Not content with controlling and censoring its own domestic news media, the Chinese government seeks also to restrict international media coverage of China. The methods Beijing employs for this purpose include political and economic pressure on Western news media, cyber-attacks on Western news websites, and harassment or expulsion of Western journalists in China. Visa denials […]
Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s Liberator as Prisoner and President, Dies at 95 Bill Keller New York Times Nelson Mandela died yesterday Thursday, December 5 at the age of 95 in his Johannesburg home. In this thorough obituary Bill Keller traces the life of one of the world’s most remarkable and influential political figures of the […]
As readers already know, the P5+1 and Iran concluded an interim agreement regarding Iran’s nuclear program. This was accomplished in remarkably little time despite some reporters’ harried declarations that the talks were on the verge of collapse. (Reporters sometimes accept at face value “confidences” from diplomats that are really part of the bargaining process. It […]
Any unchecked authority or power—especially when involving monies—ultimately leads to corruption. That is why it is necessary to put in place mechanisms to monitor, audit, reward, and, when necessary, punish.All laws stemming from a moral or a legal code are based on a system of rewards and punishments. By corruption I mean: Abuse of authority […]
Catch up this holiday weekend with some of our favorite must reads.
Since the 1970s, Saudi Arabia has employed thousands of foreign workers in many of its sectors and continues to do so as long as they enter the country and obtain work legally and according to the regulations. However, over the years more and more illegal expatriates cross the borders of the Kingdom or remain in […]
Atlanticism in Retreat By A. Wess Mitchell and Jan Havranek The American Interest Twenty years after the end of the Cold War, the special relationship that tied the United States to the states of Central and Eastern Europe is rotting. Mitchell and Havranek describe the emergence of a new Middle Zone, but argue that the United […]
In earlier posts (here, here,here and here), I’ve argued that the Obama administration’s national security process is plagued by extreme insularity, centralization and politicization. Ultimately, however, these institutional problems are a reflection of the person sitting in the Oval Office. The deepening Obamacare fiasco has raised plenty of questions about President Obama’s leadership qualities. But two reports this […]
Need some reading for the weekend? Check out our five favorite long reads and five blog posts.
The Syrian conflict has presented itself as a complex situation that has resulted in countless amounts of analysis and news articles dedicated to the political and security aspects of the crisis. Although these writings are indispensable for the ability to understand what is taking place, there hasn’t been enough attention on another aspect of the […]
When the average American is asked how much of the federal budget they believe is allocated to foreign aid, the response is 25 percent — twenty-five times the current amount. When Americans are surveyed on how much funding they believe should be allocated to foreign aid, the response is 10 percent. In reality, USAID comprises less than […]
Our favorite longform reads and blog posts from the past week.
By Manuel Langendorf In the absence of other alternatives, Islamists were elected by default. This is the last of a two part series. Read part one here. Fair Observer’s Middle East Editor, Manuel Langendorf, speaks to Mhamed Biygautane from the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government in Dubai — a renowned expert on political Islam […]
It is not often that a rug becomes caught in the crosshairs of foreign policy and cast away from artistic appreciation, yet the 1920s Armenian orphan rug that was planned for display in December at the Smithsonian Museum suffers just this fate. Bound by the common thread of their identity as children and survivors of […]
Ring of Fire: Why Our Military’s Toxic Burn Pits Are Making Soldiers Sick By Katie Drummond The Verge In this week’s most disturbing and comprehensive exposé, Katie Drummond reveals the alarming extent of the U.S. military’s pollution problem and its devastating effects on soldiers and their families. The Snowden Leaks and the Public By Alan […]