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Richard Haass

Richard Haass

Writing for PS since 2000
177 commentaries
1 videos & podcasts

Richard Haass, President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, senior counselor at Centerview Partners, and Distinguished University Scholar at New York University, 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. Joe Biden’s Disappearing Legacy
    haass176_ Brandon BellGetty Images_biden Brandon Bell/Getty Images

    Joe Biden’s Disappearing Legacy

    Jan 13, 2025 Richard Haass thinks the outgoing US president got some big things mostly right and some big things mostly wrong.

  2. Hail to the Fallen Chief
    haass150_David Hume KennerlyGetty Images_jimmy carter 2 David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images

    Hail to the Fallen Chief

    Dec 30, 2024 Richard Haass thinks Jimmy Carter's presidency merits much greater appreciation than it has received.

  3. The Energy Transition That Couldn’t
    haass175_Citizens of the PlanetGettyImages_oil_rig_solar_panels

    The Energy Transition That Couldn’t

    Dec 17, 2024 Richard Haass & Carolyn Kissane argue that replacing fossil fuels with renewables is an idea that has exhausted its utility.

  4. A New Chance for the Middle East
    haass174_Mohammad AbushamaAnadolu via Getty Images_ceasefire Mohammad Abushama/Anadolu via Getty Images

    A New Chance for the Middle East

    Nov 27, 2024 Richard Haass sees hope for long-term ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza if political leaders recognize their own interests.

  5. 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.

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  1. velasco156_Alex WroblewskiGettyImages_dnc_harris_buttons Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images

    How Liberals Lost America

    Andrés Velasco attributes Donald Trump’s return to power to Democrats’ embrace of both moral neutrality and moral preachiness.
  2. halland10_TERJE PEDERSENNTBAFP via Getty Images_norwayukraineaid Terje Pedersenntb/AFP via Getty Images

    Norway Should Cede Its War Windfall to Ukraine

    Håvard Halland & Knut Anton Mork say that the government's justifications for its war profiteering are disingenuous and short-sighted.
  3. bhide11_Anthony KwanGettyImages_deepseek Anthony Kwan/Getty Images

    Is DeepSeek Really a Threat?

    Amar Bhidé

    If vindicated, DeepSeek’s technology could be to large language models what Nikola Tesla’s breakthroughs with alternating current were to electrification. While it cannot overcome the unavoidable limitations of backward-looking statistical models, it could make their price performance good enough for wider use.

    explains what a purported Chinese AI breakthrough does and does not mean for the industry.
  4. spence180_Picture AllianceGettyImages_germany_annual_economic_report Picture Alliance/Getty Images

    What’s Wrong With Germany’s Economy?

    Michael Spence

    Germany became a European powerhouse partly because, in the early 2000s, its industrial sectors took over the highest-valued-added segments of global supply chains. Replicating this success today would require Germany to move to the forefront of the digital transformation, and it cannot do that without the EU.

    thinks the country’s prospects depend significantly on closing the digital-technology gap with the US and China.
  5. hausmann119_Christine OlssonGettyImages_northvolt_bankruptcy Christine Olsson/Getty Images

    When Companies Fail to Learn, They Learn to Fail

    Ricardo Hausmann explains how the inability to identify and address knowledge gaps can doom even the most promising projects.
  6. berahab1_LUDOVIC MARINAFP via Getty Images_gabonforest Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images

    How to Make Carbon Pricing Work for Africa

    Rim Berahab & Otaviano Canuto argue that policies must be structured to facilitate, not obstruct, the continent’s shift to renewables.
  7. jma6_NurPhotoGettyImages_china_evs_trade NurPhoto/Getty Images

    Green Free Trade in a Protectionist Age

    Ma Jun envisions regional arrangements that facilitate the exchange of climate-friendly goods and services.
  8. mazarei1_Sayed HassanGetty Images_suezcanal Sayed Hassan/Getty Images

    Egypt’s Economic Crisis May Not Be Over

    Adnan Mazarei urges the international community to push for long-overdue governance and economic reforms.
  9. iyer2_SIA KAMBOUAFP via Getty Images_malariavaccine Sia Kambou/AFP via Getty Images

    Climate Displacement Is Also a Health Crisis

    Jayasree K. Iyer proposes a four-pronged strategy to ensure that essential medicines reach vulnerable populations.

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