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.

The Already Forgotten Iraq War

Will there be autocracy in Iraq or renewed civil war? The country seems headed for either one or the other, as Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki tightens the noose on Iraqi democracy and sectarian bombings resume. Mohammed Shayaa al-Sudani, Iraq’s human rights minister, recently declared that casualties in the roughly nine-year period since the American invasion … Continue reading “The Already Forgotten Iraq War”

What’s Behind the Second Underwear Bombing Attempt?

The foiling of the second attempt by Yemeni terrorists to blow their underwear and any airplane near them to smithereens has led to praise for an American government that motivated the plot in the first place. Ever since the barbaric attacks of 9/11, the American public, thirsting for revenge, has reflexively approved of any military … Continue reading “What’s Behind the Second Underwear Bombing Attempt?”

American Foreign Policy: Have Gun, Will Travel

American foreign policy has become so militarized that pressure groups can now seemingly order up a government armed intervention like customers at a fast food restaurant drive-through window can order up a burger and fries. The latest example is the U.S. Special Forces’ chasing of the wacky but brutal African warlord Joseph Kony in the … Continue reading “American Foreign Policy: Have Gun, Will Travel”

Proliferation Intelligence or Proliferation of Intelligence?

The one constant in American history is that government bureaucracies grow and proliferate rather than shrink and dwindle. Despite its secrecy — or perhaps because of it —  the intelligence community is no exception. After 9/11, changing over to fight against small, nimble terrorist groups, instead of the massive, ossified bureaucracies of communist countries, was … Continue reading “Proliferation Intelligence or Proliferation of Intelligence?”

Save Money by Ending Costly Alliances

Continued U.S. economic sluggishness, induced by a massive national debt in excess of $15 trillion, should be causing soul-searching in the American foreign policy community about which unnecessary alliance commitments can be shed to save money. Yet, predictably, interest groups supporting empire continue to tout “American leadership” in “strategic” regions of the world. For example, … Continue reading “Save Money by Ending Costly Alliances”

Putting Defense Back Into US Defense Policy

Now that the second of two counterinsurgency wars, Afghanistan, seems on the road to de-escalation — mainly out of flagging American public support for the quagmire — it is a good time to ask what type of military the United States should have in the future. Although the U.S. Army has borne the brunt of … Continue reading “Putting Defense Back Into US Defense Policy”

Rapidly Ending the War in Afghanistan Solves Many Problems

So many government efforts run aground on problems with poor incentives. When the U.S. government intervenes overseas, those poor incentives are compounded by trying to impose Western values and institutions, usually by force, on peoples with starkly different cultural values, customs, and ways of doing things. Such was the case with failed U.S. interventions in … Continue reading “Rapidly Ending the War in Afghanistan Solves Many Problems”

Russia Is Not Public Enemy Number One

In response to Barack Obama’s unintended public candor about his greater post-election flexibility on missile defense negotiations with Russia, Mitt Romney reflexively declared in an interview with CNN that Russia is the United States’ “number one geopolitical foe,” adding that Russia “always stands up for the world’s worst actors.” However, Romney is pandering to the … Continue reading “Russia Is Not Public Enemy Number One”

NYPD Should Leave Muslims Alone

Attorney General Eric Holder is to be lauded for looking into the constitutionality of the New York City Police Department’s wholesale snooping into the lives of people based purely on their Muslim faith. Because Holder is a busy man, he could save a lot of time by just pulling out the U.S. Constitution and reading … Continue reading “NYPD Should Leave Muslims Alone”

The Afghan Curtain Falls More Rapidly

The recent “unpleasantness” in Afghanistan — the killing spree by a U.S. soldier, the burning of Qurans, and desecration of Taliban corpses — has made the quagmire there even more unpopular with the American public, thus causing even superhawks, such Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich, to question the American military’s mission there. Santorum, formerly one … Continue reading “The Afghan Curtain Falls More Rapidly”