George Kennan Articles

Japan, LLP

Tokyo has by turns been seen as a promising newcomer, an evil enemy, a dedicated junior partner, a serious economic and technological threat, and now a strategic disappointment. This attitude is detrimental to Washington and Tokyo alike.

Lost at the NSC

People are starting to talk of Obama creating an Eisenhower-lite foreign-policy team. This is a very good thing, if only a start. America no longer knows how to make good strategy. From the Nazi defeat in World War II to America’s triumph in the c

Homeward Bound?

It’s time to rein in America’s crusading zeal and move toward a policy of restraint. We’re suffering from a bad case of foreign-policy overextension, and the only cure is taking a step back to reexamine our global role.

Mind the Gap

Why policymaking elites and foreigners alike distrust the judgment of Americans.

The Case for 'Integration'

You can't beat everyone. Make them join you.

The Ethics of Realism

Hans Morgenthau and Reinhold Niebuhr--the fathers of American realism--understood that good intentions do not excuse failure.

The Sources of Russian Conduct

Sixty years after Kennan, Russia still baffles. But Putin's managed pluralism has deep roots in Russian opinion.

Bad Statesman, Good Prophet

The shape of the post-Cold War world is not really elusive. It is defined by the Wilsonian triad of democracy, free trade and arms control.

Remembering the Future

Taking seriously the admonition that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat its mistakes.

Inside the Cave: The Banality of I.R. Studies

In general, the landscape of international relations thinking in the United States is a view of a great American desert with a few refreshing and enlivening oases. Here's how to improve it.

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May 26, 2012