Illuminating the Arts-Policy Nexus 

co-sponsored with Demos

 

Tuesday, June 17

 

Moderated by World Policy Journal Editor David A. Andelman

 

As America struggles with the question of how to create stability and peace in Iraq and extract itself from an unpopular war, Winning the Peace offers lessons from the example of Europe after World War II.

 

Sixty years after Secretary of State George Marshall called on the United States to come to the aid of war-ravaged Europe, politicians of every stripe have invoked the Marshall Plan in support of programs aimed at using American wealth to extend the nation's power and influence, solve intractable third-world economic problems, and combat world hunger and disease. Pointing out the crucial principles from that success story, Mills emphasizes the need to base any contemporary plan on solid knowledge of the region involved, strong relationships with beneficiary nations, and a flexible approach to achieving limited and realistic goals.

 

In Winning the Peace, Nicolaus Mills explores the Marshall Plan in all its dimensions, providing a valuable lesson in what America can and cannot do as a superpower and in the limits of military force alone. Can the Marshall Plan serve as a useful template for future successful American foreign policy initiatives?

 

Panelist Biographies

 

Nicolaus Mills is professor of American Studies at Sarah Lawrence, an editorial board member of Dissent, and a contributor to the American Prospect, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times. His previous books include Like a Holy Crusade: Mississippi 1964, The Triumph of Meanness, sAmerica's War Against Its Better Self, and Their Last Battle: The Fight for the National World War II Memorial.

 

Discussant and Moderator David A. Andelman, who assumed the editorship of World Policy Journal in June 2008, is a veteran journalist who has reported from more than 50 countries. His latest book is A Shattered Peace: Versailles 1919 and the Price We Pay Today.