[Insight & Opinion] Is the United States the Greatest Threat to Global Security?

Intensified Great Power Rivalry and Declining U.S. Influence
Division in the International Community After the Outbreak of the Ukraine War
Global Peace Possible Only if American Democracy Functions Properly

Richard Haass stepped down at the end of June from his position as president of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the most prestigious U.S. institution for international affairs research. Having previously worked at the U.S. Department of Defense, State Department, and National Security Council, he served as president for an impressive 20 years, deeply influencing the formulation and execution of U.S. foreign strategy. Well aware of America's international standing, he made a striking statement in an interview with the New York Times on July 1. When asked about the most serious challenge to global security and the threat that keeps him awake at night, he answered: the United States itself. This is a very unfamiliar and unsettling response. In his view, rather than being a reliable pillar in an unstable world, the U.S. has become the most serious source of instability and an uncertain model of democracy.

This critical stance was already evident in an essay he published on June 21 in Project Syndicate. He pointed out that when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, the Soviet Union and China also united in condemning the act and supported U.S. military intervention. However, regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine last February, the international community is divided and unable to present a unified front. He attributes this to intensified geopolitical competition among great powers and the decline of U.S. influence. The gains the U.S. enjoyed in 1990 have disappeared as other countries have grown stronger. The U.S. is no longer a hegemon but merely a leading power ahead of its competitors. Unity in the international community has become almost impossible to find. The post-Cold War era is more characterized by disorder and division than order.

Many foreign leaders often ask him about America's future. They wonder whether the Biden administration represents a return to a normal America with the Trump administration as an exception, or if Biden's presidency is the exception and Trumpism is the new face of America. Political violence occurs frequently for political reasons within the U.S., and political institutions operate contrary to their intended purposes. American society is divided more extremely than at any point in history.

Because of these domestic challenges, Haass, who has spent his life as an international affairs expert, has turned his attention primarily to domestic issues. He outlined his ideas for reducing internal threats in his book published this January, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens. He first calls for establishing a new civic consciousness that values not only rights but also duties. He argues that citizens need to be well-informed about how government functions and its policies, and furthermore, he calls for active citizen participation. Next, he emphasizes the need for a willingness to compromise and make concessions for the greater good, respect for others, rejection of violence, and a commitment to peaceful problem-solving. Moreover, he stresses the importance of promoting the public good, respecting government actions, supporting civic education, and fostering collective responsibility. Above all, he says prioritizing the nation over factionalism, ideology, and personal interests is crucial. He pledges to take the lead in cultivating this civic consciousness. He believes that when democracy functions smoothly in the U.S. based on this foundation, global peace and security will also become possible. Although this is by no means an easy task, it is intriguing to see what results his optimistic efforts will yield.

Kim Dong-gi, author of The Power of Geopolitics

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.