What the psychology of mass murderers — from Charles Manson on up to Bashar al-Assad and ISIS — can teach us about the method behind their madness.
Je Suis Charlie (Manson)
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World Beat
Burma: Democracy with an Asterisk?
Burma’s constitution awards a quarter of its parliament to the military. But that’s not Aung San Suu Kyi’s biggest problem by a long shot.
The Schrodinger Solution for Syria
The only sensible solution to the Syrian crisis is a quantum one in which Bashar al-Assad is simultaneously there and not there.
What Comes After Empire?
Let’s say the U.S. actually curbed its military adventurism, reeled in the Pentagon budget, and closed its global network of bases. Then what?
A Kumbaya Moment for the Middle East? Hardly.
Despite Washington’s move toward detente with Iran, other regional conflicts — especially in Israel-Palestine, where an “intifada of knives” is underway — are looking as volatile as ever.
Is Putin Really as Foolish as We Are?
Putin’s attempt at “shock and awe” in Syria has all the hallmarks of failed U.S. interventions of the past
Mouth Wide Shut
Under Obama, whistleblowers face a total of 751 months behind bars — compared to 24 months for all other whistleblowers combined since the American Revolution.
The Middle East’s New Nakba
The chain of events set into motion by the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq is reaching its logical conclusion — the disintegration of multi-ethnic states and a great expulsion of innocents.
What Happened to Brazil?
Latin America’s largest country once looked ascendant. Now it’s been laid low by widespread violence, structural racism, endemic corruption, and external economic shocks.
After Obama: Clinton vs. Sanders
Hillary Clinton just laid out a hawkish foreign policy vision in a major speech. How do her views stack up against those of Bernie Sanders, her challenger from the left?