Are you a future global leader, do you want to share your ideas for change with the world, sick of people thinking you don't know what's going on in the world or your too young to make a difference? Well show the world what innovative ideas you have by putting your ideas, thoughts and youthful […]
In this op-ed, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger sees great promise for American leadership in addressing the global financial crisis: Not since the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy half a century ago has a new administration come into office with such a reservoir of expectations. It is unprecedented that all the principal […]
"The Counterfeiters" has characters who have to answer tough questions. They are Jews who have been set aside in a Nazi concentration camp for their skill in forging currency. The Germans are looking to create enough false pounds and dollars to sink the economies of Britain and the United States. Because of their usefulness to […]
Many people believe that U.S. foreign policy is dictated by Israel. A good counterexample to offer such people is the recent revelation by The New York Times that Israel requested U.S. support in bombing Iran's suspected nuclear sites. According to the report, President Bush vetoed this plan and offered only limited intelligence sharing: President Bush […]
Late last year, I helped a Western-based non-profit organization prepare a grant for an international development project in Ethiopia. At that time, there was mention that the Ethiopian government would soon be passing a law that restricts international agencies from working on certain interventions within the country – including human rights, equality, conflict resolution and the rights […]
Dan has two good posts addressing some of the legal criticism of the Israeli incursion into Gaza. There's been a vigorous debate on the incursion across the wonderful new array of Foreign Policy blogs; David Rothkopf summarizes his dispute with Steven Walt here. Christian Brose has a compelling piece here, too. While the writers don't […]
Vaclav Klaus – The Czech President had an op-ed this past week in the “Financial Times” that grabbed some attention, more so because the Czech Republic has just assumed the rotating presidency of the European Union. I have written recently about the extraordinary leadership of the EU on energy and climate, for instance here and […]
With Hamas and Israel ignoring international calls for a cease-fire, the top human rights official with the United Nations called for an investigation into war crimes in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military pushed deeper into the Hama-held Gaza Strip Sunday in the 16th day of assaults on the tiny Palestinian enclave. Khaled Meshaal, the […]
Over the past month, there have been countless articles about the astounding fraud perpetrated by Bernard Madoff. Specifically, there have been several pieces about financial fraud and how schemes may target members of a particular religious community (in this case the Jewish community, and the multi-million dollar losses to American Jewish groups). The first article […]
“Pretty much all the honest truth-telling there is in the world is done by children.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes, American physician, poet, writer, humorist and professor at Harvard, 1809-1894 They say 'the truth will set you free’, yet so often as we grow in to adulthood we forget the simple and all encompassing power of […]
I think my son was disappointed at what he got this year. After opening his gifts, he started throwing shoes at me.” -David Letterman, December 29th By now it should be obvious: President Bush's final visit to Iraq, planned in secrecy for dramatic impact, will be remembered for the startling gesture of disrespect invented by […]
The new chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Henry Waxman, has reconfigured the committee. (See Le roi est mort. Vive le roi., among other posts, on the critical importance of Waxman replacing John Dingell as chair of the full committee.) Very significantly, the Subcommittees on Energy and Air Quality and Environment and Hazardous […]
In the latest developments in the latest Mideast conflict, Israel rejected the U.N. cease-fire proposal as unworkable as more Palestinian missiles continued to fall on Israel. The U.S. has adopted its traditional role of supporting close ally Israel, laid the blame for the conflict squarely on Hamas, and worked for an equitable ceasefire that would […]
We’ve all heard of snow days, but snow school? For the children of Leipzig Germany's Wood Kindergarten, everyday is a snow day. The Wood Kindergarten is all outdoors and regardless of the temperature, even if below zero, school carries on. In a day and age where too many children have to be forced outdoors to […]