Doug Bandow

The sun never sets on the American Empire, which is no less extensive than the British Empire. What makes Washington’s imperial domain unique is that it regularly expands without conquest. Now members of the ever-hawkish Republican Party want make Taiwan an official defense client, with Washington promising to defend the island from the People’s Republic … Continue reading “Ready to Go to War? Republicans Beat the War Drums Over Taiwan”

U.S. policymakers long have viewed the Republic of Turkey as a critical ally. However, Ankara has been racing away from America. Today the former is more likely to impede than advance Washington’s policy objectives. Instead of desperately attempting to preserve the alliance, the US should set both nations free to act without any pretense of … Continue reading “Turkey Is No Longer Much of an Ally: US Should Say Goodbye and Set Both Nations Free”

You must break a few eggs to make an omelet, Washington’s social engineers apparently believe when intervening in other societies. Sure, a few people might die. Others might end up disabled or displaced. But think of all the good that will be done when America’s plans are realized for [fill in the blank country], which … Continue reading “Destroying Libya: It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time”

U.S. foreign policy is dominated by a constant search for allies. Big or small, rich or poor, strong or weak. It doesn’t matter. The more the merrier, rather like acquiring more Facebook Friends than anyone else, thereby winning bragging rights. This incessant search for new allies turned into farce with NATO’s celebration when Montenegro and … Continue reading “Allies Are Supposed to Help the US, but Americans Always Do the Paying”

Ben Rhodes, Barack Obama’s deputy national security adviser, unkindly characterized the foreign policy establishment in Washington, D.C., as "the Blob." Although policymakers sometimes disagree on peripheral subjects, membership requires an absolute commitment to U.S. "leadership," which means a determination to micro-manage the world. Reliance on persuasion is not enough. Vital is the willingness to bomb, … Continue reading “George Washington Tried To Warn Americans About Foreign Policy Today”

The 2020 election campaign is likely to get much uglier before November 3rd. Both parties face internal wars that will shape future U.S. foreign policy. In Democratic primaries younger progressive candidates continue to challenge establishment paladins. And leading members of the bipartisan War Party continue to fall. The latest Bigfoot loss appears to be Eliot … Continue reading “When George W. Bush Aides Back Joe Biden, You Know the Presidential Campaign is Getting Ugly”

Policymakers who spent years treating Russia as an enemy are now enraged over unverified claims that Moscow paid the Afghan Taliban to kill American military personnel. That would be outrageous, of course. Perhaps US policymakers now know how Soviet officials felt after Washington provided Stinger missiles and other weapons to the Afghan Mujahedeen to kill … Continue reading “Remember When America Killed Moscow’s Soldiers”

Seven decades ago Americans found themselves at war in a country most people couldn’t locate without a map. That included two young army officers, Charles Bonesteel and Dean Rusk, a future Secretary of State. On August 10, 1945, the Pentagon tasked them with determining a convenient division of the Korea peninsula. Since they knew nothing … Continue reading “Why Are American Forces Still Guarding the Korean Peninsula?”

The Trump administration, in the personality of Richard Grenell, former U.S. ambassador to Germany, has become intricately and bizarrely involved in Balkan politics. His effort to reconcile Kosovo and Serbia, from which the former seceded in 2008, risks an embarrassing crash after the indictment of Kosovar President Hashim Thaci of war crimes. But Grenell has … Continue reading “Remember America’s Great Kosovo Ally? Never Mind the War Crimes!”

Another round of sanctions, the ironically named Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, has taken effect in Syria. Through the magic of secondary sanctions, Washington will forbid everyone on earth from dealing with the Syrian regime. Even before the penalties took effect, noted the Washington Post: "they have already contributed to the collapse of Syria’s long-troubled … Continue reading “Destroying Syria: Congress Declares “I’m from Washington and I’m Here To Impoverish You””