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.

Kill Wasteful Missile Defense Efforts

In the 30 years, since President Ronald Reagan created his expensive pie-in-the-sky Strategic Defense Initiative – quickly and appropriately named "Star Wars" by critics and journalists alike – the United States has spent a whopping $250 billion on trying to shoot down fast intercontinental ballistic missiles, such as those that might someday be fielded by … Continue reading “Kill Wasteful Missile Defense Efforts”

Reforms of Domestic Government Surveillance

In the National Security Agency (NSA) domestic snooping scandal, at least two major issues exist: 1) warrantless government "traffic" analysis of patterns of potentially all Americans’ phone calls, from which new technology allows authorities to assemble a fairy good picture of innocent peoples’ lives; and 2) the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) Court that has … Continue reading “Reforms of Domestic Government Surveillance”

The United States Should Quit Meddling in Egypt

Both the Muslim Brotherhood and its liberal opponents are using U.S. policy toward Egypt as a whipping boy to rally support for their respective causes during the current turmoil in that country. Liberal demonstrations have claimed that the Obama administration had supported the Brotherhood and its former President Mohamed Morsi. Yet the Brotherhood has claimed … Continue reading “The United States Should Quit Meddling in Egypt”

Accelerate a Complete Withdrawal From Afghanistan

Apparently, in a fit of personal pique at Afghan leader Hamid Karzai, President Obama has threatened a more rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan than the scheduled endpoint at the close of 2014 and also has warned that there could very well be no residual American force to support Karzai’s regime after that date. … Continue reading “Accelerate a Complete Withdrawal From Afghanistan”

US Obsession With the Importance of the Mideast and Solving the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Secretary of State John Kerry, bringing intensive Henry Kissinger-like shuttle diplomacy back into fashion to make another one of the periodic post-1948 U.S. attempts to solve the Israeli-Arab conflict once and for all, instead would better be compared to Wile E. Coyote’s attempt to catch the ever-elusive Road Runner. Will the United States and its … Continue reading “US Obsession With the Importance of the Mideast and Solving the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”

Edward Snowden: Hero or Traitor?

During almost every media interview on the Edward Snowden leak story, the person being interviewed (including me) is almost always asked whether Snowden should be considered a whistleblowing hero or a dishonorable traitor to the nation. The question probably arises from American society’s focus on the individual, leading to a celebrity-loving culture, and the black … Continue reading “Edward Snowden: Hero or Traitor?”

Down the Slippery Slope in Syria

At the G-8 Summit in Northern Ireland, Russia faced pressure from the other seven attending nations to push Bashar al-Assad, its Syrian ally, to negotiate his abdication with the West. Since Assad and his Syrian government forces, well supplied by Russia with weaponry, are now winning the Syrian civil war, that outcome is extremely unlikely … Continue reading “Down the Slippery Slope in Syria”

NSA Snooping on Americans Is Unconstitutional and Outrageous

The firestorm of media coverage over a whistleblower’s revelation — that the National Security Agency (NSA) likely has been monitoring the telephone calls of most Americans and is likely reading some Americans’ emails, photos, and other electronic data without a search warrant when trying to catch suspected terrorists (a program called “Prism”) — has become … Continue reading “NSA Snooping on Americans Is Unconstitutional and Outrageous”

Threat From China Is Being Hyped

Articles in the American media usually portray China as a potential adversary, and recent press coverage is no exception. Stories have appeared about China’s military hacking into the computer systems of the American government and business and Chinese oil companies’ reaping of unfair gains in Iraq on the backs of dead American soldiers. Yet the … Continue reading “Threat From China Is Being Hyped”

Obama’s New Restricted War on Terror Is Unlikely to Be Lasting

Prior to the 2012 election, President Obama told aides that he wanted to institutionalize the ad hoc war on terror, thus shaping it for years to come whether he was re-elected or a successor took over, according to the New York Times. This desire led to the recent presidential speech at the National Defense University … Continue reading “Obama’s New Restricted War on Terror Is Unlikely to Be Lasting”