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Richard Haass

Richard Haass

Writing for PS since 2000
173 commentaries
1 videos & podcasts

Richard Haass, President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations and a senior counselor at Centerview Partners, previously served as Director of Policy Planning for the US State Department (2001-03), and was President George W. Bush's special envoy to Northern Ireland and Coordinator for the Future of Afghanistan. He is the author of The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens (Penguin Press, 2023) and the weekly Substack newsletter Home & Away.

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  1. Earthquakes in the Middle East
    haass173_Ramiz DallahAnadolu via Getty Images_israellebanon Ramiz Dallah/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Earthquakes in the Middle East

    Oct 2, 2024 Richard Haass explains why the fighting between Israel and Hamas has escalated into a regional conflict involving Iran.

  2. The Lessons and Legacy of October 7
    haass171_ -AFP via Getty Images_hamas war -/AFP via Getty Images

    The Lessons and Legacy of October 7

    Oct 2, 2024 Richard Haass argues that Israel has shown in Gaza how it is possible to win a war on the battlefield and still lose it.

  3. The New Gang of Four
    haass172_Getty Images_putinxikimkhamenei Getty Images

    The New Gang of Four

    Sep 27, 2024 Richard Haass proposes ways the US and the West can counter the entente between China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia.

  4. The Other Proliferation
    haass170_JUNG YEON-JEAFP via Getty Images_nuclear JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images

    The Other Proliferation

    Aug 26, 2024 Richard Haass warns that countries’ efforts to enlarge their nuclear arsenals may encourage others to build their own.

  5. Will the Democrats Win After Biden’s Withdrawal?
    haass169_Brandon BellGetty Images_harris Brandon Bell/Getty Images

    Will the Democrats Win After Biden’s Withdrawal?

    Jul 22, 2024 Richard Haass explains how the new Democratic nominee could get out from under the shadow of an unpopular president.

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  1. BP trump china MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images

    What Will Trump Do About China?

    US President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to take a confrontational approach to China, with tariffs as his weapon of choice. But unless his administration adopts a measured approach, his plans may end up harming American businesses and consumers, undermining US democracy, or even leading to military confrontation.

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    The Big Picture

  3. karman1_getty images_cooperation Getty Images

    Human Progress in the Trump Era

    Tawakkol Karman, et al. propose ways to foster a culture of cooperation at a time of rising conflict and democratic erosion.
  4. frankel166_JemalCountessGettyImages_national_debt Jemal Countess/Getty Images

    Elon Musk’s $2 Trillion Fiscal Fantasy

    Jeffrey Frankel

    It is often said that a businessman like Donald Trump or Elon Musk will know how to put America’s fiscal house in order. But between Trump’s planned tax cuts and Musk’s absurd estimate of how much federal spending can be reduced, the smart money says they have no idea what they are doing.

    dives into the incoming US administration’s absurd claim that fresh tax cuts will not increase the deficit.
  5. buchholz21_getty images_us china Getty Images

    The Deal Trump Should Offer China

    Todd G. Buchholz

    To address what he sees as an unfair Sino-American economic relationship, Donald Trump should focus not on trade but on China's currency manipulation and massive holdings of US debt. After all, why saddle US consumers with higher costs when you can demand reparations directly from a foreign competitor?

    proposes that the incoming US administration push for a debt write-off and market access instead of tariffs.
  6. muzikarova7_NurPhotoGettyImages_cyberconference_poland NurPhoto/Getty Images

    Central and Eastern Europe’s Bid for AI Dominance

    Soňa Muzikárová outlines steps policymakers can take to harness the technology’s potential to boost growth and prosperity.
  7. aosaid1_getty images_tech justice

    Can Technology End Corruption?

    Azalina Othman Said thinks that powerful new digital tools can help, but only if governments commit to upholding the rule of law.
  8. scherger1ARMEND NIMANIAFP via Getty Images_farming ARMEND NIMANI/AFP via Getty Images
    Free to read

    Carbon Farming Won't Save the Planet

    Sophie Scherger warns that soil-storage offsets may serve as a smokescreen for polluting industries.
  9. bildt129_MaximShipenkovGettyImages_valdai_putin_fail Maxim Shipenkov/Getty Images

    Putin’s March of Folly

    Carl Bildt argues that Russia’s president has only his own poor decisions to blame for his country’s loss of status.

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