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This week’s cover

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Summary

This article discusses the design process for the Economist's cover story this week, which was based off an interview with Henry Kissinger. It focuses on how America can show global leadership and avoid war with China. Several design ideas were explored, including an image of President Joe Biden dancing a tango with Xi Jinping, and an American Eagle with Joe Biden-style aviator sunglasses. Ultimately, the image chosen was of a stars-and-stripes fire extinguisher, to represent the need for America to put out smaller economic, diplomatic, and geopolitical fires to avoid a large-scale conflagration.

Q&As

What was the subject of Henry Kissinger's long interview that informed the cover story?
The subject of Henry Kissinger's long interview that informed the cover story was how America can show global leadership and avoid war with China.

What are the options for the cover image of the story?
The options for the cover image of the story included a picture of Mr Kissinger, an image of President Joe Biden dancing a tango with Xi Jinping, a cork stopping up a missile silo, a falling bomb being caught on a nice, soft cushion, an American diplomat’s pen grafted onto the carriage of an artillery piece, an American eagle with Joe Biden-style aviator sunglasses, two hands signalling “stop”, and a stars-and-stripes fire extinguisher.

What is the Biden foreign-policy doctrine?
The Biden foreign-policy doctrine focuses on strengthening alliances, promoting democracy, and using diplomacy to resolve conflicts.

What image was chosen as the final cover of the story?
The image chosen as the final cover of the story was a stars-and-stripes fire extinguisher.

What did Teddy Roosevelt famously say about a great power?
Teddy Roosevelt famously said, "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

AI Comments

👍 This article does an excellent job of illustrating the complexity of global relations and the creative ways we can express them. The image of a stars-and-stripes fire extinguisher to represent the work the US will have to do to prevent a calamitous conflagration is particularly creative and powerful.

👎 This article fails to adequately address the challenges that the US will face in engaging in more effective global leadership. The simplistic image of Joe Biden dancing a tango with Xi Jinping fails to capture the reality of the situation.

AI Discussion

Me: It explains the process that The Economist went through when choosing the cover image for their story about how America can show global leadership and avoid a war with China. They considered various images, such as a cork stopping up a missile silo, an American eagle with Joe Biden-style aviator sunglasses, two hands signalling “stop”, and a stars-and-stripes fire extinguisher. In the end, they chose the fire extinguisher image to represent how America needs to put out many smaller fires to prevent a global conflict.

Friend: Interesting. What are the implications of this article?

Me: The article shows that images have a powerful impact in conveying a message. It also suggests that diplomacy and averting small conflicts can help to prevent larger catastrophes. It also implies that the Biden administration's foreign policy approach has to be strong and assertive in order to be effective.

Action items

Sign up for the Cover Story newsletter to learn more about the design process for each week's cover.
Read the transcript of the Henry Kissinger interview to gain a deeper understanding of his ideas on geopolitics.
Read the article on Joe Biden's global vision to gain insight into the current US foreign policy doctrine.

Technical terms

Geopolitics: The study of the effects of geography (physical and human) on politics and international relations.
Transcript: A written or printed version of a speech, conversation, or other oral communication.
Harmonious: Agreeing in feeling or opinion; in harmony.
Superpower: A state with a dominant position in international relations, which is characterized by its extensive ability to exert influence or project power on a global scale.
Fanciful: Not based on fact; imaginary.
Jarred: To cause to feel shocked or offended.
Diplomacy: The practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of states.
Aviator Sunglasses: A style of sunglasses that were popularized by aviators in the 1920s.
Teddy Roosevelt: The 26th president of the United States.
Cylinder of Foam: A fire extinguisher that uses a foam-based extinguishing agent.