PAST EVENTS
Defending Democracy: John Avlon, Philip Bobbitt, Ian Kahn, Garry Kasparov, and Bret Stephens
The Common Good was proud to present a very important discussion with Garry Kasparov, Russian dissident and world chess champion, Bret Stephens, New York Times columnist, John Avlon, author of Washington’s Farewell and CNN anchor, Philip Bobbitt, constitutional law expert at Columbia University, and Ian Khan, who plays George Washington on AMC’s Turn.
The Common Good was proud to present a very important discussion with Garry Kasparov, Russian dissident and world chess champion, Bret Stephens, New York Times columnist, John Avlon, author of Washington’s Farewell and CNN anchor, Philip Bobbitt, constitutional law expert at Columbia University, and Ian Khan, who plays George Washington on AMC’s Turn. In our nation and across the globe, democracy is at risk. Leaders from left to right are increasingly alarmed as the central values and norms of liberal democracy are undermined or under outright attack. The US struggles with poisonous division and institutional sclerosis, far right parties are gaining traction in Europe, and Vladimir Putin tightens his authoritarian grip on Russia while subverting democracy abroad. These extraordinary thinkers will explore how we can defend and reinvigorate the best of our democratic values and culture, as the risks to democracy intensify across our nation.
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John Avlon is an author, columnist and commentator. He is a senior political analyst and fill-in anchor at CNN, appearing on New Day every morning. From 2013 to 2018, he was the editor-in-chief and managing director of The Daily Beast.He is the author of the books Independent Nation, Wingnuts, and Washington’s Farewell as well as co-editor of the acclaimed Deadline Artists journalism anthologies. Avlon served as chief speechwriter to New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and won the National Society of Newspaper Columnists award for best online column in 2012.
Philip C. Bobbitt is the Herbert Wechsler Professor of Federal Jurisprudence and director for the Center for National Security at Columbia Law School. He is one of the nation’s leading constitutional theorists. Bobbitt’s interests include not only constitutional law but also international security and the history of strategy. He has served as law clerk to the Honorable Henry J. Friendly; associate counsel to the president; the counselor on international law at the State Department; legal counsel to the Senate Iran-Contra Committee; and senior director for Critical Infrastructure and senior director for strategic planning at the National Security Council.
Ian Kahn recently starred as General George Washington in AMC’s critically acclaimed series Turn: Washington’s Spies, which recently completed its fourth and final season. Prior to landing the roe of the nation’s first president, Kahn appeared in numerous high-profile television series, including Sex and the City, Suits, Law & Order, Castle, The Unusuals and Shameless. Kahn has been speaking about his experience playing General Washington and how there is a direct connection to today, and our current political challenges, in venues around the country.
Garry Kasparov, one of the world’s greatest chess champions in history, fled Russia in 2013 after Putin’s crackdown on Kasparov’s and others’ reform efforts. Garry Kasparov joined The Common Good to discuss Russia and the dangers Vladimir Putin and his regime pose to the world. Kasparov serves as chairman of the Human Rights Foundation, and has authored numerous works on the Putin regime and artificial intelligence.
Bret Stephens is an op-ed columnist and associate editor for the New York Times. He previously worked for the Wall Street Journal, where he served concurrently as foreign-affairs columnist, deputy editorial page editor and member of the editorial board. Prior to that he was editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, a position he assumed in 2002 at the age of 28. Mr. Stephens has degrees from the University of Chicago and the London School of Economics, as well as three honorary doctorates.
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Facts and Fears: Hard Truths and Intelligence: James Clapper
One of the most important voices in the nation’s intelligence community, Jim Clapper decided to break his silence after living through Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and saw how the foundations of American democracy were — and continue to be — undermined by a foreign power.
The Common Good and the 92nd Street Y co-present a frank and important conversation with James Clapper, former Director of National Intelligence, moderated by John Berman, CNN.
One of the most important voices in the nation’s intelligence community, Jim Clapper decided to break his silence after living through Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and saw how the foundations of American democracy were — and continue to be — undermined by a foreign power.
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James Clapper will share his inside experience, honed through more than five decades in the intelligence profession, including nearly a decade as the nation’s top intelligence officer advising Presidents from both parties. Recently one of the 13 leaders around the nation who was targeted with a bomb, Clapper will discuss the escalation of cyber threats, disinformation campaigns through fake news, Russian or other foreign interference in U.S. election, and other national security challenges facing the United States.
The Honorable James R. Clapper served as the fourth U.S. Director of National Intelligence (DNI) from August 9, 2010 to January 20, 2017. In this position, Clapper led the United States Intelligence Community and served as the principal intelligence advisor to President Barack Obama.
Clapper retired in 1995 after a distinguished career in the U.S. Armed Forces. His career began in 1961 when he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and culminated as a lieutenant general in the U.S. Air Force and Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. His intelligence-related positions over his 32 years in uniform included Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence at Headquarters, U.S. Air Force during Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and Director of Intelligence for three combatant commands: U.S. Forces, Korea; Pacific Command; and Strategic Air Command. He served two combat tours during the Southeast Asia conflict, and flew 73 combat support missions in EC-47’s over Laos and Cambodia.
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"On the Fault Lines: Decision 2018" Midterm Elections Power Panel
The Common Good was proud to present an electrifying evening of predictions on the black swans and dark horses of this year’s election season - “On the Fault Lines: Decision 2018” Midterm Elections Power Panel, co-hosted by Hunter College. America decides ramifications of one of the most consequential elections in a generation.
The Common Good was proud to present an electrifying evening of predictions on the black swans and dark horses of this year’s election season - “On the Fault Lines: Decision 2018” Midterm Elections Power Panel, co-hosted by Hunter College. What are the ramifications of one of the most consequential elections in a generation?
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Haley Barbour, Founding Partner of BGR Group, returned to BGR in January 2012 after serving two consecutive terms as Governor of Mississippi, including two years as the Chairman of the Republican Governors Association. At BGR, he heads advocacy coalitions, lobbies on behalf of his clients and remains a major force in Republican party politics and elections. (1)
David Gergen served as a White House adviser to four U.S. presidents of both parties: Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton. He wrote about those experiences in his New York Times best-seller, Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership, Nixon to Clinton. He is currently a professor of public service and director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. Gergen has been a regular commentator on public affairs for some 30 years. He is a senior political analyst at CNN and was the former chief editor of the U.S. News & World Report
Ann Lewis is a Democratic political veteran, serving as the White House Director of Communications for President Bill Clinton from 1997-2000 and Senior Advisor to the campaigns of Hilary Rodham Clinton for Senate in 2000 and 2006, and for President in 2008. In 2016, she was Co-Chair of Jewish Women for Hillary. (3)
Gerald Seib is the Washington bureau chief for The Wall Street journal, responsible for the Journal’s news and analysis from the nation’s capitol. he writes a weekly column, “Capital Journal,” which brings an insightful, predictive and original understanding to politics, national affairs and foreign policy. Mr. Seib appears regularly on networks such as CNBC, Fox Business Network, CNN, and the BBC as a commentator on Washington affairs.
Nate Silver is the founder of the award-winning website FiveThirtyEight and a special correspondent for ABC News. Silver has established himself as today’s leading political statistician through his innovative analyses of political polling. He first gained national attention during the 2008 presidential election, when he correctly predicted the results of the presidential election in 49 of 50 states, along with all 35 U.S. Senate races. In 2012, FIveThirtyEight predicted the election outcome in all 50 states. In 2009, he was named one of Time’s 100 most influential people.
Gloria Borger is CNN's chief political analyst, appearing regularly on The Situation Room. Borger plays an instrumental role in the network's daily coverage while reporting on a variety of political and breaking news stories. Before joining CNN in September 2007, Borger was CBS News' national political correspondent and a contributor to CBS's Face the Nation, 60 Minutes II and the network's special events coverage. From 2002 to 2004, she was the co-anchor of CNBC's Capital Report. (6)
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(1) Material from the BGR Group website.
(3) Material from the Democratic Majority for Israel website.
(6) Material from the CNN website.
Water Conference in Paris
The Common Good was proud to assemble a delegation to join the international Conference on Water in Paris in partnership with the Netanya Academic College with the cooperation of European Leadership Network (ELNET), France-Israel Foundation (FIF), French-American Chamber of Commerce (FACC) and Veolia Environment S.A.
The Common Good was proud to assemble a delegation to join the international Conference on Water in Paris in partnership with the Netanya Academic College with the cooperation of European Leadership Network (ELNET), France-Israel Foundation (FIF), French-American Chamber of Commerce (FACC) and Veolia Environment S.A.
The conference was dedicated to advancing cutting-edge technological water solutions through regional and global cooperation in scarce water environments with an emphasis on Middle East water cooperation and issues. This important conversation on solutions to the impending water crisis and discover the innovative ways to tackle this threat brought forth leading scientists, officials, and organizations who are on the frontlines of this issue.
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Trump & Global Trade (Dis)order
The Common Good was pleased to present a special conversation on new trade policies and likely impacts with impacts with the Honorable Paula Stern, former Chairwoman, US International Trade Commission; President, The Stern Group. Changes in our own hemisphere and in Europe, and potentially upend US economic growth and destabilize markets— or alternatively, grow American jobs and vastly improve US economic interests.
The Common Good was pleased to present a special conversation on new trade policies and likely impacts with impacts with the Honorable Paula Stern, former Chairwoman, US International Trade Commission; President, The Stern Group. Changes in our own hemisphere and in Europe, and potentially upend US economic growth and destabilize markets— or alternatively, grow American jobs and vastly improve US economic interests.
2018 signaled “the beginnings of a war of a different type: a trade war , an investment war and technology the two great powers of the 21st century, with an uncertain landing point”, warned Kevin Rudd, former Prime Mister of Australia.
Dr, Stern will discuss this very timely and important topic—current American trade policy in the Trump Era. Hosted by Jonathan Barnett.
The Hon. Paula Stern, founder of The Stern Group inc., has served under both Democratic and Republican administrations, as Chairwoman of the US International Trade Commission (ITC), from 1984-1986, and a Commissioner for a nine-year term. Dr, Stern analyzed and voted and voted out on over 1,000 trade cases involving a broad range of industries and issues. At the time, she was the second highest-ranking woman in the executive branches of the US government Dr.Stern is a member of the US Department of Commerce’s Advisory Committee on Renewable Energy and Efficiency. She has also served on the US President’s Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiation.
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"North Korea: Progress or Stalemate?"
The Common Good was pleased to present a special briefing with Gordon Chang, leading North Korea expert and author. The stakes are high - for the Korean Peninsula, the nations of the far East and the United States.
The Common Good was pleased to present a special briefing with Gordon Chang, leading North Korea expert and author. The stakes are high - for the Korean Peninsula, the nations of the far East and the United States.
Gordon Chang discussed the crucial US- North Korea relations and examine next steps to avoid a nuclear showdown or other possible conflict.
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“Are they playing us? I don’t know..If they’re playing Trump, we’re going to be in a world of hurt, because he’s going to have no options left. This is the last, best chance for beace right here.”
“Chang knows Asia well, and has his eyes set on the long tem... In his eyes, it is the duty of the world’s dominant power to protect the international system from developing- world states seeking to go nuclear.”
Gordon Chang is a renowned expert on North Korea and China. Chang is the author of Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes On the World, and a columnist at The Daily Beast. He worked in China and Hong Kong for almost two decades as Counsel to Paul Weiss and Partner at Baker and McKenzie. Chang has briefed at the National Intelligence Council, the CIA, the State Department, U.S. Strategic Command, and the Pentagon. His writing on China and North Korea has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The National Interest, The American Conservative, The International Herald Tribune, Commentary, The Weekly Standard, National Review and Barron’s.
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The Assault on Intelligence: American National Security in an Age of Lies: General Michael Hayden
Hayden spoke about current US perils – from a nuclear North Korea, an emboldened Russia, a rising China, among others—and the effect of the assaults on the American intelligence agencies meant to defend us and on our democratic institutions.
The only person ever to lead both the CIA and NSA, General (Ret.) Michael Hayden, warns that the American intelligence community is being threatened by a breach in trust and the politicization of their work. Hayden spoke about current US perils – from a nuclear North Korea, an emboldened Russia, a rising China, among others—and the effect of the assaults on the American intelligence agencies meant to defend us and on our democratic institutions.
In the face of a President who lobs accusations without facts, evidence, or logic, truth tellers are under attack. Meanwhile, the world order is teetering on the brink. North Korea is on the verge of having a nuclear weapon that could reach all of the United States, Russians have mastered a new form of information warfare that undercuts democracy, and the role of China in the global community remains unclear. There will always be value to experience and expertise, devotion to facts, humility in the face of complexity, and a respect for ideas, but in this moment they seem more important, and more endangered, than they've ever been. American Intelligence--the ultimate truth teller--has a responsibility in a post-truth world beyond merely warning of external dangers, and in The Assault on Intelligence, General Michael Hayden takes up that urgent work with profound passion, insight and authority.
General Michael Hayden is a retired four-star general who served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. Hayden is currently a principal at the Chertoff Group and a distinguished visiting professor at the George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government. (1)
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(1) Material from The Chertoff Group website.
The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards 2018
What a phenomenal and inspiring day! Our experts led thought-provoking discussions on the most significant ideas and issues in the news today. Our awardees were moving and uplifting. While many of our speakers warned us of the challenges ahead, our awardees reminded us of the best of the American spirit.
What a phenomenal and inspiring day! Our experts led thought-provoking discussions on the most significant ideas and issues in the news today. Our awardees were moving and uplifting. While many of our speakers warned us of the challenges ahead, our awardees reminded us of the best of the American spirit.
“That was a very special day…Brilliant and interesting speakers, a wide variety of topics, an intimate setting—it was all so thoughtful and enjoyable, I wanted to thank you and to congratulate you.”
Michael R. Bloomberg presented Parkland student activist David Hogg with The Changemaker Scholarship for Citizen Activism with a quip from Mayor Bloomberg about the 17 year old senior: “When we were backstage he asked me what should I do and I said, well, start out by finishing high school.”
“David is a courageous and inspiring young man…Most of us can’t begin to imagine what David and his classmates went through but they refuse to become another statistic.”
“This battle will not take days or years, it will take lifetimes. And the only way we are going to get through it is not as partisans but as Americans.
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Joanna Coles, Chief Content Officer at Hearst Magazines, honored Fareed Zakaria, CNN anchor, author, and columnist, with the American Spirit Award for Thought Leadership.
“I’ve presented many awards in my life and I have to say it’s so much fun to present an award where the candidate actually deserves it.”
There was also a very moving special tribute to Robert F. Kennedy, and the American Spirit Award for Citizen Activism was given to Kerry Kennedy by Alec Baldwin.
“Daddy believed in the power of one, and, everywhere he travelled, he made a point of meeting with local activists, community organizers and student groups, because he understood how few will have the greatness to bend history itself. Instead, as you just heard, he believed all of us have a role in sending forth tiny ripples of hope. That is what citizen activism is all about.”
Conversation on domestic and foreign issues were sparked and explained by an array of guests who are experts on an array of topics from International Peace to Strategic Studies.
“I call Iran both the arsonist and the fire brigade in today’s Middle East because on one hand they fuel radicalism …At the same time, they’ve actually fought against radicalism.”
“Every country has its own Mafia. In Russia, the Mafia has its own country.”
“The real challenge for the Chinese government is…the basic bargain they have made with the Chinese people that as long as people continue to get more prosperous that they will not be political demanding, that they will accept the authoritarian control…in return for prosperity.”
“For the common good, it is terribly important we take this [drug abuse] epidemic on in a wise way with the right resources. This is a winnable win. We can do this.”
We were extremely proud and grateful to all of our outstanding participants: Antony Blinken, former Deputy Secretary of State; Congressman Mike Rogers, former Chair of the House Intel Committee; Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney; former Congressman David Jolly; Dr. Yascha Mounk, leading expert on the crisis in liberal democracy; Dr. Stephen Roach, economist at Yale University; Dr. Charles Armstrong, The Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Studies at Columbia University; John Della Volpe, Director of Polling at Harvard Kennedy School; Ambassador Jan Kickert, Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations; Susan Del Percio, Republican strategist and political commentator; Bill Schneider, leading political analyst and author; Mike Espy, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture; Ana Cabrera, anchor, CNN Newsroom; John Harwood, CNBC Chief Washington correspondent; Paula R. Stern, founder of Stern Group Inc.; Admiral (Ret.) James Winnefeld; Garry Kasparov, world champion chess player; Karim Sadjadpour, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; and Dr. Kori Schake, Deputy Director-General of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
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Special Discussion with Michael Morell - March 1, 2018
The Common Good was pleased to present an important off-the-record conversation with Michael Morell, former Acting Director and Deputy Director of the CIA, with Jeh Johnson, former Security of Homeland Security. Morell discussed the most worrying dangers to national security and how current US policy does not align well to meet these perils.
The Common Good was pleased to present an important off-the-record conversation with Michael Morell, former Acting Director and Deputy Director of the CIA, with Jeh Johnson, former Security of Homeland Security.
Morell discussed the most worrying dangers to national security and how current US policy does not align well to meet these perils. He will cover global conflict zones from China, North Korea, Russia and Middle East with particular emphasis on the rising threats from the Pacific Rim area.
Michael Morell is the former CIA Acting Director and Deputy Director, has a great depth of experience in intelligence and foreign policy with over three decades in the CIA. He has receiver the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the Agency’s highest honor, for his role in the successful operation to take down Osama bin Laden, and authored the New York Times best-seller The Great War Of Our Time. He is also a Senior National Security Contributor for CBS News and a regular op-ed writer on foreign policy, as well as a member of the council on Foreign Relations and American Economic Association.
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Why Democracy is Failing to Deliver Economic Growth and How to Fix It: Dambisa Moyo
The Common Good is pleased to present a special discussion with acclaimed economist Dambisa Moyo, generously hosted by Jonathan Barnet, Guggenheim Partners. Dambisa Moyo takes a look at the difficulties in the political arena and new economic challenges and offers solutions to jump-start economic growth by reforms for our democracy. All of this is part of her very provocative new book, Edge of Chaos.
The Common Good is pleased to present a special discussion with acclaimed economist Dambisa Moyo, generously hosted by Jonathan Barnet, Guggenheim Partners. Dambisa Moyo takes a look at the difficulties in the political arena and new economic challenges and offers solutions to jump-start economic growth by reforms for our democracy. All of this is part of her very provocative new book, Edge of Chaos.
In Edge of Chaos, Dambisa Moyo sets out the new political and economic challenges facing the world, and the specific, radical solutions needed to resolve these issues and reignite global growth. Dambisa enumerates the four headwinds of demographics, inequality, commodity scarcity and technological innovation that are driving social and economic unrest, and argues for a fundamental retooling of democratic capitalism to address current problems and deliver better outcomes in the future. In the twenty-first century, a crisis in one country can quickly become our own, and fragile economies produce a fragile international community. Edge of Chaos is a warning for advanced and emerging nations alike: we must reverse the dramatic erosion in growth, or face the consequences of a fragmented and unstable global future.
“Moyo’s book is provocative and of much interest to advocates of growth. Moyo clearly identifies systemic problems that the democracies-or what’s left of them-would do well to address.”
“An intriguing partnership of economic policy and political reforms for solving stagnating economic growth in the West.”
“Edge of Chaos gets seriously edgy”
Dr. Dambisa Moyo is a pre-eminent thinker, who influences key decision-makers in strategic investment and public policy. She is respected for her unique perspectives, her balance of contrarian thinking with measured judgment, and her ability to turn economic insight into investable ideas.
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The C.I.A. and America's Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan: Steve Coll
The Common Good was pleased to present a special discussion with the inestimable Steve Coll. Coll briefed us on America’s covert involvement in Afghanistan and Pakistan and its impact on our intervention there, as detailed in his recent New York Times best seller, Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America’s Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan
The Common Good was pleased to present a special discussion with Steve Coll, Pulitzer Price-winning journalist, Dean of Columbia School of Journalism, and staff writer at The New Yorker, generously hosted by Rubén Kraiem, Partner, Covington & Burling. Coll briefed us on America’s covert involvement in Afghanistan and Pakistan and its impact on our intervention there, as detailed in his recent New York Times best seller, Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America’s Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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Coll knows the true story of this regional conflict — how our own intelligence and military services have often been at odds with each other, the nature of Pakistan’s often duplicitous relationship with the US, as seen in efforts by Pakistan’s spy agency, ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), and their covert support for the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Coll’s analysis of these covert operations is extremely timely as we remain enmeshed in the region.
“The dance of blame, with the US swaying at one moment towards Pakistan and the next towards Afghanistan, is a choreography familiar to CIA chiefs, US presidents and writers who have tackled the subject. Coll refuses to follow this tired tune, and the result is masterful”
Steve Coll was appointed Dean of Columbia Journalism School in 2013 after serving as president of New America Foundation (2007-2012. He joined The New Yorker as a staff writer in 2005 and continues to write for the publication on politics, national security, and the media. Coll is also the author of eight nonfiction books, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, and a former reporter, foreign correspondent and senior editor at the Washington Post (1985-2005).
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Special Screening of “Letters from Baghdad” and Panel Discussion
The Common Good was pleased to present a special screening of the film, “Letter from Baghdad,” followed by a panel discussion with moderator Alex Witt, MSNBC anchor, the film’s award-winning filmmakers, Sabine Krayenbühl & Zeva Oelbaum, and former Middle East bureau chief at Newsday, Mohamad Bazzi.
The Common Good was pleased to present a special screening of the film, “Letter from Baghdad,” followed by a panel discussion with moderator Alex Witt, MSNBC anchor, the film’s award-winning filmmakers, Sabine Krayenbühl & Zeva Oelbaum, and former Middle East bureau chief at Newsday, Mohamad Bazzi.
“Letter from Baghdad” is the story of a true original-Gertrude Bell- who was sometime called “female” Lawrence of Arabia. Bell shaped the modern Middle East after World War 1 in ways that still reverberate today. She was arguably the most powerful woman In the British empire in her day. The film is narrated and executive produced by Academy Award-winning actor Tilda Swinton.
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“Letters from Baghdad provides a sturdy, often exhilarating bridge between the present and a past that not only isn’t distant, but isn’t even really past. ”
“Letters from Baghdad reaffirms Bell’s legacy as pivotal in the West’s understanding of the Middle East ”
Sabine Krayenbühl (Director/Editor) is an award winning editor with over 20 theatrical documentaries and narrative features to her credit, many of which have premiered at prestigious festivals around the world. Her work includes Oscar and Independent Spirit Award nominated My Architect for which she received an American Cinema Editors (ACE) Eddie Award nomination. (1)
Zeva Oelbaum (Director/Producer) is an award winning producer and photographer. She recently produced Ahead of Time, a feature documentary about centenarian journalist Ruth Gruber which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival before garnering six Best Documentary awards. Her photographs are in international public collections including the Bibliothèque nationale de France and The Brooklyn Museum and two monographs of her work have been published by Rizzoli Int’l Publishers. (1)
Mohamad Bazzi is adjunct senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He is also an assistant professor of journalism at New York University, where he teaches international reporting. He was the 2007-2008 Edward R. Murrow press fellow at CFR. (2)
Alex Witt hosts the MSNBC show “MSNBC live with Alex Witt” on Saturday’s and Sundays. In the wake of the September 11th attacks on America, Witt broadcast from the world Trade Center and has continued to follow the war on terrorism in the Middle East and in Iraq. Alex was a Consultant on the third and final season of Aaron Sorkin “The Newsroom” on HBO.
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(1) Material from the Letters from Baghdad website.
(2) Material from the Council on Foreign Relations.
A Conversation with Rob Riemen, “To Fight Against This Age: On Fascism and Humanism”
The Common Good presented a special conversation with Rob Riemen, public intellectual and founder of the Nexus Institute in Amsterdam. Riemen offered a thoughtful meditation on the rise of authoritarian and xenophobic strains in many corners of contemporary Europe and beyond, and how the romanticization of authoritarianism in the western societies contributes to the steady erosion of democratic ideals.
The Common Good presented a special conversation with Rob Riemen, public intellectual and founder of the Nexus Institute in Amsterdam. Riemen offered a thoughtful meditation on the rise of authoritarian and xenophobic strains in many corners of contemporary Europe and beyond, and how the romanticization of authoritarianism in the western societies contributes to the steady erosion of democratic ideals. We ignore the new global changes at our own peril, is a warning that Riemen has sounded for some time that resonance in our hemisphere as well. Reimen’s latest book, “To Fight Against This Age: On Fascism and Humanism”, is already a bestseller in many countries.
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“Extremely relevant, urgent call to receive true democracy and acknowledge the perils of the fascist ideology”
“This is a book for the people who want the West to regain its moral high ground, and who want to think hard about how to help help achieve that. ”
“Rob Riemen is one of the great modern champions of the enlightenment and the best of its legacy. ”
Rob Riemen, a European public intellectual and cultural critic, is the founder, president and CEO of the Nexus Institute, a leading international center for philosophical debate and and intellectual discourse. The Nexus Institute was founded in 1994 by Riemen to stimulate intellectual debate in the European tradition of humanism. The Nexus Institute is widely acknowledged for the quality of its insight into contemporary issues and an approach that offers the appreciation of the humanistic culture and philosophy as a counterweight to the dominance of commercial values in today’s society. Riemen has lectured around the world and is also an international best-selling author with a number of critically acclaimed publications.
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“Trump – Year One” Panel
The Common Good hosted a panel of specialists for a stimulating examination of one of the most extraordinary first 12 months in modern presidential history. We brought the best and the brightest to break it down – with questions like; What is the impact of this President on our politics, on our institutions, on our economy, on our democratic norms and values, on our international power and prestige? Where are we now? Where are we headed?
The Common Good hosted a panel of specialists for a stimulating examination of one of the most extraordinary first 12 months in modern presidential history.
We brought the best and the brightest to break it down – with questions like; What is the impact of this President on our politics, on our institutions, on our economy, on our democratic norms and values, on our international power and prestige? Where are we now? Where are we headed?
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Douglas Brinkley is an award-winning presidential historian and best-selling author covering American Presidents including Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan. He is currently professor of history at Rice University and a CNN Presidential Historian. The Chicago Tribune has dubbed him “America’s new past master.”
Roger Cohen is a New York Times columnist with an international perspective. Cohen was a foreign correspondent for more than a decade before becoming foreign editor of the New York Times, and has been a columnist there since 2009. Mr. Cohen has written several books including: “Hearts Grown Brutal: Sagas of Sarajevo,” an account of the wars of Yugoslavia’s destruction, co-authored a biography of Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, and a family memoir. Raised in South Africa and England, he is a naturalized American.
David Frum is Senior Editor at the Atlantic Monthly. He served as a speechwriter and special assistant to President George W. Bush, and later a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, He is the author of nine books, including the New York Times bestseller The Right Man. David Frum’s latest book is Trumpocracy: The Corruption of the American Republic. Frum has been listed as one of the most influential public intellectuals in North America.
Dana Perino served as White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush. She currently serves as co-host of FOX News Channel’s “The Five” and anchors “The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino.” While at the network, Perino has contributed to live top-rated election and political coverage. She is the president of Dana Perino and Company, and a frequent public speaker on political trends.
Edward Rollins has long been considered one of America’s premier political strategists and communication experts. He has managed political campaigns for candidates and initiatives in this country and around the world. Mr. Rollins managed President Ronald Reagan’s 49 state landslide reelection campaign in 1984 in which President Reagan won more electoral votes than any President in history.
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The Common Good has been hosting events since 2006 that cover important issues of today, highlighting speakers who have worked to bolster our democracy and can provide great insight on the issues that matter.