foreign policy

It’s looking more an more like the U.S. government may not take retaliatory actions against the state behind the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) breach. China, who the FBI believes was behind the attack, gained access to the security clearance documents (SF86) of past and present government employees, including military and intelligence officials. While knowledge the breach …

U.S. May Never Point The Finger At China For OPM BreachRead More »

Less than a month after the 2014 Winter Olympics, Russia was in the news again. This time it wasn’t for cultural exchange nor athletic events. Rather, her reaction to the increasingly violent protests in Ukraine was the focus. Far from being a recent development, however, they had been ongoing and gaining intensity since November. Only, …

Ukraine: A Media Neglected ConflictRead More »

The Atlantic’s Peter Beinart asserted in a piece this week that, contrary to conservative opinions, Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine has nothing to do with his perspective on American influence. As Beinart writes: “[F]rom where Putin sits, American power hardly seems in retreat. From his perspective, in fact, the reverse is likely much closer to …

Ukraine: A Big Stick is Not a Threat If No One Believes You’ll Use ItRead More »

As I write these words, The Rachel Maddow Show is on in the background (Monday, March 3rd). Due to Republicans’ criticism of President Obama’s handling of the situation, Maddow referred to the right as having “pro-Putin sentiments” that will be “tested” in the coming weeks. The notion that either party actually wants Russia’s interests to trumps the …

Hey Rachel Maddow, How’s This For “Pro-Putin Sentiment?”Read More »

Among the many interpretations of President Obama’s goal to “fundamentally transform” the United States that his opponents have leveled against him is the objective to reduce her standing and influence around the globe. Liberals, progressives, so the critics charge, believe that the world will be a better place with a humbled America, a no-longer 1% …

4 Cases in Which Putin Has Outplayed ObamaRead More »