Free World

Mr. Ash talked about his book Free World: America, Europe, and the Surprising Future of the West, published by Random House. In a talk hosted by the European Forum of the Stanford Institute for International Studies he talked about the spread of Western culture, the impact of geopolitical trends on future international relations, and challenges to global cooperation on issues. Professor Ash argues that the U.S. and Europe have far more in common than most people on either side of the ocean believe, including many shared values. He says that while this is the case, there is a current struggle in Europe, personified by Tony Blair of Britain and Jacques Chirac of France, between forces that want to increase ties with the U.S. (Blair) and those that want create a powerful counterweight to U.S. power (Chirac). Following his remarks he answered questions from the audience. close