Samuel Bendett, RealClearWorld
Despite calling the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 one of the greatest catastrophes of the 20th century, Russian President Vladimir Putin apparently considers the process that gave birth to the USSR as containing the reason for its eventual demise.
Ann Jones, The Nation
Some years ago, I faced up to the futility of reporting truths about America’s disastrous wars, and so I left Afghanistan for another mountainous country far away. It was the polar opposite of Afghanistan: a peaceful, prosperous land where nearly everybody seemed to enjoy a good life, on the job and in the family.
Philip Giraldi, American Conservative
In his final State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama noted in passing that the United States spends as much on defense as the next eight countries combined. He might have added that the proportions are similar for the Foreign Service and the intelligence community, which cost billion and an estimated billion respectively. The president might well have asked why, if that is so, is there so little bang for the buck in terms of what the U.S. taxpayer gets in return.
Foreign Affairs
Mo Ibrahim, founder of Celtel and head of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, sits down with Deputy Managing Editor Stuart Reid to discuss democracy and governance in Africa - from Foreign Affairs
Alan Posener, Worldcrunch
But could it be that Germany is finally grown up enough to incorporate communism into its history without forgetting anti-communism? Could it be possible that, as Klger said, we actually gain "global applause" for our refugee policies but only register the complaints within Europe? Could it be possible that a jolt will go through Germany after this event that will enable us to walk just a little bit taller? It could be.
Herbert London, Asia Times
Western philosophy is now in thrall to tolerance. Heaven forbid if you maintain that some people and some cultures are superior. Even if a truth explodes before your very eyes, it must be denied. Lost in the morass of non-discrimination is a commonsensical observation made by George Santayana among others. As he noted, the first obligation of the tolerant man is to be intolerant to intolerance. Samuel Taylor Coleridge made the same point when he argued “I have seen great... Читать дальше...
Shaheer & Tamim Momeni, Diplomat
Sanctions relief will breathe fresh air into Iran’s dilapidated oil and gas industry.
Yom-Tov Samia, Jerusalem Post
If the State of Israel would like to continue to exist, the IDF and the Israeli leadership must carry out military preparations for an operation that is fundamentally different from Protective Edge.
Economist
The Bank of Japan gingerly joins the ranks of central banks penalising deposits
Paul Goodman, Financial Times
George Osborne’s team slipped out the news about Google’s tax deal with the Treasury a week ago — late in the evening when the first editions of last Saturday’s papers had been finalised. It was a sign that he wanted to avoid publicity and was expecting trouble. Even so, the UK chancellor of the exchequer surely did not expect the rumpus over the news to be rumbling a week later, with Downing Street, usually so supportive, distancing itself from his claim that the... Читать дальше...
R. Neukirch & R. Pfister, Spiegel
In an interview, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizire, 62, warns that the government in Berlin only has a few weeks left to solve the refugee problem. He fears that Europe's open-border policies may soon end if a solution isn't found.
John Butler, Spectator
Why do President Recep Tayyip Erdoan and the political party he co-founded, the Justice and Development party (AK party), need to suppress free speech? The AK party was swept back into single-party power in the second general election of last year with 49.5 per cent of the vote. It is now in a position where it can do almost anything it wants with Turkey. Yet it lacks the supermajority needed to change the constitution. This is problematic, because Erdoan is now campaigning... Читать дальше...
S. Montefiore, Standard
Tyrants and terrorists are excused their brutalities because the Corbyn camp has an irrational faith in anyone who is anti-Western, no matter how mercilessly murderous or financially corrupt. To arm ourselves with nuclear weapons or drones to defend democracy is simply wrong. We do not need arms because, unlike Hezbollah, Iran, North Korea or China, we are incapable of using them for any purpose other than greed, slaughter and conquest.
Asaad Hanna, Guardian
President Assad and Islamic State are two sides of the same coin. Whenever we, the Free Syrian Army, make advances against the regime, Isis steps in
J. Tobin, Commentary
After nearly ten years in office, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was finally defeated last November by Justin Trudeau. The election was largely decided on domestic issues and was in no small measure the inevitable result of voter restlessness after Harper’s Conservatives were in power for so long. But outside of Canada, Harper was notable for one thing. He was Israel’s best and most articulate friend on the world stage. But after winning, Trudeau reassured Prime Minister... Читать дальше...
Stephen Walt, Foreign Policy
You’d think this situation would elicit a lively debate on U.S. strategy in the region, and the 2016 election would seem to be a perfect opportunity for one. But if history is any guide, the last thing you’ll see in this election is a serious discussion of U.S. Middle East policy. Instead, the candidates will just reiterate the need for strong U.S. “leadership” (whatever that means), try to outdo each other in declaring their deep love for Israel, and hype the threat from the Islamic State. Читать дальше...
L. Bershidsky, B. View
Dmitry Peskov, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, complained Friday about the "active use of the Russian theme and the subject of Putin in the U.S. domestic electoral game." To any observer of the U.S. election campaign from this week's Ground Zero, Iowa, the statement appears absurd: Few people here care about Russia one way or the other. Nonetheless, it's clear that the last vestiges of diplomatic politeness are fast disappearing from U.S.-Russia relations.
BBC News
The Polish Prime Minister, Beata Szydlo, has rejected criticism of her government's policies that prompted an inquiry by the EU Commission. During the public hearing, some centrist and leftist members of the European Parliament accused the Polish government of curbing media freedom and limiting the powers of the country's constitutional court. The President of the European parliament has described the situation as "a dangerous Putinisation of European politics". The BBC's Katie Razzall... Читать дальше...