October 22, 2008
Checking Russia
On newsstands October 28.
 This summer's war in Georgia tested the uneasy relationship between Russia and the West forged since the fall of the Soviet Union. In this issue of Foreign Affairs, Charles King contends that Moscow has shown little regard for international institutions, and increasingly, may not have to, as Russian power has emerged as a powerful and compelling alternative to the West. Stephen Sestanovich, a Senior Fellow at CFR and former Ambassador at Large for the former Soviet Union, examines the policy choices that will face the next U.S. presidential administration in dealing with a resurgent, and at times, truculent Russian government.
In "From Great Game to Grand Bargain," Barnett R. Rubin and Ahmed Rashid warn that both Afghanistan and Pakistan are in crisis, and propose creating a contact group sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council to address the root causes of instability in the region. Akbar Ganji, meanwhile, argues that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad holds much less power in the country than Ali Khamenei, the country's supreme leader. Given Khamenei's influence in setting domestic and foreign policy, not much is likely to change in Iran, even if Ahmadinejad loses next year's presidential election.
Also in this issue: Paul Collier takes on "the romantics" in proposing solutions to the world's food crisis. What is needed is more large-scale commercial agriculture, he argues, and an embrace of genetically modified crops. Charles Kupchan argues against creating a league of democracies; Ivo Daalder and Jan Lodal examine the state of U.S. nuclear policy, and suggest that it is in Washington's interest to draw down the size of its own arsenal; Juan de Onis looks at the rising influence of Brazil; Marc Levinson outlines what is behind globalization's current slowdown; and James Grant lays out what the next U.S. president can do to stabilize the struggling economy.
The complete text of these articles, all book review essays, and more is available on the Foreign Affairs Web site — look for the label FULL TEXT in the listing below. You can still receive this issue by mail if you subscribe to Foreign Affairs by December 5, 2008*.
* Outside of the United States, you may still receive this issue by mail if you subscribe to Foreign Affairs by November 5, 2008.
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ESSAYS
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The Five-Day War
Charles King
The August war over South Ossetia has rekindled a superpower rivalry and showed the West that Moscow no longer heeds multilateral institutions. 500-WORD PREVIEW
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What Has Moscow Done?
Stephen Sestanovich
The next president will have to reassess the U.S.-Russian relationship and find the right balance between pushing back and cooperating. FULL TEXT
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From Great Game to Grand Bargain
Barnett R. Rubin and Ahmed Rashid
The crisis in Afghanistan and Pakistan are beyond the point where more troops will help. U.S. strategy must be to seek compromise with insurgents while addressing regional rivalries and insecurities. FULL TEXT
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The Latter-Day Sultan
Akbar Ganji
The real decision-maker in Iran is Supreme Leader Khamenei not President Ahmedinejad. Blaming Iran's problems on President Ahmadinejad inaccurately suggests that Iran's problems will go away when Ahmadinejad does. FULL TEXT
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The Politics of Hunger
Paul Collier
Politicians have it in their power to solve the food crisis, but they must be willing to end the biases against big commercial farms and genetically modified crops and do away with farm subsidies. FULL TEXT
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The Logic of Zero
Ivo Daalder and Jan Lodal
Washington must lead the way to a world without nuclear weapons, say Obama advisors. The first step will be dramatically limiting the U.S. nuclear arsenal's declared size and purpose. 500-WORD PREVIEW
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Minor League, Major Problems
Charles A. Kupchan
A league of democracies would not secure cooperation among democracies and would expose the limits of the West's power and legitimacy. The next president should not embrace this disastrous idea. 500-WORD PREVIEW
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Brazil's Big Moment
Juan de Onis
Brazil is on the cusp of fulfilling its potential as a global player. The next U.S. president should rethink relations with this important country. 500-WORD PREVIEW
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Arrested Development
J. Brian Atwood, M. Peter McPherson, and Andrew Natsios
USAID has become ineffective because it is underfunded, understaffed, and loosing influence. The next president should revive it by either making it autonomous or elevating it to a cabinet-level department. 500-WORD PREVIEW
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Freight Pain
Marc Levinson
The golden age of globalization is over due to slower, costlier, and less certain transportation. In retrospect, Americans may lament too little globalization, not too much. 500-WORD PREVIEW
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After the Crash
James Grant
The next president must bring back a sound dollar, rein in Wall Street, and resist the urge to manipulate prices. 500-WORD PREVIEW
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BOOK REVIEWS
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Political Disorders
Sherwin B. Nuland
Pathological hubris is a disease that can plague leaders and threaten international security. Doctors must put transparency ahead of confidentiality and disclose leaders' sicknesses to the public. FULL TEXT
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS AUDIO SELECTIONS
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Ending Chaos in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Barnett R. Rubin and Ahmed Rashid
Who Rules Iran? by Akbar Ganji
How to Solve the Food Crisis by Paul Collier
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