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United States Has Seen Much Worse
From a civil war, to impeachments, to assassinations, the U.S. government has seen worse
2011 was not literally the worst year for the U.S. government in American history. Still, of the 223 years since the government first convened under the Constitution, 2011 must be ranked in the bottom 10
A Year Americans Would Like to Forget
2011 wasn't the worst of times, just a year to be quickly and gladly forgotten
The theme of most political and social commentary is that things are more complicated than you think. For once, I wish to write that things are simpler than you think. This concerns two matters at the core of the present American political crisis
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American Border Law Enforcement Uses More Military Equipment
New surveillance equipment and weapons being deployed along the U.S. border with Mexico are prompting some Mexicans to complain that U.S. law enforcement is becoming too military
Alabama's Immigration Aftershock
HB 56 -- the nation's strictest immigration law -- has been a disaster for agriculture, Alabama's No. 1 industry
We need outside-the-box immigration solutions that both protect human rights and make economic sense
United States and Europe Threaten Their Own Energy Independence
Decisions by Europe and America in the past month have pushed away Canada and its oil overtures. So America and Europe can explore petroleum deals with unstable Middle Eastern and African regimes?
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Balancing the East, Upgrading the West
The United States' central challenge over the next several decades is to revitalize itself, while promoting a larger West and buttressing a complex balance in the East that can accommodate China's rising global status
Too many states are choosing to balance budgets on the backs of children
United States in Decline -- If We Allow It
Is the United States in decline? With protesters in the streets, Washington in gridlock and our economy on life support, it's easy to understand why the question is being asked a lot these days.
Is the National Security Complex Too Big to Fail?
Despite modest rumblings in Washington about the Pentagon and intelligence budgets and the deficit, it's not just considered too big to fail, but generally too big to question, and too deeply embedded to think much about
Congress Examines Homegrown Islamic Terrorism
With Fracking America Can Escape the Energy Trap
Afghanistan and Iraq: A Tale of Two Surges
Alabama Law Against Illegal Immigration Suffers Setback
Statue of Liberty Turns 125
Old Immigration Attitudes Alive as Well
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Lower Inflation Gives Fed More Leeway in 2012
The Fed could step in to stimulate the economy in 2012, but will it help?
What's in Store for Jobs in 2012?
Jobs are being created at an average of 130,000 a month, barely enough to keep up with population growth. Will the country make any headway in 2012? Here are 5 things to expect from the U.S. job market in the next 12 months
Our 2012 Challenge: Get Americans Working
2011 will be remembered as the year Americans woke up to the harm that growing disparities in wealth and income have done to our society and our economy
Listen carefully to the Republican debates and you get a view of the kind of society many Republicans seek. The last time we had it was in the Gilded Age of the late 19th century
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H-1B Workers: State of Indentured Servitude
Our current high-skill immigration policy does more harm than good. To meet the needs of both the U.S. economy and American workers, the H-1B and L-1 guest worker programs require immediate and substantial overhaul
H-1B Visa Program Abuse Widespread
The H-1B work visa program should be reduced in scope, not expanded, as the program is fundamentally about cheap labor
H-1B Visas: Symptom of Special-Interest Influence
The largest users of H-1B visas are foreign offshoring companies. They use H-1B visas to provide on-site support for projected moved to other countries. In that model, each H-1B worker here is a proxy for even more jobs lost
More Green Cards is the Real Fix
'Should H-1B visas be easier to get?' It's the wrong question.
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We Are Creating a Dependency on H-1B Workers
Of late, we have become dependent on other nations to supply workers to fill jobs in the fields on which we have staked our economic future: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
Unfilled Positions Reduce Productivity
The H-1B visa should be made easier to get, but it should also be reformed so that American workers are protected and our country is able to attract the types of employees we need to grow our economy
H-1Bs Are Simply Too Difficult to Get
The 65,000 annual allotment of H-1B visas is woefully inadequate, and it has been exhausted every year since 2004, often within days
The race is to attract skilled workers, particularly scientists, engineers, and IT technicians
Homegrown Obstacles to the Economic Recovery
Does Extending Jobless Benefits Help?
Men Continue To Fare Badly in This Economy
Who Says Wall Street Isn't Hurting?
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5 Great College Towns for Winter Enthusiasts
For students who place great importance on outdoor activities during the winter season, here are five great college towns -- in alphabetical order -- for you to consider
New Guarantees Help College Students Graduate in Four Years
Some colleges are offering ways to ensure students' timely exits
With College, Only the Motivated Need Apply
At the current price tag, it makes no economic sense to send most kids to college
With College Degree, One Size Does Not Fit All
Yes, a college degree still matters, but it requires work, particularly when selecting such an important investment
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Tips for First-Generation College Students
Find out how one first-gen student tackled college, and how you can succeed, too
Economy Puts Premium on Postsecondary Skills
College is still a good deal, on average, for most students. But it could be a better deal for more people, and needs to be for America to remain competitive in the 21st century
College Graduates Earn Higher Pay
During a recession, there are bound to be those who would advise students to skip college. This, however, is bad advice
More, Better Jobs for College Graduates
The current fad for totting up the negatives and dismissing the worth of college is wrong
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M.B.A.'s May Face Lower Salaries in Corporate Social Responsibility
Students may be better off applying for traditional jobs and bringing ethics into those roles
Plenty of evidence suggests that, on average, a college degree is worth it
A College Degree Is Well Worth the Time, Cost, and Effort
For most students, the benefits of a college degree will outweigh the costs
Going to College Is a Mistake for Many
Just as buying speculative stocks makes sense for some investors but not others, so 'investing' in a college education has a payoff for some -- but for many others it is a mistake
Average Student Debt Reaches All-Time High
How to Get the Most Money for Your Textbooks
How to Kick Off Your Student Loan Repayments
Tips for Mastering Alumni Interviews
Making the Most of Liberal Arts Degrees
Online MBAs Remain Controversial
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Himalayan Glaciers Melting Fastest than Ever
Himalayan glaciers are melting faster than ever, according to recent observations by a prestigious climate watchdog body
The Latest on Ice Melt at The Third Pole
High up in the Himalayas in Nepal is a glacial lake that has been growing in length by 60 metres a year, threatening to burst its banks as rising temperatures in the region cause the glacier that feeds it to melt more quickly
Caravan of Hope Seeks Awareness of Climate Change Impacts
Brandishing a plea for developed countries to make good their promises to reduce carbon emissions, 300 farmers, youths and activists took the scenic route to the COP17 conference in Durban, travelling more than 7,000km from Burundi in 17 days, through 10 eastern and southern African countries, aboard a convoy of buses draped in various national flags
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Why We Still Need Nuclear Power
Concerns about climate change, as well as growing demand for electricity, led many governments to reconsider their aversion to nuclear power. But the movement lost momentum when the earthquake and the massive tsunami it triggered devastated Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant. It would be a mistake, however, to let Fukushima cause governments to abandon nuclear power and its benefits
European Union Carbon Cap on Airlines Legal
European Court of Justice Advocate General Juliane Kokott ruled that the European Union proposed cap on airlines, which applies even to North American carriers, is legal
Australian Alps Could Be Bare of Snow by 2050
A report commissioned by the Australian government has revealed the pristine natural winter snow of the Australian Alps could disappear by 2050. The 'Caring For Our Australian Alps Catchments' report said the Alps are endangered by climate change
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Something about seeing all those turbine propellers made me think of wartime mobilization, like FDR's ramp-up during the Lend-Lease period or Josef Stalin's decision to send Soviet heavy industry east of the Urals
In a victory for common sense, Canada has become the first country to bail on the Kyoto Protocol before the nearly $7 billion in noncompliance costs comes due next year
Greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide emissions, fossil fuels. Unless you're an environmental policy wonk, an earth activist or an ecosexual (a new breed of online singles looking for sustainably committed partners -- seriously!), it's hard to keep all of today's green-minded jargon straight
Reduce, reuse, recycle: We all know the phrase. While reducing what you use is one thing, understanding the difference between reusing and recycling is another
'Food Miles' Movement Fueled by Local Food
EPA Budget and Power Under Attack from Republicans
Energy Star Buildings Cut Emissions and Energy Costs
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Balancing the East, Upgrading the West
The United States' central challenge over the next several decades is to revitalize itself, while promoting a larger West and buttressing a complex balance in the East that can accommodate China's rising global status
By clinging to a paternalistic attitude and an antiquated Washington Consensus, the United States has opened up space for a broad Chinese role in Africa
While security and defense contracting in Africa is nothing new, the awarding of another multi-million dollar contract by the US State Department to a controversial private security operation is perhaps indicative of just how thinly stretched the US military is becoming
Renewed Focus on Pacific Region Intended to Distract from Unrest at Home?
What is at stake between China and the United States? We are on the opposite sides of the world with next to nothing to fight about. Industrial domination of the world? What does that actually mean, and what is it worth? Bragging rights about who is top nation? That's what Washington seems to care about
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2012 GOP Candidates: Fumbling Foreign Policy
Gingrich's willingness to outsource U.S. military policy to Tel Aviv is even more mind-boggling than Romney's deference on diplomacy
Afghanistan and Iraq:
A Tale of Two SurgesAfghanistan poses far more challenges than Iraq. Instead of Iraq's billions of dollars in state oil revenue, impoverished Afghan gangs export opium. Iraqis are part of the larger Arab world, living in its most strategically important area. Afghans are far more isolated and less critical to the world economy
Afghanistan: Karzai's Ingratitude is Wearing Thin
Now Hamid Karzai wants to be our friend. Even after insulting the United States at every opportunity, year after year, the Afghan president now says he wants to maintain a 'strategic partnership' with Washington
Expected Win by Egypt's Islamists Poses Dilemma for U.S. Policy
For the Obama administration, which has pushed for free and fair elections in Egypt, the process itself might be considered a victory. The outcome, however, would be a bitter pill to swallow, as U.S. policymakers are forced to reach out to the Muslim Brotherhood to protect their interests in the region
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Pakistan: All-Weather Friendship?
As Pakistan and China reinforce their relationship, questions have arisen around the changing nature of this alliance, the rhetoric that sustains it, and the implications of greater Chinese influence in Pakistan, particularly for the US and India
A Call for an Enlightened Foreign Policy toward Latin America
With a little under a year remaining until the next U.S. presidential election, a coherent and sustainable area policy toward Latin America remains absent from the campaign literature and both parties' electoral strategies
Military Action Might Be The Only Option With Iran
Muted reaction to reports that Iran has essentially done much of the work necessary to weaponize a nuclear device is just the latest evidence of the failed Iran policy of successive U.S. administrations. We are in a vicious cycle with Iran
Should United States Engage North Korea?
The United States has failed in its policies to punish, isolate, and otherwise push North Korea toward collapse. Perhaps it should try engagement instead
Why Does America Defend the Weak and Small?
United States Hesitant to 'Reckon With Evil' in Syria
United States: The News of Empire
Condoleezza Rice Book Shows 'Inattention' to Latin America
The Wisdom of Retrenchment: America Must Cut Back to Move Forward
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2012 GOP Candidates: Fumbling Foreign Policy
Gingrich's willingness to outsource U.S. military policy to Tel Aviv is even more mind-boggling than Romney's deference on diplomacy
For the sixth consecutive year, Yale Law School's associate librarian Fred Shapiro has ranked the top 10 most memorable quotes of the year
It was a year marked by tumultuous global events and dire economic realities. From long-awaited U.S. military triumphs to social change, 2011 was a very politically active year. Here's a list of the top 9 political events from 2011
Defining Issue Isn't Government's Size
The defining political issue of 2012 won't be the government's size. It will be who government is for
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The Rebirth of Social Darwinism
Listen carefully to the Republican debates and you get a view of the kind of society many Republicans seek. The last time we had it was in the Gilded Age of the late 19th century
Our Challenge for 2012: Get Americans Working
2011 will be remembered as the year Americans woke up to the harm that growing disparities in wealth and income have done to our society and our economy
Dear Year 2011: Goodbye and good riddance. Don't let the door hit you in the behind on your way out. Or, rather, let it hit you. You deserve it.
Year The Power Went Off in Washington
Usually, the year leading up to an election year is all prelude -- pregame festivities that are quickly forgotten once the real game begins
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The Urgency of Maybe Next Term
Concerns about the middle class, economic disparity, upward mobility, empathy, and a common purpose shouldn't be seen as prerogatives of the left. So it's great to see President Obama refusing to see those values as either left or right
The Republican crack-up threatens the future of the Grand Old Party more profoundly than at any time since the GOP's eclipse in 1932. That's bad for America
Boehner Destroys Republican Record on Taxes
Under the inept leadership of Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, Republicans have ceded the ground to Democrats on two key issues: tax cuts and national security. Meanwhile, the economy continues to improve
Disenfranchising Voters is Un-American
'Swing' Voters, Still Partisan
$1 Trillion in Defense Cuts? Big Deal
Mexico's Drug Cartels are no 'Terrorist Insurgency'
Public Blames Congress For Sour Economy
Congress is Paralyzed Until More Americans Speak Up
The Hijacking of the First Amendment
Barack Obama, Democrats Need a Backbone
Is Public Financing for Elections Finished?
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Big Breakdown on the Little Things
You can buy a new one, but you can't get the old one fixed. That's the crisis in America.
Gratuitous Noise is Irritating
There's a conspiracy against silence in the world. We seem to prefer a shout to a whisper
The Sexiest Man Alive is Out There Somewhere
The People magazine lay on the kitchen island along with a stack of bills and Christmas catalogues. I glanced quickly at the cover before pushing it into my wife's pile. Well, it's official. Bradley Cooper is the 2011 Sexiest Man Alive
How to Save the U.S. Postal Service
The U.S. Postal Service recently announced that it had lost $5.1 billion this past year. But all is not lost. Here are some suggestions for how the U.S. Postal Service can get out of the red
It's Time to Delete the Pause Button
As a man living in a house with three women, I have a small request for television manufacturers, cable companies, set top box makers and whomever else is responsible for temporarily suspending the present with the click of a button: STOP IT!
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Rise of the Middle-Aged Protester
Tis the season to look back on the previous 12 months, identify regrets and vow to try something completely different in the coming year. For me, that means protesting
Feeling Like a King at 30,000 Feet
The gentleman seated next to me took a sip of his drink and sighed. I quickly agreed. We could have been discussing love, fame, money or maybe even a decent golf swing.
Most days, both old and new, are good. I like remembering familiar and pleasant old things, but it doesn't pay to spend much time thinking about them. You can probably guess what's coming. I'm going to talk about 'the good old days.'
These suggestions for Thanksgiving dinner are late, so put them in the freezer and save them for Christmas
You Don't Mind If I Sit, Do You?
This is my first column. What follows are some clues to my character. --I prefer sitting, but when I stand, I stand in size 8-1/2 EEE shoes. --When it comes to politics, I don't know whether I'm a Democrat or a Republican
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Customer Support Never Tasted So Good
Every journalist charged with writing a weekly column yearns for two things
Scenarios in Which Stacy Keibler Would be Paid For a Special Appearance
Thanks to her George Clooney connection, Keibler's fee for special appearances has more than tripled -- to $25,000
It's Fun To Save All That Stuff
I love the idea of saving anything, but all the things I enjoy saving are as hard to know where to put as money. At the moment, I'm sitting in a workroom in the basement of my house. It's separated by a door from my shop, where my tools are
I Desperately Need to Talk Turkey
Now that the Halloween decorations are back in storage and my Kit Kat hangover has subsided, I can turn my attention to a fantasy that has been swirling in my brain and won't go away. I want to man the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line
My Children Will Become Actuaries
I crept up behind my daughter as she sat at the kitchen table, slumped over her MacBook. 'What are you doing?' 'Facebooking.' I had no idea 'Facebook' could be used as a verb
Could the Kardashian Divorce be the Answer to the Recession?
'60 Minutes' Curmudgeon Andy Rooney Dies at 92
What's Right in America? A Great Deal!
Don't Make a Wastebasket What It Isn't
More Towels, Sir? We Already Knew That
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A 'Major Win' for Panamanian Corruption
After the agreement with Panama was passed, President Martinelli spoke of 'fortifying a great and historic friendship between Americans and Panamanians.' Contributing familiar political hyperbole, he diverted attention from the crucial issue of corruption in Panama
Colombia and Panama Trade Deals Just a Chance
In the new crisis-ridden global economy, free trade agreements are no longer what they used to be. In the past, when the U.S. economy was growing fast, gaining preferential access to the U.S. market was a make-or-break deal for countries like Colombia or Panama.
United States - South Korea Trade Deal Win-Win for Jobs and Economy
Congress approved the deal in a rare bipartisan achievement after negotiators overcame U.S. auto industry complaints that previous efforts at a deal failed to do enough to lift South Korea's barriers to U.S.-made cars
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The international monetary system rests on just two currencies: the dollar and the euro. They are essential to global trade and finance. Were they not widely accepted, the global economy could not sustain current levels of international trade and investment.
Obama's Trade Deal Delays Have Cost Jobs
The president's jobs effort is too little, too late, and too political, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus writes
Blind Eye to Colombia's Questionable Human Rights Record
The Colombian trade accord, first drafted by former President George W. Bush, and later revised by his incumbent Barack Obama, has been widely criticized for expanding trade relations with a country that still has an enormous record of human rights violations toward political activists and union leaders
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Cuba's Domestic Reforms Surge Past Immobilized United States
Havana has announced economic reforms that could eventually allow free market policies to take root in Cuba, exposing the irrationality of Washington's aging and outdated stance toward Havana
Vote on Disputed Trade Bill Could Be Hitched to Jobs Retraining
The Senate plans to vote as soon as this week on a bill that would eliminate duties on some imports from 129 nations
Why DOHA Trade Negotiations Are Doomed and What We Should Do About It
It is time for the international community to recognize that the Doha Round is doomed. Started in 2001 under the auspices of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and its successor, the World Trade Organization (WTO). Yet after countless attempts to achieve a resolution, the talks have dragged on into their tenth year, with no end in sight
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Is Free Trade Good for Colombia
Steelworkers Push Obama On China Trade
Why China Has a Point About Quantitative Easing
United States Losing Latin America Market Share
U.S. CITIES:
Government Has Not Failed the People
For all its current shortcomings, the United States government remains intact, and the issues it faces are not as resistant to compromise as slavery, which means that 2011 was not as bad as 1860
Ah, 2011. What a topsy-turvy year you've been. That's all according to polling compiled by Gallup
Globalization and the Threat to the West
Thanks to globalization, a crisis of governability has beset the Western world. The mismatch between the growing demand for good governance and its shrinking supply is one of the gravest challenges facing the West today
The international monetary system rests on just two currencies: the dollar and the euro. They are essential to global trade and finance. Were they not widely accepted, the global economy could not sustain current levels of international trade and investment.
Child Poverty and Access to Education: Hidden Costs on the Hispanic Community
The Pew Hispanic Center recently published a report on the growing presence of child poverty in the United States. The child poverty rate of the Hispanic population has come to exceed that of both the black and the white populations
America Now More Pro-Civil Service Than Russia
Why is Medvedev bothering to symbolically make this distinction in denouncing the federal bureaucracy? The answer to this question is highly instructive to those of us in the Western world, particularly as we implode economically under the weight of public-sector costs, among other things
I hate to be one of those old crocks who talks about how things were better in the old days. But you know what? Some things really were better in the old days, including newspapers
Sluggish America Can Still Be a World Leader
A new survey shows that a majority of Europeans want the United States to continue exerting 'strong leadership in world affairs.' One wonders why Europe holds so much faith in America right now when Americans, trapped in a deep national malaise, have so little faith in themselves
Iran and The Diminishing Returns of Reasonableness
Should we bomb Iran for plotting to blow up a Washington, D.C., restaurant in order to assassinate the Saudi ambassador? Probably not. Should Iran be worried that we might? Absolutely
Terror Plot's Mystery Link to Iran
Foreign policy expert urges caution before assuming alleged plan to kill Saudi official was arranged by Tehran
America is once again getting the upper hand in this long war against Middle Eastern terrorists with the use of Predator drone targeted assassinations that the terrorists have not yet an answer to. In systematically deadly fashion, Predators are picking off the top echelon of al-Qaeda and its affiliates
Veterans: The Human Rubble of Our Wars
For those war veterans who survive the transition to back home, a new war begins, this time with our government. The government is eager to dodge the inconvenient costs of caring for the same lads it earlier lured into war. It's also reluctant to acknowledge some of their worst afflictions
How to Rein In Healthcare Costs
Medicare and Medicaid are zombie entitlement programs that threaten the U.S. fiscal future
The 10 Best Places to Retire in 2012
These cities will meet your retirement lifestyle needs and suit your budget
As Palestinians head to the United Nations, President Obama faces one of the most excruciating dilemmas of his presidency, a predicament partly of his own making
George W. Bush and the neocons played right into the hands of Osama bin Laden, and we're paying the economic price today
Back to School and Deeper in Debt
It's not the education that's changed; it's the circumstances surrounding it. Increasingly, graduating from college no longer means putting your education to work for you -- it now means being a virtual indentured servant to your education. Instead of propelling you into the future, more and more it means trapping you in the past
Letting Payroll Tax Cuts Expire Not a Tax Hike
Influential antitax lobbyist says allowing Obama tax cut to expire isn't a tax hike -- but allowing Bush's would be
Inequality and American Decline
I've become concerned with the growing arteriosclerosis of American institutions. Iraq was not an exceptional case. It was a vivid symptom of a long-term trend, one that worsens year by year. The same ailments that led to the disastrous occupation were on full display in Washington this past summer, during the debt-ceiling debacle
The Wisdom of Retrenchment: America Must Cut Back to Move Forward
In the wake of the Cold War, U.S. foreign policy underwent a profound transformation as American ambitions spilled over their former limits. Today, however, U.S. power has begun to wane. As other states rise in prominence, the United States' undisciplined spending habits and open-ended foreign policy commitments are catching up with the country
Why We Still Need Nuclear Power
Concerns about climate change, as well as growing demand for electricity, led many governments to reconsider their aversion to nuclear power. But the movement lost momentum when the earthquake and the massive tsunami it triggered devastated Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant. It would be a mistake, however, to let Fukushima cause governments to abandon nuclear power and its benefits
Reconsider Dodd-Frank, Piece by Piece
Dodd-Frankenstein is a deeply flawed bill that contains many different laws thrown together, some good and some bad. Congress should have taken the time to consider -- and vote on -- each title in the law separately
Dodd-Frank Brings Transparency to Financial Industry
The calls for repealing the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill are more than a little bizarre. It was only three years ago that the whole financial system was at the brink of collapse
Dodd-Frank is More Right than Wrong
We should not repeal Dodd-Frank. Although far from perfect, it goes a long way towards fixing many of the problems revealed by the severe financial crisis from which we are still recovering
Dodd-Frank Is a Counterproductive Mess
Last year's Dodd-Frank Act is essentially a trash-compactor collection of unrelated provisions thrown together in the mad rush to pass a bill, any bill. Rather than creating a comprehensive, well considered law that responded to the actual causes of the crisis, Congress included such disparate -- and counterproductive -- elements
Repealing Dodd-Frank Would Put the Economy in Danger
It was only a few years ago that our economy was hit by a financial crisis created by reckless behavior on Wall Street and a lack of consumer protection. It is shocking how quickly some in Washington have forgotten the painful consequences of inadequate regulation -- though the millions of Americans who lost their jobs, homes, or retirement savings surely have not
Islamic Plot to Bomb U.S. Embassy Reported in Mexico
An Islamic terrorist tried to detonate explosives to destroy the American embassy in Mexico City last year, according to Mexican media reports this week
United States Prepares Sanctions Against Iran for Bomb Plot
United States State Department officials plan to respond strongly to the Iranian terrorist plot to kill the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States
Welcome, world, to 'Cold War Reloaded: The Arctic Frontier.' Time to pull the pin out of the top of that dusty globe you have on your desk and have a look at the battle line of the future
Pakistan's Sponsorship of Terrorism Is Undeniable
'You cannot afford to alienate Pakistan,' Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar averred. And Prime Minister Yusaf Raza Gilani confidently asserted: 'You can't live with us -- or without us.' Think again
When Do You Know You Have Crossed a Watershed?
Each age becomes mesmerized by its own technological revolutions, so I am going to focus upon something rather different: indicators of changes which suggest that we are approaching, or may even have crossed, certain historical watersheds in the hard worlds of economics and politics
Rethinking Mexico's relationship with the United States is an urgent priority, according to leading Mexican politician Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador
Mexicans Complain About Secret U.S. Infiltration of Drug Cartels
Mexican government officials are again concerned that U.S. law enforcement agencies might have trampled their sovereignty by infiltrating drug cartels
The Occupy Wall Street movement is a protest uniquely suited to a generation schooled in social media. There are no leaders: it's crowd-sourced. Nor does it have any specific demands beyond a thorough reorientation of American priorities. It's as if thousands and thousands of people have 'unliked' Wall Street
Afghanistan War Marks 10th Year Quietly
The 10th anniversary of the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan milestone passed quietly. There was little observance by U.S. troops still in Afghanistan
Why 2012 Will Shake Up Asia and the World
The United States, which has focused for years on North Korea's small but developing nuclear arsenal, has barely been paying attention to the larger developments in Asia
United States Gaze Turns to Uzbeks
As ties between the United States and Pakistan continue to sour, speculation is mounting that Uzbekistan may become a new ally of convenience in the US war on terror
Afghanistan is Obama's Gordian Knot
Useful advice can be found in the past. Alexander drew his sword and slashed the knot. Barack Obama has promised a withdrawal of many or most American troops from Afghanistan in the months to come
Obama's International Outsourcing
Obama, in contrast to his predecessor, George W. Bush, has shown little hands-on international leadership on contentious world issues. Yet, even in America, he doesn't seem to be suffering much from it
Why Math and Science Education Means More Jobs
Our future depends on the strength of our scientific spine. Spelled out, it's Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, or STEM, as it has become known. The skills derived from a STEM education are the mission-critical elements of the jobs of tomorrow, for they are directly linked to economic productivity and competitive products
America's Government Contracting Bonanza Bilks Taxpayers
On average, Uncle Sam spends nearly twice as much when the government outsources a job as it would if it just hired another 'expensive' federal worker, says a recent report by the Project On Government Oversight
The Drug War Spreads the Bloodbath South
It's time to re-cast U.S. drug policy in Mexico and Guatemala and stop supporting killing methods that end up aiding drug traffickers
Obama's Dilemma: Foreign Policy and Electoral Realities
The United States remains the center of gravity of the international system. As such, no single leader of the world is as significant as the American president. That makes the American presidency, in its broadest sense, a matter that cannot be ignored in studying the international system
Forty years after the war on drugs began the fallout from bad policy has had dire consequences throughout the Americas
Ex-Border Security Chief Calls Fence a Dumb Idea
Fencing off the entire U.S.-Mexico border was one of the 'dumbest' ideas former Customs and Border Protection Commissioner W. Ralph Basham was presented with during his tenure
Remembering the Day That Changed Us
You wish 10 years was some sort of magic release date, that the murdered souls of 9/11 could return, their suffering ended, their incinerated bodies recreated from the dusty air of lower Manhattan and the rubble of the Pentagon and the muddy earth of a Pennsylvania field. Nearly 3,000 of them. We cannot change that. But it can change us
Decade After the Terror, We Move Forward
Suddenly, it has been 10 years. That's an amazing realization when you remember how it was back then. Calendars still counted off days, our eyes told us this. Clocks still ticked off seconds; intellectually, we knew. But time -- I would have sworn this in a court of law -- did not move
Ian Williams' Lost 9/11 Chronicle
On 9/11, noted reporter and author, and Foreign Policy in Focus contributor, Ian Williams lived near the World Trade Center and reported on the attacks for Canadian Broadcasting. Not long afterward, he wrote a heretofore unpublished account
On September 12, 2001, few would have anticipated the course the resulting war would take. In retrospect, many speak with great wisdom about what should have been thought about 9/11 at the time and what should have been done in its aftermath. I am always interested in looking at what people actually said and did at the time
It is only by looking forward that we can avoid, or at least limit, the possibility of another major terrorist attack, which many believe is coming
Extremists: Power-Mad Brothers Under the Skin
Extremists, whether Muslim, Christian or Jewish, are alarmist, anachronistic and most, of all, power-hungry
In response to its horrors, September 11 brought a reassuring surge in national pride and self-sacrifice. Unfortunately, our national unity faded for a number of well-known reasons
Did 9/11 Weaken or Strengthen the United States?
Ten years ago, the loss to America was immediate, the stock market closed down and then lost great value, and for a while the infrastructure system closed down. Many foreigners thought it served the arrogant American Empire right; across the Arab world, including in supposedly pro-U.S. nations, there was rejoicing on the streets. Surely, then, America had been weakened?
Captives to the Logic of Violence
A decade later. The abyss keeps deepening; the wars keep squandering our blood and treasure beyond all logic except the logic of violence. What ended on Sept. 11, 2001, it sometimes seems, was human evolution
Bin Laden's Unintended Legacy: Revealing True American Colors
Ten years later, Osama bin Laden, were he not at the bottom of the sea, could be reasonably satisfied with what he has accomplished
9/11 Anniversary Subdued in Many Areas
It is a day that is embedded in the minds and hearts of many Americans. It is a day that will never be forgotten. As the 10th anniversary of the Sept.11 attacks approaches, many tributes are being planned, and many more memories will be revisited
Al-Qaeda Lost the Battle Long Ago
Only 10 years later, with the turmoil of the Arab Spring still ongoing and the United States slowly and painfully trying to extricate itself from the quagmires in which it got drawn, can we finally begin to understand the larger significance of 9/11
9/11 in Retrospect: Bush's Grand Strategy, Reconsidered
Ten years after 9/11, we can begin to gain some perspective on the impact of that day's terrorist attacks on U.S. foreign policy. There was, and there remains, a natural tendency to say that the attacks changed everything. But a decade on, such conclusions seem unjustified.
Bin Laden's long-sought revolutions in the Arab world are finally happening, and the upheaval would seem to give al Qaeda a rare opportunity to start building the Islamic states it has long sought.
10 Years of 9/11 Wars is Enough
The United States is mired in two major wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with undeclared drone bombing campaigns in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia. Launching these wars was fairly easy for the White House, with or without congressional approval. How any of them ends, though, remains unclear
Why Al Qaeda is Unlikely to Execute Another 9/11
While we believe that the day holds some degree of symbolism for many, the threat of an attack on September 11, 2011, is no higher than it was on AugUST 11 or than it will be on September 12. Here's why.
Assassination as Foreign Policy
None of this is likely to be news to anyone who follows American policy. I bring it up to challenge such a program and policy, not simply out of considerations for national and individual morality, but for political and military policy reasons.
9/11 Anniversary: Rethink Needed
'America's biggest enemy after 9/11 was not Bin Laden and his followers but its inability to maintain a realistic sense of the threat they posed.'
9/11 Anniversary: From Empire to Decline
When the United States was attacked on September 11, 2001, its position in the world seemed completely unassailable. It is well worth recalling this mood today if we are to fully appreciate how far things have changed since 9/11. A decade on and America looks to have changed almost beyond recognition
9/11 Anniversary: Scanning Bodies, Stripping Rights?
In light of the forthcoming 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the body scanning security measure is much featured in the press
War Costs Greater Than Acknowledged
A recent Congressional Budget Office report places the costs of the Iraq and Afghan wars at $1.415 trillion. But a new academic study counts everything and puts the wars' full price at about $4 trillion. That's nearly 30 percent of the nation's $14 trillion debt. Even that, the study's authors say, doesn't include some costs that cannot be tallied
China, the United States, and Global Order
British scholars Rosemary Foot and Andrew Walter put U.S. - Chinese relations into a global context. Rejecting the realist assumption that norms do not matter, Foot and Walter try to identify the factors that shape Chinese and U.S. behavioral consistency (or lack thereof) with global norms
Mexico and the United States: Surgical Strikes in the Drug Wars
Current policies, clearly, have unsatisfactory results. But what is to replace them? Neither of the standard alternatives -- a more vigorous pursuit of current antidrug efforts or a system of legal availability for currently proscribed drugs -- offers much hope. Instead, it is time for Mexico and the United States to consider a set of less conventional approaches
Leaving Afghanistan to the Afghans
To comprehend the United States' progress in Afghanistan, it is important to understand how and where we have focused our resources and what work lies ahead. To be sure, the United States and its coalition partners still have plenty of challenges left to tackle in Afghanistan. However, there are indisputable gains everywhere we have focused our efforts
Young Westerners: Deprived or Decadent?
A once civil and orderly England was recently torn apart by rioting and looting -- at first by mostly minority youth, but eventually also by young Brits in general
Don't fall for the con. The fix is in. Working Americans are about to get fleeced -- unless someone stands up for them. The reality is that S&P is as wrong about the U.S. debt as it was about exotic mortgage packages. With people paying us to take our bonds, we should be borrowing and spending the money to rebuild America, putting people to work
Has The United States Economy Turned Into a Pyramid Scheme?
With Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy and historically low taxes on dividends and capital gains still in place, public redistribution of resources is actually going the other way to widen inequality. And now the tea partiers and their fellow travelers are using the debt ceiling as a way to hack away at social programs
Defense Industry Threatens America's Economy
The military-industrial complex is driving America to the poorhouse