As unrest simmers in the Middle East and the United States edges toward detente with Iran, Israel and Saudi Arabia are trying to ride out the storm together.
In a Changing Middle East, Israel and Saudi Arabia Cling Together
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Democracy & Governance
NSA Surveillance’s Cost-Benefit Ratio
Massive data collection by the NSA comes down much heavier on the cost side of the ledger than the benefit.
Branding Japan
Shinzo Abe is back as prime minister, along with his special brand of Abenomics and a whole new politics of hype.
Mistaking Omniscience for Omnipotence
No one knows what a major state would be like if it radically cut back its intelligence services–but based on the recent American record, it’s hard to imagine we could be anything but better off.
Democratic Republic of the Congo Test Case for ‘New World Order’
The UN helped the Congolese army and international prosecutors stand ready to help try war crimes.
Egypt: The First Nation Ever to Revolt Against Democracy?
In fact, the military’s claims that Egyptian protesters sought an end to the experiment in democracy are highly doubtful.
Seeing Past “Death to America”: A Conversation with Hooman Majd
Iranian-American author Hooman Majd says that Americans are starting to see Iran as more than “just a bunch of crazy mullahs shouting ‘Death to America’ all the time.”
The Audacity of Pope
Here are three ways Pope Francis could seriously rock the boat.
Labor Rights for All: The Fight Against Modern-Day Slavery
The domestic workers’ rights movement offers powerful lessons for the broader fight against forced labor, trafficking, and servitude.
America Under Assault
We often hear of U.S. guns turning up at crimes scenes abroad. But we rarely hear about how many foreign-made guns find their way to the United States.