In a world awash with weak states, powerful weapons, and crumbling institutions, conflicts can easily continue for generations — and perhaps never end.
To End No Wars
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World Beat
Poland’s Tea Party Movement
By embracing a neoliberal, pro-austerity agenda, Poland’s mainstream left opened the way for a government of Polish Ted Cruzes.
Darkness at High Noon in Korea
With governments on both sides of the DMZ extinguishing what little remained of the “sunshine era” of engagement, the peninsula is lurching toward a new period of darkness.
The Art of Dissidence and Diplomacy
Foreign policy is too important to leave to the “professionals.” Through art and culture, we can all work to make the world a better place.
The Candidate Our Foreign Policy Deserves
Our foreign policy is aggressive, parochial, and hard-hearted. Unless voters finally demand differently, our next president will be the same.
Life in the Gray Zone
While ISIS makes war on the world’s vast majority of “moderate Muslims,” hardliners in the West pretend they don’t exist.
Iran and the Diplomatic Jackpot
The Middle East is hardly a cheery place these days. But there’s one silver lining: The Iran deal is paying off big.
Africa’s Success Story
Diamond-rich Botswana avoided the dreaded resource curse and established a prosperous, stable democracy. But political turmoil has begun to roil the traditionally placid society.
The Geopolitics of Cheap Oil
Economists said the market would save the planet. It didn’t.
Obama: The Fairy-Tale President?
Obama’s made a lot of Faustian bargains over the last seven years. But given his likely successors, what we got over the last two terms may be as good as it gets.