Discussion Forums » Topic of the Month
Topic for November 2020 - Foreign Affairs
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Our topic for November and our proposed agenda is:
Foreign Affairs and the UK’s future role in the world
- How has the USA with Trump affected the world order and what should Biden be doing?
- How should/will his presidency affect us in the UK and how should we work together?
- What will be the impact on International Trade and what is our role?
- How powerful/influential is the UK? Can/should we assume a leadership role in the world?
- How do we see the world situation? What are the threats and what are the opportunities?
- What should our attitude be to China and Russia? Can we bridge fundamental differences?
- What should our role and relationship be with and within Europe
- Who has the real power and influence in today’s world and over the next 20 years? What are the levers of that power, hard and soft? Are there any countries where we think our foreign policy needs adjusting?
- What do we think of our international institutions such as United Nations, WHO, World Bank, WTO, IMF and western international groupings such as NATO, G7?
- What should we be doing about state cyber warfare and terrorism?
- How has the USA with Trump affected the world order and what should Biden be doing?
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The UK's role in the new world order (post-pandemic and post-brexit) may mean that the UK has to work closer with the US to build its world share and concentrate less on pointing US armaments at the former Soviet block. If possible the UK should seek even more trans-Atlantic collaboration and do less of putting its arms around its IP and patents. WRT to international trade the UK should seek to show itself as a free and maybe radical thinker, willing to rise and meet any challenges that the 'new world order' and gig-economy sends its way.
The days of the UK's influence extending to where was coloured pink on the political map of the world might well be over and we can tread a more meaningful route to tomorrow by lubricating any frictional areas we come across without being a doormat at the same time.
The new world order may mean that the traditional roles for the victors after WW2 (e.g. US/USSR/UK et cet.) have to be lessened and relationships with western, central and eastern Europe developed in novel and potentially NATO compromising ways. WRT to the 'far eastern' countries the UK needs to develop relationships and bolster foreign policy in this regard.
The trans-national institutions are just that - sometimes 'institutionalised' in their thinking i.e. they rarely think of new or novel ways of doing things - it's the old world order, this is the new world order, this is today.
WRT cyber-terrorism et cet. as the crims get more clued-up so should central government and large organisations - we seek to defend ourselves from intercontinental ballistic missiles and the like and as a nation we should take similar defensive actions to minimise the effects of state (backed) terrorism.
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I'd certainly try to keep a weather-eye on things, if not actively join in - I feel we're at a bit of a cross-roads (not just a new PUSA, Brexit and Covid) but how is society to deal with the gig economy, changes in working patterns and altered international relations? I don't know and would be interested to hear other members ideas.