Book Chapter — Throwing Cold Water on the New Cold War

Excerpt

Is America in a New Cold War? Well, obviously yes and obviously no. America and its Western allies are engaged in a conflict with authoritarian adversaries, a conflict that is ideological, comprehensive and (largely) non-kinetic. In contrast to a hot war, this one is relatively cool (though it certainly has been warmer in Eastern Europe and the Middle East). 

But examining today’s conflict through the lens of Cold War strategists like George Kennan or John Foster Dulles is of limited value. Indeed, it is decidedly dangerous. That is because the conflict is not one of isolated economies but a deeply interconnected global economy and a multilateral geopolitical framework that includes both friends and adversaries. Adversarial governments such as Russia, Iran and China are not seeking merely to influence small countries on the margins. Rather, those governments aim to seize control of the international apparatus designed specifically to address the very threats their authoritarianism presents.

Elaine Dezenski is senior director and head of FDD’s Center on Economic and Financial Power (CEFP). She has compiled over two decades of leadership in public, private and international organizations, including senior roles at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, INTERPOL and the World Economic Forum. She is a recognized expert on geopolitical and supply-chain risk, national security and anti-corruption. Follow Elaine on X @ElaineDezenski. Follow FDD on X @FDD and @FDD_CEFP. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focused on national security and foreign policy.