5 Jul, 2022
China’s surveillance state and its meaning for us
China’s surveillance state and its meaning for us by Mel Gurtov 962 words The Tools of Surveillance In a recent...
5 Jul, 2022
28 Jun, 2022
Europe’s uneasy unity on the war in Ukraine
Welcoming the leaders of Finland and Sweden to Washington on May 19, President Biden said that “what makes NATO strong isn’t just our enormous military capacity, but our commitment to each other, to its values. NATO is an alliance of choice, not coercion.” NATO is indeed a growing alliance...
4 Jun, 2022
The arsenal, but not of democracy
America is awash with weapons, and the tragic consequences are before us every day...
28 May, 2022
Biden, Taiwan, and strategic ambiguity
At a stopover in Tokyo during his Asia trip, President Biden was asked whether the US would “defend Taiwan” if it were attacked. He said yes, because “that’s the commitment we made.” Actually, there is no formal “commitment,”...
25 May, 2022
Omicron Catches Up with North Korea
After having proclaimed for more than two years that the country was untouched by the coronavirus, North Korea now faces a potential health catastrophe...
19 May, 2022
It’s “now or never” on climate change
The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) working group report gives us until 2030 to stop global warming at 1.5?C.
1 May, 2022
The coming Old New Order
A principal lesson of the war in Ukraine is that the Cold War never ended. German reunification, the Soviet Union’s collapse, new entries in NATO, democratic springs in Poland and Hungary, Ukraine’s independence, the removal of nuclear weapons from eastern Europe, including Ukraine—all these events once augured a new era in Europe.
23 Apr, 2022
Take the gloves off
Many of you have no doubt watched a video of Michigan state senator Mallory McMorrow’s forthright response to a far-right colleague’s attempt to paint her as a “groomer” for the LGBTQ community and a supporter of pedophilia.
14 Apr, 2022
Crimes of war
Crimes of war by Mel Gurtov 1351 words Mass Violence in Our Times In just the past few years, we...
31 Mar, 2022
When will it end, and how?
How will it end? In the wake of Ukraine’s stunning and stubborn resistance to Putin’s invasion, the question whose answer once seemed preordained now can be asked in all seriousness.
20 Mar, 2022
An engagement moment for the US and China
One of the more interesting developments in Putin’s war on Ukraine is the retreat of China from full-fledged support of Russia.
12 Mar, 2022
Thinking About the Unthinkable in the Ukraine Crisis
We might be inclined to think that the most urgent decisions on Ukraine have been made: decisions on military aid to the Ukraine government, on humanitarian aid to refugees and Ukrainian civilians still in the country, and on support of NATO countries bordering Russia.
18 Feb, 2022
Employing Confidence Building Measures in the Ukraine Crisis
Last week a tiny back-page item in the New York Times reported that the president of Ukraine had come to believe that as much as he wants Ukraine to join NATO, it may be just a dream, suggesting a willingness to forego membership.
7 Feb, 2022
China’s Careful Dance Around the Ukraine Crisis
Reports out of Washington suggest worry over a Russia-China partnership that would facilitate Vladimir Putin’s presumed ambition to absorb Ukraine and undermine the NATO-based European security system. So let’s examine that relationship to assess the US concern.
21 Jan, 2022
How to Avoid War Over Ukraine
The threat of a major war hangs over eastern Europe. Four different negotiating forums between Russia and NATO on the Ukraine situation have not gone well.