Martin Walker is very good at describing in summary form what Michael Mandelbaum advocates in his book: “He explains cooly and clearly the various ways in which the United States now functions asa global government, offering the planet the services of physical security, commercial regulation, financial stability and legal recourse that are normally provided by national governments to their citzens.”

While Mandelbaum identfies the growing weaknesses in America’s leading management role and points with alarm to the growing doemstic bill that America is generating now and for the future in the out-of-control social spending, Mandelbaum argues that there is no credible alternative to the American role as, “linchpin and guarantor of the global system.”

Is it that simple? To the degree America asserts leadership international stability is assured and to the degree it does not – growing chaos can be expected?

The Global Institutional Reform Workshop (GIR) or at least the label that we settled on (it’s royal “we” I’m afraid – I thought it up, I admit) began as an idea when I realized the release of a number of reports and analyses in close proximity, e.g. Sutherland, High Level Panel, 2020.   These reports looked at the future of global security and economic relations.   It will not come as a big surprise that most of these Reports struck me as inadequate.   That being said, I thought it was vital that a conscientious group of experts – you examine the reports and bring an assessment and evaluations that seemed to be missing from the immediate efforts.  

With the assistance of a number of our CIGI colleagues, Daniel Schwanen in particular, we launched an initial session in September 2006 at CIGI in Waterloo Canada.   CIGI is the place for us to undertake such a Project.   With a mandate Continue reading →