We face the distinct possibility that the U.S. national security bureaucracy will continue to deny the disastrous consequences of our client-regime national-security strategy.
Why Washington Clings to a Failed Middle-East Strategy
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United States
Secret SOTU
I’ve never met President Obama, never been invited to any White House confabs. I’ve never even been able to sit through one of his speeches. But my office is about six blocks away from the White House. So, like any good Washington pundit who imagines that proximity translates into perceptiveness, I feel entirely qualified to look into the president’s eyes to get a sense of his soul. Here’s what I believe President Obama will be thinking as he reads off the teleprompter.
Operation Desert Storm: Our Last “Clean” War
January 21 marked the 20th anniversary of the start of the Gulf War.
Does the Taboo Against the Use of Nuclear Weapons Only Increase Their Allure?
Realism and ethics converge in the belief that nuclear weapon use is unthinkable.
Proposal: A Global Day of Action on Military Spending
Republicans are finally conceding that defense cuts are needed. But it’s not just budget priorities that need to be reevaluated, but our global priorities.
New Year 2011, Okinawa and the Future of East Asia
The mood across East Asia as 2011 dawns is one of foreboding. Can the militarization and confrontation that gathered momentum through 2010 in the spiral of incidents (Cheonan in March, Senkaku in September, Yeonpyeong in November) and massive regional war rehearsals by the US and its allies be halted and reversed? The fear that events might slide during 2011 into catastrophe is hard to resist.
New U.S. Ship Deployment to Costa Rica Heightens Tensions
The Costa Rican legislature on December 20 approved another deployment of dozens of U.S. ships to its territory for the next six months, but denied permission for warships to deploy to the country until a full debate occurs after the New Year.
A New Start on Treaties
The United States is a bit schizophrenic when it comes to treaties. The U.S. government does a great job negotiating them. From the International Criminal Court to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, U.S. diplomats have forged very constructive compromises on major human rights and security agreements. Unfortunately, the U.S. Senate has a history of letting these accords molder. The Senate and the White House still have a long list of treaties that are overdue for ratification. Here are seven lessons from the New START experience for policymakers to consider as they move forward.
From Military-Industrial Complex to Permanent War State
At this point, it can only be pulled out by its roots — or via a grass-roots movement.
Is “It’s Not Fair” a Childish Response to Being Denied Nuclear Weapons?
Nonproliferation is a non-starter when those who seek to enforce it refuse to convincingly disarm.