With a nod to Clausewitz, sort of, the language of politics is also the language of war. Arguments promoting a certain philosophy can also justify (or condemn) military action and be another weapon on the battlefield. And so the first shots — er, sound bites — rang out Tuesday morning in the US, from entrenchments […]
(With apologies to “Meet the Press,” which — oddly — hardly mentioned it) Several of last Sunday’s talk show guests pointed fingers yet again at a Russia that, in their implications, refuses to be transparent or recognize human rights. First up, the temporary asylum in Russia granted to Edward Snowden. On CBS’ “Face the Nation,” […]
The future is not what it used to be due to George P. Mitchell, the Texas wildcatter who passed away last week.* He helped usher in a new era of American dynamism by perfecting the hydraulic fracturing techniques (“fracking”) that have unlocked vast gas and oil deposits previously thought inaccessible within tightly-packed shale rock beds […]
More than any other nation, America helped create today’s Republic of Korea (ROK). A U.S.-led U.N. coalition defended the South following the North’s invasion in June 1950. It negotiated the terms of the armistice signed sixty years ago this month. It defended the ROK as a communist frontline through the latter half of the 20th […]
This past week was one that offered sharp reminders that – under the veneer of white papers and white lies — reality can bite. In other words – hello, why are you surprised at these “surprises.” Let’s start with an easy one. Who is surprised that at least some elements of Pakistan’s government probably […]
The impact of Edward Snowden’s revelations is broadening in scope. When his initial leaks appeared in late May, they were greeted as a forcing event. Whether one saw Snowden as a patriot or a traitor – he’s certainly a lawbreaker – his revelations appeared to be an attempt to bookend the changes in intelligence policy […]
The first time I wrote a story about John Kerry, in 1986, he got very angry. So did his press person. It was, to paraphrase Richard Blaine, the start of a beautiful professional friendship. It has now been almost three decades since that story and the professional relationship took off, grew strong and beneficial to […]
The Inside Story of Russia’s Fight to Keep the U.N. Corrupt By Colum Lynch Foreign Policy For the past decade, Russia has attempted to stall the push to root out corruption in U.N. spending. Whether out of commercial or political interests, Russia has pushed out reformers, blocked budgetary reform and butted out watchdogs. Lynch reports […]
In the July/August 2013 issue of Foreign Affairs, Nicolas Berggruen and Nathan Gardels outline a blueprint for moving toward a more federal European Union. Berggruen and Gardels argue that Europe’s economic future depends on a more federal union. Direct election for the EU presidency, reforming the European Parliament, and reconstituting the European Council as a […]
China’s manned space program scored a major advance this week as they launched three astronauts to an orbiting space lab for a brief stay in orbit. It may surprise many Americans that not only does China have a manned space program but they have a small space station with plans to build a larger one […]
While Julian Assange is the person with the rock star persona, Bradley Manning is the true center of this documentary. It was Manning who leaked information to WikiLeaks and who now faces trial for doing so. Army Pfc. Manning is portrayed in the film as a confused and somewhat naïve officer, a person who has […]
A few weeks ago, the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution calling on Morocco and the Polisario Front to “continue negotiations without preconditions and in good faith […] with a view to achieving a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution” to end the Western Sahara conflict.” (The Polisario, a Cold War era separatist […]
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