Michael Klare, Nation
Where all of this will lead is anyone’s guess. At this point, all that can be said with any confidence is that the frequency and aggressiveness of these provocations is increasing, with each party believing it necessary to respond to its rival’s actions with countermeasures of even greater vigor and boldness. History suggests that such behavior tends to create an atmosphere of ever-increasing tension and suspicion, where one provocation too many can lead to crisis, panic... Читать дальше...
J. Dempsey, Carnegie Europe
European governments refuse to work together to deal with the migration crisis. Putting on hold the Schengen passport-free travel area could shift attitudes.
Samuel Bendett, RCWorld
As the world grudgingly grows to accept Russia's role in Syria, Russia's industry is struggling to keep pace the country's geopolitical success. Lacking sufficient qualified labor, some military factories have begun to operate on three shifts in order to support the ongoing aerial campaign in Syria. According to Russian daily Gazeta.ru, the transition by individual departments of the Tactical Missiles Corp. was probably caused by growing demand for the arms technology in use in Syria... Читать дальше...
Scott Burns, RealClearWorld
The R2P doctrine essentially states that governments have a sovereign responsibility to protect their population from abuses of state power such as genocide, ethnic cleansing, and other crimes against humanity. If the government fails in this first task, however, the international community, according to the doctrine, has a responsibility to intervene.
X. Wickett, RCW
In March 1946, in a speech in Fulton Missouri, Winston Churchill first coined the phrase the "Special Relationship" to describe a bond between two great nations, the United States and Great Britain. Seventy years on, through inattentiveness, we are in danger of letting it slip away.
Cedric Gouverneur, Le Monde Diplomatique
“It’s hard to find permanent work,” Kalabis admitted. “That’s why young people go abroad.” Since their country joined the EU in 2004, at least two million Poles have emigrated, many of them to the UK. “My son and daughter dream of living in England. Capitalism is fine for those who have a head for business, but not for the rest of us.” Pinned to the wall were a Solidarity banner, Poland’s coat of arms (a crowned white eagle on a red background), the ubiquitous portrait of Pope John Paul II... Читать дальше...
Ola Cichowlas, Reuters
The two sides emerged from the split between Solidarity activists-turned-politicians after the communist regime fell, which soon spread throughout Polish society. One side insists Warsaw’s transition from socialism to democracy was largely a success. The other maintains that the transition benefitted only a few, and that former communists continue to have a great deal of influence and control over the country.
Patrick Johnston, USA Today
In addition to these two coalition initiatives to erode ISIL’s major financial pillars, the struggling economies of Iraq and Syria have also hindered ISIL’s ability to generate revenues. Citing economic hardship, the Iraqi government has discontinued salaries to thousands of government employees located in ISIL-controlled territory, whom ISIL tax at high rates. Moreover, historically low oil prices have reduced the profitability of ISIL’s oil operations. The difficulty... Читать дальше...
Stephen Roach, Yale Global
To a large extent, the world is mired in a Japanese-like secular stagnation.
James Traub, Foreign Policy
Nobody — that’s America’s goal.
Emma Foehringer Merchant, New Republic
The historic climate agreement struck in December has yet to be signed, and already has suffered one setback after another.
B. Avni, NY Post
‘The secret to a long, successful marriage is compromise,” young grooms are often told, “so do it her way.” On the top global crises of the day — ISIS, North Korea, Syria, Iran — President Obama’s lived by those words, hoping they make the problems go away.
Anne Applebaum, Slate
Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen, and the breakdown of European stability.
Roger Cohen, New York Times
LONDON — In the Year of the Hair, Boris Johnson of the blonde mop trails Donald Trump, but not by much. The London mayor’s decision, which he has described as “agonizingly difficult,” to come out in favor of a British exit from the European Union in a June referendum has sent British politics into a tailspin.
Nick Fouriezos, Ozy
J.M.: To run for president requires a great deal of hubris or confidence from anyone, and almost inevitably, even when they know in their hearts and minds that these are tough, complicated problems, they find out it’s harder than it seemed from a distance. I’ve seen it in administration after administration: They come to office and think the previous guys didn’t know what they were doing. And actually, they discover that these are difficult problems.
Robert Kaplan, National Interest
There is another reason not to buy wholly into the comparison between Obama and the elder Bush. The Republican Party, in the throes of an identity crisis, requires admirable examples from its past in order to forge a renewed unity and strength for the future—and to define exactly what it is about. And one could well argue that the elder Bush administration represented the last sage and well-executed foreign policy that was at the same time Republican and popular among the American people.
