From Athens to Tehran, powerful countries make the rules and break the rules. Everyone else just squeezes the best deal they can — for now, anyway.
Greece, Iran, and the Rules of the Game
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World Beat
Iran Deal: Is Obama Channeling Nixon?
The nuclear deal with Iran, like Nixon’s opening to China in 1972, has the potential to be a geopolitical game changer — if it can get through Congress first.
The Islamic State and the Terrible Twos
If we continue to think about the Islamic State as a force to be fought on the battlefield, its second year will be worse than its first.
Our Refugee World
There are more refugees adrift in the world today than ever before. If they formed a country, it would be the 24th most populous on the planet.
Asia: On the Rocks
U.S. efforts to construct an “armed peace” in the Asia-Pacific are only encouraging a cycle of escalation.
Multiculturalism Saves Turkey
It’s not just liberals that have soured on Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It’s the country’s often overlooked ethnic minorities.
Venture Capitalists Rule the World
You’ve heard of neo-liberalism. Say hello to its younger, wilder cousin: neo-lotteryism.
Authoritarian Symps
In the post-Cold War era, the right and even some on the left are playing a new game of “Who’s your favorite dictator?”
The Problem with Young Dictators
Bashar al-Assad is not going to age out of office any time soon.
Celebrating Destruction
Our wartime commemorations are the functional equivalent of mounting the heads of our victims on pikes. Are we surprised that others celebrate bloodshed when we do the same?