Ivan Eland

Ivan Eland is a senior fellow at the Independent Institute and author of Recarving Rushmore: Ranking the Presidents on Peace, Prosperity, and Liberty.

Ignore Syrian Rebels’ Threats

Syrian rebels, in a stalemated conflict with the autocratic Bashar al-Assad, predictably are trying every trick to suck more help out of the United States. They are using the same tactic that developing nations used against U.S. policymakers during the Cold War to get more money and assistance: fear of takeover by extremists. The new … Continue reading “Ignore Syrian Rebels’ Threats”

Strengthening Alliances in East Asia Is the Wrong Way to Go

Risking an explosion of public anger in Okinawa, the U.S. Marine Corps is sending crash-prone MV-22 Osprey aircraft, which take off and land like a helicopter but fly like an airplane, to the islands. The white-hot opposition to the aircraft on the islands goes much deeper than just the possibility of a few civilians being … Continue reading “Strengthening Alliances in East Asia Is the Wrong Way to Go”

Against Stereotype, Budget Hawks and War Hawks Edition

French President Francois Hollande, by reputation, is an unlikely budget hawk; as a candidate for office, he ran against austerity measures. But the realities of governing sometimes complicate politicians’ promises. After taking office, the euro crisis is now forcing Hollande to pledge to cut the French budget deficit down to 3% of GDP by the … Continue reading “Against Stereotype, Budget Hawks and War Hawks Edition”

Anti-American Violence Should Provoke Rethink

The attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, which killed four U.S. diplomats, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, is the latest example of tragic blowback from the U.S. government’s interventionist foreign policy in the Islamic world. That it happened on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, an even more severe example of such … Continue reading “Anti-American Violence Should Provoke Rethink”

Politics Subvert the All-Important Rule of Law

One of the most important issues in the 2012 election is a non-issue because both parties want to ignore it: punishment for Bush-era human rights violations by torture. Nevertheless, in a country where the rule of law (that is, we are all supposed to be equal before the law) should be paramount, it is vital … Continue reading “Politics Subvert the All-Important Rule of Law”

Obama Should Extend His Compassion

The Obama administration’s Treasury Department recently partially lifted some economic sanctions against Iran for 45 days to allow selected nonprofit groups to collect funds for victims of huge earthquakes in that country. These monetary donations are exempt from U.S. government sanctions until Oct. 5; donations of food and medicine were already permanently exempted from the … Continue reading “Obama Should Extend His Compassion”

Call Israel’s Bluff

The Israeli government, like other special interests prowling in Washington, is playing the American election to get what it wants. Ultimately, the Israelis want a promise that the United States will attack Iran over its nuclear program. The Israelis recently have made threats to attack Iran. Their allies in the United States were spreading the … Continue reading “Call Israel’s Bluff”

Left and Right Call for Escalation in Syria

For some time, Sen. John McCain and the Wilsonian neoconservatives have been beating the drum to escalate the U.S. intervention in Syria. Now, from the other side of the political spectrum, the Wilsonian progressives are calling for the same solution. The hawks on the left and right abhor each other on most policy issues, but … Continue reading “Left and Right Call for Escalation in Syria”

Quagmires Are Often Just a Few Steps Away

Despite its massive annual federal budget deficits and national debt, the American superpower continues to meddle in faraway countries that pose little direct threat to U.S. national security. Examples of those nanny-like interventions have recently occurred in Syria and South Sudan. The U.S. Pentagon and State Department, having learned the wrong lessons from post-American-invasion Iraq, … Continue reading “Quagmires Are Often Just a Few Steps Away”

US Pivot to Asia Promises More of the Same

The United States claims to be pivoting its martial involvement toward Asia, but one can truly discern the U.S. military’s priorities by looking at where it warehouses military weapons for war. When these stockpiles are examined, it looks like the future will be similar to the 1990s and the first decade of the new millennium. … Continue reading “US Pivot to Asia Promises More of the Same”