CFR.org - Foreign Affairs

The Case Against the West

Kishore Mahbubani — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:08:15 -0400

The West is not welcoming Asia's progress, and its short-term interests in preserving its privileged position in various global institutions are trumping its long-term interests in creating a more just and stable world order. The West has gone from being the world's problem solver to being its single biggest liability.

The Trouble With Congo

Severine Autesserre — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:02:25 -0400

Although the war in Congo officially ended in 2003, two million people have died since. One of the reasons is that the international community's peacekeeping efforts there have not focused on the local grievances in eastern Congo, especially those over land, that are fueling much of the broader tensions. Until they do, the nation's security and that of the wider Great Lakes region will remain uncertain.

Beyond Darfur

Andrew S. Natsios — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:57:12 -0400

While the crisis in Darfur simmers, the larger problem of Sudan's survival as a state is becoming increasingly urgent. Old tensions between the Arabs of the Nile River valley, who have held power for a century, and marginalized groups on the country's periphery are turning into a national crisis. Engagement with Khartoum may be the only way to avert another civil war in Sudan, and even that may not be enough.

The Future of American Power

Fareed Zakaria — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:55:03 -0400

Despite some eerie parallels between the position of the United States today and that of the British Empire a century ago, there are key differences. Britain's decline was driven by bad economics. The United States, in contrast, has the strength and dynamism to continue shaping the world -- but only if it can overcome its political dysfunction and reorient U.S. policy for a world defined by the rise of other powers.

After Guantánamo

Kenneth Roth — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:52:45 -0400

The U.S. detention facility at Guantánamo Bay has become a stain on the United States' reputation. Shutting it down will cause new problems. Rather than hold terrorism suspects in preventive detention, the United States should turn them over to its criminal justice system.

Blood Barrels

Michael L. Ross — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:48:25 -0400

The world has grown much more peaceful over the past 15 years -- except for oil-rich countries. Oil wealth often wreaks havoc on a country's economy and politics, helps fund insurgents, and aggravates ethnic grievances. And with oil ever more in demand, the problems it spawns are likely to spread further.

The Age of Nonpolarity

Richard N. Haass — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:44:59 -0400

The United States' unipolar moment is over. International relations in the twenty-first century will be defined by nonpolarity.

Blame the Banks

Sebastian Mallaby — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:17:12 -0400

Sebastian Mallaby's update to his January/February 2007 essay "Hands Off Hedge Funds."

The Price of the Surge

Steven Simon — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:17:34 -0400

The Bush administration's new strategy in Iraq has produced short-term gains at the expense of the long-term goal of a stable, unitary Iraq.

America the Resilient

Stephen E. Flynn — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:55:41 -0500

Terrorism and other disasters demand calmness and preparation, not panic and demagoguery.

Staying Alive

Andrei Lankov — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:50:38 -0500

Why North Korea will not change.

Us and Them

Jerry Z. Muller — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:45:19 -0500

Why ethnic nationalism will drive global politics for generations.

The Democratic Rollback

Larry Diamond — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:40:45 -0500

The third wave of global democratization has stopped and begun to recede. Better governance is the key to a fourth.

An Empty Revolution

Francisco Rodriguez — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:35:47 -0500

The former chief economist of the Venezuelan National Assembly argues that despite Hugo Chavez's pledge to fight poverty, the Venezuelan president's economic policies have hurt the poor most of all.

Arctic Meltdown

Scott G. Borgerson — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:30:13 -0500

Wake up, Henry Hudson: Thanks to global warming, the Northwest Passage will soon be open for business.

The Copenhagen Consensus

Robert Kuttner — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:25:34 -0500

How the Danish model of social democracy offers important lessons for governments confronting the dilemmas of globalization.

China and India Go to Africa

Harry G. Broadman — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:20:45 -0500

How new deals in the developing world will change the global economy.

Diplomacy in an Age of Faith

Thomas F. Farr — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:15:54 -0500

The United States should recognize that religious freedom is vital not only to liberty and stability abroad but also to U.S. national security.

Transforming Nations

Peter D. Sutherland — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:10:20 -0500

How the WTO boosts economies and opens societies.

Intelligent Design?

Paul R. Pillar — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:05:35 -0500

The intelligence community's record is better than people think — and most reform proposals are worse.

Bye Bye Bush

Adam Garfinkle — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:00:55 -0500

What will history make of 43?

A New Realism

Bill Richardson — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:26:57 -0500

The United States needs a foreign policy that is based on reality and is loyal to American values. The next U.S. president needs to send a clear signal to the world that America has turned the corner and will once again be a leader rather than a unilateralist loner. Getting out of Iraq and restoring our reputation are necessary first steps toward a new strategy of U.S. global engagement and leadership.

America's Priorities in the War on Terror

Mike Huckabee — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:22:56 -0500

The Bush administration's arrogant bunker mentality has been counterproductive at home and abroad. American foreign policy needs to change its tone and attitude, open up, and reach out. In particular, it should focus on eliminating Islamist terrorists, stabilizing Iraq, containing Iran, and toughening its stance with Pakistan.

The Old Turks' Revolt

Ömer Taspinar — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:16:58 -0400

The ruckus over the election of a religious conservative as Turkey's president has exposed the illiberal nature of Turkish secularism -- as well as the pragmatism of the country's reformed Islamists. Preserving democracy in Turkey by keeping the military out of politics will be a tall order, but the future of the Muslim world's most promising democratic experiment is at stake.

Winning Asia

Victor D. Cha — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:14:25 -0400

Pundits, academics, and Bush bashers insist that the United States is losing ground in Asia, but they are wrong. The Bush administration's Asia policy has been an unheralded success. Improved relations with China, stronger U.S.-Japanese cooperation, North Korea's gradual nuclear disarmament, and expanding regional alliances have made Asia more prosperous and secure than it has been in decades.

Washington's Eastern Sunset

Jason T. Shaplen and James T. Laney — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:11:00 -0400

After 60 years of U.S. domination, the balance of power in Northeast Asia is shifting. The United States is in relative decline, China is on the rise, and Japan and South Korea are in flux. To maintain U.S. power in the region, Washington must identify the trends shaping this transition and embrace new tools and regimes that broaden the United States' power base.

A Disciplined Defense

Richard K. Betts — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:07:50 -0400

The United States now spends almost as much on defense in real dollars as it ever has before -- even though it has no plausible rationale for using most of its impressive military forces. Why? Because without political incentives for restraint, policymakers have lost the ability to think clearly about defense policy. Washington's new mantra should be "Half a trillion dollars is more than enough."

Can the War on Terror Be Won?

Philip Gordon — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:05:32 -0400

It can, but only if U.S. officials start to think clearly about what success in the war on terror would actually look like. Victory will come only when Washington succeeds in discrediting the terrorists' ideology and undermining their support. These achievements, in turn, will require accepting that the terrorist threat can never be eradicated completely and that acting as though it can will only make it worse.

Losing Russia

Dimitri Simes — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:03:26 -0400

U.S.-Russian relations are deteriorating rapidly. Misguided and arrogant U.S. policies since the end of the Cold War have fueled resentment in Russia, and Vladimir Putin's increasing defiance is inflaming the West. But Washington and Moscow need not be adversaries. Both sides must act soon to avert renewed confrontation.

An Enduring Peace Built on Freedom

John McCain — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:00:31 -0400

America needs a president who can revitalize the country's purpose and standing in the world and defeat terrorist adversaries who threaten liberty at home and abroad. There is an enormous amount to do. The next U.S. president must be ready to show America and the world that this country's best days are yet to come and be ready to establish an enduring peace based on freedom.