Is America Retreating from Global Leadership? New Intelligence Squared U.S. Debate Premieres January 26

Four former high-level government officials face off:
Bill Kristol and Mary Beth Long vs. Kori Schake and Vikram Singh

I t's been a year of the Biden administration, and for many around the world, the question remains: Can America still lead like it used to? With China's competitive rise, a revanchist Russia exercising greater influence in eastern Europe, and American retrenchment in places like Afghanistan and Syria, the role of U.S. leadership is less clear than it once was. Some say that, despite growing competition, America's economy, military, and capacity for cultural influence and innovation remain the world's most potent. Others counter that recent foreign policy decisions signify a major rebalancing of power that moves Washington further from the captain's chair. In light of this emerging divide, on Wednesday, January 26, award-winning debate series Intelligence Squared U.S. premieres a new debate on the motion "America is Retreating from Global Leadership."

Arguing in favor of the motion are Bill Kristol, founder of The Weekly Standard and former Chief of Staff to Vice President Dan Quayle, and Mary Beth Long, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs in the second Bush administration. Arguing against the motion are Kori Schake, veteran of high-level positions in the U.S. Defense and State Departments and the National Security Council, and Vikram Singh, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Obama administration.

The debate will be released publicly on Friday, January 28 via public radio, video and the Intelligence Squared U.S. podcast. However, there is a private virtual preview screening on Wednesday, January 26 at 5:00 PM ET that will include a live press avail and roundtable with all four debaters following the debate. Media can email raypadgett@shorefire.com for press access.

FOR THE MOTION - BIOS

* Bill Kristol: Founder and Editor-At-Large of The Weekly Standard & Former Chief of Staff to The Vice President of The United States 
Bill Kristol has been a leading participant in American political debates and a widely respected analyst of American political developments for three decades. Having served in senior positions in the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush Administrations, Kristol understands government from the inside; as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University, he has studied American politics and society from the outside. After serving in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, Kristol founded the The Weekly Standard in 1995 and edited the influential magazine for over two decades. Now, as founding director of Defending Democracy Together, an organization dedicated to defending America's liberal democratic norms, principles, and institutions, Kristol is in the midst of the national debate on issues ranging from American foreign policy to the future of the Republican Party and the meaning of American conservatism. Kristol frequently appears on all the major television talk shows, and is the host of "Conversations with Bill Kristol." Kristol received his undergraduate degree and his Ph.D. from Harvard University.

* Mary Beth Long: Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs 
The Honorable Mary Beth Long is founder of M. B. Long & Associates, PLLC, an international legal and advisory firm. From 2007-2009, Ms. Long served as the first woman confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and as Chair of NATO's High Level Group (HLG), responsible for NATO's nuclear policy. In her defense department roles, she also acted as Principal Deputy Secretary of Defense on the Middle East, Africa, the Western Hemisphere, Asia, and Southeast Asia; and was the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Counter Narcoterrorism with a budget of over $1 billion. To those credentials, she adds more than a decade of Central Intelligence Agency operational experience (1986-99) on terrorism and other security issues.

AGAINST THE MOTION - BIOS

* Kori Schake: Director of Foreign and Defense Policy at The American Enterprise Institute & Former State Department Official 
Kori Schake is a senior fellow and the director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Dr. Schake is the former deputy director-general of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. She has worked at the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the National Security Council at the White House. Author of five books, most recently "America vs. the West: Can the Liberal World Order Be Preserved?" Dr. Schake is widely published in policy journals and popular press. She has a PhD in government and politics from the University of Maryland.

* Vikram Singh: Senior Advisor, U.S. Institute of Peace & Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense 
Vikram J. Singh is senior advisor to the Asia Program at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). Singh has been a leader of innovation in public policy and global affairs at the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of State, and major non-profits. He advises USIP on all aspects of peace and stability in Asia, including Afghanistan, and Pakistan, Myanmar, China's role in the region, and North Korea. Singh received the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Civilian Service in 2012 and the Department of State Superior Honor Award in 2006 and 2012. He is a Fellow of Columbia University and a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and Columbia University.

ABOUT INTELLIGENCE SQUARED U.S. DEBATES (IQ2US)
Intelligence Squared U.S. (IQ2US) was founded to address a fundamental problem in America: the extreme polarization of our nation and our politics. Through its award-winning live debates and associated programming, the nonprofit company serves as a model for responsible media in a new age - fair, intelligent, nonpartisan - while restoring critical thinking, facts, reason, and civility to public discourse. Recently recognized as "Best Podcast Event of 2020" by Adweek, Intelligence Squared U.S. reaches millions through multi-platform distribution, including public radio (the show airs in all top 25 markets that carry specials), podcasts, video live streaming, newsletters, interactive digital content, and on-demand apps including Roku and Apple TV. With over 190 Oxford-style debates and counting, plus additional podcast and video content, IQ2US has encouraged the public to "think twice" on a wide range of provocative topics for over a decade. Author and ABC News correspondent John Donvan has moderated since 2008.

Go here for photos, links and more info: http://shorefire.com/client/intelligence-squared-us

For more information on Intelligence Squared U.S., contact Ray Padgett (raypadgett@shorefire.com) or Mark Satlof (msatlof@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media.