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THREAD 1/n: Here is the first installment of ideas from a new, non-partisan group for progressives looking to start a debate about what British foreign policy should look like over the next decade and how we might get there. https://redbutton.substack.com/p/do-you-feel-safe
2. We know our weapon systems might be top notch, our nuclear program might be state of the art, and our counter-terror capabilities might be unrivalled, but how is any of that keeping us safe right now?
The emperor is armed to the teeth but he has no clothes.
The emperor is armed to the teeth but he has no clothes.
3. What was over there, is now here. The coronavirus may have come from abroad, but now it's in our homes; foreign policy is quite literally domestic policy, the line between the two erased. Indeed, all we have now is our coronavirus policy.
4. Ultimately our leaders and institutions, in the UK, and all around the world, failed us. They were told, again and again and again, that a global pandemic was coming. But they failed to prevent the preventable.
5. This is a change moment. There could not be a more critical juncture in our lifetimes.
We have the opportunity to reshape the world as happened from 1919 and 1945 - but this time thankfully without the trauma of war.
So here are 7 ideas to get started:
We have the opportunity to reshape the world as happened from 1919 and 1945 - but this time thankfully without the trauma of war.
So here are 7 ideas to get started:
๐ข) ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐๐ก ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ค
We cannot compete with nativists by resorting to the ideas and institutions of globalists-past.
We cannot compete with nativists by resorting to the ideas and institutions of globalists-past.
๐ข๐ข) ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ-๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง'๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ
Internationalism will only be as strong as its resonance with peopleโs domestic realities.
Internationalism will only be as strong as its resonance with peopleโs domestic realities.
๐ข๐ข๐ข) ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐ฉ๐ฅ๐
The worldโs societies and governments wonโt agree on everything. However, the costly shocks from coronavirus should push our shared interest in mitigating risks to the top of the agenda.
The worldโs societies and governments wonโt agree on everything. However, the costly shocks from coronavirus should push our shared interest in mitigating risks to the top of the agenda.
๐ข๐ฏ) ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ค ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฌ
We cannot address global challenges until we escape the temporal straitjacket of political and media cycles. A truly preventive agenda thinks, acts and invests over decades and generations, not every 4-5 years.
We cannot address global challenges until we escape the temporal straitjacket of political and media cycles. A truly preventive agenda thinks, acts and invests over decades and generations, not every 4-5 years.
๐ฏ) ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ฌ; ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐
Crises reveal and exacerbate inequalities, our political responses have the potential to equalise them.
Crises reveal and exacerbate inequalities, our political responses have the potential to equalise them.
๐ฏ๐ข) ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ.
Itโs powerful stuff: We are collectively organising to care for vulnerable neighbours we have never spoken to.
A shared experience means that fertile channels exist to build solidarity.
Itโs powerful stuff: We are collectively organising to care for vulnerable neighbours we have never spoken to.
A shared experience means that fertile channels exist to build solidarity.
๐ฏ๐ข๐ข) ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ
We need to figure out how to shift foreign policy institutions from working on individual problems to working on how different problems interact with one another.
We need to figure out how to shift foreign policy institutions from working on individual problems to working on how different problems interact with one another.
6/END. These ideas were informed by informal discussions weโve hosted over the past fortnight. Weโll be hosting more in the coming weeks. So if youโre interested in being part of the conversation, this is the only red button you should be pressing: https://redbutton.substack.com/p/coming-soon
