Globalization is now in the crossfire

January 13, 2024

Editor’s note: The Brookings Brief will be on a short hiatus for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in the United States. Look out for the next edition on Tuesday, January 16.

On Thursday, U.S. and British militaries bombed more than a dozen Houthi sites in Yemen in response to the militant group's recent attacks in the Red Sea. The disruption in the region caused by the Israel-Hamas war has emboldened the Houthis to attack international maritime vessels that have little or no connection to Israel, including firing anti-ship ballistic missiles toward the southern Red Sea and endangering both civilian mariners and U.S. military personnel.

It's not the first time that territorial or geopolitical conflicts have spilled into the seas, warns Bruce Jones. "We are watching in real time as other major powers and their proxies challenge the West's dominance in sea power – threatening the maritime commerce that makes the global economy run. And what's happening today won't be the last time we see this type of threat."

In an op-ed on Good Authority written earlier this week, Jones explains why the ongoing Red Sea crisis is significant, other geopolitical threats to commerce at sea, and the West's struggle to keep up.

A Q&A with the new Brookings president

This week, we sat down with new Brookings President Dr. Cecilia Rouse to ask a few questions about her role, policy issues to watch this year, and the importance of fact-based research.

What are you most excited about in starting your new position at Brookings?

Brookings brings together top thinkers to address some of the world's most pressing problems. I strongly believe that the policy process is enhanced when scholars, such as those at Brookings, are engaged and bring their deep commitment to learning about critical issues, uncovering new facts and insights about communities, and looking around corners for emerging challenges. Throughout my career, I have been motivated by the critical role that research and evidence play in improving people's daily lives. Brookings is a place where scholarship and policy come together, which makes it an exciting next chapter for me.

What are some of the biggest policy issues you believe will affect the world in 2024?

In the United States, there is little question that most policy discussion for the next 10 months will revolve around issues presented in the upcoming elections. I believe the big policy issues that should be front and center include climate change, responsible technology, the role of the United States in global conflicts, and the continued economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, what are the promising ways to mitigate and adapt to a warming planet, and how do we work with our global partners to achieve these ends? What is the role of the public sector in setting guardrails around emerging technologies, such as AI? What is the United States’ role in an increasingly complicated foreign policy landscape? And how do we continue to make important investments in the U.S. economy while also addressing the large and growing federal debt? These are some of the issues we hope to examine in-depth in the coming months.

Why is fact-based research and analysis more important than ever?

Good public policy and decision making depend on solid facts, critical insights, and informed analysis. Given the multiple ways in which people can get information — and disinformation — having a trusted source, such as Brookings, for research and analysis is more vital than ever.

The conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publication are solely those of its author(s), and do not reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or its other scholars.