The Sueddeutscher Zeitung published this interesting commentary, "Enemies, Vassals and Americans' on September 12 by Russian playwright Yevgeny Grischkowez. Playing off an assertion made by George Kennan that Russia has only vassals or enemies as neighbors; Grischokwez argues that an American cannot possibly understand the complex relationship between Russia and its neighbors as America is […]
Well, the Senate, after Republicans blocked a vote eight times previously, passed a tax package yesterday that includes the extension of the various credits for renewables. See this from Reuters and this from Bloomberg. The vote was a breathtaking 92-3. The draft legislation does pare away billions in oil and gas industry tax breaks in […]
September is Washington D.C.’s Human Trafficking Awareness Month, the event which was established thanks to the efforts of the DC Task Force on Human Trafficking. The Task Force was established in 2004 with the DC police department and the DC US Attorney’s office. Since the establishment of the Task Force, membership has grown to over […]
On September 5, this blog discussed the social debate over the construction of a sensationally beautiful mosque in Cologne. Now, there is news that conservative forces in Italy are also attempting to limit the construction of mosques. Reuters reports that "polls show Italians mistrust Muslims, and a third do not want a mosque in their […]
This month Free the Slaves, the United States oldest anti-slavery/abolitionist organization launched the Freedom Awards, honoring those who have struggled for freedom and won, those who fight in the name of those who have been silenced by the chains of slavery, those who never look back and face hardship as if it were only a […]
The folks at PBS’ “Frontline/World,” a national public TV series that focusing on global issues, have been producing material that is highly relevant to this blog's scope. Their “The World is Watching” series investigates global views of the US presidential election. For example, the site features reporting on the US elections in Afghanistan: “The elections are a […]
Last week there was a diplomatic row between the US, Bolivia and Venezuela. Bolivian President, Evo Morales, expelled the US Ambassador to Bolivia, Philip Goldberg, from the country, accusing the Ambassador of “conspiring against democracy.” The expulsion comes at a time of social upheaval in Bolivia. Wealthy people from Bolivia's oil-rich provinces have been protesting against the populist […]
I’d like to follow up on my previous post on the foreign policy advice being given to Barack Obama by noting the advice being given to John McCain. My fellow FPA blogger Melinda Brouwer noted foreign policy advice presented at the Republican National Convention on a panel moderated by the Council on Foreign Relations’ president […]
North Korea remains veiled in a murky shadow as their laconic leader, Kim Jong il, has taken ill after supposedly suffering a stroke. No one has seen him since and he was conspicuously absent at a September 9 parade marking the country's foundering. No more fan fare, no more god awful spectacles filling stadiums teeming […]
Last week, a sports-fan friend introduced me to an on-line forum where he publicly posts his weekly football picks. Coupled with the team he believes will prevail is a brief rationale of why he is making this choice and placing his bet on a particular team. For him, its a way to keep both a historical record […]
The deployment of a reported 10,000 Syrian troops near the country's border with northern Lebanon has many concerned, according to several Arab sources. As-Sharq al-Awsat stated that some Lebanese fear that it could be the sign of a Syrian incursion, with French and Turkish cover, to counter extremists originating from northern Lebanon. However, Lebanese Army […]
By Reginald Dale and Eve Copeland "Greening the dream that drives America: The U.S. should put the same creativity that produced the car into tackling the energy crisis it has caused' September 18, The Times of London This short essay, part observation from a motel window, part finger-wagging at America, and part book review, maintains […]
In Haiti the term Restavek, a Creole word derived from the French "rester avec", meaning "to stay with" or "to remain with", is deeply rooted in the countries history. While sending your children away to work as a domestic may be deeply rooted in the impoverished countries history, however the modern reality is that some […]
The chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, called on the world community to work in unison to bring Sudanese war criminals to justice. Moreno-Ocampo, who was in New York Monday ahead of the 63rd annual session of the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 23, said world leaders could do a better job […]
Sometimes television advertising fails to reach even an interested consumer. I had no idea that CNN was going to convene a panel of past secretaries of state, if I had, I would have promoted that event here. The CNN special The Next President – A World of Challenges aired this past weekend, in which a […]