All Commentaries
Lessons from 50 Years Covering Foreign Policy
After half a century studying the issue, here’s lesson number one: Wars are bad and empire is folly.
Learning from Cambodia’s COVID-19 Response
Despite a per-capita GDP of one-tenth of the EU’s, Cambodia has achieved a similar rate of vaccination — and a death rate 20 times lower.
Drawdown: Improving U.S. and Global Security Through Military Base Closures Abroad
The United States has withdrawn its troops from Afghanistan. Only 750 military bases to go.
The Handcuffing of Joe Biden
Trump didn’t just tie his successor’s hands. He handcuffed them to the throttle of a runaway train.
September 11 and the Debacle of ‘Nation-Building’ in Iraq and Afghanistan
Nation-building in Afghanistan and Iraq was the resurrection of a doctrine that should have been buried after Vietnam.
Many Americans Refused to Consider Why 9/11 Happened. The Costs Were Enormous.
Middle East experts who opposed America’s post-9/11 wars were ridiculed as anti-American extremists. In reality, it was the pro-war right that was making us less safe.
The Victims of Our Post-9/11 Wars Deserve Remembrance, Too
Countless innocents died in the 20 years of war our country launched in the name of our 9/11 dead.
9/11 at 20: Two Decades of Missed Opportunities
For just a fraction of what we’ve spent on militarization these last 20 years, we could start to make life much better.
Did 9/11 Change Everything?
The 9/11 attacks were a surprise. The response wasn’t.
Post-Afghanistan, Nation (Un)Building Comes Home
Just imagine where America might really be today if Congress had spent close to $8 trillion rebuilding this country?