Americans Shouldn’t Have to Rely on the National Guard for Basic Services
Time and again, why is it only the military that has extra resources to go around?
U.S. Sanctions on Afghanistan Could Be Deadlier Than 20 Years of War
The collective punishment of Afghans is hideously wrong — and the Biden administration can ease it with the stroke of a pen.
The Terrifying World of 2025
Imagine that the current attacks on experts and expertise morph into a full-blown MAGA Cultural Revolution in 2025…
No More War in Europe
An Appeal for Civic Action in Europe and Beyond
Iran: Why This Time Is Different
The latest P5+1 talks in Istanbul rejuvenated the diplomatic track between Iran and the West, paving the way for a new chapter in Iranian nuclear negotiations. Yet if the recently concluded talks were a test of intentions, the upcoming negotiations in Baghdad are going to be a real test of wills. Both sides will have to overcome huge obstacles if they want to establish a “sustained process of serious dialogue” to resolve the Iranian nuclear impasse.
Question of Iran Pits Israeli Intelligence Against Meshuggeneh Fringe
The struggle over Iran at top of the Israeli political pyramid only reflects the tension at the grass roots.
Iran Errata: Encouraging Words Turn Out to Be Repackaged
Like North Korea, Iran believe uranium enrichment can win significant concessions from the West.
Newseum Dishonors One of Its Own: Slain Spanish Cameraman Jose Couso
The Spanish Supreme Court reopened the case of José Couso and leveled charges at four American soldiers.
The Accidental Experts
Scattered across the globe, far from the staid conference rooms and policy salons of Washington, are some of the world’s premier experts on U.S. militarism. But they are neither the warzone refugees who have most borne its brunt nor the polished think tank professionals who increasingly populate the developing world’s capitals.
Rather, they are the people who dwell in the shadows of the estimated 1,000 U.S. military bases speckling the planet.
Latin America Delivers a Good, Swift Kick to the U.S.
Latin American growth has resulted from its rejection the economic model pushed by Washington and the European Union: free trade, financial deregulation, and austerity.
NATO vs. Rogues?
Institutions rarely vote themselves out of existence. Not if they still have money in their budgets. Large institutions in particular have an almost genetic propensity to cling to life even after their reasons for being have vanished. That’s why I don’t expect NATO, which will gather in Chicago later this month, to suddenly declare game over and disband – even though the alliance’s rationale has become wafer-thin. The Soviet Union is no more, al-Qaeda is a spent force, and NATO members are rushing for the door in Afghanistan. Indeed, most of Europe is cutting back on military spending, and the debt-saddled region has a diminished appetite for intervention.
Radio Tahrir (Part II): The Indignado and Occupy Movement
Radio Tahrir: a marathon retrospective on the Arab awakening, the Indignados and the Occupy movement.
Review: Learning from the Octopus
Rafe Sagarin, the author of Learning from the Octopus, is a marine ecologist and security expert. Years of marine research provide him with a unique perspective on security issues. His new book’s conclusion: we can learn from nature about being more secure by being more adaptable. Nature, after 3.5 billion years of dealing with risk, is an experienced teacher.
When Nuclear Weapons Programs Fail to Ripen
Tyrannies and states with weak institutions are seldom successful developing nuclear weapons.