I wrote a few days ago that the word from The Hill was that the Democrats were going to revive the rescission of tax breaks for the oil industry and try again to extend tax credits for renewables. Reuters reports that this is definitely on for after the Presidents' week break. See this in which […]
The fourth round of talks between Iran and the United States concerning security issues in Iraq have been postponed, at the behest of Iran. “It had originally been slated for December 18 with Iraqi authorities touting it as a 'technical meeting’ at experts level rather than a meeting of ambassadors. However it was postponed, again […]
Like a lot of non-democratic governments (and some democratic ones as well), the junta that rules Burma likes to keep track of the international NGOs operating in its country. You never know when they’re going to be stirring up an insurrection. This article gives a brief description of the policies they have put in place […]
One of the recurring themes here is that public and private philanthropy have many driving purposes. There probably isn't a better example of this than the US current aid policy in Africa. Not only is aid is the dominant feature of US foreign policy on the continent, but we also see the three major purposes […]
More than a city that is pro-child we must work to see a world that is pro child, a world where children no longer have to live in fear. A world in which children are not the pawns of war, the heartless victims of political roulette, the unwitting legacies of ruthless leaders…the children for which […]
Take the time this Valentines day to show kids in need that they are loved! Save the Children's Campaign – Sharing Your Love for Children on Valentine's Day Click to Give – Send a Valentines and help hunger or child's health
"Half the cuts in greenhouse gas emissions needed to make the world safe can be achieved at a net profit to the global economy, a study has found." That's how this article from today's "Financial Times" leads. (The threshold for "safe" is the 550 ppm of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that the IPCC posits […]
Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain authored an article in the November/December 2007 edition of Foreign Affairs titled “An Enduring Peace Built on Freedom” that reveals his campaign's foreign policy platform. Here is a quick summary of his article: “America needs a president who can revitalize the country's purpose and standing in the world and defeat […]
Suicide bombers have become a mainstay in today's modern warfare, we have become hardened by their continual actions and rarely does one become shocked to see headlines like, “suicide bomber kills 11”. Modern suicide bombing began in the 1980's during the Lebanese Civil War, and has since spread to more than 12 countries, including Iraq, […]
Yesterday I attended the National Summit on Citizen Diplomacy in Washington, DC, put on by the US Center for Citizen Diplomacy and the Coalition for Citizen Diplomacy. For those new to the concept, citizen diplomats are unofficial ambassadors who either participate in exchange programs overseas or host and interact with international exchange program participants in the United States. You […]
This online Op/Ed by David Dickson originally comes from scidev.net, but I found it on an interesting blog called Gates Keepers. It keeps an unbiased eye on the Gates Foundation, as is worth a read if you have interest in what Gates is up to. The Op/Ed makes a sound argument that the Gates contribution […]
“Is it really so easy to determine that smacking someone in the face to determine where he has hidden the bomb that is about to blow up Los Angeles is prohibited in the constitution” Uh … yeah? Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia entered the torture debate Tuesday in an interview with the BBC making some […]
The former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV penned an endorsement for Hillary Clinton in today's Baltimore Sun. He officially came out in favor of the New York Senator in July of 2007. But the column is likely a byproduct of Clinton's need for a boost in the very close primary races, and Wilson's penchant writing […]
David Ignatius, columnist for the Washington Post, offered an interesting perspective on foreign attitudes in the wake of Super Tuesday. As he put it: As I travel, I sense that the world has a big stake in what's going to happen [in the U.S. elections]. I’ve never seen people as angry at the United States […]
The U.S. State Department regularly brings groups of foreign journalists to the United States on study tours. At any time of year, in any year, there's a lot to study in the U.S., and these visits are among the State Department's more successful public diplomacy activities. But this year, bringing a group of journalists to […]