In The News

The Politics of Memory: Tiananmen at 27

Nick Frisch June 14, 2016
China has transformed since the 1989 crackdown on thousands of protesters in Tiananmen Square who demanded economic, political and social reforms. China’s leaders, initially triumphant about quelling the protests, soon retreated into a disciplined silence, banning public accounts or grieving. “As the years accumulate, the anniversary of the tragedy offers an occasion to wonder if the pursuit of...

Muhammad Ali’s Message: Fight for Your Vision and Change the System

Michael Lerner June 13, 2016
Cassius Marcellus Clay, born in the segregated South of the United States, emerged as a boxing legend in the 1960s. Time and time again, he startled fans and the public at large with athletic prowess, charm and expression of personal beliefs with bravado. He joined the Nation of Islam in 1964, later converting to Sunni Islam: “Muhammad Ali had the courage to say no to Farrakhan and leave the anti...

Does Europe Need Brexit?

Alan Stoga June 9, 2016
Brexit symbolizes the European Union’s divide and discontent, and yet, “the shock of Britain leaving the Union could be exactly what's needed to jumpstart Europe out of its near catatonic state,” argues Alan Stoga, senior adviser with Kissinger Associates and chairman of the Tällberg Foundation. The continent is divided in multiple ways over politics, migration, debt, as well as labor and...

Ambition and Chinese Hostility Push India Closer to the US

Harsh V. Pant June 7, 2016
Narendra Modi, on his fourth visit to the United States as India’s prime minister, makes a case for strengthening ties between the two nations. The relationship centers on trade, defense cooperation and concerns about China. “Indian moves towards the United States are driven in large measure by China’s openly hostile acts vis-a-vis India,” explains author Harsh V. Pant. “The Modi government’s...

Obama's Pivot to Asia Is Working

Doyle McManus June 3, 2016
The Obama administration’s pivot to Asia, starting in 2011, has drawn both criticism and praise. Doyle McManus argues the pivot is working well. “Almost every country in the region is clamoring for a closer relationship with the United States,” he writes. “The United States does have one asymmetric advantage of its own: its ability to forge stronger alliances with China’s worried neighbors.” The...

Migrants Feared Dead in Mediterranean Sinkings

Patrick Kingsley June 2, 2016
More than 13,000 people crossed the Mediterranean, leaving Libya for Italy during the third week of May. At least 800 have died with the sinking of three vessels, reports the UN refugee agency. “The full details of the disasters emerged slowly because of the chaotic nature of the situation,” reports Patrick Kingsley for the Guardian. “The disasters show that despite attempts to crackdown on...

For the US, Sailing Around the South China Sea Is Not Strategy

Harry J. Kazianis June 2, 2016
China is intent on dominating the entire South China Sea, including sections claimed by neighboring nations like the Philippines and Vietnam. The coercion has caught the United States off guard. Using tracking systems and military installations, “China has set the stage to turn areas around its near seas … into what some are calling a ‘no-man's land’ for US naval vessels and aircraft,”...