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What's a fair interest rate to pay on a loan? If you think 300 percent is no big deal, you can stop reading. But if you'd be outraged to learn that some of the biggest banks charge exorbitant interest on their most vulnerable customers, you might want to read on
Not since the late-19th-century juxtaposition of the Wild West with the Victorian East has popular morality been so unbridled and yet so uptight. In short, we have become a nation of promiscuous prudes
Immigration: Of Athens and Jerusalem
It's a complicated mix, the history of American immigration, just as the future of American immigration doubtless will be. But creating two classes of Americans, foreign workers and real citizens, Americans first- and second-class, has never worked in this country
A Little Humility May Be in Order
This is from the rest of us. Meaning the ones who don't have personal chefs, gift-wrapping rooms or hired sycophants, who don't hobnob or rub shoulders, and who drive the same car every day of the week. The rest of us would like to offer some of you a little advice
Now is the time to choose our future, so let us choose one that transcends the insanity and sheer stupidity of violence and violent behavior. This requires personal empowerment. It also requires collective empowerment
We're chasing infinity. We're ceding ever more ground but aren't the least bit safer than we were a decade or a half-century ago. Every high-profile act of violence is followed by some new security procedure and market opportunity
Why the Boston Bombers Succeeded
When seeking to place an attack like the April 15 Boston Marathon bombing into context, it helps to classify the actors responsible. Such a classification help us understand how it fits into the analytical narrative of what is happening and what is likely to come
Visions: America after Hegemony
With the Iraq war fading into memory even as the country still simmers, the United States peace movement faces the need to reframe its message. The peace movement needs to make it clear not only what it is against, but what it is for
The Honorable Absurdity of a Soldier's Role
There is no sign anywhere of a New Middle East. There are only intimations of more American-supported war to come, likely to involve Iran, Iraq, Syria or Lebanon -- as well as continued war, in and after 2014, in Afghanistan
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The last time there was a terrorist attack on America, we got the Department of Homeland Security and the TSA. Each entity has spent billions to keep us safe, but neither could stop the two brothers from killing and maiming innocent people at the Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon Bombings: Grief Without Borders
The bombs went off in the final stretch of the race -- which had been dedicated to the victims of the tragedy in Newtown. My God. Now another wound has opened in the social fabric. Another enormous question tears at our hearts. Once again we ask: Why?
Boston Marathon Bombings: Horror Without Terror, Just Anger
President Barack Obama has made it official. The Boston Marathon bombing was an 'act of terror,' he declared. But here's my little message to the two brothers responsible: Make no mistake, I don't feel terrorized; I feel mad
Boston Marathon Bombing Parallels Toulouse Attacks
The details revealed in the Boston Marathon terrorist bombing case are strikingly similar to those of a high-profile case in France last year. Both exemplify the modus operandi of today's young jihadist
Even in Tragedy, A Nation Divided
Ordinarily, I'd thank you for writing. But truth is, I am not grateful you wrote; your note is one of the more troubling things I have read. I do not blame you for leaving it unsigned
Deportation has become a near-taboo word. Yet the recent Boston bombings rekindle questions about the way the U.S. admits, or at times deports, foreign nationals. The current emphasis is on increasing legal immigration and granting amnesties
Boston Marathon Bombings: When Profiling Becomes a Real Menace
The meteoric rise of new Internet media has created a dangerous rise of send-before-you-think journalism, especially in do-it-yourself media. That puts a greater burden on news consumers to be skeptical about how and what they are being served
Immigration Reform and Entitlement Reform Go Together
We need to think more broadly, and connect the dots. One logical way to help deal with the challenge of funding Social Security and Medicare is to have more workers per retiree. And the simplest way to do that is to allow more immigrants into the United States
Baby Gets Cruel Lesson in Life Early
19-month-old Jonah received a lesson in How Things Are. Sitting on his mother's lap on a recent flight, he was crying his little head off. Shut that 'n----r baby' up. Those were the alleged words of the man in the next seat just before he allegedly slapped the baby with an open palm
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Grassroots Militants from Chechnya
The Boston Marathon bombers appear to confirm several suspicions. From this profile, the simple nature of the attack, we can say that they are grassroots militants. Despite being amateurs, such militants clearly still pose a significant threat
Boston Marathon Bombings: 'Oh, My God'
Shrills of panic and fear. The videographer carries you forward. Police and bystanders rip barricades apart trying to reach the epicenter of chaos. 'We need help!' someone cries. And the videographer whispers three words to himself. 'Oh, my God,' he says
In today's ever-growing coagulation of fact, fiction and rumor from print, digital and social media, where is the news consumer to look with confidence for the truth?
Drones: Anonymous Murder from a Safe Distance
War is war and murder is murder. The law draws the distinction. The American armed drone is a weapons system of war, not of policemen. Nor has the United States a commission to police the world of its radicals, jihadists and religious fanatics
AP Should Not Stop with 'Illegal Immigrants'
The fact that the Associated Press news agency decided to ban the term 'illegal immigrant' recently is a big victory for fairness in journalism, but there are other terms used daily in the media that should be revised as well
NRA's Task is to Frighten, Sell More Guns
The NRA scares politicians far more than it scares the average citizen. The senators who are now wimping out on background checks for gun buyers aren't afraid for our Second Amendment rights; they're afraid the NRA will bankroll their opponents in the next election
School is a Battlefield, and NRA Determined to Keep it that Way
Good guys vs bad guys, both sides armed to the teeth. That's how the NRA views the moral universe. Yes, the group admits, an epidemic of gun violence is plaguing our nation. The reason for it is that good people have disarmed themselves. The cure is to rearm
The new 'tougher' gun laws in Maryland and Connecticut appear to be the result of high emotion, not logic and clear thinking. We all ache for the Sandy Hook victims, but the Newtown tragedy shouldn't be used as a prop for anti-gun proponents
Bring up Iraq -- and expect to end up in an argument. Conservatives are no different from liberals in rehashing the unpopular war, which has become a sort of whipping boy for all our subsequent problems
Onion 'Edgy': Tasteless and Sickening
From Affirmative Action to Diversity
Who would follow our example on Keystone Pipeline?
Pentagon Keyboard Jockeys Can Now Out-Decorate Combat Heroes
The Minimum Wage and The Meaning of a Decent Society
Iraq: Bush's War, 10 Years Later
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The Economic Elephant in the Room: Widening Inequality
Four years into a so-called recovery and we're still below pre-recession levels. The recovery isn't just losing steam. It never had much steam to begin with. That's because so much of our debate over economic policy has been beside the point
Austerity Leaves Us Crying '96 Tears'
Harvard economists Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff wrote an economic paper that made champions of austerity happy. They did not discourage the austerians and basked in their global celebrity. Until a team of economists exposed their work as a sloppy scholarly fraud
Why There's a Bull Market for Investors and a Bear Market for Workers
American workers remain in a bear market. The percent of working-age Americans holding jobs is the lowest it's been in decades. Wages, meanwhile, continue to fall behind inflation. Yet investors are experiencing one of the most bullish markets in recent memory
The Minimum Wage and The Meaning of a Decent Society
The proposed increase puts more money into the hands of families that desperately need it, allowing them to buy a bit more and thereby keep others working. A decent society should do no less. Some conservatives say decency has nothing to do with it
The Hoax of Austerity Economics
We are in the most anemic recovery in modern history. The president talks about boosting the economy and rebuilding the middle class, but Washington isn't doing squat. Apart from the Fed, the government is heading in exactly the wrong direction
Time to Break Up the Biggest Wall Street Banks
The biggest Wall Street banks are now far bigger than they were four years ago when they were considered too big to fail. The five largest have almost 44 percent of all U.S. bank deposits. A decade ago they had just 28 percent
The Crisis of the Middle Class and American Power
United States power is threatened by the decline of the middle class and the potential creation of two Americas without a common interest
Why We Must Stop Obsessing About the Budget Deficit
I wish President Obama would explain to the nation that the federal budget deficit isn't the nation's major economic problem and deficit reduction shouldn't be our major goal. Our biggest problem is lack of good jobs and sufficient growth
Another Side of Economic Inequality
You've no doubt heard about our widening gap between the rich and the poor. But did you know that the gap between the rich and America’s middle class is growing almost as fast?
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Capitalism is not facing any sort of crisis, but rather is just being subverted by socialists, Wall Street con artists and various anti-capitalist wishful thinkers who are corrupting the once-straightforward relationship between work and benefit
What's a fair interest rate to pay on a loan? If you think 300 percent is no big deal, you can stop reading. But if you'd be outraged to learn that some of the biggest banks charge exorbitant interest on their most vulnerable customers, you might want to read on
The Contest Over Defining Our Biggest Economic Problem
The biggest problems we face are unemployment, stagnant wages, slow growth and widening inequality -- not deficits. The major goal must be to get jobs and wages back, not balance the budget
Not even the very wealthy can continue to succeed without a broader-based prosperity. That's because 70 percent of economic activity in America is consumer spending. When most Americans are becoming poorer, they're less able to spend
Raising the Minimum Wage Would Boost Economy
Critics claim that raising the minimum wage always results in job losses, but recent research doesn't bear that out. Modestly raising the federal minimum wage creates jobs by getting money to families who would spend it and stimulate the economy
The Hoax of 'Entitlement Reform'
It has become accepted American economic wisdom that the only way to get control over America's looming budget deficits is to 'reform entitlements.' This accepted wisdom is wrong
Grow the Economy by Growing the Debate About It
Whether or not we go over the fiscal cliff, around the fiscal curve, or down the fiscal slope remains to be seen but one thing is already certain: Our political debate has already gone over the cliff
Christmas-Shopping Season Highlights Plight of Retail Workers
We're officially into Christmas buying season -- when consumers determine the fate of retailers and, indirectly, the American economy. What's often forgotten is that consumers are also workers, and if their pay doesn't keep up, they can't keep the economy going
Don't Cut Our Kids Out of the Budget
America's security and prosperity depend on our children's ability to drive the economy of the future
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America's big-time CEOs are making 354 times the pay of average U.S. workers. In 1982, American CEOs averaged just 42 times more than average U.S. workers; in 1992, 201 times; and in 2012, 281 times. The overall trend line couldn't be clearer. How can we reverse it?
So far, the much-dreaded 'sequester' -- some $85 billion in federal spending cuts between March and September 30 -- hasn't been evident to most Americans. Take a closer look, though, and Americans are starting to feel the pain. They just don't know it yet
Half-Baked Economic Theories Continue to Direct Global Economy
I am not writing this to pile on two Harvard economists who put the Western world into economic mess. I am concerned about the policy professionals who accept such economic propositions even when they seem self-evidently too good to be true and defy common sense
As the economy twists downward for most of us -- as the politics of money tightens like a noose around everything we love -- I think about the disintegration of human values, which insane logic and the Republicans tells us we can no longer afford
Poverty Still America's Vicious Cycle
Why are some people stuck in poverty? Dr. Ruby Payne wants to let you in on the secret. With a Ph.D. in educational leadership, she writes prescriptions for addressing the scourge of poverty
Government Spending That Isn't Smart
Building roads and schools is a big reason why God created Democrats in the first place. And identifying the Next Big Thing -- and taking credit for it -- is something of a vocation for many liberal policymakers. But are these really the drivers of economic growth?
Report Highlights Economic Threat of Hacking
Officials say hackers pose a threat to the nation's economy and accuse China of carrying out the most cyber-attacks. Some estimates put the cost to the U.S. economy at tens of billions of dollars each year
Wages as a share of GDP are now at an all-time low, even as corporate profits are now at an all-time high. The implicit bargain that gave workers a steady share of the productivity gains has unraveled
The Holiday Shopping Guide for Hard Times
Whether you're unemployed, underemployed or self-employed you're probably feeling the effects of this economic downturn in one way or another. And yet the holidays are the holidays
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Q&A with Joseph Stiglitz: 'The Price of Inequality'
The 'Land of Opportunity' is Becoming Hollywood Fiction
Slowdown of the Chinese Economy Pushing The World Towards New Crisis
Tips for Adapting to the New Global Economic Reality
A Bold New Call for a 'Maximum Wage'
Economic Recovery Hinges on Re-Creation of 'Basic Bargain'
A Modest Proposal: Three Weeks of Paid Vacation
Turning College Students into a Commodity
We're All Subsidizing Free Lunches for America's CEOs
No Need for a Witch Hunt Over Executive Pay
The Rich Grabbing Bigger Slices of Pie
The Terrible Economy and the Anti-Election of 2012
Outsourcing Is Not the Problem
Marching Toward Greater Inequality
Financial Markets, Politics and the New Reality
Economic Rapture Might Be Around the Corner
21 Trillion Dollars Hidden in Tax Havens
50 Years of Gutting America's Middle Class
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My first question after reading about seven teachers in an Atlanta, Ga., public school accused of altering standardized test scores to make it appear students performed better than they actually did was: How could they!?
Financial Aid Group Calls on Feds to Shore Up Lending to Parents
Parents are increasingly borrowing through a federal program to fund their children's college education. Called Parent Plus, the program has no hard limits on what parents may borrow
Income-Based Diversity Push Falls Short at Elite Colleges
A few years ago, Harvard University startled the academic world and many of the rest of us by offering what many would call a form of class-based affirmative action. How has it worked out? Unfortunately, not as well as many had hoped
Education Can Replace the Loss of Hope
Extending educational opportunity is an urgent moral, economic and security imperative. Fortunately, there are good grounds for believing that we can move quickly to deliver new and better chances for young people
Avoid 5 Assumptions About College Financial Aid
As you compare award offers, understand what you're looking at to make the best decision
Engagement Is Key to Community College Success
In a new book, one graduate details how forming relationships and getting involved is critical
Some Teens Start College Work Early Via Dual Enrollment
Concurrent enrollment offers students a chance to get high school and college credit simultaneously
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A Future Stuck in the Pipeline
High-stakes testing, zero tolerance, militarized security and sadistic underfunding, has succeeded in warping public education beyond recognition, especially in low-income, zero-political-clout neighborhoods. And the result is kids with no future
Every year, millions of American kids show up at kindergarten woefully unprepared to learn. Some can't even tell you their own complete name, let alone spell any of it. That's enough reason for 'high-quality universal preschool' programs
You Can't Fix Education by Lowering the Bar
It burns -- I tell you this from experience -- to realize people have judged you by a lower standard, especially when you had the ability to meet the higher one all along. So this 'interim' cannot end soon enough
Computer Science Transitions From Elective to Requirement
The digital age is here to stay, so some colleges are updating mandatory general education courses
Future in Politics Less Desirable Among Today's Pre-Law Students
Some students say heavy law school debts and political gridlock may be to blame
How to Get In: Purdue's Krannert School of Management
We posed questions to admissions officials at the Purdue University Krannert School of Management regarding the application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their school apart. These are their responses
How to Get In: Tulane's Freeman School of Business
We posed questions to admissions officials at the Tulane University A. B. Freeman School of Business regarding the application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their school apart. These are their responses
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An Education Reform That Will Work
The United States is a wealthy nation of dummies. Does it have to be this way? Of course not. In fact experts have argued that a relatively direct way to improve school achievement is to enroll all children in preschool
College, Loans and the Road to Success
It is something of a truism that whenever the federal government steps in, costs usually rise and efficiency declines. That is especially true when it comes to a college education
The Commencement Address That Won't Be Given
As a former secretary of labor and current professor, I feel I owe it to you college graduates to tell you the truth about the pieces of parchment you're picking up today. You're screwed
Over the last few decades, we've created millions of indebted young Americans with little prospect of finding permanent well-paying work, servicing their enormous college debts
College Student Leaders Divided on Benefits of Student Government
Applicants may find no middle ground in the ways people view the student government experience
6 Resume Writing Tips for Business School Grads
Follow these rules to ensure your resume makes an impression and helps you land a job
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Pakistan's Malala: Everyone's Daughter in the Fight for Girls' Education
LinkedIn Transforms Job Search for M.B.A. Graduates
How to Get In: Georgia Tech's College of Management
How to Get In: University of Texas-Austin McCombs School of Business
Starving Public Universities Shrinks the Middle Class
Free Online Classes May Help MBA Students
Tips to Finish Community College
Obama to High-Priced Universities: 'You're on Notice'
Information Security MBA's Teach Business Side of Cybersecurity
The Evolution of American Higher Education
3 Career Reasons Why Students Get Online MBAs
Tips to Overcome a Bad Grade in College
Look Out for These Federal Aid Changes
New Guarantees Help College Students Graduate in Four Years
Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
Time Management Tips for Online Students
Tips for First-Generation College Students
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Test Driving The Bamboo Bone Shaker
Our author gets admiring glances as he rides the greenest bicycle. The bicycle is a clean machine, loved for its environmentally friendly characteristics as much as the refreshing blast of air that assaults the face of its rider
We Can't Put a Price on Nature
The greenwashed economy threatens our ability to pursue sustainable development
Earth hovers on the brink of ecological catastrophe -- actually, 20 years closer to the brink than it was at the first global climate summit
Environmental Alarmism, Then and Now
Forty years ago, the Club of Rome produced a report warning humanity that its escalating wants were on a collision course with the world's finite resources and that the only way to avoid a crash was to stop chasing economic growth. The predictions proved spectacularly wrong. But the environmental alarmism they engendered persists
Throw Nothing Away. It's Time to Upcycle
With high and volatile commodity prices, forward-looking companies sense that the economics of production may be about to alter again
GOP lawmakers are howling to overturn the EPA's mercury regulations
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Colorado's wildfires and the record heat waves should sober up some climate change doubters
Don't bank on a new 'green economy' to solve our climate challenges
Cleaning Up Coal: From Climate Culprit to Solution
Coal, the rock that fueled the industrial age, is once again remaking the global energy landscape
The Climate Threat We Can Beat
The ever-increasing quantity of emissions could render moot the aim that has guided international climate diplomacy for nearly a decade: preventing the global temperature from rising by more than two degrees Celsius above its preindustrial level
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.
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How do we manifest responsibility to the planet? A serious consensus is building across the globe that doing so is crucial, that the weather extremes of recent years are no less than global warming in action
Corporations try to appear as though they have solutions to environmental problems while, in reality, they are continuing the policies that cause the most environmental degradation
China's Growing Awareness of the Full Costs of Pollution
A clean China is a long way off, but the government has recognised that pollution imposes real and growing costs on the economy
Tough Love for Renewable Energy
The challenges don't justify ending the pursuit of renewable power; they justify reforming it. It is time to push harder for renewable power, but to push in a smarter way
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
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Himalayan Glaciers Melting Fastest than Ever
'Food Miles' Movement Fueled by Local Food
Energy Star Buildings Cut Emissions and Energy Costs
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A Post-Castro Era Looms for Cuba
With a post-Castro Era looming on the horizon, the United States should muster the political will to prepare for February 2018, when neither Fidel nor Raul Castro will remain at the helm of the Cuban state
The State Department releases a report indicating which countries the United States considers 'State Sponsors of Terrorism.' Currently the list consists of four countries: Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and Syria. Cuba remains on its list. It's a serious mistake
The Path to Follow after Syria Crosses the Red Line
Obama's recent announcement that he believes Syria has used chemical weapons ignited a debate. Has the Assad regime crossed the 'red line' the White House laid down? But politicians seem more concerned about credibility than suffering Syrians. So what's next?
Bizarre Belligerence on the Korean Peninsula
The news from North Korea has of late been of the frightening variety. What the North Korean leadership is hoping to achieve by its belligerence is anyone's guess, but the aggressive American response has only escalated tension
Settlements Still Blocking Middle East Peace Agreement
Obama's visit to Israel was a great success, but don't expect peace between Israelis and Palestinians anytime soon. So now we may have more cordial relations. But settlements continue to be the main thing blocking any Palestinian peace deal
The Deal That America and Russia Must Make Following Chavez's Death
A chess piece has fallen in Latin America. The road to prosperity and peace for the citizens of many countries -- probably even yours -- runs through the recent death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and a counterintuitive deal between two nations
Kerry Talks Regional Issues With Gulf Arab Leaders
Secretary of State John Kerry says there is a 'finite amount of time' for talks on Iran's nuclear program. Kerry made the warning during talks with Gulf Arab leaders, as he continues his first overseas trip as America's top diplomat
United States and Israel Push The Boundaries of International Law
International law progresses through violations. We invented targeted assassination and we had to push it. At first there were protrusions that made it hard to insert into the legal molds. Now, it is in the center of the bounds of legitimacy
It is more than a year since the last American troops withdrew from Iraq and America's goals in Iraq appear contradictory. Iraq seems to be fading from the US consciousness with extraordinary speed. So where does that leave the US - Iraqi relationship today?
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When are Goals Ever Truly Realized in International Affairs?
It is, I suppose, too discouraging to face the fact that in international affairs paradox and contradiction rule the world. Policymakers and politicians consistently get what they don't want
Beyond the Post-Cold War World
We have lived in the post-Cold War world since 1991. The post-Cold War world had two phases. The first lasted from Dec. 31, 1991, until Sept. 11, 2001. The second lasted from 9/11 until now. We are now entering a new period
Chuck Hagel, the former Republican senator from Nebraska who survived a stormy confirmation hearing to become the new secretary of defense, had a coming-out party of sorts before the National Defense University
Chavez: American Nemesis, Latin American Hero
What scared the United States most about Chavez was not his failures or idiosyncrasies. It was his success. So, what happens next? Venezuela held an emotional funeral on March 8 and is planning for April elections
Iraq: Bush's War, 10 Years Later
The 10th anniversary of the American invasion of Iraq seems an appropriate time to look back at how it all happened and what it has wrought, not so much for Iraq as for the United States, which poured its own troops, treasure and world reputation into that colossal misadventure
Bring up Iraq -- and expect to end up in an argument. Conservatives are no different from liberals in rehashing the unpopular war, which has become a sort of whipping boy for all our subsequent problems
Self-Interested Leaders Roil Chaos in Middle East
The Middle East along with the larger Islamic world are the perfect demonstration of a 'world on fire'. When have we ever seen such widespread turmoil, destruction and death as we are witnessing right now?
Obama's Place in History Already Assured
The overall failure of American foreign policy during the first Obama presidency was foreseeable. He appointed advisers from past administrations representing the conventional liberal views of the period. In military matters, he inevitably was the prisoner of the Pentagon
One Day The World Will Thank Bush For Shaking Up The Arab Region
The worst type of history is that inspired by political rivalry. The Iraq story is no exception; the received wisdom is largely shaped by Democrats vilifying the legacy of George W. Bush. The result is that most of the criticism focuses on the invasion itself and its aftermath
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Drones: Anonymous Murder from a Safe Distance
War is war and murder is murder. The law draws the distinction. The American armed drone is a weapons system of war, not of policemen. Nor has the United States a commission to police the world of its radicals, jihadists and religious fanatics
Evolving United States - Mexico Relations
U.S. - Mexican relations are strategically important to both countries, and Mexico's period of transition has created opportunities to reshape the partnership. The Pena Nieto administration is working with Washington to center primarily on mutual economic possibility
We've lost a war without being able to surrender -- and thus divest ourselves of the consciousness that got us into it. We are unable to look honestly at what we did and why, and determine not to do it again. Ten years later, how do we get the poison out of our system?
Philip Zimbardo's TED Talk on Abu Ghraib and 'The Psychology of Evil' is up to 2,374,000 hits. Apparently people are hungry to know about the deep psychology of American foreign policy
He Says His Battle Almost Over
Some will say that Tomas Young agreed to die a long time ago. The 33-year-old Iraq war veteran is lying in a bed in Kansas City under hospice care, intent on soon stopping life-sustaining drugs and nourishment. But this is not a preordained event
President Obama should listen to former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, the 'founder' of shuttle diplomacy. Kissinger sees little hope in the 'Arab Spring,' nor is he optimistic about peace in the region following the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood
New Faces, Old Tensions in East Asia
It is a time of tension in East Asia with growing nationalism, territorial claims between Japan and its neighbours and the persistent challenge of a nuclear North Korea
There are a hundred places in the world that need the help U.S. power and money can provide. But we have to ask, how much can we do and how much do we have the will to do? How effective would diplomacy be?
Militarizing Latin America: Four More Years
After decades of peace and economic development, why is the United States engaged in a major military buildup in Latin America? Why has the U.S. turned a blind eye to two successful, and one attempted, coups in the last three years?
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Avoiding the Wars That Never End
U.S. Policy as Global Security Provider Built on Plymouth Rock
Powering the Pacific 'Pivot' With Leon and Chuck
Korea: The Case for Withdrawal
Relations Between Russia and United States Deteriorating
Latin America Should Not Be an Asterisk
Continuing a Foreign Policy Pivot
Iran Willing to Resume Nuclear Talks as Sanctions Bite Hard
Storm is Brewing in The Treacherous South China Sea
Name that Foreign Policy Legacy
Continued American Presence in Afghanistan Recipe for More Disaster
Nuclear Deal with Iran Possible If Bad Habits Change
No Reason to Postpone Afghanistan Withdrawal
When Terrorists 'Killed' in Drone Strikes Aren't Really Dead
U.S. Congress Could Learn from Mexico's National Accord
Global Governance at Heart of Failed Foreign Policies
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Usual Suspects Using Terror Attacks to Bludgeon Immigration Reform
After November's election, Republican hardliners were forced to accept that their opposition to reform was too costly. And then, Boston. The bombings are now a pretext for many Republicans to retreat from sensible immigration legislation
Deportation has become a near-taboo word. Yet the recent Boston bombings rekindle questions about the way the U.S. admits, or at times deports, foreign nationals. The current emphasis is on increasing legal immigration and granting amnesties
The Case Against Cutting Social Security and Medicare
The president and a few other prominent Democrats are openly suggesting that Social Security payments be reduced by applying a lower adjustment for inflation, and that Medicare be means-tested. These particular pre-concessions are especially unwise
Citing significant concerns about long lines at airports and flight delays caused by the furlough of air-traffic controllers, Congress let the Federal Aviation Administration override strict sequestration rules and redirect funds within its budget
Flying Over an Act of Monumental Stupidity
Conservatives in Congress decided the sequester was just fine as it was and allowed the cuts to go forward. Until they caved on air traffic. That's undoubtedly a precursor to well-lobbied government programs getting exceptions
We live in a society that requires enemies, and my guess is that, however much the promoters of drone technology extol the positive uses of drones -- finding lost children, rescue assistance, etc -- their primary use will be in us-versus-them situations
Where Our Democracy Works and Where It Doesn't
Who says American politics is gridlocked? It's nice to think logic and reason are finally catching up with our elected representatives, but the real explanation for these changes of heart is more prosaic: public opinion
America's Just Not That into Obama
Yes, Obama got elected and re-elected, and that's saying something. But whatever personal popularity the man has doesn't transfer to domestic policy. It's as if the American people are saying, 'Mr. President, we're just not that in to you'
We can imagine what lies ahead in 2017 -- no matter the result of either the 2014 midterm elections or the 2016 presidential outcome. That staggering deficit will force the next president to be a deficit hawk, both fiscally and politically
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History is full of warnings about what happens when people follow public opinion instead of standing by their principles. Major media have whipped the crowd into its latest frenzy over same-sex marriage
There are many successful liberals, so why do so many of them wish to subsidize failure for the poor, instead of showing them how to succeed? That is precisely what the left does not want to do, because it would expose liberalism's failure
'Right wing' Does Not Equal 'Terrorist'
Over the last few years, the invariably unjustified rush to pin violence on the 'right wing' has reached the point of parody. The term 'right wing' is also routinely used to describe both terrorists and mainstream Republicans
Where Obama Should Listen to Rand Paul: Legal Pot
As the nation's capital prepares to open its first legal medicinal marijuana dispensary and Rand Paul's call for legalization basks in bipartisan praise, it's time for President Obama to clear the air around his own passive-aggressive position on pot
Rand Paul Gets Schooled at Howard University
Rand Paul, GOP senator from Kentucky, told the Christian Science Monitor that his recent visit to Howard didn't go so bad at all. He said any perception to the contrary was created by -- all together now -- the 'left-wing media'
Rand Paul has Explaining to Do
Within hours after Sen. Rand Paul's news-making speech at historically black Howard University, someone posted on the user-driven Urban Dictionary website this new definition of an awkward-sounding but quite timely verb, 'whitesplain'
An Odd Push to Privatize Marriage
Should government get out of the business of defining marriage? That's not a new question. But as conservatives appear to be losing ground in the same-sex marriage debate, some are showing a new interest in changing the rules
Fear of Gay Marriage Backlash Overblown
Even Supreme Court justices care what people think about them. In their current same-sex marriage cases, they fear a big public backlash if they overreach. But history also shows such fears to be greatly exaggerated when a controversial decision's time has come
Can GOP Reverse the Damage Done by Iraq?
Whatever defenses there may be for the Iraq war, it was a staggering political disaster for the Republican Party. Is that fair? Maybe -- or maybe not. As a matter of analysis, fair doesn't have much to do with it
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The sanitized narrative and images we have of Sandy Hook apparently aren't enough. After months of anticipation that now, finally, something would be accomplished on gun law reform, the Senate has deep-sixed a package of mild measures in an act of political cowardice
Gun Vote Reveals New GOP Divide
Inside Republican congressional leadership, celebrations are muted. This fight over background checks for gun purchases exposed a dangerous divide in the Grand Old Party's ranks that has opened up since the party's presidential election defeat
Marco Rubio Comes Up Short on Gun Control
Marco Rubio showed his true yellow colors, joining 45 other cowards to defeat Senate legislation designed to stop criminals from buying firearms online and at gun shows. The vote was nauseating. So is Rubio
As a consensus has slowly built that Congress will at best settle for half a loaf on tough new gun-control legislation, President Obama continues to do a version of a Muhammad Ali rope-a-dope dance on the issue
School is a Battlefield, and NRA Determined to Keep it that Way
Good guys vs bad guys, both sides armed to the teeth. That's how the NRA views the moral universe. Yes, the group admits, an epidemic of gun violence is plaguing our nation. The reason for it is that good people have disarmed themselves. The cure is to rearm
The new 'tougher' gun laws in Maryland and Connecticut appear to be the result of high emotion, not logic and clear thinking. We all ache for the Sandy Hook victims, but the Newtown tragedy shouldn't be used as a prop for anti-gun proponents
The bombs went off in the final stretch of the race -- which had been dedicated to the victims of the tragedy in Newtown. My God. Now another wound has opened in the social fabric. Another enormous question tears at our hearts. Once again we ask: Why?
Immigration: Of Athens and Jerusalem
It's a complicated mix, the history of American immigration, just as the future of American immigration doubtless will be. But creating two classes of Americans, foreign workers and real citizens, Americans first- and second-class, has never worked in this country
We're chasing infinity. We're ceding ever more ground but aren't the least bit safer than we were a decade or a half-century ago. Every high-profile act of violence is followed by some new security procedure and market opportunity
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GOP Reboot: A 'Grand Open Party?'
The Demise of Moderate Republicanism
GOP Needs to Make Up its Mind on Immigration Reform
Greatest Generation the Most Entitled
Michael Bloomberg: Freedom to Make Stupid Decisions
Rand Paul's Stunt Misses the Point
The Downside of Conservative Orthodoxy
It's 'I Told You So' on Obamacare
Do We Need to Maintain A Dole For Former Presidents?
GOP Governors Still Know a Good Deal When They See One
Governor Scott to Voters: Never Mind
Leave Liberal Hollywood to the Liberals
Can GOP's Local Success Translate to Federal Level?
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Do You Take This Smartphone for Better or Worse?
I tepidly approached the empty stool next to her. 'Excuse me,' I said, my gaze traveling from her eyes downward. 'Not interested pal,' she replied curtly. 'May I just touch it for a moment? Better yet, can I hold it?'
Nobody told me about the trap I was falling into. Not my friends, not my wife, certainly not the person who rang me up at the store. My hope here is I can provide for you what wasn't there for me
The TV Remote is Harvard's Answer to Birth Control
'Where's the remote?' My wife appeared, clutching the precious device in her left hand. 'May I please have it?' 'If you're expecting me to sit or roll over like the dog, may I remind you that my knees are killing me,' I replied
Flu Sufferers, Your Facebook Posts are Making Me Sick
One recommendation for flu sufferers is to get plenty of rest. However, that hasn't stopped many of my Facebook friends from dragging themselves out of bed, firing up their computers
Where Are All The Young Nudes?
The San Francisco TV reporter was young, perky and brunette. Her interview subject was her polar opposite: male, late 60s and balding, with skin that looked as if it had traveled south for the winter and wasn't coming back
Searching For Life, Any Life, in Rural New Mexico
I have been driving for just over two hours and have yet to see another vehicle. Cellphone reception is nonexistent and I am silently praying that I chose the most dependable rental car on the lot
White House Tweets That Never Were
It makes sense that our most social media-savvy president would resort to strong-arming Congress via hashtags and @ signs. Don't you wonder how other presidents would have used Twitter had it been available throughout history?
Warning: Antiques are Addictive
It seems like there are more antique dealers than plumbers, and the supply of dealers far exceeds the dwindling number of antiques left for them to sell
Preparing for Doomsday One Candle at a Time
'Let's have a family meeting!' 'I'm doing homework, Dad,' came the reply from my two daughters. 'NOW!' It was the last line that got them downstairs. 'Yeah, what?' my wife said. 'We are prepping for Doomsday,' I said
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When Selecting Wine, Choose Your Words Carefully
I subtly glanced at the patrons around me, trying to mimic them by sticking my nose far into the glass and inhaling deeply. I pinched the glass stem and swirled, nearly splashing red wine onto my white linen napkin. Eventually I sipped. 'Tastes, uh, great,' was my review
Ray Lewis, Your Seat at The Kids Table is Ready
This year, the National Football League underwent more analysis than Lance Armstrong. By the time each ex-jock, former coach or retired referee told us what to expect in today's game, the contest was half over
There's nothing more stimulating to the brain than getting mad. I'm easily angered and there are so many things in the world to get mad about that my brain is seldom at ease. Nothing so regularly angers me as much as stories about lottery winners
It's Your Cellphone That Makes You Fat!
Like millions of Americans, I begin each year vowing to lose a few pounds. As 2013 dawns, I plan to slightly modify my goal, focusing on a single part of my body. Specifically my thumbs
I came across a column by Dick Burdette entitled, 'These are a few of my favorite things.' I don't want to steal his column or lose my image as a complainer so I'll go in the opposite direction
Attention Sports Parents! In Cyberspace, No One Can Hear You Scream
Scenes like this are why it's time to harness my beloved streaming video technology. Venture capitalists listen up! I'm searching for backers for my new site, parentsgoaway.com. Here's how it works
Lessons From a Reformed Cybershopper
As the holiday gift-buying clock winds down and all you cybershoppers sit smugly at your computers, bragging to anybody who will listen how easy it was to shop online, allow me to taint your eggnog
When my smartphone is also flashing an enormous number of texts and missed calls, I brace myself, as I have learned the hard way that this usually means someone I love is in trouble
A trip to the supermarket is one of the pleasures of my Saturdays. It's satisfying to have worked all week to make enough money to be able to spend some of it on Saturday for things you see in a store
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The experts who know about this sort of thing have been predicting terrible consequences for the Earth and all of us on it unless we do something to stop the warming of our planet
There are a hundred places in the world that need the help U.S. power and money can provide. But we have to ask, how much can we do and how much do we have the will to do? How effective would diplomacy be?
One regular ticket for the Super Bowl costs about $600. If someone offers you a ticket for $10, don't buy it if you want to see the game. In the stadium, the game is an afterthought. It's treated as though it was an intrusion on the mindless noise flowing endlessly from the stadium speakers
Warm Coats and Inaugural Memories
It's that time again, so I've collected a few facts about presidential inaugurations. Maybe you can surprise your friends with them
We all look for that perfect day when we have enough to do but not too much. There's a fine line and we usually cross it. At this time of year, most of us have so much to do that there isn't time to sit back and enjoy our holiday
Make Christmas More Like Christmas
While I'm thinking about it, this might be a good time to make some Christmas resolutions for future years. Here's my list
Some days, it seems as though I have so much to do I can't get anything done. It happens a lot around Christmas
Try Some of Andy's Christmas Tidbits
Bells are ringing like mad and shoppers are flooding the stores, so I guess it's not too early anymore to talk about Christmas. Following are a few things you may not have known about Christmas, and several things you know but may like to be reminded of
'Here Comes Donald Boo Hoo' and Other Post-Election Reality Shows
The votes have been (mostly) tabulated, a winner has been declared, the election is over and now it's time for all television networks to get back to doing what they do best: Developing new reality shows
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An 'F' is a very 'Nobel' grade
Is The Battery Half Full or Half Empty?
Presidential Debates Reveal More About the Candidates and Less
Beware the Revolving Candy Dish
Thou Shalt not Overlike on Facebook
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Chinese Silk Railroad Ambitions
China has become the world's workshop and Europe has an insatiable appetite for its exports. Most now arrive on giant container ships. But as ports become clogged and delivery times critical, China is once again looking to the old land routes across Asia
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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New 'Pacific Alliance' Bloc May Have a Chance
There are solid grounds to believe that the new bloc will be different, among other things, because it starts out with a big advantage
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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Latin American Countries Raising Trade Barriers Despite Vows to 'Connect The Americas'
The rising trade barriers that several Latin American countries, especially Brazil and Argentina, are erecting to protect their industries imports are causing growing concern in the hemisphere
The Trans-Pacific Partnership could add billions of dollars to the U.S. economy and solidify Washington's commitment to the Pacific. But if the Obama administration fails to calm critics of the deal, there is a growing possibility that it could collapse
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
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Why DOHA Trade Negotiations Are Doomed and What We Should Do About It
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:
Has Obama Kept His Open-Government Pledge?
After eight years of tightened access to government records under the Bush administration, open-government advocates were hopeful when Barack Obama promised greater transparency
Obama Again Offers to Negotiate Big Deficit Deal
President Barack Obama has renewed his call for Republicans to work with him to achieve a large deficit reduction package, but says any deal must be balanced
Some 46 million Americans live in poverty, about 15 percent of the population, levels not seen since before Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. Can President Obama succeed in reviving the prospects of the poor?
Hillary Clinton Grilled, Punches Back
It was darkly amusing to watch Republicans go after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Capitol Hill hearings about the tragic fiasco in Benghazi. But the Grand Old Party's attack dogs were barking up the wrong tree
Hillary Clinton's Dodgy Testimony
In her recent testimony on Benghazi, Hillary Clinton brilliantly fudged, dodged and filibustered. Of course, she's a pro. Aided by a ridiculous format, she outfoxed most of the Republicans with ease
Wake Up, Socially Liberal Fiscal Conservatives
I don't expect you to vote Republican, never mind admit you're simply a liberal. But please stop preening about your fiscal conservatism, particularly as you condemn the GOP for not being fiscal conservatives
President Obama's critics are shocked, shocked to hear him sound in his second inaugural address like what he is, a liberal progressive. In other words, how dare he wage a vigorous defense of what he really believes?
Bill Clinton's assertion in his 1996 that 'the era of big government is over' was a bit premature. In light of President Obama's Second Inaugural Address, the era of big government has just begun
Obama's Debt-Ceiling Strategy Could Put The Squeeze on GOP
The 2012 election has shaken the GOP, as have the post-fiscal cliff polls. Yet, the Republican Party may not care what a majority of Americans thinks. The survival of most Republican members of Congress depends on primary victories
Obama's Battle Hymn of the Republic
I don't think Obama gave a good inaugural address this time. I think it was a great one. After decades of being fed the lie that government isn't the solution but rather the problem, it was refreshing to hear a president sound like an unapologetic liberal
Why I'm Singing the Inauguration Blues
President Obama's second inauguration definitely had its high points: his uncharacteristically liberal speech and weather that broke 30 degrees. However, like Paul Ryan and Henry Marsh, I had a bad day on the mall
Obama's Inaugural Address Not Progressive Enough
It was a liberal speech by a liberal president. That sums up the commentariat's assessment of President Obama's second inaugural address. However, his speech didn't satisfy liberal longings in some key respects
Standing at Obama's side, even more visibly during the second inaugural festivities than before, has been Vice President Joe Biden, not merely in ceremonial roles but as a key supporting player in Obama's most prominent second-term initiatives
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's swan song before the House and Senate was in a sense a prelude to any future bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. It gave Republicans a last chance to cast her as irresponsible
The dawn is the symbolic beginning of the new day and thus, the symbolic end of the old. Keep that in mind as people parse Barack Obama's second inaugural address. Keep it in mind as they debate What It All Means
Immigration Reform Plan is a Farce
A bipartisan group of senators has just lit a soggy fuse under the immigration debate. This manifesto of mediocrity fails to address the biggest immigration problems facing America -- starting with the question of 'Why?'
The GOP Crack-up and Obama's Unraveling of the Republican Coalition
The GOP crack-up was probably inevitable. Inconsistencies and tensions within the GOP have been growing for years -- ever since Ronald Reagan put together the coalition. All Obama has done is finally find ways to exploit these inconsistencies
Some political commentators are dancing on what they believe to be the grave of the Republican Party, claiming that the only way the GOP can have a viable future is for them to behave like Democrats
Obama was once right about the deficits. But the antidote for the profligacy of the Bush administration was not to increase the borrowing even more. What, then, explains the vast gulf between the prior Obama rhetoric and his current record on deficits?
State of the Union Allows Presidents to Outline Agenda
The Constitution mandates the president to address Congress on the State of the Union. But, what began as a handwritten note to Congress has evolved into televised political theatre in which a sitting president is nothing if not bold
State of the Union Address Likely to Focus on Domestic Issues
President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union Address -- the first of his second term in office. The speech to a joint session of Congress will be watched by millions across the nation and around the world
The new Obama assertiveness may well turn out to be a formula for more of the same Republican obstructionism. He is clearly hoping that, by taking his case to the country campaign-style, he may break the legislative logjam
Recently, it was announced that a group of Republicans and Democrats agreed to get together once in a while and chat. This made news nationwide. Does that not tell you all you need to know about the sorry state of American politics?
The inauguration of a re-elected president should signify the country's satisfaction with his first term. Nevertheless, of the last seven presidential repeaters, arguably only two undertook another four years with wide public approval
It's hard to recognize that the conservative movement's problems are mostly problems of success. The Republican Party's problems are much more recognizable as the problems of failure, including the failure to recognize its limits
Forty years after the Supreme Court opened the door to legalized abortion, the number of aborted babies has reached roughly 55 million. Think of that. Fifty-five million potential what -- doctors, athletes, mothers and fathers?
A petulant and confrontational President Obama spoke like an emperor or supreme ruler. All that was missing was a scepter and a crown. This president exceeds even Bill Clinton in his ability to evade, prevaricate and dissemble
As long as wars are fought by other people on someone else's soil, Americans can live with perpetual conflict
Name that Foreign Policy Legacy
Under Obama's leadership, Washington is finally coming to terms with the world's multipolarity
America Should Not Apologize for its Values
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, author of 'Infidel,' the political ideology embedded in Islam that makes no room for any criticism of its foundational father and sacred texts
Neil Armstrong: An American Hero United Us in Possibility and Wonder
'One for small step for man,' he famously said, 'one giant leap for mankind.' It was one of history's greatest feats and we had done it, we Americans
America Under Attack by Right-Wing Terrorists
Can we finally say the thing we have not said so far? America is under attack by right-wing terrorists
A Date with History: The Cuban Missile Crisis
The mythology of the Cuban Missile Crisis, along with accounts of the cool resolve of President John F. Kennedy in answering Nikita Khrushchev's emollient first letter rather than the tougher second one, has proved surprisingly durable
False Tweets, Future Jailbirds?
Today's winner of the bonehead tweeting prize in my view goes to a 29-year-old hedge fund analyst Shashank Tripathi of New York, also known by the bold and audacious Twitter handle ComfortablySmug
Cannabis May Be Legal in a Decade
Mark Kleiman says Cannabis may be legal in the US in a decade. He tells Alan Philps that the real issue is not prohibition or legalization, but reducing the damage done by drugs
Curiosity -- America's Endangered Triumph
The landing of the Rover Curiosity on Mars is a triumphant historic achievement, but the current state of curiosity-driven research may endanger America's capacity for future innovations
Colorado's wildfires and the record heat waves should sober up some climate change doubters
We exacerbate every problem we militarize. Indeed, militarization is as much a part of the problem -- as much a threat to civilization -- as, for instance, terrorism or drugs
Sandy is only the latest and most devastating incident in a pattern of extreme weather that's become impossible to ignore
This is American exceptionalism: 'Now I am become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds'
The Selling of American Democracy: The Perfect Storm
Who's buying our democracy? Wall Street financiers, the Koch brothers, among others. It's a perfect storm -- the combination of three waves that are about to drown government as we know it
In Colorado, Ordinary People Display True Heroism
In a gun-besotted nation where the right of each citizen to possess as many weapons of mass destruction as he or she wants is considered sacred and inviolable, who can expect otherwise?
Why do so many Americans believe that to properly protect ourselves today, we need guns?
Follow Police Chiefs' Guidance on Assault Weapons
An assault weapon is not useful for hunting game. It isn't easily available, like a handgun, for self-defense. It is designed for one purpose: war. These are weapons for domestic, homegrown terrorism
Slipping Chinese Growth Could Hurt U.S. Exports
China's GDP growth has fallen significantly. Here's why it matters in the U.S.
CEOs Bullish on Economy but Will Wait and See on Jobs
CEOs have a much rosier outlook for the future than they did just three months ago ... but don't count on a huge influx of new jobs just yet
Car Sales Soar Even as Gas Prices Do, Too
Analysts say pent-up demand has primed the pump for a banner year in auto sales
The Employed vs the Unemployed
Employed Americans present stiff competition as they vie with the unemployed for job openings
What's Good for the CEO May Be Bad for Business
Today's corporate elites should stop pushing for austerity for the many and prosperity for the few and embrace Henry Ford's strategy of shared prosperity
An American soldier's killing of 16 Afghan civilians, including nine children, represents only a moment in this long war, but it is an important moment
The number one priority in U.S. policy toward China should be working to address the trust deficit while ensuring that we remain deeply engaged with our allies
There are places where basic food, shelter, health care, and good schools are available to everyone, but not here in the United States
The Curse of Mitt Romney's Millions
The question remains as to why so much doubt lingers about Mitt Romney. A central concern seems to be that he's just too rich to understand the problems of the rest of us
Mitt Romney has ample time to consider his options for a running mate, and to make a responsible choice. However, that doesn't guarantee that he will do so
'Buffet Rule' Is a Hypocritical Political Ploy
The 'Buffett rule' policy is not a serious policy initiative designed to solve an actual problem, but is the worst type of political ploy
'Buffett Rule' Moves Us in the Right Direction
It is a national disgrace that millionaires pay effective income tax rates substantially lower than middle class taxpayers do
United States Can't Control the World Oil Market
We need to prepare for a world with permanently higher gasoline prices
The State of the World: Explaining U.S. Strategy
The fall of the Soviet Union left the United States as the only global power, something for which it was culturally and institutionally unprepared
As Mars looms within reach and China ramps up its space program, the United States is turning its back on the stars through stinginess and partisan bickering
No Magic Bullet for the Price of Gas
The world market has more effect on gas prices than the president or 'drill, baby, drill'
Extra Dollars You're Paying At Pump Going To Wall Street Speculators
The current surge in gas prices has almost nothing to do with energy policy. It doesn't even have much to do with global supply and demand. It has most to do with America's continuing failure to adequately regulate Wall Street
Why Americans Are Paying More At the Pump
Here are a few more reasons why even higher gas prices may be on the way this spring and summer
With the costs of oil and coal rising, the United States needs to wean itself off fossil fuels. The task might seem quixotic, but it actually will not require miracles
Could the Rosy Jobs Numbers Be a False Spring?
Some experts say an unseasonably warm winter could be skewing employment numbers
Job Gains: This Time, It's Different
Even casual observers might point out that the 2012 jobs numbers could look an awful lot like 2011. Yet economists have plenty of reason to be more optimistic this time around
Three Ways to Revive Our Sluggish Economy
Tax reform, investment in infrastructure, and a deficit reduction plan along the lines of Bowles-Simpson would jumpstart the stunted recovery
Consumers Still Buried In Credit Card Debt
Americans racked up $48 billion dollars in new credit card debt in 2011 according to a recent study
Starving Public Universities Shrinks the Middle Class
America is already making it harder for young people of modest means to attend college. Public higher education is being starved, and the middle class will shrink even more as a result
The Most Lopsided Economic Recovery On Record
Luxury retailers are smiling. So are sellers of upscale cars and personal coaches. For them and their clients the recession is over. But the rest of America isn't enjoying an economic recovery
Massachusetts Health Care Reform from the Front Lines
Aside from the numbers, what has it been like to experience the Massachusetts health care system since 2006?
New Three-Year Degree Programs Trim College Costs
Some schools offer or are planning to debut fast-track bachelor's degree programs that only hit families' wallets for three years
Avoid Social Media MBAs, Some Students Say
A course or two in social media can be helpful, but students say it's not worth a whole concentration
Steps to Take if Your College Student Fails a Class
Check out how parents can be supportive when grades aren't up to par but should avoid overstepping
5 Shocking Facts About Student Loan Debt
It has surpassed credit card debt and has twice the delinquency rate
Tips for Choosing an M.B.A. Concentration
Since choosing a specialty can be a point of anxiety, business school deans, students, and career advisers offer the following tips for selecting a degree focus
With a bit of political jujitsu, President Obama could turn a potential health care defeat into a victory for a single-payer health care system -- Medicare for all
Mitt Romney will run an ideological campaign calling for smaller government and fewer taxes against an equally ideological President Obama, who wants more government and higher taxes
Better Public Schools Require a Stronger Safety Net
Many American kids are getting a fine education these days, but plenty more are stuck with lousy schools. This disparity shouldn't come as a shock
America's Constitutional Paralysis
For many Americans, the Constitution is an almost sacred text. Asking them whether the fundamentals of their Constitution are still right for their country seems not only pointless - it smacks of heresy. Or so I thought
2012 Election Will Decide Which New Wars Will Be Waged
Here's a look at what the electorate will be up against when the conventions are over, and when the newly elected president assumes (or resumes) command of American foreign policy
Crisis-Managing United States - Iran Relations
Gary G. Sick, who was the principal White House aide for Iran during the hostage crisis of 1979-1981 says he favors a process similar to the one that ended that crisis to resolve today's tensions
If Israel or the United States starts a disastrous war with Iran, it will be because someone thought it was a good idea
Iraq: Still A Work in Progress
The United States withdrawal from Iraq, completed at the end of 2011, could carry enormous costs
In times like these, they soon might prefer even an oilman in the White House to an ideologue whose opposition to new oil development seems more religious than empirically based
Five Economic Mistakes Obama is Making
To ensure long term prosperity, Obama needs to be smarter about tax cuts, stimulus spending, and his rhetoric towards business
At this late stage of the American republic, military-industrial corruption permeates not only our foreign policy but our ideals. We go to war because the business of war is beyond all constraint
We Must Reignite America's Can-Do Spirit
What happened to the American Century? I mean, what happened to that faith in the nation's high purpose and sense of direction that animated successive generations of Americans?
Civilization hasn't successfully drawn a moral border at the sanctity of human life itself, but because it needs to put some limit on human behavior, it has, apparently, taken a last stand at the dignity of corpses
In Greek mythology, the prophetess Cassandra was doomed both to tell the truth and to be ignored. Our modern version is a bankrupt Greece that we seem to discount
To Spur Economy, United States Must Reform Legal Immigration
The immigration debate tends to focus on illegal entry and border security; however, reforming the process for legal immigration is of vital importance to the country's economy
Don't Expect Too Much of the Next American President
The debate between the Great Man theory of history and those who put more faith in the broader economic and political forces that shape our world continue without end. Nowhere is this debate more salient than in the history of the American presidency
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
The Myth of Economic Inequality
Richer rich people aren't hurting anyone, experts say even if it can be tougher to join them
Occupy Wall Street Must Learn That We Are What We Buy
The core problem behind inequality is an economy driven by hyper-consumption
Six Unusual Economic Indicators
Sometimes the skirts at the mall or the price of a Big Mac can say a lot about the economy's health. Here are a list of the unorthodox ways to track where the economy is and where it's going
Are We Entering a Jobless Recovery?
Economists fear that the U.S. is entering a jobless economic recovery. If economic expansion continues without adding a significant number of jobs, many unemployed workers will simply be left behind
The Downward Mobility of the American Middle Class
January's increase in hiring is good news, but it masks a bigger and more disturbing story -- the continuing downward mobility of the American middle class
Why the Fed is Lukewarm on the Economic Recovery
Employment and GDP have been improving, but the Fed's outlook remains gloomy. Check out why
For most in the United States, the concept of America as the land of opportunity is just a fable
Globalizing Private Sector, Government Overwhelmed by Corporate Money
Obama believes government has a vital role in creating good jobs in America. Romney and Gingrich say American business will create good jobs here if their taxes are lowered and regulations eased. The facts are on the president's side
Americans Spent Less:
Why That's a Good Thing
A return to a higher savings rate, say some experts, is fundamental to restoring a healthy economy, even if it means a temporary drag on spending
The eurozone crisis needs to be contained. If it isn't, a deep European recession could dash the slight upturn in the US economy
Tips to Overcome a Bad Grade in College
Professors say there are ways to deal with a bad grade that don't exhaust the instructor and actually help students be more successful next time. Here are three tips for how to do that
Look Out for These Federal Aid Changes
New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
New Guarantees Help College Students Graduate in Four Years
Some colleges are offering ways to ensure students' timely exits
Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
When thinking about how to pay for an online education, keep these factors in mind
Time Management Tips for Online Students
These time management tips from online learning veterans can help you stay ahead of the game
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
Waste Of Time For Business Students to Take Courses on Government
Some business schools are adding political coursework to their curricula to reflect an evolving corporate landscape. But some executives denounce this development as a fad and discourage M.B.A. students from studying politics
Plenty of evidence suggests that, on average, a college degree is worth it
Time for United States to Review Its Cuba Policy
It is past time to change our policy toward Cuba. For over 50 years, the United States has been obsessed with the Cuba of Fidel Castro's time. It is inappropriate for the Cuba of today
Is a Nuclear Iran Really to be Feared?
The obsession of the foreign policy community with the myth of Iran's 'existential' threat to Israel, brings the world steadily closer to another war in the Middle East
Why U.S. Military Intervention in Syria is Unlikely
An American-led military operation in Syria would be tactically challenging, and would open a Pandora's Box full of political risks. Here are four reasons the U.S. is unlikely to intervene militarily in Syria
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
Rick Santorum's Reverse Snobbery
Welcome to the weird world of Rick Santorum, the latest challenger to rise to the top of the Anybody-But-Mitt-Romney side of the Republican presidential race
"If we could just take a little bit from each of them." I've lost track of how many people I have heard say some version of this. The 'each of them' refers to the combatants for the Republican nomination
Latino Voters to Candidates: What Are We, Chopped Chorizo?
American politicians have a Latino problem. And it isn't the stereotypical immigrant patting tortillas, singing corridos in Spanish or sneaking across the border
Lack of Enthusiasm Isn't Just a GOP Problem
Turnout among GOP voters has been tepid. Hordes of commentators, me included, have argued at length that this apathetic grumpiness reflects a deep dissatisfaction with the Republican field
So what happens if this quartet of presidential wannabes hangs in, with none of them catching fire but each of them picking up a share of the national convention delegates as the process proceeds?
Americans praise civility, but we constantly reward rudeness. That annoying fact of life helps to explain why the blessings that Rush Limbaugh brought to the Republican base recently turned into a curse
The Supreme Court: Politicizing Justice
The Supreme Court's conservative faction that stopped the counting of ballots in Florida in Bush v. Gore, and opened the floodgates on corporate money in politics in Citizens United, is now intent on politicizing racial justice
The havoc that its 5-4 ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission has already wrought on temperate discourse in American politics is being displayed daily
National Deficit Result of Wars and Bush Tax Cuts
All this mud is getting thrown at the president's fiscal stewardship, and yet it was the last Republican president who teed up the current challenges
Five Ways to Spin Obama Tax Plan
With an election year upon us and a hyperpartisan congress at work, there a number of different ways to look at the president's tax deal
Social Issues Bring in Popular Vote for Republicans
The rise of the culture wars in national politics dates from the social unrest of the late 1960s. Since that time, Republicans have won 7 of the last 11 presidential elections
Republicans Can Win on Economic Issues, Not a Culture War
If the GOP focuses on the deficit, the debt, tax reform, it can win
Social Issues Are at the Core of Our Problems
Broken families mean a broken society that can be fixed only by a GOP restoring traditional values
Republicans Should Focus on the Economy
While a focus on social issues may benefit Rick Santorum during the GOP primaries, if Republicans want to win this fall they'd be smart to keep a laser focus on economic issues
GOP Needs to Rethink Positions on Economy, Foreign Policy
Every day the Republican Party is talking about social issues is a bad day for the Republican Party. The 2012 elections will be decided on the traditional issues that define presidential elections -- foreign policy and the economy
Republican Mean Streak Could Leave GOP Out in the Cold
In their effort to appeal to angry right-wing voters on social issues, the GOP candidates' positions are driving them away from most Americans
If American Manufacturers Keep Jobs, So Does Obama
Key manufacturing states are also swing states that could make or break Obama's reelection
GOP Will Lose in 2012 if Social Issues Take Center Stage
Rick Santorum's taking on frontrunner status and it's keeping some Republicans up at night
Why Looks Are Everything in a Presidential Election
Forget putting out policy platforms and detailed descriptions of stances: What candidates really need are good looks
'The Swing Vote' author Linda Killian discusses how independents are left out of the electoral system and why they shouldn't be ignored in 2012
Good Businessmen Rarely Make Good Presidents
Sorry Mitt Romney. Businessmen like Warren Harding, Herbert Hoover, and the Bushes went on to be some of the worst presidents
Obama's Cynicism for Me, Not for Thee
Among modern presidents going back to Eisenhower, Obama has proven uniquely incapable of working with his political opponents
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
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