Diamond-rich Botswana avoided the dreaded resource curse and established a prosperous, stable democracy. But political turmoil has begun to roil the traditionally placid society.
Africa’s Success Story
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Democracy & Governance
Here’s the Thing About Terrorism Obama Won’t Tell You
Our wildly inflated fear of terrorism is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Leading Republicans Are Promising to Commit War Crimes — and Their Base Loves It
In its failure to prosecute bona fide war criminals, the Obama administration has left the door open for all manner of rights abusers to succeed it.
The Best Way to Close Guantanamo? Give It Back to Cuba.
In one fell swoop, President Obama could erase the stain of Guantanamo and make major headway on normalization with Cuba.
Raining on Burma’s Parade
Aung San Suu Kyi either sees her sphere of influence as very limited or she is genuinely biased against Burma’s ethnic groups.
The Ultimate Blowback from U.S. Foreign Policy? Donald Trump.
How the CIA, bad trade deals, and wanton military intervention caused the social crises that gave us the Donald. (Really.)
Saudi Arabia Executed a Nonviolent Shiite Cleric. It’s Going to Cost Them Big.
By raising sectarian temperatures throughout the Middle East, the Saudis risk escalating the unaffordable proxy wars they’ve already bogged themselves down in.
Spain Says “No” to Austerity
With its elections, Spain takes steps to free itself from the European Union’s tight-fisted policies.
How the Islamic State Is Like a Multinational Corporation
The Islamic State is pursuing a strategy of mergers and acquisitions.
Saudi Women Voted for the First Time. Is It Real Progress or Window Dressing?
Some 99 percent of eligible Saudi women skipped their first chance to vote — some because gender segregation laws kept them away, others because they boycotted.