Is This the End of the Liberal International Order?
The Munk Debate on Geopolitics
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Publisher Description
The twentieth semi-annual Munk Debate pits Niall Ferguson against Fareed Zakaria to debate the end of the liberal international order.
Since the end of World War II, global affairs have been shaped by the increasing free movement of people and goods, international rules setting, and a broad appreciation of the mutual benefits of a more interdependent world. Together these factors defined the liberal international order and sustained an era of rising global prosperity and declining international conflict. But now, for the first time in a generation, the pillars of liberal internationalism are being shaken to their core by the reassertion of national borders, national interests, and nationalist politics across the globe. Can liberal internationalism survive these challenges and remain the defining rules-based system of the future? Or, are we witnessing the beginning of the end of the liberal international order?
The twentieth semi-annual Munk Debate, held on April 28th, 2017, pits prominent historian Niall Ferguson against CNN’s Fareed Zakaria to debate the future of liberal internationalism.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This provocative book is a record of a rousing public debate between author and journalist Fareed Zakaria and historian, filmmaker, and author Niall Ferguson, examining whether the liberal globalization that has shaped post-WWII international alignments can survive "an era of rising nationalism, protectionism, and populism." It was the 2017 edition of the Munk Debates, which are held annually in Toronto and aim to provide a forum for leading observers to discuss global public policy. Ferguson argues that the liberal order is over because it was neither liberal nor orderly. The primary beneficiary of this order, he notes, has been decidedly illiberal China. Moreover, globalization has primarily benefited elites at the top of the knowledge economy while leaving many workers behind. Zakaria counters that the liberal order is still intact and that, in fact, the post-WWII era saw greater stability and more sustained prosperity globally than any other time in history. While he recognizes the problems of inequality and corruption, Zakaria believes that stresses and strains in the liberal order do not portend its demise. Regardless of whether the cases made here sway opinions, readers interested in this important and timely question will devour both men's intelligent and thought-provoking arguments.
