Insights on Statecraft from @CarnegieEndow. Clear eyed about the world. Meeting the urgent need for a disciplined U.S. foreign policy.
Washington, D.C
- Tweets 1,983
- Following 945
- Followers 1,619
- Likes 1,497
Statecraft in the Media:
In Brookings Senior Fellow Thomas Wright's newest for The Atlantic, he quotes Jeremy Cliffe's essay, "The Alternative für Deutschland and Germany’s Unsettled Place in the World," published as part of our recent compendium analyzing right-wing populist foreign policy in the middle powers.
Read Jeremy's piece, as well as the others in the series, here:
carnegieendowment.org/collec…
1
60
NEWEST ESSAY from the Future of American Power Project: Recasting American Power in Latin America.
Former NSC Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere @Cartajuanero analyzes what American power looks like to the U.S.' southern neighbors:
"China’s rise as a commercial power in the hemisphere, the fragmentation of democratic consensus, and the region’s growing economic sophistication have reshaped the competitive landscape regardless of any single administration’s choices. The result is an efficiency problem: The United States is paying more in diplomatic effort, political capital, and coercive instruments while generating less in durable alignment and strategic returns."
Read more of his analysis here: carnegieendowment.org/resear…
1
2
482
In discussions of world order, the ascendance of Donald Trump has often obscured the fact that right-wing populist leaders have arisen in a number of important middle powers around the world. Figures such as Javier Milei in Argentina, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey, Viktor Orbán in Hungary, and Narendra Modi in India have reshaped aspects of their countries’ foreign policies while challenging elements of the liberal international order—sometimes in ways similar to Trumpism, sometimes in ways that contrast with it.
How have the right-wing populists in middle powers transformed their countries’ approaches to the world? What ideas and tactics do these leaders share, and where do their agendas diverge? What are the limits to this greater cooperation among populist governments, especially when these leaders privilege national sovereignty above all else?
To mark the release of the compendium, "The Populist Turn in Middle Power Diplomacy,” join Carnegie’s @CChivvis as he engages three contributing authors, @CFieschi, Federico Merke, and @VeghZsuzsanna. Together, they will discuss how populism is shaping diplomacy, the opportunities and constraints these leaders face, and what their rise could mean for the future of international relations.
Register Here: carnegieendowment.org/events…
1
2
102
NEWEST ESSAY from the Future of American Power: "American Power: A View from China"
Professor at Shanghai's Fudan University, Wu Xinbo, details how Chinese strategists have changed their views about the United States, as the former hegemon has declined in relative power and influence.
"The shift in Chinese attitudes toward the United States is illustrative of the shrinking superiority in American power. For a long time, China had looked upon America as a country with advanced science and technology, a prosperous economy, and comprehensive national strength.
"Indeed, from the 1980s to the 2000s, as China endeavored to turn itself into a prosperous modern country, it viewed the United States as a positive example. As the power gap between the two countries narrowed in the 2010s, however, Chinese strategists began to treat the U.S. less and less like a formidable power, while more people in China began to look down upon the United States as a country plagued by sluggish economic growth, political stalemate and conflict, and poor domestic governance.
"Interestingly, nowadays, Chinese academics are more interested in studying the United States’ mistakes, rather than its successes."
LINK:carnegieendowment.org/resear…
1
3
514
Traditional conservatives used to defend international law. What's happened?
Read Statecraft scholar Heather Penatzer's newest piece in Foreign Policy with Luke Nicastro for how the American right, and international law too, have changed.
foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/04…
1
1
3
132
NEW piece from Chris Chivvis: The wars in Ukraine and Iran are becoming dangerously enmeshed.
READ HERE: theguardian.com/commentisfre…
3
1
112
American Statecraft Program retweeted
The Iran war is a crisis of American governance. Nobody voted for it. Trump ripped up the nuclear deal for partisan reasons and then launched an attack he thought would be quick but that every decent analyst said would unfold basically as it has. Even so, Congress won't end it.
2
37
121
8,740
American Statecraft Program retweeted
Trump's Iran paradox: he wants to squeeze Iran without returning to all-out war, but the more effectively he squeezes Iran, the more incentive Iran has to escalate and force him to back to all-out war.
5
30
101
13,769
American Statecraft Program retweeted
A desire to save and a desire to dominate can lead to the same poor foreign policy decisions, @stephenwertheim tells @CChivvis.
Watch the full Pivotal States episode, also with @Rob_Malley: piped.video/watch?v=Lbh_sKoq…
4
5
997
American Statecraft Program retweeted
Democrats are also to blame for paving the way for Trump’s war with Iran, @Rob_Malley tells @CChivvis on the latest episode of Pivotal States.
Watch the full conversation, also with @stephenwertheim: piped.video/watch?v=Lbh_sKoq…
2
1
406
American Statecraft Program retweeted
As President Trump ramps up his threats to countries like South Korea and Oman amid fighting in Iran, it's worth asking: can a smaller country be more powerful than a larger one? Yes, says @NickKitchen1.
He unpacks why, based on his piece for @CEIPStatecraft's Future of American Power project.
1
1
2,033
What does MAGA think about Trump's war in Iran? @stephenwertheim weighs in on the Pivotal States podcast.
Full episode with @CChivvis and @Rob_Malley: piped.video/watch?v=Lbh_sKoq…
2
805
American Statecraft Program retweeted
When the U.S. uses its power too much, what signal does that send to adversaries — and to allies? @dandrezner explains, based on his piece for @CEIPStatecraft's Future of American Power project.
3
5
8
4,219
American Statecraft Program retweeted
.@carnegieendow @ceipstatecraft Join me at 10 am EDT today for what promises to be a great conversation on the future of the US-Israeli relationship with @dankurtzer Yael Lempert @shibleytelhami Register here carnegieendowment.org/events…
1
4
1,381
American Statecraft Program retweeted
🎙️ Is America's North Korea Policy Out of Touch with Reality?
On the @CEIPStatecraft podcast Pivotal States, @CSIS @VictorDCha outlined 4 interim goals
1. Protect the U.S. homeland
2. Reduce the number of U.S. adversaries
3. Attenuate the DPRK–Russia relationship
4. Minimize the risk of nuclear first use in Asia
Listen to the full show here: piped.video/watch?v=nw9m2ZXD…
1
2
611
I would add another crucial axiom;
„Air power can solve this!“
(This time it‘s different.)
Three longstanding axioms of U.S. policy have led America to war and defeat in Iran:
1. Iran is a malign, aggressive country solely because of the nature of its regime, regardless of how the United States and regional allies treat Iran;
2. Iran's activities pose a near-existential threat to the United States;
3. Diplomacy is weakness and sanctions don't work, leaving military force as the only way to reduce the threat.
1
6
16
2,360
American Statecraft Program retweeted
Iran wants every American—today and tomorrow—to understand that the US cannot wage war without paying a heavy price. @Rob_Malley breaks down how Tehran views its hold on the Strait.
@stephenwertheim @CChivvis
1
7
7
1,685