Today, on the one year anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers, President Obama is speaking on Wall Street, addressing the need for regulatory reforms to the financial sector.  Since taking office the president has led a coordinated global response to the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

More »

The leaders of the eight leading industrialized nations meet in the G-8 summit in Italy today. This meeting comes just a few months after the G-20 summit in London, which sought to create a unified global response to the economic crisis. The IMF today reinforced the concern that much work remains to be done, and that it is too early to back away from stimulus policies and support for poorer countries.

More »

In February Dennis Blair, Director of National Intelligence, told Congress that the economic crisis had replaced terrorism as the “the primary near-term security concern” for America. From the increased likelihood of state failure, to devastating effects on the world’s poorest countries, to the reshaping of the international order, the repercussions of the financial crisis are already dramatic – but their long-term consequences remain unpredictable.

More »

As former senior officers of the United States armed forces, we are writing today to encourage you to support the Congressional initiatives to end the ban on travel to Cuba for all Americans. The current policy of isolating Cuba has failed, patently, to achieve our ends. Cuba ceased to be a military threat decades ago.

More »

After eight years during which personal relationships and saber-rattling often substituted for diplomacy, this week the Obama Administration put the US back in the game.  After the era when the arts of diplomacy were mocked and derided, this week was a reminder of what real diplomacy looks like – a search for common ground with both allies and potential adversaries that begins with a firm grasp of core American interests and values – and adds a willingness to be concerned with the interests and priorities of others.

More »

The G-20 Summit represents a tremendous challenge for the Obama administration. But the US leaves London well-placed to lead continued global collaboration over the course of the year and manage disagreement productively. There would be no need for international diplomatic summits if everyone was already in agreement.

More »

After 50 years of failed policy, this week new legislation is being introduced in the Senate and the House to revise our policies towards Cuba and lift the travel embargo. This first step is long past due. There is almost universal agreement amongst foreign policy experts that our Cuba policy has been a failure.

More »

Common ground between the U.S. and Europe seems to be emerging, with both a recognition that more stimulus spending may be needed and some moves on the regulatory reform Europeans prioritize in the offing. The U.S. and Europe do have different priorities and perspectives, but summits exist precisely so that countries can work out differences and arrive at a common agenda.

More »

Last night President Obama made the case for his budget, which includes important action on health care, energy and climate, and education. Taking action on these issues is vital to maintaining America’s position as a global power. Some have argued that in the midst of recession now is not the time to advance these issues. This has it backward.

More »

The justified outrage over AIG’s post-bailout bonuses should not be conflated with the revelation that AIG dispensed billions to foreign banks.  The US needs an international recovery to sustain our own recovery, and our status as the sole global superpower and the world’s reserve currency give us a unique stake in working to maintain the global economy. Despite public anger at AIG, as President Obama noted during his address to Congress, “in a time of crisis, we cannot afford to govern out of anger.”

More »