by Peter | 31 May 2007 |
Last summer, I noted the significance of the Pentagon's creation of an Africa Command in the unified command plan. My conclusion then was:By creating such a high-profile position for Africa, the bureaucracy of the Pentagon and the US Government as a whole, will see Africa in a whole new light.On Monday, the Washington Post ran an article based on analysis of a CRS Report on the new command (You can read the entire CRS Report here).There are two...
by Dan Nexon | 30 May 2007 |
I spent about ten minutes on WHRU (Hofstra University Radio) this morning discussing Iran, the Middle East, American Empire. One of the first things the hosts asked me was to explain the broader significance of the first direct talks between the US and Iran in 29 years. I responded, more or less, that they suggest "that Iraq has turned into such a colossal disaster that the Bush administration will even talk to a member of the 'Axis of Evil' if...
by Dan Nexon | 28 May 2007 |
By almost any standard, the B-1 bomber is a pretty impressive piece of engineering. A ceiling of over 30,000 feet, maximum speed of about 950 miles per hour (somewhere around mach 1.25), capable of carrying a variety of conventional and nuclear bombs and delivering them quite precisely -- not to mention a maximum range of 7,456 miles. All of this machinery, from advanced avionics to variable geometry wings (which are pulled back at an angle to...
by Peter | 24 May 2007 |
China is in the Satellite business. The NYT reports that China is launching a communications satellite for Nigeria (pictured right).The lead says it all:For years, China has chafed at efforts by the United States to exclude it from full membership in the world’s elite space club. So lately China seems to have hit on a solution: create a new club.Beijing is trying to position itself as a space benefactor to the developing world — the same...
by Dan Nexon | 24 May 2007 |
Not long ago I mentioned my embarrassment over missing a relevant citation for a piece that I'd written.The article, co-authored with Thomas Wright and entitled "What's at Stake in the American Empire Debate," appeared a few days ago in the American Political Science Review. Tom and I argue that:Scholars of world politics enjoy well-developed theories of the consequences of unipolarity or hegemony, but have little to say about what happens when...
by Rodger Payne | 23 May 2007 |
Is Condi's dream about to become a reality?The Guardian has a story today with this headline: "Bush may turn to UN in search for Iraq solution." It is filled with quotes from "a former senior administration official...who is familiar with administration thinking." A "senior US diplomat" also chips in anonymously as well. So, what's the forthcoming plan -- apparently to be outlined this September when the UN meets in NY?· Expanded UN involvement...
by Bill Petti | 21 May 2007 |
Addison Mary Petti was born on Sunday, May 20th at 3:43am after what amounted to 19 hours of labor. My wife Kate was remarkable to say the least--she is my hero. Addison is 7lbs 10oz and comes in at a lanky 21 inches. Daddy is already thinking of buying her a pony.
by Peter | 21 May 2007 |
It wasn't quite one of my best-laid plans, but it did go awry this weekend. I had intended to blog about 3 or 4 interesting stories I've been following over the weekend, but between feeding the new kid, searching for child care (if this were one of those so-called 'mommyblogs,' oh the stories i could post. but its not, so i won't...) and of course the fantastic Taste of Wheaton today, time flew by and here it is, Sunday night watching the Mets...
by Rodger Payne | 19 May 2007 |
It is a time of political transition in Europe. While Tony Blair is not leaving his post as the UK's PM until next month, Jacques Chirac has already been replaced as French President by Nicolas Sarkozy.A few weeks ago, Sarkozy'z UMP party of the center-right beat Socialist candidate Ségolène Royal 53% to 47%. However, Sarkozy has just named Socialist Bernard Kouchner as his Foreign Minister. What will this mean for French foreign policy -- and...
by Dan Nexon | 18 May 2007 |
From the Guardian:The new EU member states of Poland and Lithuania have been arguing this week for the summit to be called off, and criticising the German preparations. For historical reasons, the east Europeans are highly sensitive to any sign of Germany cutting deals with Russia over their heads.Yes, I imagine they would be.Image source: https://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/triumph/pact-sign.jpg
by Peter | 15 May 2007 |
-- Sammy SosaThe fun thing about this blog is that we're IR scholars and baseball fans, and sometimes those two issues overlap in very interesting ways. The globalization of Major League Baseball has been all the rage in the past few years. A wealth of international players--now a full 29% of MLB opening day rosters in 2007--has brought an influx of tremendous talent into the game. MLB is actively promoting the game globally, paying games...
by Peter | 13 May 2007 |
Hugo Chavez is talking a tough game, challenging the USA, and the Bush Administration in particular, all over the globe. He's rallying leaders in Latin America, meeting with 'rogues' world-wide, and even calling Bush the "devil" at the UN.But he's got a problem. In a fascinating story, The Washington Post reported that:[A] new study of trade and oil consumption data shows that Venezuela appears ever more dependent on selling its oil to the...