Peace and Security
No-Doctrine Obama
For the political zoologist, the equivalent of finding a new species is identifying a new doctrine. Do all the zigs and zags in U.S. foreign policy in the last two years add up to a coherent Obama Doctrine?
U.S. Silences on the Arab Spring are Deafening
The U.S. response to the democratic uprisings sweeping the Middle East and North Africa is as notable for its silence as its uneven support for the Arab Spring.
Arab Spring Forecast
Want to Cut Federal Spending? Go Where the Money Is.
If we are serious about cutting or redirecting our federal spending to important priorities like health care and education, we need to go where the money is, too. Roughly 59 percent of discretionary federal spending is military spending. That’s where we need to look.
Retired Dictators
Libya: It’s All about the Oil
If the U.S.-NATO war on Libya sounds pretty fishy to you, go to the head of the class. You’re way ahead of Congress and the most influential media outlets. Lawmakers and pundits know full well why Washington is intervening in Libya. But they don’t want to risk their mainstream credentials by revealing it.
Libya War Is No Pentagon Lifeline
The United States is fighting another war–of unknown scope and length–in Libya. At a time of budget-cutting fever on Capitol Hill, the war represents a potential lifeline for the Pentagon. If you believe the Libya operation justifies current U.S. military spending levels–or even an increase–think again.
World War II’s Invisible Wounds
World War II: the good and righteous war. We still celebrate in the 21st century the heroic success of the 16.2 million who fought in the last uncomplicated conflict.
Diagnosing a Military-Industrial Complex
Torturers? Who, Us?
There are today a number of honorable Western governments seeking to punish the perpetrators of torture. Unfortunately, the Obama administration isn’t among them. This failure of will is doubly lamentable because the best-known contemporary torturers happen to be from the United States. It’s still a bit hard to conjure up President Barack Obama’s rationale for protecting the guilty parties. But whatever that reason may be, it hardly seems worthy.
