What Is America Abroad?

Welcome to my regular musings about America and the World. My goal is to start a conversation on what is happening in the world and how it affects America — and on what is happening in America and how it affects the world. I welcome your comments and reflections and hope you will join me on this journey.

Who Am I?

I have been thinking, writing, and doing foreign policy for more than 40 years. I have lived half my life in Europe (having been born and raised in the Netherlands), and half my life in the United States. I am an American by choice, becoming a US citizen in 1994. I have taught public policy and worked at four different think tanks, including the last ten years as president, and now CEO, of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. I write a bi-monthly column “From Across the Pond” for Politico Europe and have written and edited a dozen books, many co-authored. I served in the National Security Council under President Clinton and was President Obama’s first Ambassador to NATO.

I started my first blog — also entitled “America Abroad” — in 2006, when Josh Marshall asked me to join TPM Cafe and write about foreign policy. I was joined on the site by friends and colleagues. I enjoyed writing short and longer posts about what was happening in the world, and I’ve missed it as my pursuits took me first to Brussels and then to Chicago.

But with more time on my hands and with a world in deep turmoil and at a true inflection point, now is as a good time as ever to share my thoughts and engage in a conversation with you about the state of America and the world. I hope you will be join me on this important journey

Stay up-to-date

You won’t have to worry about missing anything if you subscribe now. Every new edition of my newsletter goes directly to your inbox.