The Munich Security Conference took place this weekend Feb 15-17. The annual conference on international security policy has taken place in Munich, Bavaria since 1963.
As is usual in multi-lateral international conferences, the trump administration presented a sorry figure, one of pettiness and empty hubris, and totally out of the step with the rest of the civilized world. There was no hint of the days when the U.S. lead the world in peace, security and moral authority.
Here is a brief report based on tweets and articles. One of the lowlights of the conference was Mike (the empty suit) Pence’s speech which fell flat on deaf ears. The major highlight was Merkel’s speech that pointed to a new path forward for Europe, one without U.S. as a reliable partner.
The two leaders of the world meet and exchange notes -
The icy silence heard around the world -
Merkel throwing shade and setting the European agenda -
Why was Ivanka there anyways? Did she understand any of the speeches? Was she selling her new clothes line?
Europe standing tall -
The European approach vs the current U.S. one -
Biden standing up for America -
A man is known by the company he keeps -
Doing the People’s work -
The report card -
From the report at www.securityconference.de/…
Looking at the current state of international affairs it is difficult to escape the feeling that the world is not just witnessing a series of smaller and bigger crises. Rather, the entire liberal international order appears to be falling apart – nothing will we be as it once was. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the global security landscape has never been more dangerous. We are experiencing an epochal shift, as one era is coming to an end, and for now only rough outlines of a new geopolitical age are visible. Although some states are committed to maintaining the liberal international order, it is questionable whether they – often distracted by other domestic and foreign policy challenges – are able to assume this role.
A previously unpublished opinion poll by the Pew Research Center shows that traditional allies of the United States perceive America's power and influence as a major threat to their country, also when compared to China and Russia.
The new world leader -
Opinion on Russia -
The trailer for the conference -
A video summary of the final day -
Protests -
A Ray of Sunshine!
There is lots more info about the conference at www.securityconference.de/...
Did you follow the conference? What other insights do you have about the conference?
Besides the obvious loss of U.S. leadership on the world stage, how do you envision Europe and Asia evolving in the next few years? More chaos or a meeting of minds and more regional co-operation? Better deals at the expense of U.S. interests?
How can we shape public opinion this side of the Atlantic that world leadership, multi-lateralism and having friends and allies around the world is beneficial to the country?