Professors from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College’s (ABAC) history and government department held a roundtable discussion on foreign policy as part of the Jess Usher lecture series.
Dr. Catherine funk, Dr. James Galt-Brown, and Dr. Joseph Njoroge analyzed several conflicts occurring across the world, while Dr. John cable moderated the discussion. The discussion was free to attend for everyone. Bainbridge students were also able to listen on a video call.
The main topic of the discussion was whether global conflicts—such as the war in Ukraine and the war between Israel and Hamas—were leading up to a third world war.
“Do we have a world war pending, or do we simply have a world with a lot of war?” said Galt-Brown, of the many conflicts discussed.
Professors and students also discussed whether the US should step away from its role as a hegemonic power, meaning politically or socially dominant, and allow other nations to fill in the gaps.
“The world is still a scary place,” said Njoroge. “The reason nations go to war is to maintain their own security. Because we don’t have a world government, the world has always needed a hegemonic power to maintain peace,” Njoroge continued.
“We are tired, we are war weary,” said Funk. However, she cautioned against pursuing full isolationism, saying, “If you leave the table, you automatically lose.”
Njoroge agreed, saying “Whoever runs the world gets all the benefits from it.”
While a variety of conflicts were discussed, such as the Tigray war in Ethiopia, which—despite seeing a temporary ceasefire brokered by the African Union—has seen conflict bleed into neighboring countries; much of the discussion centered on the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.
“Two years ago, we rushed to host a roundtable discussion shortly after Putin began his invasion, as none of us thought Ukraine would survive,” said Galt-Brown. “Yet here we are, two years later, with the conflict still raging.”
Funk described Russia as being a paranoid state, with Putin being a real-life Bond villain. “Eastern Europe sees little difference between the Soviet Union and Vladimir Putin. All he wants is Ukraine—populated or not.”
The discussion wasn’t just limited to foreign policy, however, with debates as to how the national debt affects national security becoming a key focal point.
“One of the biggest threats to the US is the fact that we the people are three trillion dollars in debt,” said Galt-Brown.
Njoroge said, “We can maintain our level of debt because we are the world’s reserve currency.”
The lecture concluded with the panel taking questions from the audience, ranging from ways that the US could reduce its debt to discussions as to what a Russian victory in Ukraine could mean.
The next event in the Jess Usher lecture series takes place on Apr. 25 at 7:00 pm in Howard Auditorium. Dr. John Cable will discuss the history of the Southern enclosure movement and how it affected the economy of Mississippi. The lecture will be open to all students to attend.
