Edward Alden is the Bernard L. Schwartz senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, specializing in U.S. economic competitiveness, trade and immigration policy. Hear his seminar, "Trade Wars and the Global Trading Order: Reform or Collapse?" in this episode of our special summer podcast series.
A long-time journalist and policy analyst on U.S. economic competitiveness warned a Steamboat Springs audience that the country鈥檚 failure to help the workforce that has lost jobs due to globalization and automation could lead to societal upheaval. He also said the U.S. president鈥檚 tariff war isn鈥檛 helping the situation.
鈥淚f we don鈥檛 get this right, we鈥檙e in real trouble as a country,鈥� said Edward Alden, a senior fellow for the think tank, Council on Foreign Relations. 鈥淭his is the stuff revolutions are made of. If we don鈥檛 figure this out, bad things are going to happen.鈥�
Alden opened the Seminars at Steamboat season Monday at Strings Music Pavilion with his talk, 鈥淭rade Wars and the Global Trading Order: Reform or Collapse?鈥�
Alden, who also specializes in trade and immigration policy, is well placed to offer his opinion on the state of the American workforce. He鈥檚 an award-winning reporter who has worked for financial publications, including the Financial Times, where he served as their Washington D.C. bureau chief.
His most recent book, published before Donald Trump was elected, focuses on many of the issues that likely helped Trump get elected. Alden鈥檚 book, 鈥淔ailure to Adjust: How Americans Got Left Behind in the Global Economy,鈥� studies the federal government鈥檚 鈥渇ailure to respond effectively to competitive challenges on issues such as trade, currency, worker retraining, education and infrastructure.鈥�
Jennie Lay and Ryan Thompson produced this episode. Ryan also edited the podcast. Digital is managed by Ashley Jefcoat. Special thanks to the for use of their story. The intro music is "When I'm With You" by .
Don't miss any of this year's speakers with the Seminars at Steamboat podcast, available on , iTunes or you get your podcasts. New episodes available every Tuesday during the seminars season.