Trump’s real impeachable offense
Can Trump be deposed for being a bad president? Certainly not. Were his dealings with Ukraine so egregious as to justify his removal from office? Maybe. Should he be impeached? Yes — but not for any of the reasons his enemies cite.
Our misunderstanding of the hostage crisis still poisons US-Iran relations
A FEW WEEKS AGO, as I was giving a speech urging better relations between the United States and Iran, a man on the edge of the crowd began shouting in protest. Slowly I was able to make out his words. He was chanting a single phrase: “Hostage crisis! Hostage crisis! Hostage crisis!”
Condemning Trump on Syria? It’s “buffet outrage”
Several years ago, the United States hired Kurdish fighters to be our mercenaries in Syria. This month we decided we don’t need them anymore, and abandoned them to their fate. Turkey, which considers Kurdish militancy a mortal threat, quickly began bombing them. This set off a veritable orgy of indignation in Washington. It is a classic […]
Complicity in Saudi war on Yemen will be part of Trump legacy
MUCH OF THE chaos in today’s world may be traced back to disastrous decisions made by presidents of the United States. Jimmy Carter plunged needlessly into war in Afghanistan. Ronald Reagan intensified that war and promoted fratricidal conflict in Central America. Bill Clinton bombed Yugoslavia and recklessly pushed NATO forces to Russia’s border. George W. […]
What cheese can tell us about US-Russia relations
SEVERAL RUSSIANS I MET during my visit last month advised me to notice cheese. Sure enough, in Russia cheese is plentiful, tasty, and available in many varieties. Why is that interesting? “Russian cheese was always terrible,” a waitress in Novosibirsk explained. “All good cheese was imported. Now, because of sanctions, we can’t import cheese any […]
