Throughout history there has been tension between the practice of diplomacy and the use of military force. Historically when diplomacy failed and war broke out, that war was against a well defined enemy and with the expectation that the war would be of finite duration. Today the U.S. seems to be in an endless series of wars against ill defined and often changing enemies. In the process the balance between diplomacy and force has shifted heavily toward the military.
In March our dinner speaker will discuss this shift from diplomacy to the use of the military and some of the ramifications of that shift. As funding for the State Department declines and spending on our military increases, the military is taking on more and different roles in our international relations. Among other tasks, our military is now called upon to handle such diverse roles as a trainer of judges and a provider of development aid. Such “nation building” activities are beyond the traditional role of our military. Our speaker will share her views on how this has evolved and the implications of this greater role of the military in these functions historically handled by civilian agencies.
At the same time as the military is being called upon to fill non traditional roles, the methods and weapons of warfare have changed in order to deal with the shifting dimensions of our enemies. Drone strikes have become more prevalent. This technology raises serious questions about how and when drones can or should be used and who should decide their use. Our speaker is a lawyer and has experience at a senior level of the Defense Department; she will draw upon that expertise to discuss the legal and moral aspects of drone warfare.
Professor Rosa Brooks, a former UVA School of Law professor, teaches international law, national security, constitutional law, and criminal justice at Georgetown University Law Center. From 2009 to 2011 Ms. Brooks served as Counselor to Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy and founded the Defense Department’s Office for the Rule of Law and Humanitarian Policy. In 2011 she was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service.
Professor Brooks has written weekly opinion columns for Foreign Policy and the LA Times. Her essays and articles have been published by the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. Her 2016 book titled “How Everything Became War and the Military Became Everything” was a NY Times Notable Book of 2016 and was named one of the five best books of the year by the Council on Foreign Relations.
Ms. Brooks received her A.B. in history and literature from Harvard University. She earned a masters degree in social anthropology from Oxford University and a J.D. in law from Yale University.
6:00 Cocktails 6:45 Dinner 7:45 Address and Discussion
Meal A:
Stuffed Chicken Breast
Meal B:
Garlic and Herb Shrimp
Meal C:
Spaghetti Squash with Roasted mushrooms