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.

Knocking Our Heads Against a Wall in Palestine

In the face of an outraged Arab world, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton backed off on her congratulation of Israel for merely pledging to limit settlement construction in the occupied West Bank. Previously, President Barack Obama, originally appearing to be much more friendly to the Palestinian and Arab causes than George W. Bush, told Israel, … Continue reading “Knocking Our Heads Against a Wall in Palestine”

Obama Still Doesn’t Grasp Blowback

Although President Barack Obama has more empathy for the opinions of the Islamic world than his predecessor and seems to vaguely understand that they do affect U.S. security, he doesn’t seem to understand specifically that U.S. meddling in and occupation of Muslim countries inflames Islamic radicals and is the main cause of blowback anti-U.S. Islamist … Continue reading “Obama Still Doesn’t Grasp Blowback”

Is Adulation of the Military Really Patriotic?

A recent article in the New York Times reported that the military has become frustrated with President Barack Obama because he hasn’t quickly decided to risk more of their lives in an Afghan war that is likely to be unwinnable. In a post-World War II world that has featured a non-traditional militarized foreign policy of … Continue reading “Is Adulation of the Military Really Patriotic?”

Five Facts About Afghanistan

The corridors of power in the nation’s capital are abuzz with the complexities of the situation in Afghanistan. If only we send 40,000 more troops, say the military brass, the U.S. could have some hope of turning the situation around and preventing Afghanistan from becoming a haven for terrorists yet again. Vice President Joe Biden … Continue reading “Five Facts About Afghanistan”

Fire McChrystal and Get Out of Afghanistan

Although the politicians, media, and public believe few things are more important than preventing another al-Qaeda attack on America, defending the founding principles of the republic would seem to be one of them. The conventional wisdom is that the war in Afghanistan is a "war of necessity" that cannot be lost if the war against … Continue reading “Fire McChrystal and Get Out of Afghanistan”

Empathy for ‘Adversaries’

Empathy is a term that connotes the touchy-feely notion of getting in touch with someone else’s feelings or perspective. That’s what psychotherapists and social workers do. It obviously has no place in the hard-knocks world of foreign affairs and national security. Or does it? In world history, the best generals are experts in empathy. They … Continue reading “Empathy for ‘Adversaries’”

Obama Needs to Expand on His Good Instincts in Foreign Policy

Although the tentacles of Baracktopus have slithered into as many parts of American life as those of his "big government Republican" predecessor, Obama does seem to have much better instincts in foreign policy than George W. Bush. But lest that be seen as damning by faint praise, let’s just say that Obama, like the Washington … Continue reading “Obama Needs to Expand on His Good Instincts in Foreign Policy”

Mourning the Passing of an Unsung Giant in Human History

In the wealthy American society, we have the luxury and freedom to value strange things. So be it. Few indicators of what the society values are more telling than whom we mourn when they die. Recently, the deaths of singer Michael Jackson, the actor Patrick Swayze, and Sen. Ted Kennedy have captured much media attention. … Continue reading “Mourning the Passing of an Unsung Giant in Human History”

To Escalate the Escalation?

The debate rages among experts on whether to escalate the escalation of Barack Obama’s "war of necessity" in Afghanistan – seemingly oblivious to American public opinion at home that has turned against waging the conflict at all. During even the best of times, Washington can be isolated from the rest of the country and world. … Continue reading “To Escalate the Escalation?”

Japanese Landslide a Mixed Bag for US

Almost two decades after their bubble economy turned to economic stagnation, Japanese voters have dealt a hammer blow to their corrupt one-party political system. After more than a half century of dominance, the Liberal Democratic Party was trounced by the surging Democratic Party. Economically, the problem for Japan and the U.S. is that the Democratic … Continue reading “Japanese Landslide a Mixed Bag for US”