5 Jan, 2023
Before the bombs come the platitudes
What is democracy but platitudes and dog whistles? The national direction is quietly predetermined — it’s not up for debate...
5 Jan, 2023
3 Jan, 2023
The Threat Business: Russia or China?
Dual Enemies For those in charge of US national security, the central challenge is identifying threats and determining how to counter them. The Biden administration has cast China and Russia, in that order, as the major threats to US security...
16 Dec, 2022
Leaving a cheap crook behind
What could Biden be thinking, trading a mere basketball player for the "Merchant of Death" while leaving a Marine behind?
22 Nov, 2022
The Biden-Xi summit in Bali
Some Reasons for Optimism The much-ballyhooed first in-person summit between Pres. Biden and Xi Jinping on November 14 went off pretty well.
4 Nov, 2022
Time to reset military relations with Saudi Arabia
An Uneven Balance Sheet Saudi Arabia and OPEC have decided to cut oil production by two million barrels a day.
14 Oct, 2022
Can Russia’s use of a nuclear weapon in the Ukraine war be prevented?
President Biden surprised his top advisers along with everyone else when, at a fundraising event, he referred to “Armageddon” in the Ukraine war: Russia’s possible use of a nuclear weapon.
24 Aug, 2022
Another missed opportunity in US-China relations
The Washington Post reports that Xi Jinping personally asked President Biden to find a way to put off House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan.
8 Aug, 2022
Why should war criminals operate with impunity?
The issue of alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine highlights the decades-long reluctance of today’s major military powers to support the International Criminal Court.
29 Jul, 2022
Five reasons why Nancy Pelosi should postpone a trip to Taiwan
House Leader Nancy Pelosi seems intent on visiting Taiwan. That might not seem like a big deal to Americans, but these are dangerous times in US-China relations. That makes a Taiwan trip very risky. Here’s why:
23 Jul, 2022
Back to the Future: Biden in the Middle East
President Biden has now completed his first visit to the Middle East. The trip was billed as an opportunity to reset relations, especially with Saudi Arabia, promote respect for human rights, and reaffirm traditional US policy on Israel and the Palestine question.
12 Jul, 2022
Can Biden Make Lemonade out of Lemons on his Middle East Jaunt?
Ah, lemonade! As we endure the summer swelter, is there a more refreshing beverage? Making lemonade out of lemons is a worthy and timely endeavor, whether actually or metaphorically.
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...
10 May, 2022
Loose lips can sink peace
During World War II, US sailors were warned: Loose lips sink ships. A similar warning should have gone out to all US officials in recent days—and the President should have been the first to acknowledge that the warning included him.
8 Mar, 2022
Stumbling into the ‘sacrifice trap’
Our headlines: “Defiant Zelensky reveals his location in Kyiv… asks for no-fly zone”, “Russia threatens Europe’s gas supplies,” "Biden threatens to cut off Russian oil.”