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This week, we launched The Ideas Letter, a new online magazine and newsletter that delivers political and cultural perspectives to readers who are open to the unconventional.
With commissioned pieces and curated articles from other sources, The Ideas Letter provides contributions from across ideological and intellectual aisles, from a range of disciplines, intended to bolster debate around issues of consequence.
It’s the first project of its kind for Open Society and is shaped by the spirit of our mission to support free expression and intellectual exchange—as imbued by our founder, George Soros.
“No one person or institution has a monopoly on the truth, and that is why The Ideas Letter is so crucial. It promotes diverse perspectives, some of which we may not agree with, but always ones that seek to challenge our thinking,” said Binaifer Nowrojee, president of the Open Society Foundations.
The latest issue is a special edition, entitled “America in Decline?” It brings together 10 distinguished writers from around the globe to examine one central question—whether America is truly in decline or undergoing a creative transformation.
See below for a preview of the issue, then sign up to receive the latest issues at theideasletter.org.
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Mexico’s future is highly dependent on the U.S., especially in the context of growing Chinese power. Two U.S. strategies—nationalist isolationism and liberal internationalism—present contrasting implications: the former could lead to greater uncertainty for Mexico, economic nationalism, and increased hostility toward immigrants, while the latter may offer a more cooperative relationship with opportunities for negotiated benefits. Ultimately, Mexico’s dependency on the United States limits its ability to chart its own geo-economic path, making it crucial for Mexico to carefully navigate these dynamics.
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In Jordan and other Arab countries, America’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza, despite international condemnation and calls for a ceasefire, is seen as complicity; the U.S. is perceived as an enabler of violence and oppression against Palestinians. Cynicism, disillusionment, and anger are spreading across the Arab region, and younger generations, feeling that peaceful solutions are unlikely, are increasingly indignant and hopeless.
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India has long had a love/hate relationship with American power. Prime Minister Nehru was grateful for President Roosevelt’s support of Indian independence, but nevertheless remained strongly protective of his country’s strategic autonomy in the postwar period. The Green Revolution flourished in India, while the country steadfastly resisted American pressure to get on its side during the Cold War. More currently, America’s shifting global role and contradictions in its advocacy for democratic values have diminished its influence in India.
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From the Russian perspective, there are two kinds of West. One is heir to the imperialists of old, hellbent on constraining Russia’s growth and subjugating the world. The other is morally decadent, overrun by migrants and suffering permanent decline. One is typified by America, the other by Europe. One is Rome, the other Babylon. Any understanding of Russia’s future must grapple with how the country sees the two Wests.
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