American global “leadership”: Under Trump, now less than ever
On North Korea, Iran and Israel, the U.S. claims leadership. In fact, Trump is presiding over an inevitable decline I think about “U.S. leadership” a lot these days. Well, I have considered this topic more or less daily since the…
New hope on the Korean peninsula, believe it or not
The two Koreas schedule direct talks to resolve the crisis, while the U.S. policy elite frets about a “wedge” Brace yourselves for the week now beginning. A rapid succession of events over the past few days suggests that an outbreak…
Seeing the unseen in Ukraine: Why is America sending arms?
Unnoticed by the West, ceasefire talks continue, even as the Pentagon ships weapons to a corrupt Ukrainian regime It is difficult to see into the running Ukraine crisis, just as it is in the Syrian case. This has long been…
Journal Entry #29
Non, je ne regrette rien. GREENVILLE, S. CAROLINA, DECEMBER 28— It is important to view difficult years for what they are, I’m moved to note as this one passes into the past. The hardships and setbacks are often mixed with…
Trump and Haley’s “America First”: Same old policy, made worse
Trump’s National Security Strategy outlines familiar policies (and some new ones), all doomed to end in failure It was the worst of times, it was the worst of times for American foreign policy last week: President Trump landed a twofer…
When Putin Talks, It Is Worth Listening
On foreign-policy questions, many Russians stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their leader. Vladimir Putin gave another of his end-of-year press conferences last week—nationally televised events consisting of an always-curious combination of Q&A, opinionating, offhand banter, observations on a wide range of domestic…
Trump’s Jerusalem fumble: If the U.S. is out as a Mideast broker, who’s in?
If the White House hoped to coerce Palestinians (and the world) into a peace settlement, it faces a rude awakening Considering President Trump’s sales pitch when he recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital — “nothing more or less than a recognition…
Trump and Jerusalem: Will his “hard power” realism backfire bigly?
Like much of Trump’s foreign policy, the Jerusalem decision recognizes ugly facts about the U.S. role in the world Clarity is preferable to ambiguity even when the clear picture is grim. So I have found in many circumstances, and so…
There Are More Important Questions to Ask Than Whether Rex Tillerson Is In or Out at State
A renovated foreign policy rests on a great variety of factors beyond a house-cleaning at State. As so often with the Trump administration, one cannot tell what is what as to the future of Rex Tillerson. The secretary of state…
Now we face a nuclear North Korea: That might not be the worst thing
Kim Jong-un now has a nuclear deterrent, and diplomacy is the only sane option. Let’s hope the U.S. gets that We do not know everything, or maybe even very much, about North Korea’s latest missile test. But we know what…
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