In The News

How Russia Lost the Moon

Sergei Khrushchev October 4, 2007
Sputnik’s launch 50 years ago marks a watershed event in human innovation. The Soviets anticipated success; for them, Sputnik was another marker in their continuous progression past Western technology. However, a little more than a decade later, the Americans became the first to reach the moon. Soviet efforts in the space race, argues Khrushchev, ultimately failed because of jealousy within the...

Democratize or Disintegrate

Bahey Eldin Hassan September 20, 2007
Political drama born of the waves of pro-democratic and anti-democratic influences in the Middle East has created a breeding ground for terrorism, argues analyst Bahey Eldin Hassan. He argues that a wave of democratization has not swept through the Middle East because of a loss of US credibility and moral standing, following the difficult occupation of Iraq and troubling images of prison torture...

Russia is Building Up Its Power on Feet of Clay

Joschka Fischer September 10, 2007
Russia spans two continents, making it a geostrategic giant. With some of the world’s largest reserves of fossil fuel, the nation is a volatile economic hard hitter. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russian politicians have opened to more trade and global negotiations with the US and Europe, but strains of authoritarianism run deep. Europe, concerned about intrusion or bullying, would prefer...

In Post-9/11 World, US President Has the Loneliest Job

Bruce Stokes September 10, 2007
That fateful day in September six years ago brought about a changed world for the US and a new world view of the US. The world is weary of the Iraq war, missed opportunities in diplomacy, unilateralism and a general belligerence associated with the Bush administration. The Pew Global Attitudes Survey suggests that anti-Americanism stands at an all-time high, even within nations that count among...

Wars That Defy Categorization

Dilip Hiro September 6, 2007
Some events have background stories that encompass centuries of history, offering immense complexity. Such is the case with the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the September 11 attacks of 2001 and the ongoing war in Iraq, suggests author Dilip Hiro. Analysts of the West underestimate how resentment and religion motivate people to reject democracy, reform or stability, acting in ways that may go...

India’s Third Liberation

John Elkington September 4, 2007
India has experienced liberation, first winning independence from the UK in 1947 while also enduring partition with the creation of Pakistan and Bangladesh, and then loosening state control of the economy in the 1990s to accept reform, privatization and globalization. But great poverty still lingers in the nation, calling for a third stage of liberation, suggests John Elkington writing for...

An Enduring Peace Built on Freedom

John McCain August 31, 2007
John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, argues that only strong American leadership can combat the threats that exist in today’s world. Modern Americans enjoy unprecedented peace and prosperity, but – like their forefathers – they also have a responsibility to use their advantages to confront the great challenges of their time. McCain stresses that strong alliances are...