Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe
The US-Japanese relationship today is a pillar of stability and trust. Yet within living memory, the people of Japan and of the United States despised each other. There's a lesson in that.
John Schindler, Observer
One hundred years ago, Europe was busy killing itself and its civilization. In truth, that self-confident continent never recovered from 1916, when all participants in the Great War became fully committed to final victoryâÂÂor defeatâÂÂso great was the cost of that terrible year. Such unprecedented horror created the world we are still living in today, with lingering consequences great and small.
Colin Freeman, Quartz
The few young Gambians who make it to Europe are bombarding their compatriots at home with social media images of a richer, better life.
Judah Ari Gross, Times of Israel
With the clock ticking, hundreds gather in the wildcat outpost, slated for evacuation by next Sunday, to protest, comfort and celebrate
Gideon Long, BBC
Last week Venezuela announced it would withdraw its highest-denomination banknote from circulation. Long queues formed outside banks as people scrambled to change theirs before they became redundant. The withdrawal of the 100-bolivar note has now been delayed until the start of January, but ordinary people must still grapple with spiralling prices and increasingly worthless notes.
Lieke Bos, The Diplomat
Is this the start of a new Chinese approach to Southeast Asia?
Danny Quah & Kishore Mahbubani, Project Syndicate
What unites supporters of Donald Trump and the UK's "Leave" campaign is not anger at being excluded from the benefits of globalization, but rather a shared sense of unease that they no longer control their own destinies. The transatlantic axis that used to run the world can see its power slipping away.
Conrad Black, NP
Contrary to the wails of apprehension from the universal alarmist consensus, the transition process has been handled very smoothly.
David Ignatius, Washington Post
The CIA's support for the Syrian opposition came too late and complicated John Kerry's relentless but doomed diplomatic efforts.
Anton Mardasov, Al-Monitor
Victories in the war on the Islamic State are tempered by setbacks that call for a careful examination of how to proceed.
Margaret Wente, Globe & Mail
Should we really be shocked that the Liberal Party is participating in pay-for-access politics?
Kimberly Dozier, Daily Beast
At a high-level conference in Morocco, Arab diplomats say they would rather have a U.S. administration that spouts anti-Muslim rhetoric to get elected than one that makes deals with Iran.
Michael Wilner, Jlem Post
The diplomatic corps participates in the Middle East peace process according to a basic premise: that its influence over the parties to the conflict is only as strong as the legitimacy they maintain with both as a fair and balanced arbiter. It now fears that influence may diminish under President-elect Donald Trump, after his announcement on Thursday night that attorney David Friedman would be Washington's ambassador to Israel.
Nicholas Kristof, New York Times
Let's be clear: This was an attack on America, less lethal than a missile but still profoundly damaging to our system. It's not that Trump and Putin were colluding to steal an election. But if the C.I.A. is right, Russia apparently was trying to elect a president who would be not a puppet exactly but perhaps something of a lap dog -- a Russian poodle.
Andrew McCarthy, National Review
Trump should send Obama's JCPOA to the Senate.
Thomas Wright, Brookings Institution
Though Trump's own foreign-policy views are captured by his âÂÂAmerica Firstâ slogan, his administration will be split between three national security factionsâÂÂthe America Firsters, the religious warriors, and the traditionalists -- each of which distrusts the others but also needs them to check the third.
