Lessons of Saigon Nearly 50 Years Later: Beware the 'Idee Fixe'
The idee fixe can infect policymakers as well—and in the case of Vietnam, it was the "Domino Theory."
Immigration Fears on Both Sides of the Atlantic
The malaise in the UK is severe enough to have created a sort-of political Halley's Comet: near-universal acceptance that the opposition will win the election that must be held by the end of the year.
Israel Has Better Things to Do Than Just Strike Iran Back
In the wake of Iran's brazen and unprecedented drone and missile attacks, Israel finds itself at a critical juncture where its response could shape Middle East dynamics and complicate world affairs for years to come.
Is the Last 'Larry David Moment' the End of Humor?
Considering that the world went mad about halfway through the run—snowflakes to the left of me, MAGA to the right—it is a wonder Larry David managed to survive.
The News Media Has Helped Normalize Hamas
We have failed to tell the story of a jihadi outfit considered a terrorist group by the United States with excellent reason.
AI Is One Tweak Away From Ending Careers
This inability to trust the results of AI queries has been at the center of several panel discussions I've been on about AI and journalism.
The Best Way to End Hamas Requires a Ceasefire First
It is disgraceful that so many people around the world—from U.S. academics to useless leaders in some Arab countries, all the way to sanctimonious Western journalists – continue to abet the fiction that Hamas fights for the Palestinians.
Potemkin Suffrage: The Media Should Call Out Fake Elections
All over Russia this past weekend, subjects of Forever-President Vladimir Putin travelled to places called polling stations where they went through motions that looked a lot like voting.
The Tyranny of the Early Riser
The assumption that mornings equal industry is so widespread that it can only be the result of an international conspiracy: the Tyranny of the Early Riser.
History Hands Alexei Navalny's Widow a Leading Role
The 47-year-old economist, Yulia Navalnaya pledges to take up the mantle of her husband.
Joe Biden Should Endorse Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Step Aside
President Joe Biden could save the country he loves and has served faithfully for five decades by endorsing Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in this year's presidential election.
Navalny's Murder Clarifies the Putin Problem
Alexei Navalny's murder was one of many in Russia—but it may be pivotal, nonetheless.
Peace in the Middle East Would Be Expensive—but Worth It
There are many moving parts and parties, and some of them may need to be bribed. So, it's helpful that President Biden is desperate to end the war.
We Need to Talk About the UN in Gaza (and the Red Cross)
With the Gaza Strip in ruins and over a million displaced, should we be talking about defunding a United Nations organization catering to Palestinian refugees?
Return to the Office? No thank you!
Imagine two scenarios. In one, you bring together the most pleasant and brilliant people selected from the global population of 8 billion. In the second, you take what you can get from those within commuting distance.
The Democrats Are Handing Trump a Gift on Immigration
While numbers can be distorted and the Republicans will always scaremonger, there is little dispute that illegal entries across the Mexico border are surging.
Tolerating the Houthis' Red Sea Mischief Is Madness
It's rare for governments not to give a damn if their population gets crushed in stupid conflicts they start. Even the Nazis were unhappy with the destruction of Dresden and Hamburg. Not Islamist militias.
Spurious but Serious: South Africa's Genocide Charge Against Israel
The genocide charge is spurious despite the huge death toll in Gaza, and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is both political and toothless.
America's Story of Diversity, Inequity, and Exclusion
Here's the tricky thing about the debate about diversity: achieving actual social justice, which I believe most people want, requires balance, and defies facile politics.
2024 Is Another Year of Living Dangerously
Strap in for a 2024 that could be very interesting indeed.
Could 2024 Finally Be Puerto Rico's Year?
Islanders serve in the U.S. military and have given their lives to defend America, but they have no say in deciding on its wars since there is no representation in Congress.
A Way Out of the Mideast Disaster
The Gaza disaster is a full-blown crisis for the Middle East and the world. But it is also a chance for an extraordinary restart.
The Mediocrity of Donald Trump Is Part of the Danger
The presence of a malicious narcissist at the helm in the United States was a thing to be endured, like a terrible disease.
'Decolonizing' the Holy Land? A Story of Peace, Power, and Privilege
There was briefly some clarity around the world, for a few days, that the Oct. 7 pogrom crossed every line and that Hamas had to be removed from power in Gaza.
The Netherlands' Lurch to the Right Has Lessons for Woke Democrats
The winner of last week's Dutch election was Geert Wilders, one of Europe's most notorious immigrant-bashers.
What Will It Take to Make Netanyahu Go Away?
Netanyahu is a criminal defendant on trial for bribery. Polls show some three-quarters of Israelis want him to step down. And he has presided over a failure that is almost inexplicable.
No News Would Not Be Better News From Gaza
Do we want media coverage of horrible police states, even though it will be messy and involve rounding some corners?
Hezbollah's Dreams Deepen Lebanon's Nightmare
Lebanon's government has been beseeching Hezbollah to stay out of the fray.
Are Progressives in Favor of an Islamist Theocracy, Or Just Ignorant?
When Hamas places a command center in tunnels under the main Gaza hospital, that is a feature, not a bug.
An Israeli Ground Assault Would Be a Gift to Hamas and Iran
For Israel to topple Hamas by means of a ground invasion of Gaza would probably result in more casualties on the Israeli side than Oct. 7 itself.