Ted Galen Carpenter

Ted Galen Carpenter, Senior Fellow at the Randolph Bourne Institute, is the author of 13 books and more than 1,100 articles on international affairs. Dr. Carpenter held various senior policy positions during a 37-year career at the Cato institute. His latest book is Unreliable Watchdog: The News Media and U.S. Foreign Policy (2022).

NATO Set Precedents for Russia’s Attack on Ukraine

Western leaders and their allies in the establishment news media are practically apoplectic about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Objectively, there is much to denounce regarding Moscow’s actions. Even though the architects of NATO’s expansion to Russia’s border and the Ukrainian government’s increasingly evident eagerness to become an Alliance member and military asset constituted serious provocations, … Continue reading “NATO Set Precedents for Russia’s Attack on Ukraine”

The Finland Option May Still Save Ukraine

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has underscored the warnings that the Kremlin has made for years that any attempt to give Kyiv membership in NATO or use Ukraine as a military asset would cross a dangerous red line. In December 2021, Moscow issued demands on the United States and NATO for security guarantees to preclude the … Continue reading “The Finland Option May Still Save Ukraine”

Hawks Make Little Distinction Between Russia and the Soviet Union

Foreign policy hawks in the United States habitually equate a noncommunist Russia with the totalitarian Soviet Union. An especially graphic example is a recent article in 19FortyFive by Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the neoconservative American Enterprise Institute. The title, "Russia Was a Rogue State Long before Ukraine and Georgia," accurately conveys the extent … Continue reading “Hawks Make Little Distinction Between Russia and the Soviet Union”

North Korea’s Missile Tests a Response to a Zombie US Policy

In recent weeks, North Korea has provided graphic demonstrations of its growing ballistic missile capabilities. During January, Pyongyang set a new record by conducting 7 tests in a single month. Kim Jong-Un’s government capped off that flurry by marking the lunar New Year with a dramatic test of an intermediate-range missile capable of reaching the … Continue reading “North Korea’s Missile Tests a Response to a Zombie US Policy”

Hawks Smear War Opponents Again

Advocates of an aggressive U.S. foreign policy are again smearing their antiwar opponents. In his latest article on Substack, iconoclastic journalist Glenn Greenwald notes that he "cannot count the number of times" that he has "been accused of being a Kremlin agent or asset, not by random social media trolls but by prominent Democratic Party … Continue reading “Hawks Smear War Opponents Again”

Bipartisan Congressional War Drums Are Beating Again

The fastest, most reliable way to foster bipartisanship in Congress (as well as the media, and the foreign policy blob) is to demonize the foreign threat du jour and then advocate a very hardline policy toward that alleged existential threat to the American republic. The latest example is how establishment types in both the Republican … Continue reading “Bipartisan Congressional War Drums Are Beating Again”

Biden’s Continuing Shameful Policy Regarding Yemen

In his first major foreign policy speech as president, Joe Biden pledged to end U.S. involvement in Yemen’s bloody war. Beginning in the summer of 2015, the United States actively aided the military intervention by Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies, especially the United Arab Emirates (UAE), against the rebel Houthi faction, which received backing … Continue reading “Biden’s Continuing Shameful Policy Regarding Yemen”

An Increasingly Ominous Response to the January 6 Riot

Earlier this month, the country marked the one-year anniversary of the storming of the Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump. For one faction in America’s increasingly polarized political system, however, it was not enough to castigate the rioters for their disgraceful, indefensible conduct. It was not even enough to urge the Justice Department to … Continue reading “An Increasingly Ominous Response to the January 6 Riot”

US Officials in Glass Houses Shouldn’t Throw Stones

Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s snide comment about the Russian-led military intervention in Kazakhstan at the invitation of that country’s beleaguered government to help quell the mounting violence there backfired quickly. The initial White House reaction to the deployment of approximately 2,500 peacekeeping troops was relatively measured. "We are closely monitoring reports that the Collective … Continue reading “US Officials in Glass Houses Shouldn’t Throw Stones”

Dangerous Democrats Push Confrontational Policies Toward Russia and China

It is unsurprising when prominent Republicans advocate highly confrontational policies toward both Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), for example, stalled the confirmation of multiple presidential appointees for months until the Biden administration agreed to impose additional sanctions against Moscow because of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Former … Continue reading “Dangerous Democrats Push Confrontational Policies Toward Russia and China”