Ted Galen Carpenter

Ted Galen Carpenter, Senior Fellow at the Randolph Bourne Institute, is the author of 13 books and more than 1,100 articles on international affairs. Dr. Carpenter held various senior policy positions during a 37-year career at the Cato institute. His latest book is Unreliable Watchdog: The News Media and U.S. Foreign Policy (2022).

Lost Opportunity: How the Clinton Administration Started a Cold War With a Democratic Russia

There is little dispute that relations between the United States and Russia are now so hostile that they amount to a second cold war. The current situation is such a depressing contrast to the high hopes for a cordial bilateral relationship and the emergence of a stable, peaceful, and cooperative Europe that marked the demise … Continue reading “Lost Opportunity: How the Clinton Administration Started a Cold War With a Democratic Russia”

Is the Biden Administration Trying To Execute a Delicate Retreat Regarding Ukraine?

President Biden and other administration officials have stated emphatically on multiple occasions that the United States is firmly committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In his April 2, 2021, telephone call with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky, Biden affirmed "the United States’ unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s … Continue reading “Is the Biden Administration Trying To Execute a Delicate Retreat Regarding Ukraine?”

Can Even a GOP Hawk Like Jeff Sessions Learn Some Hard Foreign Policy Lessons?

During his long years in the U.S. Senate, Jeff Sessions (who also later served as attorney general in Donald Trump’s administration) behaved like the overwhelming majority of his GOP colleagues; he consistently favored US military interventions around the world. There were subtle signs that his views might be shifting when he became an early supporter … Continue reading “Can Even a GOP Hawk Like Jeff Sessions Learn Some Hard Foreign Policy Lessons?”

US Leaders Pursue a Dangerously Simplistic Deterrence Policy Regarding Ukraine

One of the most dangerous conclusions that America’s political and policy elites took away from the West’s victory in the Cold War is that deterrence not only can work, but if applied with military strength and emphatic rhetorical resolve, it always will work. The current generation of U.S. foreign policy practitioners now appears determined to … Continue reading “US Leaders Pursue a Dangerously Simplistic Deterrence Policy Regarding Ukraine”

The Usual Suspects Are Trying to Foment a Crisis With Russia

Once again, the United States and some of its security clients in Eastern Europe are doing their utmost to create a crisis atmosphere with respect to Russia. A key player in that effort is the government of Ukraine. As Ukrainian officials did in April 2021, they are again highlighting allegedly suspicious Russian troop movements near … Continue reading “The Usual Suspects Are Trying to Foment a Crisis With Russia”

America’s Privileged Policy Elites and Their Lack of Accountability

It is increasingly apparent that America’s political and military elites are almost never held to account for their blunders or even outright crimes. The latest episode is the Pentagon’s multi-year campaign to conceal information about a March 2019 airstrike in Syria that killed as many as 64 civilians, including women and children. Despite the New … Continue reading “America’s Privileged Policy Elites and Their Lack of Accountability”

The Press as the War Machine’s Ally

American journalists typically have portrayed themselves as the public’s "watchdogs" monitoring the behavior of elected and appointed government officials. In the foreign policy arena, the mainstream news media have failed spectacularly at their self-proclaimed mission. Indeed, such journalists have rarely even made a credible effort to perform that task. Too often, they instead have become … Continue reading “The Press as the War Machine’s Ally”

Some Light Is Being Shed on the Dubious Origins of the Russia Collusion Scandal

U.S. Attorney and Special Counsel John H Durham’s laborious investigation into the origins of allegations that Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign illegally colluded with Russia’s government finally seems to be bearing fruit. In the latest development, a federal grand jury indicted Igor Danchenko, who was the primary researcher for claims that went into the Steele … Continue reading “Some Light Is Being Shed on the Dubious Origins of the Russia Collusion Scandal”

Congress Is Waging a Two-Front Offensive Against China

The Biden administration’s surprisingly confrontational stance toward the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on both trade and security issues has led to considerable comment in the news media. Some commentators even contend that Biden’s China policy is little more than "Trump lite." That reaction is understandable, even with respect to the bilateral trade relationship, since … Continue reading “Congress Is Waging a Two-Front Offensive Against China”

Antagonizing Russia: A Biden Administration Specialty

Joe Biden’s administration seems determined to surpass its predecessors in taking actions that are certain to antagonize Russia. In just the past two weeks, the United States and its NATO allies have gone out of their way to provoke Moscow on four separate occasions. Such irresponsible behavior exacerbates already dangerous tensions with a nuclear-armed great … Continue reading “Antagonizing Russia: A Biden Administration Specialty”