The US poses 'the most serious danger' to global security: Retired Council on Foreign Relations president
By: Brandon Gage (Alternet. org)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 14: Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations and former State Department director of policy planning, testifies before the House Foreign Affairs Committee January 14, 2020 in Washington, DC. Haas testified before the committee on the topic of "From Sanctions to the Soleimani Strike to Escalation: Evaluating the Administration's Iran Policy." (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images). Brandon GageJuly 02, 2023World
Outgoing Council on Foreign Relations President Richard N. Haass retired from his post on Friday after nearly twenty years of service. On Saturday, chief White House correspondent Peter Baker of The New York Timespublished an interview with Haass in which the departing think tank leader shared his assessment of the state of global affairs.
"Haass has come to a disturbing conclusion," Baker wrote. "The most serious danger to the security of the world right now? The threat that costs him sleep? The United States itself."
Haass told Baker that "it's us," referring to the US and the rapid degredation of its democratic institutions.
"Our domestic political situation is not only one that others don't want to emulate," Haass said. "But I also think that it's introduced a degree of unpredictability and a lack of reliability that's really poisonous. For America's ability to function successfully in the world, I mean, it makes it very hard for our friends to depend on us."
Despite the turmoil — and progress — of the Twentieth Century, "Haass sees this moment as even worse," Baker noted, alluding to "periods of discord" that include "Jim Crow, McCarthyism, Vietnam, civil rights, Watergate," and what many believe to be "the worst year ever" — 1968.
But even those "were not threats to the system, the fabric," Haass opined. "That's why I think this is more significant."
Haass also recalled how he vastly underestimated the havoc that former President Donald Trump would wreak during his four-year term:
Where I was dead wrong is I assumed the weight of the office would moderate him or normalize him, whatever word you want to use — that he would be more respectful of traditions and inheritances. And I was wrong on that. If anything, he became more radical. He doubled down.
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Sadly, IMO he is correct.
Nothing can be or has been more damaging to our democracy and standing in the world than unchecked Bidenism
Because Bidenism was the cause for the 1st attempted armed overthrow of our elected government in modern history (1/6)????
It gets a little worse with every telling
Sure, guys, after all it was nothing but a bunch of tourists impatient to see America's democracy in action. That noose was a photoshop fake and the whole thing was exaggerated by photo-editing and excerpts from a different third-world country. s/
What’s your version of Tiananmen Square?
Do the words mostly peaceful protest ring a bell?
The topic is American democracy.
Yeah, I watched that "peaceful protest" on TV, especially impressed with how skillfully the "peaceful protesters" smashed the windows to get into the building.
It was a slow day as compared to the typical BLM/Antifa riot.
Well, I guess when it comes to rioting, the French are the best, wouldn't you say?
Give us some examples, Greg.
“Nothing can be or has been more damaging to our democracy and standing in the world than unchecked Bidenism”
Nothing?
This comment is nothing but hyperbolic, hyper partisan hypocrisy.
Nothing more, nothing less.
This should have been directed to 3.1
Seems some folks would rather just see the rest of the world just walk all over us like the Biden administration has.
Recently.”, Mr. Haass had an open discussion with SecState Blinken were he promised tough questions. During the discussion he seemed to mostly agree with Blinken on our approach to China and Russia. He didn’t bring up his 3 1/2 year old fear in the seeded article.
Joe Biden is more dangerous than Putin, I guess.
Odds are way higher that Biden would confuse his nurses call with the nuclear launch button than with Putin.
Article is correct. Haas would know.
Much of this would be cleared up if Trump would be forced under oath to explain just exactly what he meant when he said, "I saved bin Sulman's ass." And that would be a good place to start.
Of course the possibility exists that-that Trumpian utterance was nothing more than 'bravado'.