New Book: 'Foreign Policy Begins at Home'

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:14:00 -0400

Foreign policy beings at home, says Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass in his passionate new book, which he'll discuss with media mogul Arianna Huffington during a talk next month at the 92nd Street Y.

In Foreign Policy Begins at Home: The Case for Putting America's House in Order, Haass, who was previously director of policy planning for the Department of State under George W. Bush, describes his vision for restoring power and influence to America. Explaining that many of America's foundations of power are coming to an end, Haass argues that the consequences of this shift go far beyond domestic issues like infrastructure, employment, education, immigration, and debt, but rather, affect the country's ability "to project power and exert influence overseas, to compete in the global marketplace, to generate the resources needed to promote the full range of U.S. interests abroad, and to set a compelling example that will influence the thinking and behavior of others."

The book argues that America is in fact underperforming at home and overreaching abroad, an imbalance with dire consequences. "To mount an effective foreign policy the United States must first put its house in order," writes Haass. "The United States must also put its house in order if it is to avoid placing itself in a position of high vulnerability to forces or actions beyond its control."

Without a partisan agenda, Haass posits that instead of intervening in wars and humanitarian efforts intended to affect other countries, the U.S. should focus on "maintaining the balance of power in Asia, advancing North American economic integration and energy self-sufficiency, and promoting collective responses to global challenges." Restraint and discipline at home, he points out, are among the keys to putting America's house in order, thereby allowing the country to continue to fulfill its global leadership role.

Get more insight on Haass' new book at "Foreign Policy Begins at Home: Richard Haass with Arianna Huffington" at the Lexington Avenue at 92nd St. Y, Kaufmann Concert Hall on June 5 at 8 p.m.. Tickets start at $29 and can be purchased here.

New Private Club Plans Your Cultural Year

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:56:00 -0400

Sixto Rodriguez performs at a CultureHorde event

New York nights out are plagued, it seems, by an overabundance of choice—how’s a person to decide which concert to see, talk to attend, or restaurant to dine at? CultureHorde, a new organization that curates once-monthly “bespoke events” for a small membership (dues is $199 per year), will streamline your social pursuits with exclusive, members-only events put together by a discerning group of tastemakers in fields including fine arts, music, cuisine, and more.

For the company’s kickoff party, a select group gathered at the Cutting Room in Murray Hill to catch a glimpse of the reclusive Sixto Rodriguez, a musical mystery drawn from another age. A working-class child of 1950s Detroit, Rodriguez cut two albums of folk tunes in the mold of Van Morrison/Bob Dylan in the early '70s, before disappearing from the public eye for nearly 40 years.

His incredible story was recently brought to light in the 2012 Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man, wherein a filmmaker seeks to find the mythical man whose fame had risen to great heights in South Africa despite concerns he had died. Seeing the documentary was motivation enough for CultureHorde founder Pamela Mirels—an entrepreneur with South African roots who endeavored to bring the man to the stage, coming across a business plan in the process.

“I felt like we had to bring him to New York to do a really personal, intimate concert with him,” she says. “Once I could book him, it occurred to me that I could start a whole club of special experiences for people who are looking for that kind of intimacy in their cultural year.”

In addition to producing their curated events, CultureHorde has partnered with the Metropolitan Opera, Sotheby’s, and other cultural centers throughout the city, promising a diverse events programme for the remaining calendar year. Next up are an intimate roundtable discussion with Alan Dershowitz on May 8, and an introduction to auction culture at Sotheby’s on June 5.

“In this city there’s an epidemic of quantity over quality,” Mirels rightly suggests. Her venture promises “a little bit of music, a little bit of art, opera, politics,” she says. “If you want a really well-rounded cultural year, then this is the place for you.”

Gotham Magazine

New Book: 'Foreign Policy Begins at Home'

New Private Club Plans Your Cultural Year