Can Even a GOP Hawk Like Jeff Sessions Learn Some Hard Foreign Policy Lessons?

During his long years in the U.S. Senate, Jeff Sessions (who also later served as attorney general in Donald Trump’s administration) behaved like the overwhelming majority of his GOP colleagues; he consistently favored US military interventions around the world. There were subtle signs that his views might be shifting when he became an early supporter … Continue reading “Can Even a GOP Hawk Like Jeff Sessions Learn Some Hard Foreign Policy Lessons?”

US Leaders Pursue a Dangerously Simplistic Deterrence Policy Regarding Ukraine

One of the most dangerous conclusions that America’s political and policy elites took away from the West’s victory in the Cold War is that deterrence not only can work, but if applied with military strength and emphatic rhetorical resolve, it always will work. The current generation of U.S. foreign policy practitioners now appears determined to … Continue reading “US Leaders Pursue a Dangerously Simplistic Deterrence Policy Regarding Ukraine”

The Usual Suspects Are Trying to Foment a Crisis With Russia

Once again, the United States and some of its security clients in Eastern Europe are doing their utmost to create a crisis atmosphere with respect to Russia. A key player in that effort is the government of Ukraine. As Ukrainian officials did in April 2021, they are again highlighting allegedly suspicious Russian troop movements near … Continue reading “The Usual Suspects Are Trying to Foment a Crisis With Russia”

America’s Privileged Policy Elites and Their Lack of Accountability

It is increasingly apparent that America’s political and military elites are almost never held to account for their blunders or even outright crimes. The latest episode is the Pentagon’s multi-year campaign to conceal information about a March 2019 airstrike in Syria that killed as many as 64 civilians, including women and children. Despite the New … Continue reading “America’s Privileged Policy Elites and Their Lack of Accountability”

The Press as the War Machine’s Ally

American journalists typically have portrayed themselves as the public’s "watchdogs" monitoring the behavior of elected and appointed government officials. In the foreign policy arena, the mainstream news media have failed spectacularly at their self-proclaimed mission. Indeed, such journalists have rarely even made a credible effort to perform that task. Too often, they instead have become … Continue reading “The Press as the War Machine’s Ally”

Some Light Is Being Shed on the Dubious Origins of the Russia Collusion Scandal

U.S. Attorney and Special Counsel John H Durham’s laborious investigation into the origins of allegations that Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign illegally colluded with Russia’s government finally seems to be bearing fruit. In the latest development, a federal grand jury indicted Igor Danchenko, who was the primary researcher for claims that went into the Steele … Continue reading “Some Light Is Being Shed on the Dubious Origins of the Russia Collusion Scandal”

Congress Is Waging a Two-Front Offensive Against China

The Biden administration’s surprisingly confrontational stance toward the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on both trade and security issues has led to considerable comment in the news media. Some commentators even contend that Biden’s China policy is little more than "Trump lite." That reaction is understandable, even with respect to the bilateral trade relationship, since … Continue reading “Congress Is Waging a Two-Front Offensive Against China”

Antagonizing Russia: A Biden Administration Specialty

Joe Biden’s administration seems determined to surpass its predecessors in taking actions that are certain to antagonize Russia. In just the past two weeks, the United States and its NATO allies have gone out of their way to provoke Moscow on four separate occasions. Such irresponsible behavior exacerbates already dangerous tensions with a nuclear-armed great … Continue reading “Antagonizing Russia: A Biden Administration Specialty”

US Must Resist Temptation To Meddle in the Balkans Again

Bill Clinton’s administration made a geopolitical mess in the Balkans during the 1990s by instigating and leading military interventions in both Bosnia and Kosovo. Periodically thereafter, the United States has succumbed to the temptation to interfere diplomatically in the affairs of that chronically dysfunctional region. Now, several of Washington’s mini-state "allies" and their advocates in … Continue reading “US Must Resist Temptation To Meddle in the Balkans Again”

Georgia: Another Dangerous, Loose-Cannon US Client

Ukraine is Washington’s most worrisome security client in Europe. U.S. leaders are incurring grave risks to America in support of a country that is notoriously corrupt and increasingly authoritarian. Worse, Kiev engages in abrasive conduct toward its much larger, more powerful Russian neighbor, apparently assuming that Washington has Ukraine’s back. However, Ukraine is not the … Continue reading “Georgia: Another Dangerous, Loose-Cannon US Client”