Experts met at the Bush School to discuss the volatile state of world politics and the kinds of foreign policy challenges the United States is expected to face in the coming years.
Tuesday April 4, the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation and The Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs at the George Bush School hosted “The Unravelling of International Order: The Coming Crisis America Will Face,” a lecture which addressed international challenges. The event started at 5pm and  featured presentations from former Ambassador John Negroponte and Stanford University international relations professor Stephen Krasner.
Professor Andrew S. Natsios is the Director of the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs at the Bush School and a former Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. He said although these issues are international affairs, American citizens should still be concerned.
“It is clear that the structure of power of the world is under stress,” Natsios said. “The Trump administration has called for large cuts in foreign aid programs, which has shifted America’s role in the world. There is a tendency for Americans to be inwardly focused….We should be more focused on foreign affairs because despite what people say now, we are still the greatest nation of the world and we have the greatest influence.”
Krasner is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace. During his presentation, Krasner said access to particularly dangerous weapons has altered the balance of power around the world, resulting in a current age of uncertainty.
“I do think the issue for direct American national security is the combination of failed states in some areas…coupled with transnational terrorism because you have ungoverned spaces in these areas were groups like Al Qaeda or ISIS can train and propagate,” Krasner said. “Because of nuclear weapons and potential biological weapons, very weak states like North Korea could potentially kill numbers of people that are like the numbers of people that have been killed in wars in the past.”
Krasner continued to speak about the threat of ISIS and said he hopes the current presidential administration will handle the issue and prevent the further unravelling of world order.
“If the Trump Administration is able to defeat ISIS, it would absolutely be a good thing,” Krasner said. “ISIS’s success in taking over Iraq and Syria have clearly led to these radical islamic groups being more attractive. I don’t know if he’s going to be able to do it. I’m not sure what will happen.”
Negroponte served twice on the National Security Council Staff, in addition to being the Deputy National Security Advisor under President Reagan. He explained his concerns with the renegotiation of North American Free Trade Agreement and the impact its renegotiation could have on the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico.
“The more contact that happens between Mexican and American officials, I think the higher the confidence level there will be in the outlook of NAFTA,” Negroponte said. “I’m optimistic that we’ll work something out.”
Negroponte was the Ambassador to Mexico during the time NAFTA was negotiated. He said this was one of the most important alliances in his public service career and hopes it will remain that way.
“I was in San Antonio when President Bush, President Salinas and Prime Minister Mulroney signed the agreement,” Negroponte said. “I think it’s a big deal and I think most Texans understand the importance of the economic relationship with Mexico.”