Dave Majumdar, Nat'l Interest
The ultimate what-if?Ã
Bridget Johnson, NY Daily News
Not just the nation but the world rests on the shoulders of the next secretary of state, who President-elect Donald Trump wants to beà Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson. Trump touts Tillerson's âÂÂvast experience at dealing successfully with all types of foreign governmentsâ â experience accrued in the service of one of the world's most powerful corporations.
Michael Leigh, German Marshall Fund
BRUSSELS - Donald Trump applauds Brexit but traditional American conservatives and liberals are perplexed by it. They cannot understand how a people renowned for common sense could have undertaken a project so harmful to national interests on the basis of such tendentious arguments. Surely there will be a second referendum, they opine, when people realize the cost of leaving the European Union.
Tim Shorrock, TomDispatch
Despite the attention being given to America's roiling wars and conflicts in the Greater Middle East, crucial decisions about the global role of U.S. military power may be made in a region where, as yet, there are no hot wars: Asia...
Robin Wright, New Yorker
The city's fall marks the biggest victory for the Assad regime in nearly six years of catastrophic civil war.
William Grimes, NYT
Among other counterintuitive propositions he put forth, Professor Schelling suggested that one side in a negotiation can strengthen its position by narrowing its options.
Economist
Challenged by the far right, mainstream Socialists and Republicans pick an unusual moment to embrace deregulation
George Friedman, Geopolitical Futures
Was Russia meddling in U.S. elections, or is it just politics?
Lipton, Sanger & Shane, NYT
The D.N.C.'s fumbling encounter with the F.B.I. meant the best chance to halt the Russian intrusion was lost. The failure to grasp the scope of the attacks undercut efforts to minimize their impact. And the White House's reluctance to respond forcefully meant the Russians have not paid a heavy price for their actions, a decision that could prove critical in deterring future cyberattacks.
Clint Watts & Andrew Weisburd, Politico
You don't need a security clearance to understand how Vladimir Putin does it. Just open your eyes.
Elaine Ou, Bloomberg View
Tracing a data breach is almost never a sure thing.
Joseph Prueher et al, National Interest
China is in no position to seek regional dominance.
Bob Savic, The Diplomat
China and Russia's carefully curated relationship is increasingly having a global impact.
John Tkacik, Washington Times
President-elect Donald Trump sparked a brushfire of commentary a few days ago when he took a congratulatory phone call from Taiwan's president, Tsai Ing-wen, known officially in her home country as âÂÂthe president of the Republic of China.âÂÂ
Bret Stephens, Wall Street Journal
The Russian's methods would make Macbeth blush and Richard III smile.
Charles Lister & John Allen, Brookings Institution
The United States should not be in the business of regime change, but the Assad clique and its backers must be brought to account before it is too late. The world will not forgive us for our inaction, argue John Allen and Charles Lister.
Brian Babb, Strife Blog
verly conciliatory trade deals, global security structures based solely on U.S. military might, and other post-Second World War American foreign policy initiatives that sacrifice American material well-being for the spread of American values are â according to Trump âÂÂsignificant factors to the erosion of American power.
Adrian Lungu, Balkan Insight
A team of technocrats had a year to try to turn around Romania's abysmal record on recycling.
Melinda Haring, Atl. Council
President-elect Donald Trump has picked ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as his secretary of state. In 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally bestowed Russia's Order of Friendship on Tillerson. As CEO of ExxonMobil, he's argued for sanctions...
A. Filatov, Intersection Project
Finland and Sweden have embarked on a special path towards protection against unpredictable Russian policy. Do these countries intend to maintain their non-aligned status?Ã
Aaron David Miller, CNN
Aaron David Miller: In the post-World War Two period, we've never had a Secretary of State whose entire career has been spent in the private sector without any prior government or public service.
