All Commentaries
‘Smart Sanctions’ on Iran are Dumb
In the face of the rising hysteria regarding Iran’s development of its nuclear power facilities, there is talk of preemptive military strikes against Iran. Meanwhile, sanctions on Iran — by both the UN Security Council and the United States — have become increasingly harsh. And to the extent they are successful, these sanctions will harm the wrong people and have little impact on the political leadership.
It’s “Groundhog Day” All Over Again in Pyongyang
Even sending Bill Murray to negotiate with North Korea is preferable to Obama’s Bush-like hard line, complete with sanctions.
Et Tu, Buddha? Rationalizing Violence in Buddhism
Despite its pacifistic reputation in the West, Buddhism can be as violent as any religion.
Why Don’t Iraqis and Afghans Embrace Democracy?
There are other reasons besides the bad example we set why states we occupy fail to jump through the U.S. democracy hoop.
The Other Oil Spill
Leading congressional Democrats are outraged at British Petroleum and others responsible for the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. But that stands in sharp contrast to their outspoken support of those responsible for a major oil spill in the eastern Mediterranean in 2006, the largest in that region’s history.
Bacevich Held Over Another Week!
By habitually responding to threats with the military instead of diplomacy, the U.S. makes itself weaker, not stronger.
Repackaging Assassination
Greetings from Yemen. It’s been a year since I corresponded directly with you. Perhaps you remember my 2009 memo in which I recommended outsourcing our assassinations – er, sorry, our “targeted killings” – to China. I suggested that China would do a better job of it than Blackwater. I never received a reply from you. I trust that this memo had nothing to do with my transfer from Shanghai to Sana’a. Don’t get me wrong. It’s good to be in the thick of things here in Yemen. But I sometimes miss pork dumplings as well as reliable electricity and running water.
War Talk, Peace Talk
It is difficult to avoid bumping into Jeffrey Goldberg these days. The Atlantic commentator’s prediction that there is a good chance Israel will strike Iran by next July to destroy its alleged nuclear weapons program has got everyone talking, and writing, and then talking some more.
Biden Embraces Myth That Surge Turned Iraq Into Good War
Willful ignorance about the real history of the Iraq War helps the Democratic foreign policy leadership uphold the narrative that the U.S. belongs in Muslim countries.
What if the United States Deployed a Nuclear Drone?
Can U.S. plans to arm drones with nuclear warheads in the 60s come to fruition today?