All Commentaries

Fossil Fueled Foreign Policy: Why COP26 Flopped
Western observers want to blame India for the failure of the UN climate talks. Not so fast.

Chile at the Crossroads: Between Reform and Reaction
After finally destroying the last vestiges of Pinochet, is Chile about to elect a right-wing populist to its highest office?

The Problem of Sanctions against North Korea
Economic sanctions have demonstrably failed to change North Korean behavior. So, when is the world going to try something new?

‘Now Is the Time to Be Angry’: Afghanistan’s Progressive Past and Dark Present
A personal reflection on the ‘Big Men’ who’ve meddled in Afghanistan — and the women navigating the aftermath.

Sudan Is Backsliding Dangerously
Since the October 25 military takeover, violent repression has returned in full force. Can the international community support the rule of law?

If You Think Vaccine Mandate Pushback Is Bad…
At some point, governments will start using more sticks than carrots to break our deadly dependence on fossil fuels. How will humanity respond?

It Turns Out Cubans Are More Excited About School Reopening Than Regime Change
A planned, U.S.-backed mass protest in Cuba flopped. Ordinary Cubans explain why.

Climate of Delusion
We all think that climate change is somebody else’s problem. We have to be persuaded otherwise.

How to Cut $1 Trillion from the Pentagon
A CBO report requested by Bernie Sanders lays out three options for a modest Pentagon trim over the next decade. Can we pull it off?

European Green Deal: Step Forward, Backward, or Sideways?
Europe is ahead of much of the world in combining decarbonization with an equitable shift to clean energy. And it’s still not enough.