Greetings and Belated Happy New Year,

The turn of the calendar left little time or space for us to wonder whether 2020 would hasten the peace (or relaxation) for which so many of us had hoped during our respective holiday celebrations. 

President Trump’s decision on January 2 to further escalate tensions in the region by assassinating Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad left no doubt that the United States would continue its march of folly in the Middle East. American actions raised ever higher the spectre of another protracted, deadly, and avoidable war in the region this year. 

The prospects for escalation are rightfully terrifying.  And they must be a call to action.

These events underscore both why and how Quincy Institute must rise to the challenge of this moment by plotting a new path forward in which war is the exception-- not the default-- for U.S. engagement in the world. We must break this vicious cycle by raising a voice that is pragmatic and principled and impassioned-- one that demands that the promise to “end endless war” evolve beyond partisan rhetoric to take on the force of a movement that represents the beliefs of the majority of Americans and that holds our leaders to account. 

As humbled as we are by the work that lies ahead of us, we are also proud to report to you that QI’s work to fundamentally change the shape of the public debate of foreign policy in this country ramped up in earnest this week. Confronted with the prospects of the first major military escalation in the month since we officially opened our doors, QI hit the ground running in the media.