The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism Andrew J. Bacevich Metropolitan Books, 2008 206 pp. If there is one principle that seems to mark neoconservative thought, it is that there are no limits to American power. So long as the American people are...
The remarks by Zalmay Khalilzad, America's UN ambassador, denouncing Russian aggression against that paragon of democratic virtue, the Republic of Georgia, are almost too funny to quote. U.S. government hypocrisy obviously is not new, but Washington's inconsistency on...
Seven years in the making, the Beijing Olympics are upon us. At enormous cost, an estimated $40 billion, China will be showcased, but which China? It is a land of enormous possibilities but equally enormous frustrations. The government's conduct impresses and...
John McCain's attempt to sell his presidential candidacy on the basis that he backed the troop surge initiated last year is comical – or pathetic. He supported an unnecessary and disastrous war. He backed the administration's misguided occupation policies for...
The Lion and the Unicorn: Gladstone and Disraeli Richard Aldous W.W. Norton 368 pp. Politics is a spectator sport, akin to baseball or football, but with far greater consequences for the rest of us. After all, no matter how much one despises the New York Yankees, it...
Despite some initial hesitation, the Religious Right has decided that John McCain is God's candidate. I'll confess that I can't find the relevant Bible verse, but who am I to dispute the usual religious worthies? Obviously John McCain is the candidate of God –...
President George W. Bush, the neoconservative war lobby, and Sen. John McCain all have one overriding goal for U.S. policy towards Iraq: a permanent occupation. Of course, they all prefer that the American regency be peaceful, but Sen. McCain captured the mood when he...
What Does China Think? Mark Leonard Public Affairs, 2008 164 pp. What does China think? Americans aren't known for their international sophistication, especially when it comes to complex foreign issues. And there are few more complicated issues than the so-called rise...
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has become a neoconservative heart-throb since he appears to genuinely admire the U.S. He also is a mercantilist, protectionist, and nationalist. Common positions all, but none advance America's interest. Browbeating Ireland to reverse...
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates recently returned from the Republic of Korea, where he reaffirmed America's commitment to South Korea's defense. Days later the ROK's capital of Seoul erupted as tens of thousands of demonstrators protested their government's decision...
