Features
Snapshots
Snapshot,
February 4, 2010
Unlike in 2004, Ukraine's upcoming presidential election will not determine the country's geopolitical orientation. But it will test whether the young democracy can stabilize its economy, cut down on corruption, and navigate its relations with Russia and the West.
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Snapshot,
February 2, 2010
Beijing's ongoing efforts to promote growth are infringing on people's economic and political rights. In order to survive, the Chinese government will have to start allowing ordinary citizens to take part in the political process.
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Snapshot,
January 27, 2010
The recent ban of more than 500 candidates from Iraq's upcoming elections is designed to cement the power of the country's Shiite Islamists aligned with Iran. Will this latest sectarian rupture sink any hopes for a stable Iraq?
ReadLetters From
Letter From,
January 29, 2010
That talks between the Philippine government and the secessionist group Moro Islamic Liberation Front have restarted is a good sign, but the hope of some officials that an accord can be reached soon seems overly optimistic.
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Letter From,
January 6, 2010
A hostile diplomatic battle has erupted in recent months between China and India. Do tensions over visas and the two countries' shared border pose a threat to one of Asia's most formidable partnerships?
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Letter From,
December 24, 2009
In recent years, international attention on Sudan has focused on Darfur. But the regime in Khartoum has been concerned with its own political survival, and with elections looming in the spring, the country's ruling party is prepared to use repression and intimidation to ensure its victory.
ReadPostscripts
Postscript,
February 8, 2010
Since winning elections in 2006, Hamas has demonstrated that it cannot be part of an Israeli-Palestinian peace process, nor part of a Palestinian body politic based on democracy and free elections. But can policymakers deny the group the ability to play the spoiler?
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Postscript,
November 19, 2009
As the International Year of Biodiversity approaches in 2010, the loss of wildlife, genetic material, ecosystems, and evolutionary processes is as marked as ever. Climate change, meanwhile, is becoming an even greater threat to the biosphere.
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Postscript,
November 10, 2009
Senior officers who resign over policy disagreements with civilian leaders undermine the principle of civilian control over the military and damage the professionalism of the U.S. armed forces.
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Comments
Comment,
Jan/Feb
2010
The "green revolution" dramatically boosted crop yields throughout the world, but it also bred overconfidence and complacency. Now, global food stocks are too low, and food prices are too high. Malthus is back.
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Comment,
Jan/Feb
2010
Soon, travelers worldwide will have a chance to contribute to the global fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis whenever they purchase airline tickets. This initiative is part of a new development strategy called innovative financing, which hopes to redistribute some of globalization's gains to sick people in poor countries.
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Comment,
Nov/Dec
2009
Strict export restrictions are making U.S. businesses less competitive and the country less secure. Policymakers must craft new regulations to help, rather than harm, U.S. interests.
ReadEssays
Essay,
Jan/Feb
2010
If the Obama administration has any hope of reducing the world’s nuclear arsenals, the U.S. government will have to assuage the fears of nonnuclear states, diminish the prestige of nuclear weapons, and address the risk of proliferation posed by civilian nuclear energy programs.
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Essay,
Jan/Feb
2010
As Taipei drifts further into Beijing’s sphere of influence, the United States must decide whether to continue arming Taiwan as a bulwark against a rising China or step back to allow the Taiwanese people to determine their own future.
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Essay,
Jan/Feb
2010
Some threats to international security are so potentially damaging that preventing them in advance is preferable to remedying their effects. In such cases, states should judge preventive actions by a standard of legitimacy, not strict legality.
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