This weekend’s New York Times Magazine features an article by Nick Kristof on the “new” phenomenon of “do-it-yourself” foreign aid work. The idea of young, idealistic Westerners leaving behind a life of privilege to try to fix the many problems of the developing world isn’t a new one: it’s what drove the Peace Corps revolution […]
I have a new piece up at Foreign Policy in Focus. It examines an often overlooked aspect of the U.S.’s current policy toward Iran. Here’s a teaser: For years, the United States and Israel have engaged in a covert effort to destabilize Iran’s government and sabotage its nuclear program. But these operations frequently escape mention […]
Been silent the last couple of weeks because of bouts with a sinus infection and bronchitis. I did get out of bed a few times to participate in some Department of Defense sponsored bloggers roundtables on Afghanistan. More about that later and kudos to the Department of Defense for providing the venue. If there is […]
“One person can make a difference, and everyone should try” – John F. Kennedy Every day many people are venturing out into the world with a vision to look at and overcome some of the many development challenges across the globe. International development is now seeing an increase of individuals, who are setting out to solve […]
Not to turn this into a blog solely about why peace talks with the Taliban will fail, but here are some more things worth perusing. Dexter Filkins, who wrote the New York Times story to which I linked yesterday, elaborated on his story on the PBS Newshour earlier this week: Filkins says of the talks: […]
Avner Cohen proposes in the current issue of Foreign Affairs that Israel should come out of the closet and openly declare its nuclear status, so as to “legitimize” its arsenal. though I have the highest regard for Cohen’s work, I disagree with that conclusion, as stated here in an earlier post. In this connection, I […]
Yesterday I went to CSIS downtown to hear Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson talk about the Administration’s “Dual-Track” approach to Somalia. The speech was good, but I didn’t hear anything that sounded particulary new when it came to foreign policy. The introduction was along the lines of, “no one has an […]
Nicholas Kristoff has an article (here) in the New York Times magazine on what he sees as a two-part trend: 1. do-it-yourself foreign aid; and, 2. the notable role of women in that effort. I won’t rehash the substance of the article but it is worth asking if this D.I.Y. approach to foreign aid is a reaction […]
‘Is this a currency war or what? Fast-growing nations like Thailand are trying to devalue their exchange rates to bolster their export-driven economies. In Washington, where “strong dollar” has been the mantra for years, policy makers are taking steps that could make the already weak dollar weaker still. These uncoordinated moves among global central banks to weaken their respective currencies is precipitating a global currency war.
A quick post to highlight an event coming up in New York from the FPA: Infectious Diseases and Global Health: Challenges and Priorities The Foreign Policy Association cordially invites you to attend the inaugural Dame Jillian Sackler Distinguished Lecture with Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who will […]
As a follow-up to my piece from last week about reasons to be pessimistic about success in peace talks with the Taliban, read today’s New York Times article on the topic. This sentence about the Taliban negotiators really says it all: The identities of the Taliban leaders are being withheld by The New York Times […]
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