Basic Principles for Foreign and Military Policy

President Obama’s inaugeral address presented a cogent summary of how the United States should act in the world. One can only hope that our foreign and military policy will come to reflect the principles outlined in the excerpt below.
“As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. [...]

A New Era

“a new era of responsibility”

Georgia and American Triumphalism

We can all agree that Russia was wrong in trying to subdue Georgia, in spite of Georgia’s foolish attacks beginning it all. But we should also reflect that events in Georgia are due in part to American attempts to extend its reach into areas that Russia rightly considers to be in its historical sphere of influence. In trying to [...]

The “New” Ism

When I was chasing my PhD in the 1950s, I chose nationalism as an area of concentration. In those days we were little concerned with the totalitarian nationalism of the 20s and 30s, thinking primarily of nationalism that was affecting the Third World. The next year after I completed my [...]