Ordinary Russians Are Already Feeling the Pain of Sanctions
Is punishing ordinary Russians the right response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?
India and the Future of the Planet
India’s economic and energy production model is not a threat to the world, but it is a threat to India itself, particularly its most marginalized people.
Respond to Putin’s Illegal Invasion of Ukraine with Diplomacy, Not War
There’s no “national interest” worth risking nuclear conflict. But urgent diplomacy and humanitarian aid — and Russia’s own antiwar movement — could stop the suffering.
Putin’s Cold, Cold Strategy
Russia’s aim is to create a frozen conflict in Ukraine, but time is not on Putin’s side.
Violence, Human Rights Abuses, and Corruption Exploded After Mexico’s Military Entered the Drug War
Mexico’s military is crumbling under the weight of corruption.
Afghanistan Dominates Latest U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue
United States-India cooperation continues to move beyond the economic and scientific to the military.
The Pitfalls of Presidential Priestliness
One of the most resonant details from The New York Times’ recent feature on the Obama administration’s targeted killing program is the president’s apparent fondness for the writings of Thomas Aquinas and Augustine of Hippo, two early Christian thinkers who attempted to reconcile the pacifist teachings of Christ with the compromises that leaders must make in their inherently violent line of work. The president, it is suggested, strives to wage a “just war” against militants abroad, exacting only as much violence as is necessary to protect the United States from harm.
Algeria and the Arab Spring
A year ago, waves of uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa swept away western-backed tyrants one after the other – first Tunisia’s Ben Ali, then Egypt’s Mubarak… It seemed the list of toppled dictators was bound to go on and on. These uprisings were unforgettable historical events and the emancipatory experience was so contagious that people all over the world were inspired. Occupiers from London to Wall Street were proud to “Walk like an Egyptian”.
Mexico’s G20 Summit: In the Eye of the Storm
The hopes of Mexico’s president Felipe Calderon to have the European crisis under control before he presides over the G20 Summit have been dashed. Although the immediate threat of an economic meltdown has subsided, the crisis is far from over. Continued uncertainty in Greece and growing crisis in Spain are the most recent problems that have worsened the situation in the euro zone, said the European Commission in its weekly report for the last week of May. As usual, it called for holding the line.
The Spanish Bank Bailout: Digging a Deeper Hole
“I’m going to see the European cup having resolved the situation,” claimed Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Sunday, after a bailout of the country’s banks worth up to €100 billion was announced. The Spanish team drew, but the Spanish people continue to lose – paying for a crisis that has left them with “not much bread, and terrible circus” (Poco pan y pésimo circo), in the words of a Spanish rap-rock song that sounds more apt today than when it was recorded over 15 years ago.
West Falls for Iran’s Show of “Sanitizing” Parchin
To Iran, uranium enrichment is a bargaining chip.
Congress Pushes for War with Iran
In another resolution apparently designed to prepare for war against Iran, the U.S. House of Representatives, in an overwhelmingly bipartisan 401–11 vote, has passed a resolution (HR 568) urging the president to oppose any policy toward Iran “that would rely on containment as an option in response to the Iranian nuclear threat.”
Frenemies
We won our independence from the British in a hard-fought revolutionary battle. Today, no hard feelings: the Anglo-American alliance is strong, we all love Downton Abbey, and our skirmishes are largely confined to disputes over which version of The Office is funnier and how to spell and pronounce the word “aluminum.”
Disarmament’s Cause and Effect Relationship With Nonproliferation — or Lack Thereof
If the United States disarms, will states considering developing nuclear weapons, give up their nuke dreams?