Featuring Elizabeth Cobbs, Producer and Writer, American Umpire; with comments by Derek Chollet, Counselor and Senior Advisor, Security and Defense Policy, German Marshall Fund; Heather Hurlburt, Director of New Models of Policy Change, New America; and Thomas Wright, Fellow and Director of the Project on International Order and Strategy, Brookings Institution; moderated by Christopher Preble, Vice President for Defense and Foreign Policy Studies, Cato Institute.
Since the end of World War II, the United States has played a
unique role in the world. It defended war-ravaged nations, enabling
them to rebuild, and led a global coalition during the Cold War.
Today it continues to provide security for other nations against a
number of threats, from a rising China to non-state actors such as
ISIS and al Qaeda. Washington also tries to adjudicate disputes,
much as a baseball umpire ensures that the players obey the rules
of the game.
The United States and the rest of the world have benefited, but
it has come at a cost. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have caused
millions of Americans to question the nation’s global role. A new
documentary, American Umpire, explores how the United States
assumed these responsibilities in the first place. Then, through a
series of interviews with prominent policymakers, scholars,
military leaders, and journalists, it considers possible options
for the future. Writer and producer Elizabeth Cobbs will join us
for a special screening of the film, followed by a discussion, with
a distinguished panel of experts, of its implications for U.S.
foreign policy. Please join us.
This film screening will not be livestreamed. Join the
conversation on Twitter using #AmericanUmpire. Follow@CatoEventson Twitter to get future event updates, live streams, and
videos from the Cato Institute.
