It’s always been something of a shock to return to the United States after a stay in Europe or northeast Asia. Things just run better in those parts of the world. The public transportation is fast and efficient. The medical services provide universal care. Infrastructure isn’t in a state of decline. Green spaces are well… Continue reading Department of Government Chaos, Revenge, and Patronage
Donald Trump is a polarizing figure in the United States. He has also succeeded in dividing the world. Particularly with the tariffs he instituted on “Liberation Day,” Trump has transformed the political landscape in countries around the world. In the recent Canadian elections, for instance, the candidate most like Trump saw his popularity crater after… Continue reading The Trump Effect on Elections Globally
Maybe you remember an incident like this from your schooldays. Someone in your class has done something wrong, like pass around a caricature of the principal, and the teacher decides to punish the whole class by taking away your recess. Maybe this is done to force the culprit to confess, or to pressure you and… Continue reading The Obscenity of Collective Punishment in Gaza
Let me be clear about my preferences. I would very much like to see Ukraine regain all of its territory, including Crimea. Russia should decisively lose the war that it started. In the best of all possible worlds, Vladimir Putin would be deposed and transferred to The Hague to face charges of war crimes. A… Continue reading Ending the War in Ukraine
The best way of preventing authoritarian leaders from overthrowing democracies is to make sure that they never get into power in the first place. That’s what the French did last year when parties on the left united and then made a second-round pact with the centrists to prevent Marine Le Pen and her far-right National Rally from… Continue reading How to Stop an Autocrat
Almost exactly 30 years ago, Canadian Bacon depicted a U.S. president picking on his neighbor to the north to boost his sagging approval ratings. Starring Alan Alda, John Candy, and Rhea Perlman, the film was supposed to be a comedy. Director Michael Moore was trying to satirize the U.S. penchant for invading other countries. Taking that notion… Continue reading The Disintegration of North America
Dictators defend their rule with guns. Democrats defend their rule with paper. Of course, the constitution that upholds democracy is not just any piece of paper. It is a document backed up by political institutions, by courts, and by the public will. In a normal situation, this paper is stronger than military force or police… Continue reading Ripping Up Constitutions
The news of Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest surprised me. It’s not that I doubted the former leader of the Philippines was guilty of the horrific crimes detailed in his International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant. Duterte himself boasted quite openly of the mass killings he’s been accused of. But I always thought that the prospects of… Continue reading Can Europe Stop Putin and Trump?
Israel has resumed its aerial bombardment of Gaza. The latest ceasefire, which lasted two months and led to the release of 33 Israeli hostages and 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, never made it out of its first stage. The Israeli government has now adopted a strategy of inflicting overwhelming violence until Hamas capitulates by releasing… Continue reading The Illusion of Ceasefires
The Trump administration objected so strenuously to a recent speech by South Africa’s ambassador that it expelled him from the United States. What did Ebrahim Rasool say that was so objectionable? Honestly, the speech he made at a webinar sponsored by a South African research institute was rather boring. But embedded in his remarks is… Continue reading It’s Time: Boycott America