A World in Disarray: A Conversation with Richard Haass

Some might say that the rules, policies, and institutions that have guided the world since World War II have largely run their course. This is the starting premise that Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, makes in his latest book, A World in Disarray: American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order

The global challenges of the 21st Century—from terrorism and the spread of nuclear weapons to climate change and cyberspace—pose a threat to the global operating system as its been known for decades, and Dr. Haass makes the case for “World Order 2.0.” The need for a new approach to sovereignty, one that embraces its obligations and responsibilities as well as its rights and protections, could help to address the dysfunctional politics, mounting debt, and the lack of agreement on the nature of the United States’ relationship with the world.

A World in Disarray is an examination, one rich in history, of the current world, along with how we got here and what needs doing. Haass argues that the world cannot have stability or prosperity without the United States, but that the United States cannot be a force for global stability and prosperity without its politicians and citizens reaching a new understanding.