History is an imperfect teacher. The lessons from events of the past often contradict one another, leaving policymakers the challenge of deciding which ones are most relevant to the issues of today. That challenge lies at the heart of the debate over what to do about Iran’s quest for nuclear weaponry. On that issue, history …
Continue reading “On Iran, the right lesson is Hitler, not Mao”
Good news, everyone. Nuclear talks are resuming on Feb. 26 between Iran and the P5+1 – the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany – and not a minute too soon. The Islamic Republic has been making notable progress on the nuclear front, perhaps even approaching an ominous “break-out” capability on technology …
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The Commentator’s European readers could learn lots from how we, in the United States of America, run our government. We are, after all, the world’s richest, most powerful, and most stable democracy. Nothing better illustrates our genius for governance than how we do our most fundamental business, which is to set our priorities through our …
President Barack Obama raised eyebrows in Jewish circles recently when word leaked that, according to journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, he had been privately saying “Israel doesn’t know what its own best interests are.” Obama’s comments, reflecting weariness more than anger about Israeli behavior, came when – in response to a UN General Assembly vote in late …
Continue reading “Does America Know Its Own Best Interests?”
When, in 1944, Winston Churchill suggested that the Allies consider the Vatican’s views when planning the future of a heavily Catholic Poland, Stalin famously replied, “The Pope? How many divisions has he got?” The Pope had no divisions, of course. But, as Stalin’s successors would learn, he had millions of supporters whom he could spur …
Continue reading “U.S. leadership vital for freedom’s future”
“War is hell,” is the popular phrase that dates back at least to William Tecumseh Sherman, and no one knows the reality of war better than the two prospective new members of President Barack Obama’s foreign policy team. If confirmed, Chuck Hagel and John Kerry will bring to their positions as Secretaries of Defense and …
All hail America’s middle class, the vast majority of families who apparently must never pay a penny more in federal taxes or receive a penny less in services. All hail them; all fear them; all bow before them. That’s the message behind Washington’s successful effort to strike a deal that averted the “fiscal cliff” but …
Continue reading “All hail (and fear) America’s middle class”