America’s leading Sunni ally was propagating a violent, sectarian religious ideology long before ISIS came on the scene.
After Paris and Beirut, It’s Time to Rein in Saudi Arabia
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Will the Paris Climate Talks Deliver the World We Need? Not likely.
Even as governments set climate targets, they’re working hard to expand the extractive global economy with measures that could deepen the climate crisis.
The Saudis Are Stumbling. They May Take the Middle East with Them.
America’s leading Sunni ally is proving how easily hubris, delusion, and old-fashioned ineptitude can trump even bottomless wealth.
Like Everything Else, Alternative Energy Requires Cheap Oil
Ironically, alternative energy needs oil to replace oil.
Canada’s Progressives Bid Good Riddance to Harper
The victory of Canada’s Liberal Party was a mixed one for the country’s left. But from pulling out of Syria to (maybe) legalizing marijuana, they’re welcoming the change in governance.
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.
How Extreme Energy Leads to Extreme Politics
Authorities in Argentina and beyond are cracking down on indigenous communities that protest resource extraction — while re-writing laws to promote fossil fuels.
Where’s the Republican Outrage Over Saudi Arabia?
While Republicans beat up on the White House for making peace with America’s enemies, voters should ask them more questions about America’s friends.
To Save South Sudan, Dump the Warlords
While the international community propped up kleptocratic generals, South Sudan’s social entrepreneurs took matters into their own hands. The future of the country belongs to them.
Is the ISIS War About Oil After All?
The unfolding intervention against the Islamic State shows that oil doesn’t just guide U.S. foreign policy. It constrains our ways of thinking about it.