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).

North Korea’s Missile Tests a Response to a Zombie US Policy

In recent weeks, North Korea has provided graphic demonstrations of its growing ballistic missile capabilities. During January, Pyongyang set a new record by conducting 7 tests in a single month. Kim Jong-Un’s government capped off that flurry by marking the lunar New Year with a dramatic test of an intermediate-range missile capable of reaching the … Continue reading “North Korea’s Missile Tests a Response to a Zombie US Policy”

Hawks Smear War Opponents Again

Advocates of an aggressive U.S. foreign policy are again smearing their antiwar opponents. In his latest article on Substack, iconoclastic journalist Glenn Greenwald notes that he "cannot count the number of times" that he has "been accused of being a Kremlin agent or asset, not by random social media trolls but by prominent Democratic Party … Continue reading “Hawks Smear War Opponents Again”

Bipartisan Congressional War Drums Are Beating Again

The fastest, most reliable way to foster bipartisanship in Congress (as well as the media, and the foreign policy blob) is to demonize the foreign threat du jour and then advocate a very hardline policy toward that alleged existential threat to the American republic. The latest example is how establishment types in both the Republican … Continue reading “Bipartisan Congressional War Drums Are Beating Again”

Biden’s Continuing Shameful Policy Regarding Yemen

In his first major foreign policy speech as president, Joe Biden pledged to end U.S. involvement in Yemen’s bloody war. Beginning in the summer of 2015, the United States actively aided the military intervention by Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies, especially the United Arab Emirates (UAE), against the rebel Houthi faction, which received backing … Continue reading “Biden’s Continuing Shameful Policy Regarding Yemen”

An Increasingly Ominous Response to the January 6 Riot

Earlier this month, the country marked the one-year anniversary of the storming of the Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump. For one faction in America’s increasingly polarized political system, however, it was not enough to castigate the rioters for their disgraceful, indefensible conduct. It was not even enough to urge the Justice Department to … Continue reading “An Increasingly Ominous Response to the January 6 Riot”

US Officials in Glass Houses Shouldn’t Throw Stones

Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s snide comment about the Russian-led military intervention in Kazakhstan at the invitation of that country’s beleaguered government to help quell the mounting violence there backfired quickly. The initial White House reaction to the deployment of approximately 2,500 peacekeeping troops was relatively measured. "We are closely monitoring reports that the Collective … Continue reading “US Officials in Glass Houses Shouldn’t Throw Stones”

Dangerous Democrats Push Confrontational Policies Toward Russia and China

It is unsurprising when prominent Republicans advocate highly confrontational policies toward both Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), for example, stalled the confirmation of multiple presidential appointees for months until the Biden administration agreed to impose additional sanctions against Moscow because of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Former … Continue reading “Dangerous Democrats Push Confrontational Policies Toward Russia and China”

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?”