Ten Problems With Biden’s Foreign Policy – and One Solution

The Biden presidency is still in its early days, but it’s not too early to point to areas in the foreign policy realm where we, as progressives, have been disappointed – or even infuriated. There are one or two positive developments, such as the renewal of Obama’s New START Treaty with Russia and Secretary of … Continue reading “Ten Problems With Biden’s Foreign Policy – and One Solution”

Trump and Biden’s Secret Bombing Wars

On February 25th, President Biden ordered U.S. air forces to drop seven 500-pound bombs on Iraqi forces in Syria, reportedly killing 22 people. The US airstrike has predictably failed to halt rocket attacks on deeply unpopular US bases in Iraq, which the Iraqi National Assembly passed a resolution to close over a year ago. The … Continue reading “Trump and Biden’s Secret Bombing Wars”

Biden’s Reckless Syria Bombing Is Not the Diplomacy He Promised

The February 25 U.S. bombing of Syria immediately puts the policies of the newly-formed Biden administration into sharp relief. Why is this administration bombing the sovereign nation of Syria? Why is it bombing "Iranian-backed militias" who pose absolutely no threat to the United States and are actually involved in fighting ISIS? If this is about … Continue reading “Biden’s Reckless Syria Bombing Is Not the Diplomacy He Promised”

What Planet Is NATO Living On?

The February meeting of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Defense Ministers, the first since President Biden took power, revealed an antiquated, 75-year-old alliance that, despite its military failures in Afghanistan and Libya, is now turning its military madness toward two more formidable, nuclear-armed enemies: Russia and China. This theme was emphasized by U.S. Secretary of … Continue reading “What Planet Is NATO Living On?”

Is Biden Committing Diplomatic Suicide Over the Iran Nuclear Agreement?

As Congress still struggles to pass a COVID relief bill, the rest of the world is nervously reserving judgment on America’s new president and his foreign policy, after successive U.S. administrations have delivered unexpected and damaging shocks to the world and the international system. Cautious international optimism toward Biden is very much based on his … Continue reading “Is Biden Committing Diplomatic Suicide Over the Iran Nuclear Agreement?”

Biden Should Stop Payment on US Funds to Sisi’s Egypt

Under Donald Trump’s presidency, Egypt, as well as Saudi Arabia, Israel, the UAE, and other repressive regimes, had virtually free reign to commit unchecked human rights abuses without worry that they might be chastised or lose U.S. diplomatic and financial support. But when Joe Biden won the 2020 election, President Sisi of Egypt started to … Continue reading “Biden Should Stop Payment on US Funds to Sisi’s Egypt”

The Decline and Fall of the American Empire

In 2004, journalist Ron Susskind quoted a Bush White House advisor, reportedly Karl Rove, as boasting, "We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality." He dismissed Susskind’s assumption that public policy must be rooted in "the reality-based community." "We’re history’s actors," the advisor told him, "…and you, all of you, … Continue reading “The Decline and Fall of the American Empire”

Will Biden End America’s Global War on Children?

Most people regard Trump’s treatment of immigrant children as among his most shocking crimes as president. Images of hundreds of children stolen from their families and imprisoned in chain-link cages are an unforgettable disgrace that President Biden must move quickly to remedy with humane immigration policies and a program to quickly find the children’s families … Continue reading “Will Biden End America’s Global War on Children?”

Rob Malley for Iran Envoy: A Test Case for Biden’s Commitment to Diplomacy

President Biden’s commitment to re-entering the Iran nuclear deal – formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA – is already facing backlash from a motley crew of warhawks both domestic and foreign. Right now, opponents of reentering the deal are centering their vitriol on one of the nation’s foremost experts on … Continue reading “Rob Malley for Iran Envoy: A Test Case for Biden’s Commitment to Diplomacy”

Will the Senate Confirm Coup Plotter Nuland?

Who is Victoria Nuland? Most Americans have never heard of her because the U.S. corporate media’s foreign policy coverage is a wasteland. Most Americans have no idea that President-elect Biden’s pick for Deputy Secretary of State for Political Affairs is stuck in the quicksand of 1950s U.S.-Russia Cold War politics and dreams of continued NATO … Continue reading “Will the Senate Confirm Coup Plotter Nuland?”