn’t repeat itself, but people often …
President Trump: Europe’s Last Chance?
Donald Trump’s election as American president is the latest and most dramatic sign of a major political and social sea change, the effect of which we are just beginning to …
A Missed Opportunity for Even Greater Influence
Of the U.S.’ trade policy and trade relationships over the past twenty-five years, Robert Zoellick, former World Bank president, U.S. Trade Representative, deputy Secretary of State, and AGI Trustee, writes …
Protecting the World’s Most Influential People: Same Problem, Different Solution
Ever tried to come up with a list of what German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President-elect Donald Trump have in common? Presumably, for most people, the list will be short. …
8 Reasons Why Russian Disinformation is Successful in Germany
America and the rest of the world are still struggling to understand what led to the outcome of the U.S. presidential election of 2016. It is almost dangerous—and at the …
Merkel Remains in Control, but Problems are Looming on the Horizon
Angela Merkel has experienced a challenging 18 months. Events of the past week nonetheless indicate that she remains firmly in control of German political life. Eleven years is an awfully …
