Commentary | Global Viewpoint
Why America should let Iraq resolve its own crisisThe US already destroyed the political, economic, and social infrastructure of Iraq. There is no way it should attempt to re-enter this agony. This is not some jihadi apocalypse. In fact, ISIS is establishing the groundwork for what is emerging as a likely federalist structure of Sunni Arab, Shiite Arab, and Kurdish regions – the only way Iraq can survive for the foreseeable future.
How China and the US can avoid a catastrophic clashBy provoking US allies, Beijing is forcing Washington to choose between abandoning its friends or going to war with China. Both believe the other will back down. But there is a high chance that they are both wrong. America’s best move then is to change the game in Asia, by offering to share power if China behaves responsibly.
Modi 2.0: How India's new prime minister may have evolvedAs an opposition member of parliament, I can happily say that Modi appears to have realized that he will have to lead the nation from the center and not from the extreme right, where he built his base. But if he backslides, we will resist him robustly. India's democracy deserves no less.
India’s tectonic shiftThe electoral victory of Narendra Modi and the BJP marks a major shift for India – inspiring great hope for many and worry for others. However, both the euphoria and the fears will calm down when Modi gets down to the hard business of governing a large, diverse, chaotic India.
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After Boko Haram kidnapping: What does the US stand for?It took three weeks for President Obama to publicly address the crisis of more than 250 Nigerian school girls kidnapped by Boko Haram. Evidence is mounting that, beyond its strategic self-interest, the US does not have an operating philosophy on defending human rights.
Gordon Brown: US, Britain, and Nigeria must not let Boko Haram act with impunityThe US and Britain must lend surveillance and other technology help locate the girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria. By doing so, they are sending a message that friends of Nigeria will not stand by if the terrorist campaign continues. A new 'safe schools' initiative must also be put in place to reassure worried parents that schools are secure.
Larry Summers: Will 2014 end up like 1914?History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme. We have seen that isolationism only results in greater conflicts later. It is only through the cooperation of nations that firm and clear lines can be drawn and that others can be enticed in.
Nadine Gordimer: The disillusion and corruption of post-Mandela South AfricaIn this interview, South African writer Nadine Gordimer speaks about the disillusionment of post-Mandela South Africa, her distrust of the digital era, and her decision to retire from writing fiction.
Ban Ki-moon: After Rwanda, world says 'never again' but still fails to actThe genocide in Rwanda was an emblematic failure of the international community. The world has since made important strides in acting on those lessons, but this work still faces setbacks. The international community cannot claim to care about atrocity crimes and then shrink from the commitment required to prevent them – whether in the Central African Republic or Syria.
Robert Kaplan: The center of military power in the world is moving to AsiaIn an interview, Robert Kaplan says: 'The United States can preserve the peace [in the Asia Pacific] by seeking not domination, but a favorable balance of power with China. It must at some level allow China its rightful place in the Western Pacific.'
Europe beware: Isolating Russia will turn it into Hitler's GermanyEurope should be working to integrate, not isolate, Russia. Punitive isolation is what the Treaty of Versailles did to post-World War I Germany, leading to Hitler’s rise and World War II. Instead, the West and Russia have everything to gain by Russia’s coming closer to the EU.
Yulia Tymoshenko: Crimea will always be UkrainianI feel sorry for the people of Crimea who fell for Russia's lie. The regime will soon show them that even the subtropics can have polar nights. Still, the most powerful Ukrainian army – that of freedom and democracy – marches on, fulfilling its mission, including the liberation of Russia.
Condoleezza Rice: Crimea shows US can’t step back and let others leadCondoleezza Rice states: 'The recent events [in Ukraine and elsewhere] should be a wake-up call to all Americans. I know we are tired and worried about our problems at home, but we cannot eschew the responsibilities of leadership and embolden those who don’t share our values.'
Ukraine crisis has pushed Germany to center stageWhere is Europe as Vladimir Putin is about to pocket Crimea? Or more to the point: Who is Europe? As Putin’s Crimean gambit unfolds, we don’t hear much from London and Paris. Germany has moved to center stage, touting its responsibility for world order and taking a more active role.
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