National Insecurity

From the Middle East to Eastern Europe, crises grip the globe. A growing group of rivals and dangerous non-state actors now pose an array of new threats to the international order. With instability on the rise, eyes turn to the United States and President Barack Obama for steady stewardship. Can the U.S. answer the call to action?

In National Insecurity, David Rothkopf explores how the two most recent presidents and their advisers navigated a changing world in the wake of 9/11. From their stinging failures to their soaring successes, he envisions a path forward, for the U.S. to reassert its leadership and return balance to the global order.

David talked with former national security advisers Zbigniew Brzezinski and Brent Scowcroft and former White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten about the trends and challenges for U.S. foreign policy outlined in his book. The panel discussion was followed by a reception.

Joshua Bolten

Joshua Bolten is managing director of Rock Creek Global Advisers. He served as White House chief of staff to President George W. Bush from 2006–2009, and as director of the Office of Management and Budget from 2003–2006.

Zbigniew Brzezinski

Zbigniew Brzezinski served as national security adviser to President Jimmy Carter from 1977–1981. He is the author of several acclaimed books on foreign policy, most recently, Strategic Visions: America and The Crisis of Global Power.

Brent Scowcroft

Brent Scowcroft is president of The Scowcroft Group. He served as national security adviser to Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush from 1975–1977 and from 1989–1993.

David Rothkopf

David Rothkopf is the CEO and editor of the FP Group, publishers of Foreign Policy. He is president and CEO of Garten Rothkopf, an international advisory firm specializing in transformational trends. He is a visiting scholar at Carnegie, where he chairs the Carnegie Economic Strategy Roundtable.