Doug Bandow

The Kuomintang regained power in Taiwan’s presidential election last Saturday. A large majority backed the KMT’s Ma Ying-jeou in the hope that he will restore normalcy to the island’s economic performance at home and political relations abroad. Taiwan’s currency and stock market jumped, reflecting widespread hope for the future. But the biggest sighs of relief … Continue reading “Crisis Postponed?”

Sen. John McCain might end up being elected president in November because many antiwar independents believe he’s the best person to handle that famous phone call at 3am. He’s obviously the most experienced and probably the most courageous of the remaining contenders. But he lacks temperament, philosophy, and judgment. Which means he would be the … Continue reading “John McCain: Blowing Up the World at 3am?”

Nasty presidential campaigns are not new. The 1800 election, which brought Thomas Jefferson to power, was venomous. So was the 1828 contest, in which populist Andrew Jackson defeated patrician John Quincy Adams. The reasons for Adams’ defeat were many, and went back to the 1824 election in which many people believed that Adams and Henry … Continue reading “Mr. Adams’s Last Crusade“

I‘m running out of enemies, Colin Powell, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, famously said after the end of the Cold War: I’m down to Kim Il Sung and Fidel Castro. They were evil enough, but weren’t much of a military threat to America. George W. Bush and his neocon coterie have sought … Continue reading “Turning China into the Next Big Enemy”

The presidential election is little more than eight months away and the battle lines already seem formed. The Democratic nominee, whether Hillary Clinton, or as looks increasingly likely, Barack Obama, will push economic and social issues while downplaying foreign policy. The presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain, will emphasize national security while attempting to appear modestly … Continue reading “Make America’s Policy of Promiscuous Intervention the Issue in November”

No End in Sight: Iraq’s Descent into Chaos Charles H. Ferguson PublicAffairs, 2008 640 pp. As is typical in Washington, the administration has solved the crisis in Iraq by redefining success. No longer is the goal a liberal, multi-ethnic nation ready to lead the rest of the Middle East towards democracy, enlightenment, and the American … Continue reading “No End in Sight: Iraq’s Descent into Chaos“

How long will the American occupation of Iraq last? Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton figures at least through her first term, if she is elected. Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the deputy U.S. commander in Iraq, says five to ten years. President George W. Bush says at least a decade. Lt. Gen. James Dubik, head of … Continue reading “Operation Iraqi Occupation: A Decade, Century, or More?”

The appalling presidential election campaign drags on. On Super Tuesday Democrats split almost evenly between Hillary Clinton, a hawk turned slightly dovish, and Barack Obama, an Iraq war opponent who otherwise has found no foreign intervention he opposes. A divided Republican electorate boosted John McCain, an enthusiast of war in the Mideast (Iraq and Iran), … Continue reading “Election 2008: What’s a Peacenik to Do?”

The Terror Presidency: Law and Judgment Inside the Bush Administration Jack Goldsmith Norton, 2007 256 pp. The problem with hiring competent, principled attorneys is they don’t always tell you what you want to hear. That made Jack Goldsmith, briefly the assistant attorney general in charge of the Office of Legal Counsel, an inconvenient Bush administration … Continue reading “The Terror Presidency: Law and Judgment Inside the Bush Administration“

The U.S. remains mired in Iraq. The president’s recent trip to the Middle East hit more than the usual roadblocks to achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians or reaching a denuclearization accord with Iran. The Balkans is simmering as Kosovo’s declaration of independence nears. Russia remains sullenly obstructionist. At least Washington is making progress with … Continue reading “Korean Troubles Old and New: Time to Bring the Troops Home”