The audience of the Artificial Intelligence CCA in Feb. 2025. Courtesy | Bill Zeiser
A line-up of speakers including a Hillsdale alumnus and the former prime minister of the U.K. addressed American involvement in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East in the first Center for Constructive Alternatives lecture series of the school year.
The CCA, titled “Issues in International Relations,” ran from Sept. 7–10.
Casey Wheatland, assistant professor of political science at New College of Florida, opened the CCA with a lecture entitled “Foreign Policy and the Constitution.” Wheatland, who holds a Ph.D. in political science from Hillsdale’s Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship, argued American foreign policy must align with American interests.
“China, our No. 1 geopolitical rival, has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years lobbying our policymakers, and has infiltrated sensitive political, technological, and military sectors,” Wheatland said.
Foreign lobbying always poses a threat to American sovereignty, no matter the country engaging in it, according to Wheatland.
“Nations that we often count among our greatest allies or as special friends also engage in espionage,” Wheatland said. “And when it comes to foreign influence, sometimes our friends can be even more dangerous than our enemies. We must remember Washington’s advice to avoid permanent love or enmity towards any nation or nations that subvert our sovereignty by means of corruption, lobbying, or espionage.”
Former U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss spoke Sunday night about the shared history and values of the United States and the United Kingdom, as both nations have roots in the Magna Carta and British common law.
“Of course, our two constitutions are different,” Truss said. “But nevertheless, the underlying principles remain the same. And it’s these principles that have enabled Great Britain and the United States to thrive.”
Truss urged the importance of maintaining a strong relationship between the U.S. and the U.K., saying both of them share similar threats like political radicalism and violence.
Christopher Caldwell, contributing editor at the Claremont Review of Books, argued in his lecture Monday that many European leaders do not want the Russia-Ukraine war to end, while Trump is pursuing peace between the two nations.
“Now, the Europeans say publicly that they are sincerely worried that Putin is going to invade their countries,” Caldwell said. “Other people say that the European attitude has something to do with Trump and a desire to drive a harder bargain with Trump in some future context. I actually believe it has something to do with their own politics.”
Caldwell explained the dire economic and political situations of many countries in Western Europe, including France and the U.K. According to Caldwell, European countries are spending time and money responding to the situation in Russia and Ukraine rather than addressing issues facing their own countries, such as mass migration and economic collapse.
Brian Kennedy, president of the American Strategy group, spoke on China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which is a term used for China’s investment in infrastructure projects across the world, particularly in developing nations. Kennedy argued that this initiative is dangerous because it strengthens China’s place in the world.
In the final lecture, Martin Kramer of Tel Aviv University argued in favor of American support for Israel. He argued widespread misunderstanding of the situation in the Middle East has led to chaos and surprises in the past. Israel and the Middle East, he said, are an appendage of the Western power system. Culturally, the Christian holy places in Jerusalem make the region part of Europe’s moral geography.
“Israel’s existence has kept alive the conviction, not only among the Jews, that the destinies of the West and this region remain unsettled,” he said.
Freshman John Gardner said he wished the lectures focused more on practical solutions for foreign policy issues.
“While most of the speakers were entertaining, few made an effort to engage with the subject matter,” Gardner said. “Many already well-known problems were brought up as if for the first time, but no new ideas or even perspectives were introduced.”
The next CCA, “U.S. Economic Policy: Great Society to the Present,” will run Nov. 2–5.
