America's Lost World: Leonard Benardo and Ivan Krastev for PS On Point

Leonard Benardo and Ivan Krastev review two recent books examining the country's post-war cultural boom and bust. [View this message in a web browser]( [PS On Point]( SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 The idea of America as a cultural wellspring and bastion of freedom was a construct of the Cold War. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Americans increasingly have struggled to articulate what they really stand for, write Leonard Benardo of the Open Society Foundations and Ivan Krastev of the Center for Liberal Strategies. [Read more](. On Point [America's Lost World]( [America's Lost World]( By Leonard Benardo and Ivan Krastev Two recent books recounting – and eulogizing – America's receding political hegemony show how the Cold War embedded the country's value commitments and cultural innovation in its "brand" and why victory has led to retreat. A society that no longer knows what it stands for has little to share with the rest of the world. [Read more]( [Special-Edition Magazine: New Summits]( The Big Picture [Stagflation Ahead?]( [Stagflation Ahead?]( Featuring Nouriel Roubini, Kenneth Rogoff, John H. Cochrane, and more The recent sharp slowdown in economic growth and surge of inflation have rekindled grim memories of the 1970s. Is the global economy heading into another perfect stagflationary storm, or will policymakers manage to navigate a safer course? [Read more]( Say More [An Interview with Fawaz A. Gerges]( [An Interview with Fawaz A. Gerges]( [Fawaz A. Gerges]( specifies what the West owes Afghanistan, considers the likely regional impact of the Taliban’s return to power, and offers historical insights that could help to guide a peaceful reordering of Middle Eastern politics. Gerges is Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and the author of several books, including the forthcoming The Hundred Years’ War for Control of the Middle East: From Sykes-Picot to the Deal of the Century, and the newly revised ISIS: A History. [Read more]( Previously in On Point [The Calm Heat of German Politics]( [The Calm Heat of German Politics]( By Helmut K. Anheier It will be no small feat to fill outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel's shoes, but many of Germany's leading politicians have welcomed the challenge. With the most promising candidates occupying various positions in the political center, Merkel's brand of change amid stability is likely to continue. [Read more]( [The Real Risks of Australia's Submarine Deal]( [The Real Risks of Australia's Submarine Deal]( By Gareth Evans The new AUKUS agreement does not mean, as some Australian commentators have asserted, that the country has now finally “taken sides” against China. Australia's primary security relationship is with the US, and its primary economic relationship is with China – and there is no reason to change that now. [Read more]( [PS. The latest on economics for less than $9 a month.]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( Project Syndicate publishes and provides, on a not-for-profit basis, original commentary by the world's leading thinkers to more than 500 media outlets in over 150 countries. This newsletter is a service of [Project Syndicate](. [Change your newsletter preferences](. Follow us on [Facebook]( [Twitter]( and [YouTube](. © Project Syndicate, all rights reserved. [Unsubscribe from all newsletters](.