CIAO DATE: 02/05/08
Volume 86, Number 5, September/October 2007
Essays
Toward a Realistic Peace by Rudolph W. Giuliani
The next U.S. president will face three key foreign policy challenges: setting a course for victory in the terrorists' war on global order, strengthening the international system the terrorists seek to destroy, and extending the system's benefits. With a stronger defense, a determined diplomacy, and greater U.S. economic and cultural influence, the next president can start to build a lasting, realistic peace.
Reengaging With the World by John Edwards
In the wake of the Iraq debacle, we must restore America's reputation for moral leadership and reengage with the world. We must move beyond the empty slogan 'war on terror' and create a genuine national security policy that is built on hope, not fear. Only then can America once again become a beacon to the world.
The Great Leap Backward? by Elizabeth C. Economy
China's environmental woes are mounting, and the country is fast becoming one of the leading polluters in the world. The situation continues to deteriorate because even when Beijing sets ambitious targets to protect the environment, local officials generally ignore them, preferring to concentrate on further advancing economic growth. Really improving the environment in China will require revolutionary bottom-up political and economic reforms.
Who Lost Iraq? by James Dobbins
The current debate over the United States' failures in Iraq needs to go beyond bumper-sticker conclusions -- no more preemption, no more democracy promotion, no more nation building -- and acrimonious finger-pointing. Only by carefully considering where U.S. leaders, institutions, and policies have been at fault can valuable lessons be learned and future debacles avoided.
The Long Road to Pyongyang by Michael J. Mazarr
The outcome of the North Korean nuclear saga has been held up as an example of the Bush administration defying its bellicose reputation and using multilateralism and diplomacy to defuse a crisis. But in fact, the story is one of extremely poor policymaking and a persistent failure to devise a coherent strategy -- with the result that North Korea has managed to dramatically expand its nuclear capability.
When Congress Stops Wars by William G. Howell and Jon C. Pevehouse
Since the Democrats regained control of Congress, the Hill has been alive with the sound of hearings. Congress' earlier slumber and recent awakening should come as no surprise: for the last six decades, the partisan composition of Congress has defined the politics of war. Now facing a Democratic majority, President George W. Bush will find it far more difficult to stay in Iraq.
Nuclear Insecurity by Wolfgang K. H. Panofsky
The Bush administration has adopted a misguided and dangerous nuclear posture. Instead of recycling antiquated doctrines and building a new generation of warheads, the United States should drastically reduce its nuclear arsenal, strengthen the international nonproliferation regime, and move toward the eventual elimination of nuclear weapons.
Democracy Without America by Michael Mandelbaum
Despite the failure of U.S. democracy-promotion efforts, democracy is spreading across the globe, bolstered by the free market. Although the Arab world, China, and Russia present challenges, pressure for democratic governance will only grow as economies liberalize in the years to come.
Essays & Responses
Smart Samaritans by Michael A. Clemens
Paul Collier offers strong recommendations for helping "the bottom billion" -- those living in poor countries caught in growth traps. But he cannot overcome a basic problem: how to create growth where no functioning economy exists.
A Raw Deal by Charles W. Calomiris
Amity Shlaes' The Forgotten Man is a useful antidote for those whose knowledge of the Great Depression comes from textbooks that lionize Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal and paper over his serious policy errors.
Salute and Disobey? by Richard B. Myers and Richard H. Kohn, Mackubin Thomas Owens, Lawrence J. Korb, and Michael C. Desch
Did the Bush administration disregard military expertise before the Iraq war? Should military leaders have done more to protest in response?
Food for Fuel? by Tom Daschle, C. Ford Runge, and Benjamin Senauer
Former Senator Tom Daschle argues that corn-based ethanol offers many benefits -- and few downsides for food stocks. Runge and Senauer reply.
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Hunting Al Qaeda by Said T. Jawad
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A False Choice, Indeed by Feisal Khan
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Explaining the Terrorists by Gideon Lichfield
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Other People's Money by Michael W. Klein
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Missing Intelligence by Richard L. Russell
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Dangers at Sea by Glenn Davis, Charles Dragonette, and Randy Young
Recent Books on International Relations