A studied refusal to pay attention to South Sudan’s colonial history helped ignite the current crisis.
SOTU: Obama Grades His Foreign Policy
Former law professor Barack Obama went into surprising depth on issues of war and peace during his fifth State of the Union address. Here’s how he should grade himself.
Rwandan Bonsais
Are Rwanda’s post-genocide youth programs paving the way for future unrest?
Poem: Infinite Regress of War
Sepulchre of repeated images / Won’t someone shatter the pure reflection of glass?
Overpopulation Makes a Mockery of Citizenship
“Countdown” by Alan Weisman: required reading for earthlings.
Reasons To Be Cheerful
Before we get cynical about 2014, let’s recount the good news from 2013: declining U.S. militarism, a resurgence of diplomacy, and a more forceful global discussion about inequality.
Ten Good Things about 2013
2013 had its fair share of bad news, but it was also a year of extraordinary activism.
Hope, History, and Unpredictability
A meditation on history and the long arc of justice.
Our Top 13 from 2013
Our top pieces from 2013 touch on nearly corner of the world.
Is South Sudan a Failed State?
Sudan might have been better off undivided.