The American Empire, RIP

When will historians of the future date the beginning of the decline and fall of the American empire? The question may seem presumptuous. The idea that the American Century is a relic of the past, and we are entering a "new world order" of divided rather...

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US Action in Mali is Another Undeclared War

President Obama last week began his second term by promising that “a decade of war is now ending.” As he spoke, the US military was rapidly working its way into another war, this time in the impoverished African country of Mali. As far as we know, the US is only...

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Can Hagel Resist Assimilation?

Chuck Hagel will face a panel of senators on Thursday over his nomination for the next Secretary of Defense. The buzz in the hive suggests he may closer to a confirmation than was thought a month ago, when President Obama threw his name into the ring and a swamp of...

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The Afghan End Game?

The euphemisms will come fast and furious. Our soldiers will be greeted as "heroes" who, as in Iraq, left with their "heads held high," and if in 2014 or 2015 or even 2019, the last of them, as also in Iraq, slip away in the dark of night after...

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Devil Is in the Details for Iran Nuclear Deal

After a year of fruitless negotiations that are expected to resume soon, Iranian and U.S. experts are urging both sides to show more flexibility and make more concessions on its nuclear programme. A letter written this month by seven former Iranian parliamentarians...

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