Doug Bandow

The serried ranks of graves at Arlington National Cemetery never fail to simultaneously impress and sadden. So many lives forfeited. So many families bereaved. So many communities disrupted. For what were so many and so much sacrificed? Alas, only rarely for freedom, as preening politicians piously proclaim. That rhetoric is cheap is never more evident … Continue reading “Memorial Day: A Day for Politicians To Preen and People To Remember”

Losing a war is never pretty. Leaving behind thousands of people who risked their lives to fight with you is truly ugly. If the Biden administration’s timetable for Afghanistan holds firm, American forces will be home by fall. And a multitude of Afghans will be vulnerable to retaliation if the Taliban wins the ensuing struggle, … Continue reading “Leaving People Behind After Twenty Years in Afghanistan”

What a difference a presidential campaign and deadly pandemic make. Although the U.S. and People’s Republic of China long had been at odds over important issues, the bilateral relationship remained civil if not always friendly. Despite occasional spats, no one imagined a cold war, let alone actual hostilities. But 2020 changed everything. Today the possibility … Continue reading “As Seeming Consensus Hardens for Cold – or Even Hot – War Against China”

One aspect of American exceptionalism is undoubtedly true. American policymakers believe that they have been anointed by heaven to rule the world. Just as God cares if a sparrow falls to earth, U.S. officials believe anything anyone does anywhere on the planet is a matter of Washington’s concern. That is reflected in a foreign policy … Continue reading “Who Elected America To Rule the World?”

Germany will soon have a new chancellor. It could be Annalena Baerbock from the Greens, once a minor party focused on the environment. She promises a tougher foreign policy, but so far refuses to back the stronger military necessary to implement her rhetoric. The incumbent, Angela Merkel, is not running again. A member of the … Continue reading “Germany’s Greens Plan a Tough Foreign Policy”

There’s an old saying about opinions that cannot be repeated in polite company. But it applies to the recent statement of the G7 countries about North Korea and nuclear weapons. The seven rich industrialized nations – U.S., Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy – announced to the world that they don’t want the … Continue reading “Europeans Want to Denuclearize Korea: They Should Defend Themselves First”

The Mideast is aflame as usual. Even Israel is suffering through a seemingly unending election crisis, with a continuing electoral majority for the right but against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a normal world Washington wouldn’t worry about the result, but the U.S. government has offered a near-blank check for the Israeli state for years, … Continue reading “America’s Middle East Embarrassment: Underwriting Apartheid in the Palestinian Territories”

Perhaps the biggest problem with U.S. foreign policy is the belief that Americans are born to rule the world. American exceptionalism means being convinced that citizens of this nation have the mandate of heaven to kill whoever and destroy whatever is necessary to impose their will on every nation and person on the planet. For … Continue reading “Time for a Foreign Policy of Adequacy, not Primacy”

After 20 years of U.S. nation-building in Afghanistan, President Joe Biden ordered a withdrawal. Most Americans backed his decision to stop at least one endless war, but the bipartisan War Party in Washington is horrified. It believes that Americans should be deployed wherever and whenever people are killing one another around the world. Elliott Abrams … Continue reading “Washington War Party Creates Another Organization to Promote Endless Wars”

China has parked its fishing fleet in waters claimed by the Philippines. Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte has fulminated ineffectively. So far, at least, the Biden administration has declined to go to war on Manila’s behalf. But the possibility remains so long as the U.S. foolishly guarantees Philippine security. Indeed, some things never change. One is … Continue reading “The Philippines: America’s Perpetually Useless Ally”