In The News

A Message From Obama for Those Infuriating Europeans

Philip Stephens July 21, 2008
As Barack Obama travels to Europe, he suggests that he will invigorate relations between the US and the continent, which have almost come to a standstill during the Bush administration. Europeans are less pleased, however, about Obama’s suggestions that Europe needs to contribute more to the alliance that’s essential for global security. Some critics contend that Europeans prefer talk to action,...

What If the Candidates Pandered to Economists?

N. Gregory Mankiw July 21, 2008
Economists make up a tiny portion of the voting bloc and politicians rarely pander to them, perhaps because economists rarely speak with a single voice regarding any issue. However, economists do reach consensus on a few issues. For example, most economists support free trade, and argue that laws preventing free trade are nothing more than laws protecting special-interest groups from competition...

McCain's Economic Plan: Tax Cuts vs. Balanced Budget

Michael Cooper July 18, 2008
Candidates for president must demonstrate they are responsible with taxpayers' money. Early on, Senator John McCain voted against Bush administration tax cuts and has long argued in favor of balancing the massive US budget deficit. But as the presumptive Republican nominee, McCain has since argued in favor of making the tax cuts permanent. US government spending is on a roll, with the war in...

Triumph of the Witless

Joshua Kurlantzick July 16, 2008
The Burmese junta has been in power since 1962, and Cyclone Nargis did little to sweep them out of power. In the cyclone’s aftermath, the generals continue to exploit their strengths and resources, often at the expense of the Burmese citizens. For example, when the junta lost an election in 1990 but refused to relinquish power, they lost international support only temporarily, because Burma has...

Mediterranean Pomp

Pascal Boniface July 15, 2008
The extraordinary success of the European project inspired French President Nicolas Sarkozy to initiate a cooperative union for the Mediterranean states. As Sarkozy describes it, the union of projects would cooperate on shared goals, from securing energy and water to removing pollution from the Mediterranean Sea. Yet author Pascal Boniface, director of the Institute for International and...

Talking to Iran Is Not So Controversial

Ilan Goldenberg July 15, 2008
Americans have no great love for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Ilan Goldenberg, however, argues that Americans have also lost patience with the foreign-policy failures of the Bush administration – and that they are now ready to start reversing those failures by embracing negotiations with Tehran. With the popularity of negotiations increasing dramatically since early 2007, it seems likely that...

Zimbabwe Can't Paper Over Its Million-Percent Inflation Anymore

Marcus Walker July 9, 2008
After losing a March election, Robert Mugabe clung to power in Zimbabwe and his supporters relied on irregularities and violence to discourage the opposition. German politicians have been among the most outspoken in rejecting Mugabe’s refusal to transfer power – and quickly pressured a Bavarian printing company to stop providing expensive blank notes used for printing money to Zimbabwe. With...