Doug Bandow

The Russo-Ukrainian war continues. Moscow’s progress is slow, with its ability to maintain its offensive uncertain. Russia’s forces look inadequate to conquer and occupy the entire country. However, the surprisingly effective Ukrainian resistance is but a negative achievement, limiting the casualties inflicted and damage wreaked. With millions of refugees in flight, major cities occupied or … Continue reading “Peace or Punishment in Ukraine? US Should Seek To End the Conflict”

Even before its attack on Ukraine, the Russian Federation was reviled in the US for abandoning the pretense that its political system was open or free. Freedom House rates Russia as "Not Free," earning a paltry 19 out of 200 points. Fearing opposition to his invasion of Ukraine, Putin has moved much closer to a … Continue reading “Biden Administration Pretends to Support Human Rights: Turns to Abusers for Help Against Russia”

The war over Ukraine is a tragedy. Russia’s attack was unjustified but unsurprising. Although virtually no Washington policymaker or analyst thought Moscow would launch a full-scale invasion, anyone who followed US policy understood why Russian President Vladimir Putin believed that the West had used Kyiv to compromise Russian security. Washington’s first and most important priority … Continue reading “Washington War Party Edges US Ever Closer to Russo-Ukraine War”

Almost lost in the tsunami of information on the Russo-Ukraine war was the transformational election result in the Republic of Korea. Prosecutor Yoon Suk-yeol, a political novice, won an exceedingly narrow victory in a race dominated by domestic issues. However, the greatest divergence between the two candidates was over security questions. Yoon, of the conservative … Continue reading “South Koreans Narrowly Choose Conservative as Next President”

Russia has attacked Ukraine. Moscow launched an aggressive war without justification. The US is edging into the conflict and rushing troops to Europe. The international economy is staggering as America and Europe impose brutal sanctions on Russia. Democrats are ready to join Republicans in inflating an already outsize military budget. Talk has turned to Taiwan, … Continue reading “The War Party Wins Even When We Lose”

It is almost impossible to discuss US foreign policy without engaging in Whataboutism. What about American wars? What about American mistakes? What about American crimes? What about … ? Although often dismissed as engaging in moral equivalency, Whataboutism can be useful in judging US actions. Criticisms of Washington cannot excuse misbehavior of other states, such … Continue reading “Whataboutism and Russia’s Attack on Ukraine”

Originally appeared at the American Institute for Economic Research. US officials are keeping very busy in the world. Yet very few of Washington’s actions have much to do with protecting America. Instead, the foreign policy establishment believes that its primary role is to run the world. The Department of Defense was originally known as the … Continue reading “Making US Foreign Policy About Americans”

War brings out the worst in human beings. It wreaks death and destruction on a mass scale. It also highlights similar levels of political hypocrisy. Such as those piously pushing their governments to intervene to support Ukraine, after ignoring far more deadly conflicts, such as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which killed millions … Continue reading “Russia’s Attack on Ukraine Is Criminal and Wrong: The War Still Isn’t America’s Fight”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made Sen. Mitt Romney winner of the latest "strange new respect" award. When running for president in 2012 Romney insisted that Russia was "without question our number one geopolitical foe." He’s being held up as a geopolitical prophet even though he was ostentatiously wrong then and remains wrong today. At … Continue reading “Despite the Strange New Respect for Mitt Romney, He Still Was Wrong About Russia”

Even before Moscow’s recognition of the separatist Ukrainian "republics" and introduction of "peacekeeping" troops, President Joe Biden’s strongest critics were members of Washington’s omnipresent War Party. Its members were horrified when he ended US involvement in Afghanistan last August after only two decades of conflict. What’s wrong with forever, they wondered? Now they are mad … Continue reading “Washington Should Threaten War Only if it Is Willing To Go to War: And Ukraine Does Not Justify War”