Once a week on Wednesday, one of our contributors will engage with you to give you a look at what’s going on behind our curtains and what we are preparing for the near future. 

Dear FO° Reader,

In a world of spin, many are fighting the fog. They are fairer observers than many of the big names in the media. It is this changing world that we are all now a part of. And we are changing too.

In the March FO° Exclusive, our regular guest and a dear friend, Glenn Carle, the former CIA officer and author of the book, The Interrogator, delivered the startling news that we are all living in the early phases of a “new world order.”

At the same time, a Wall Street Journal poll informed us that to the question “Would you describe the state of the nation’s economy these days as…;” 80% of Americans responded “Poor/not so good.” To a question about the doctrine of American exceptionalism, 50% chose the answer “One of the greatest countries in the world, along with some others” and only 21% adhered to the previously affirmed dogma that the US “stands above all countries in the world.”

Even more significantly the poll reveals a serious change in values., “Some 38% of respondents said patriotism was very important to them, and 39% said religion was very important. That was down sharply from when the Journal first asked the question in 1998, when 70% deemed patriotism to be very important, and 62% said so of religion.”

Glenn Carle cited the success of China’s brokering an accord between two bitter enemies, Saudi Arabia and Iran, as a sign that we have entered a new world order. The US is no longer the unique power capable of enforcing or restoring order in the world. The erosion of belief amongst Americans themselves that they are an exceptional nation would seem to confirm this.

History has now taken a new turn. In 2023’s emerging multipolar world,the good news is that we will all be called upon to express our voice with a chance that it will not be drowned out by an appeal to supposedly universal Anglo-American values. Each of us, everywhere across the globe, will have an increased opportunity to make an impact on a world that no longer hides behind a façade of what was often defended as a “rules-based order,” in which few dared to question its wonderful rules.

Fair Observer itself is becoming more multipolar and even more multicultural than in the 12 years of its existence. It is publishing new voices and has brought in new editors with a new diversity of interests. FO° Books launched this week. Soon, we will introduce new languages, starting with French and Hindi. I know this will please our good friend, Glenn, a noted Francophile.

In the spirit of change, we will be taking new initiatives aimed at fostering a culture of dialogue with you, our writers and readers. We have begun, in a humorous mode, to do so with our new conversational partner, “Chad” (ChatGPT), who regularly reveals his strengths but also his algorithmic-based weaknesses in our Breakfast with Chad columns. Our philosophy can be summed up in these words: AI is now a feature of our landscape; let’s find ways to use it productively but never take it too seriously.

We want to hear what you have to say. Is there a topic you want to talk about or you want us to focus on? Is there an author you would like to introduce to us? Do you want to join us engaging with our friend Chad? Would you or your friends like to attend the next FO° Exclusive?

Let’s get to know each other.

Peter Isackon

P.S. Email submissions@fairobserver.com to get in touch or tweet to @myfairobserver.