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Five Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me in Graduate School: Summing Up
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Ice Thin Memory
Usually when news about Russia makes it to American late night shows, Russia either gets hit by a meteorite, or it annexes part of a neighboring country. Either way, it is illustrated by Putin’s...
Femme Fatale
After Donald Trump won the elections in the US, Twitter was abuzz with the picture of potential UN Security Council country leaders that included Theresa May, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Xi...
Taking Democracy for Granted
[This is a guest post by Valerie J. Bunce, the Aaron Binenkorb Chair of International Studies at Cornell University, and Mark R. Beissinger, the Henry W. Putnam Professor of Politics at Princeton...
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Friday Nerd Blogging: Mocking the New and the Old
Because we are late with Friday Nerd Blogging, we have a two-fer--one that is mocks a TV program to come and one that mocks an old show but lovingly so: And for the kids out there, Bosum Buddies is among the very best short-lived TV shows. No spaceships (Firefly) but realistic portrayal of the desperation that is apartment hunting in NY
thursday linkage
As sleet and ice descend upon Austin, Texas this Thursday evening, here are some stories in keeping with this wackadoo weather. Rick Perry and weed at Davos with Kofi Annan, Downton Abbey goes on safari, Putin warns gays to stay away from kids, GDELT goes dark, and scientific findings that may be flashes in the pan... Our governor Rick Perry announces in Davos at the World Economic Forum on a panel with Kofi Annan that he supports moves to decriminalize or at least diminish criminalize marijuana (!) Downton Abbey's Elizabeth McGovern signs on as celebrity advocate for Christian development...
Mid-Week Linkage
Syria New evidence of mass atrocity in Syria sets a bitter tone as peace talks kick off in Geneva. IRC's David Miliband in WAPO on why humanitarian issues must be a priority at Geneva. Speaking to the NYT, HRW's Kenneth Roth concurs. Stephen Heydman in FP on whether justice could undermine peace at Geneva. Human Security Locals and expatriates in Kabul commemorate the loss of Kamal Hamade, whose iconic Kabul restaurant was destroyed by a suicide bomber last week. AidDatablog: new and improved methods for adjudicating conflicting reports on the efficacy of development aid. Nicholas Kristof:...
Are CIA Drone Pilots Likelier to Comply With International Law?
That is the justification made by senior lawmakers last week for adding a secret provision into appropriations bill that would block President Obama's efforts to place the CIA's drone program back under military control. As reported in the Washington Post: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Appropriations Committee, said last year that she had seen the CIA “exercise patience and discretion specifically to prevent collateral damage” and that she “would really have to be convinced that the military would carry it out that...
Public Opinion in the Midst of the Syrian Civil War
I have been an admirer of Sam Whitt’s work for some time. He has always done interesting research, being one of the first to study and publish on Katrina and run surveys/experiments on divided post conflict societies. Whitt and his colleague Vera Mironova, conducted a survey of civilians and rebels in Syria during the Civil War. This fascinating study points out many problems and issues the international community will face as it tries to push for a peaceful solution to the Syrian Civil War. Moving beyond the civil-military gap and also the more modern socio-military gap, Mironova and...
Monday Linkage – MLK Day Edition
Good mornin' Ducks! Here are your links: Oliver Steunkel discusses "The Death of IMF Reform?" at the Post-Western World Blog. The US Congress' rejection an IMF funding request by the Obama administration "... leaves the 188-nation group without additional resources and blocks an increase in voting power for China, India, Brazil and other emerging markets." Stephen Harner explains "Why China's ADIZ is Necessary" at the China-US Focus blog. He argues, "The calculation and timing of China’s move may also evidence a reluctant realization that military-to-military dialogue with the United...
France’s Re-Emergence as a Major Power
If there is an Obama Doctrine in the realm of foreign affairs, it comprises robust multilateralism—being multilateral when the U.S. can, unilateral when it must. Subjected to scrutiny, however, the Obama Doctrine can only work if the U.S. has capable and willing partners. Yet under conditions of widespread fiscal austerity among western allies—and the political austerity of skeptical western citizens—meeting the challenge of securing their joint interests is formidable. While the U.S. has begun to shore up the security of its allies in Southeast Asia via its rebalance to Asia, despite...
Belated Thursday Links – It’s Still Thursday Somewhere Right?
So, your humble blogger found himself subsumed by first week of class duties and fell behind on the job! To make amends, I've flagged some stories that caught my eye, which should make for some welcome weekend reading. My eye this week was mostly trained on energy and environment stuff (U.S. greenhouse gas emissions on the rise again - boo!), with a dash of global health (spending up by USG on global health up slightly - yay!) with a side of Springsteen and Fallon (Christie may not be born to run - classic!) Enjoy. U.S. Energy and Environment Aside from the chemical spill that contaminated...