Thoughts on a career in politics While still in high school, I read a book by Pete Carril, who for 29 years coached a series of exceptionally disciplined basketball teams at Princeton University, in which he recounted a lesson from his childhood. “In this life,” Carril’s father would tell him and his sister every morning, … Read more
Can a powerful Iran advance American national interests? Former CIA officer Robert Baer’s new book, The Devil We Know: Dealing With The New Iranian Superpower, is sure to make waves. Baer contends the erratic Islamic Republic of 1979 has vanished; modern-day Iran may be secretive, but it is a rational, clever actor that harbors an … Read more
Anticipating the next pandemic In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the American Gulf Coast, killing thousands and destroying the region’s economy. Such natural disasters cannot be prevented, only prepared for, in hopes of diminishing their impact. Yet the threat posed by a hurricane pales in comparison to that of an influenza pandemic, the outbreak of an … Read more
What Israel in Gaza tells us about modern warfare If there is one lesson that modern security institutions have learned about combating terrorist insurgencies, it is that a sledgehammer is not the appropriate tool. Armies and security forces created to deal with Cold War–style confrontations prove painfully inadequate when confronted by modern low-intensity conflicts, as … Read more
A novel and compelling treatment of the 37th president The legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock once remarked, “The more successful the villain, the more successful the picture.” Given this formula, it is hardly surprising that Richard Milhous Nixon, quite possibly the most despised and maligned political figure of the past half-century, would naturally lend his story … Read more
Howard Zucker on the World Health Organization and health policy Howard Zucker is the former Assistant Director-General of the World Health Organization in charge of the Health Technology & Pharmaceuticals cluster, and Representative of the Director-General on Intellectual Property, Innovation, and Public Health. Zucker previously worked in Washington as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Health. … Read more
When identity binds and borders divide Since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the relative peace of Iraqi Kurdistan has been a notable, if often overlooked, exception to the violent insurgency, sectarian feuding, and pervasive lawlessness that has racked Iraq. Yet this achievement has also made the area of one of America’s most significant … Read more
Conflict in the Congo and the changing nature of violence For over ten years, an unrelenting war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has created the largest humanitarian crisis since World War II. Over 5.4 million people have died since the conflict began, and millions more have suffered the depredations of the lawless Eastern … Read more
Socialism, populism, and the future of Venezuelan democracy In February, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez celebrated victory in a constitutional referendum that abolished presidential term limits, winning him the right to seek reelection indefinitely. As leader of the United Socialist Party, Chávez has dominated Venezuelan politics since his first election in 1998. Armed with his unique … Read more
Russia’s reemergence in Latin America “This time, we are back [in Latin America] forever,” announced Alexei Sazanov, the deputy director of Russia’s Foreign Ministry. Sazanov, a prominent spokesman for Russian diplomacy, made this declaration just days after three Russian warships performed joint naval exercises with the Venezuelan navy. At that same time, Russian President Dmitry … Read more