Great Decisions

2024 Great Decisions

Former Yale University President Kingman Brewster Jr observed “A nation, like a person, needs to believe that it has a mission larger than itself.” FDR observed just before WWII “ This generation has a rendezvous with destiny.” Michel Mazant, political scientist at the Rand Corporation, writes “ In the struggle for advantage among world powers, it is not military or economic might that makes the critical differences, but the fundamental qualities of a society, the characteristics of a nation that generates economic productivity, technological innovation, social cohesion, and national will.” Mazant notes that most competitive societies “place strong social emphasis on learning and adaptation.”

The Summit Senior members that participate in Great Decisions place a high value on learning and constructive discourse. The Foreign Policy Association believes “America must address frontally the growing domestic polarization that undermines our democracy and contributes to a corrosive lack of mutual respect and discourse”.

If you would like more information on Great Decisions, please contact Harold Herring at herringharold@yahoo.com

For close to 20 years, the Summit Senior Center has hosted the Great Decisions program.  The non-political Foreign Policy Association choses EIGHT (8) topics that are important to the US foreign policy and publishes a book available at the Great Decisions bookstore for $35.  Click here to see an image of the front cover of the latest Great Decisions Book.  Great Decisions also produces a professionally made DVD. These materials help participants reach informed opinions on the issues. 

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The session topics are as follows:

1. Mideast Realignment – Carlton Thornbury 1/31/24
   By Marc Lynch

   The United States and Middle East are at a crossroads. In spite of a reduced presence in the Middle East, the U.S. still has significant national interests there and the area is a key arena for global power politics. Can the U.S. continue to defend its interests in the Middle East and globally with a lower level of military and political involvement, or should it recommit to a leading
   role in the region?

2. Climate technology and competition – Herb Sutherland 2/07/24
   By Bud Ward

   Will the United States and China, with other powerful countries following suit, approach current and future climate initiatives with an increased commitment to
   trade protectionism and nationalism, by various measures including trade restrictions? Or could a growing spirit of international accord develop to confront the “common enemy” of climate change?

3. Science across borders – Harold and Lee 2/14/24
   By Mila Rosenthal

   Scientific advances benefit from collaboration between researchers, but what happens when material, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) is controversial and important to a nation’s national security? Is there a middle ground between sharing information and denying access? How can we regulate cooperation?

4. US-China trade rivalry – Bob Cardwell 2/21/24
   By Jonathan Chanis

   China’s economic rise and its current policies of increasing the role of the state in the economy have led some U.S. policymakers to seek to deny China access
   to U.S. technology and investment. This is seen as a necessary corrective to decades of predatory Chinese economic policies. Is this a wise strategy, and how
   effective can it be?

5. NATO’s future – Brian Hanly – 2/28/24
   By Sarwar Kashmeri

   Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has come under increased scrutiny, not because NATO troops are involved in the conflict, but because of its role in relations between Russia and its neighbors. Will expanding membership in NATO protect countries, or will it further provoke Russia?

6. Understanding Indonesia – 3/13/24
   By Charles Sullivan

   Despite its large size, Indonesia remains virtually invisible to most Americans. But as one of the world’s largest democracies, the world’s largest Muslim-majority
   nation, and as an economic driver of ASEAN, why does it fly below the radar? What are current issues in U.S.-Indonesian relations, and what role can the country play in Asia?

7. High Seas Treaty – Ty Drake – 3/20/24
   By FPA editors

   Areas of the seas beyond national jurisdiction comprise the high seas, which are facing a degradation of ecosystems due to climate change and the increase in human activities, such as shipping, overfishing, pollution, and deep-sea mining. The recently negotiated High Seas Treaty, also known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty, will attempt to address these issues. How difficult will it be to convince nations to participate?

8. Pandemic preparedness – Lynda Birkelback 4/3/24
   By Carolyn Reynolds

   Looking back at the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many lessons to take away in terms of domestic and international policies. Although this pandemic seems to have waned, how can we apply these lessons to future pandemics? Will countries cooperate, and will a consensus emerge on how to manage global health challenges?