FPA’s Must Reads (May 10-17)

Preventitive Measures
By Hendrik Hertzberg
The New Yorker

The U.S.’ post-9/11 security establishment has florished — both in the quasi-governmental and governmental realm — in an effort to, as Hertzberg points out, to not necessarily catch killers, but “catch pre-killers.” Its failures are public; it’s successes are buried in a world of secrecy.

Population Boom? So Wrong
By Michael Lewis
The Breakthrough

Contrary to popular belief, the population boom isn’t quite what it’s claimed to be. Even in the so-called “third world,” birthrates have declined tremendously. Lewis analyzes the connection between fetility and development, featuring an interesting twist: What television viewership means to population growth.

The Clinton Legacy
By Michael Hirsch
Foreign Affairs

What will Clinton’s legacy prove to be? The former first lady may have shied away from the hard diplomacy associated with some of the U.S.’ most famous Secretaries of State and may not have any one single “signature” achievement, but she did help restore America’s standing in the world. However, if she gets her way, her tenure may simply be seen as a stepping stone to the presidency.

Escape From Bahrain: Ali Abdulemam Is Free
By Thor Halvorssen
The Atlantic

With his over two years in hiding behind him, world renowned blogger and free speech advocate Ali Abdulemam is now safely in Europe. With the help of the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), Abdulemam was snuck out of the country as part of one intense plan to get him to the Oslo Freedom Forum. Halvorssen details the evolution and execution of Abdulemam’s escape, which at one point may have included a party boat, a fast food restaurant, a performance artist, and, naturally, the monarchy’s authorities themselves.

Requiem for a Realist
By Robert Gallucci, Richard K. Betts, Scott D. Sagan, Ken Booth, Yan Xuetong, Barry R. Posen
Foreign Policy

Kenneth Waltz, one of the world’s most influential thinkers in international affairs, died earlier this week at age 88. His books, Man, the State, and War and Theories of International Relations, are classics, and his thinking has exerted a tremendous amount of influence on policymakers today. To honor his legacy, Foreign Policy compiled six short essays on his contributions to international relations and beyond.

Blogs:

Surprises in the Benghazi Talking Points by Scott Monje
Europe’s Ghosts by Michael Crowley
The Arab Spring: Conspiracy Theory or National Willby Fadi F. Elhusseini
Weighing Afghan Experience, Civil-Military Relations Debate Continues by Jason Anderson
Will Post-Ahmadinejad Iran change its foreign policy? by Alireza Ahmadian