Foreign Policy
Losing Hearts and Minds: Development and Its Discontents
American Values and the Ground Zero Mosque
What Is Moderate Islam?
The Downsizing of American Foreign Policy
In the wake of the financial meltdown triggered by the collapse of the investment bank Lehman Brothers on September 15, 2008, and the deep global recession that the Lehman collapse dramatically worsened, the American financial sector is shrinking. Something similar is about to happen to American foreign policy, and partly for the same reason. READ MORE >>
LONDON—Glimmers of hope, rumored concessions, and anticipated de-escalations of rhetoric are the almost daily fare of those of us who cover Iran and its tense relations with the West. But in the year since Iran's disputed election—and the brutal crackdown that has followed—those brief shining moments have almost always faded away. This has happened yet again in the case of Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, the Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for alleged adultery. READ MORE >>
Turkey Is Not Going to Join the E.U.
Turkey is not going to join the European Union. Bald or candid statements are usually unwise, or “impolitic,” which is why politicians tend to avoid them, knowing that they may be falsified by events. But some can be made with absolute confidence, and here is one of them. READ MORE >>
Paul Kagame and Rwanda's Faux Democracy
If you’re a betting person, here’s a safe bet: On August 9, the balloting in the east African state of Rwanda will give world-famous military leader Paul Kagame yet another seven-year term as president. The astonishing margin of victory will impress even the modern grand viziers of Central Asia. The outcome is quite easy to predict, when no other candidates are allowed to campaign. READ MORE >>
Americans Should Be Asked to Sacrifice for the War on Terrorism. But Sacrifice What?
The following query found its way into my in-box: Could you please tell me what "sacrifices" you think we should be making because we are at war? I told a friend about how I had seen you on TV saying that we are at war, but people aren't making sacrifices. So he asked me what sacrifices, and I couldn't give him an answer. Glad to oblige. Typically, this sort of question serves as a prelude to an appeal to restore the draft. Yet when it comes to sacrifice, there’s a more immediately available option. Hit Americans where it hurts: in their pocketbooks. READ MORE >>
