Sanctions Relief and the ‘Defensive Crouch’

Nahal Toosi reports on the political barriers to sanctions relief:In recent months, as Biden has mulled reducing such penalties against countries such as Venezuela and Iran, he’s run headlong into opposition in Congress. Some lawmakers, knowing the topic will play...

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The Militarism of the ‘Jacksonians’

Jordan Michael Smith has written a long essay on the changes in Republican and conservative foreign policy thinking. The entire piece is worth reading, but I want to focus on the discussion of “Jacksonian” foreign policy. Smith describes the bulk of the GOP as...

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What Kind of Foreign Policy Do Americans Want?

The Eurasia Group Foundation (EGF) released their annual survey of American public opinion on U.S. foreign policy and the US role in the world. The report, Rethinking American Strength, includes a number of notable findings that show the public is broadly supportive...

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Pursuing Regime Change Isn’t Dignified or Wise

Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh are wrong as usual, but in this piece they are also wildly irresponsible:The Biden administration has now run into this buzzsaw of sexual politics and faith. If the president were wise, he would throw his lot in with Iranian women....

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Biden Will Never Placate the Hawks

Kori Schake faults Biden for not being belligerent and militaristic enough:The administration appears to lack an effective strategy for the dangers posed by a nuclear-armed North Korea beyond the empty statements that we will not allow North Korea to have nuclear...

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Biden Is Wrong on Taiwan

Biden once again gave some ill-advised answers on Taiwan in an interview with 60 Minutes:"But would U.S. forces defend the island?" Pelley asked."Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack," Mr. Biden said."So unlike Ukraine, to be...

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The Inherent Injustice of Empire

Nigel Biggar writes a “Christian defense of the American empire” and it concludes with the same recycled hegemonist nonsense that you would expect:The United States is not the only trustee of such values and institutions, but, thanks to the gifts of providence and its...

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The Stories That Hardliners Tell

Samuel Charap and Mike Mazarr have responded to Vindman’s fantasy history about U.S. Russia policy:US policy toward post-Soviet Russia has never come close to the extreme accommodationism that Vindman describes. Washington did try to forge a partnership with Moscow,...

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