The U.S. economic recovery remains anemic, so President Barack Obama wants Washington to spend more money. Of course, if the economy was booming, he would want the federal government to spend even more money. Nevertheless, the favorite justification for public…
There are many grand failures of U.S. foreign policy. Egypt has joined the pantheon, with Washington seemingly under attack by every faction in Cairo. Egypt long has been a national wreck. Its recent history featured rule by an indolent king…
Today’s collegians weren’t even born when the Berlin Wall existed. Those of us who are a bit older remember when East Germany shot down citizens seeking to escape communism’s not-so-loving embrace. The year 1989 seems long ago, but it remains…
If you’re a big spender, there’s good news in Washington. The deficit is down. The budget crisis is over. So Uncle Sam can go back to his wastrel ways! Indeed, the usual suspects insist, it’s time to spend more. The…
Despite his evident reluctance to take America into the Syrian civil war, President Barack Obama appears to be traveling down that road step-by-step. He has decided the U.S. will provide weapons to the insurgents. If that action fails to transform…
Since the dawn of human history men have warred against one another. The bitterest fights tend to be within political communities, the sort of civil wars that rent America, Russia, China, among many others. Today Syria is going through a…
It wasn’t that many weeks ago when North Korea’s Kim Jong-un was threatening to nuke South Korea, the U.S., Japan, and the rest of the known world. Now his minions are preparing to chat amicably with representatives of Seoul about…
Protesters have taken to the streets in Istanbul, Turkey’s first city. The metropolis is a vibrant mix of cultures, as Byzantium lurks in the shadow of Islam. Geographically the city and country are divided between East and West by the…
Indonesia has much to celebrate. The world’s most populous Islamic nation surmounted the Suharto dictatorship to create a democratic and increasingly prosperous state. If it can overcome secessionist pressures in what remains an artificial country, Indonesia may become an important…