Society

Commentary

Understanding America's Fall

Robert W. Merry | Feb 08, 2012

U.S. decline may be inevitable. But that doesn't mean there's nothing Washington can do about it.

Burma Comes in from the Cold

Doug Bandow | Feb 06, 2012

Burma is finally taking tentative steps toward reform. Washington should reward it accordingly.

Is Burma Turning On China?

John Lee | Feb 01, 2012

How Burma's pivot away from its longtime economic partner debunks the myth of China's diplomatic prowess.

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Essays

The National Interest stands for realism in U.S. international relations, a conviction that foreign policy should be based upon real-world considerations—forces, pressures and passions emanating from factors of culture and geography.

Reviving the Peace Process

Daniel Kurtzer | Jan 04, 2012

Obama can take credit for several foreign-policy triumphs, but he has failed to revive the moribund Mideast peace process. Arguments for why it can’t be done crumble against the imperative of American presidential leadership.

Drug Mayhem Moves South

Ted Galen Carpenter | Jan 04, 2012

Mexico’s drug violence is spreading into Central American countries that lack the resources to cope with such dire challenges. The region is in danger of reverting back to turmoil.

Triumph of the New Wilsonism

Nikolas K. Gvosdev

Ray Takeyh

| Jan 04, 2012

No national interest was cited as a rationale for America's Libya campaign; the action was justified solely on humanitarian grounds. This marks a fundamental break with past U.S. policy prescriptions for such military interventions.

Night Thoughts on Europe

Walter Laqueur | Oct 25, 2011

Europe’s problems go far beyond deflating currency and rising debt. It suffers from a lack of will, a crisis of confidence—and a serious identity problem. The once-great superpower has already fallen. Centuries of predominance slip away.

Brezhnev in the Hejaz

Bruce Riedel | Aug 24, 2011

Saudi Arabia is the guardian of the Mideast counterrevolution—and America is its greatest enabler. A club of royals under the Kingdom’s protection is now a reality.