To compete and thrive in the 21st century, democracies, and the United States in particular, must develop new national security and economic strategies that address the geopolitics of information. In the 20th century, market capitalist democracies geared infrastructure, energy, trade, and even social policy to protect and advance that era’s key source of power—manufacturing. In this century, democracies must better account for information geopolitics across all dimensions of domestic policy and national strategy.
Why have U.S. wartime nation-building efforts so consistently failed? At a time when U.S.-constructed militaries and state institutions are collapsing in Iraq and Afghanistan, this seminar looks back further for an answer — to the U.S. nation-building effort in South Vietnam. Although rarely recognized as such, it was the most comprehensive attempt at nation-building in U.S. history, and the one for which the most complete documentation exists. By examining the reasons why it failed, scholars and policymakers gain an insight into the limits of contemporary and future nation-building.
Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.