In The News

Stepping Up to the UN Plate

Takashi Oda July 24, 2006
Some of North Korea’s missile tests in early July may have failed, but Japan recognizes that the rogue nation has reliable Rodong ballistic missiles that could enable it to wage attacks on its closest neighbors. A military confrontation solely between Japan and North Korea would probably favor the latter, so Japan relies largely on diplomatic pressure and the use of sanctions to discourage North...

Multipolar Disorder

Timothy Garton Ash July 24, 2006
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the US took on the role of world’s supreme power. In retrospect, the moment was brief. As the world’s leading power, the US invaded Iraq – and the notion of a world guided by the might and morals of a single nation unraveled. Attempts to manage conflicts such as the current explosion between Israel and Lebanon face a labyrinth of cause-and-effect...

The West’s Moral Erosion Has Undermined the War on Terror

Max Hastings July 24, 2006
Rigid British and US support of unrelenting Israeli attacks on Lebanon, and their refusal to pursue immediate ceasefire, contribute to views that the West is unjust, according to “Guardian” columnist Max Hastings. As a result, the West damages its global reputation. Military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the lack of intervention in Lebanon or other struggling nations, diminish...

Saving the World, One Video Game at a Time

Clive Thompson July 23, 2006
The violence erupting in the Middle East is anything but a game. Desperate to eliminate world crises, philanthropists such as the MacArthur Foundation and academics are teaming up with developers of video games to teach new skills and values, particularly to youth who reject traditional media. For example, “Peacemaker” places its players in decision-making roles vis-à-vis the Israeli-Palestinian...

A Driven President Faces a World of Crises

Michael Abramowitz July 20, 2006
From North Korea to Iran, Somalia to Afghanistan and places in between, the US government faces a barrage of conflicts that could hinder the Bush administration’s stated foreign policy goal of democracy building. Committing so many resources in Iraq has limited US flexibility in responding to other crises, and some observers from both political parties in the US express pessimism about the...

Habitual Blindness

Eric Rauchway July 20, 2006
The US is a creature of habit and that means repeating old mistakes, according to author Eric Rauchway. Reaping benefits of industrialization and expansion while devoting few resources to the process, thanks to immigration and foreign capital, the US too often mistakes “habit for virtue.” Rauchway contends that the US deludes itself into acting as though circumstances have changed little since...

Options for US Limited as Mideast Crises Spread

Robin Wright July 18, 2006
Three crises have been building in the Middle East, and Iran is behind each, according to author Robin Wright. The Islamic Republic has supported Hamas and Hezbollah, and both are currently escalating violence with Israel. Iran also lends support to the Shiite militias that move Iraq toward all-out civil war. Iran has also refused to respond to a package of incentives offered by the US and allies...