Uncategorized Archives - Page 30 of 279

Infantalizing North Korea

by John Feffer | May 10, 2013

Political Cartoonists love to portray North Korea as an irrational and infantile force. It’s either a baby with a nuclear rattle or a little truant in need of a timeout. The relative youth of the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, encourages such representations, but the practice predates his ascension to power. It’s time for us to grow up in our assessments of North Korea. Belittling North Korea, literally and figuratively, ultimately prevents us from developing our own mature alternatives.

Trade-Offs Needed to Enhance U.S. Soft Power

by Lawrence Korb, Miriam Pemberton | May 8, 2013

Retired Gen. David Petraeus and Michael O’Hanlon are correct that we should protect funding for the State Department and the Agency for International Development (“Fund — Don’t Cut — U.S. Soft Power” POLITICO, May 1) because doing so enhances our national security. Their comments are in line with those of former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who made this point several times during his time in office.

High Times in Yugoslavia

by John Feffer | May 7, 2013

Meanwhile, Yugloslovia promoted a third path between communism and capitalism: worker self-management and a limited private sector.

Congressman Keith Ellison on US Drones in Africa and Media’s Portrayal of Muslims

by Jon Letman | May 3, 2013

Keith Ellison, who in 2006 became the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress, has spent much of his tenure forging closer relations with Middle Eastern and African countries, from Malawi and Mauritania to Liberia, Libya, and Sudan. He’s traveled to the region more times than he can recall, most recently to Somalia in February, as the first member of Congress to visit the war-torn nation in four years.

U.S. Efforts to Block Democracy in Venezuela Harm Hemispheric Relations

by Laura Carlsen | May 2, 2013

The U.S. government stands alone among major world governments in refusing to recognize the results of the recent Venezuelan presidential election. The petulant position of the Obama administration harms U.S. relations across the entire hemisphere and feeds a scenario of violence in that Caribbean country.

The Real North Korea

by John Feffer | Apr 19, 2013

Only North Koreans can change North Korea. Attempting to impose a solution from outside – whether from Beijing, Seoul, or Washington – will just not work. North Koreans are a proud people, even more so after several decades of austerity and government-sponsored nationalism. Like Afghans and Iraqis, they will not take kindly, to say the least, to military invaders. And they know the limitations and leverage points of their society better than any outside political missionary bent on a softer version of regime change.

A Post-Castro Era Looms for Cuba

by Arturo Lopez-Levy | Apr 17, 2013

With a post-Castro Era looming on the horizon, the Obama administration should muster the political will to prepare the United States for February 2018, when neither Fidel nor Raul Castro will remain at the helm of the Cuban state.

No Peace Dividend? Not So Fast

by Miriam Pemberton | Apr 16, 2013

The Obama administration’s budget included a promissory note. It will take them a few more weeks to tell us what they plan to spend next year on the Afghan War. Their intention to bring that war to an end, though, is clear.  

The Beyonce Effect

by Arturo Lopez-Levy | Apr 9, 2013

Every once in a while, something happens to remind us just how far U.S.-Cuba relations have deviated from what they should be. In the first week of April, superstars Beyonce Knowles-Carter and Jay-Z strolled through Havana, engulfed in a sea of people. Reactions in the U.S. were immediate and indignant — and way off-base.

Soccer Riots and Egyptian Democracy

by Leslie Garvey | Apr 8, 2013

In early March, a resurgence in football riots erupted across Egypt, most severely in Cairo and Port Said. Thousands of football fans took to the streets, clashing with local police forces and, in Cairo, setting the Egyptian Football Federation headquarters and the Police Club on fire.