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Foreign Affairs

Authoritarianism, Foreign Affairs, Putin, Trump

Sarah Kendzior Ponders Foreign Affairs ‘In the Shadow of Putin’

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Sarah Kendzior, an anthropologist with a background studying the dictatorships in the former Soviet republics of central Asia, speaks to Lindsay Beyerstein on Beyerstein’s The Breach podcast: This week on The Breach, journalist Sarah Kendzior joins us to talk about the weaponization of information in Putin’s Russia. The full extent of Russia’s influence on the 2016 presidential election…

Foreign Affairs, Kakistocracy, Trump

Britian’s Foreign Minister Uses Van Halen Defense to Justify Trump State Visit

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There’s a debate in Parliament about whether to extend a state visit to Donald Trump. Trying to mount a defense of a Trump visit, the British foreign minister had this to say about why Trump should be accorded the honor: Boris Johnson tells the House that he believes “both Nicolae Ceausescu and Robert Mugabe have been entertained by…

America, Authoritarianism, Foreign Affairs, Language, Liberty, Putin, Russia

‘His thoughts are so correct’

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Consider a letter from Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, autocrat, murderer, and imperialist. Putin recently sent Trump a letter, only a few brief paragraphs, and Trump gave a statement in reply: “A very nice letter from Vladimir Putin; his thoughts are so correct,” Trump said in a statement. “I hope both sides are able to live up to…

America, Authoritarianism, Elections, Foreign Affairs, Liberty, Putin, Russia

Garry Kasparov on Vladimir Putin’s Election Interference and America’s Response

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Garry Kasparov‘s a great hero of mine (and of many millions across the world), not simply for his unquestioned understanding of chess, but even more for his commitment to human freedom and democratic institutions. In the audio interview below, Kasparov speaks about Putin’s manipulation of our recent election. (By the way, Kasparov’s excellent book, Winter…

Federal Government, Foreign Affairs, Government Spending, Military

How Much, and What Kind, of Military Spending?

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Analysts from five Washington policy institutes[1] have published a joint report asking (1) what should American defense strategy be? (2) what capabilities, investments, and force structure might that strategy require? and (3) what would such a military cost?  (The five institutes are not of the same views, with the Cato Institute’s Benjamin H. Friedman notable…

Foreign Affairs, Russia, Sanctions

Our New Partner

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The Washington Post reports today on the the first fruits of Trump’s foreign policy direction: The Kremlin says that Russian President Vladimir Putin and President-elect Donald Trump have agreed in a phone call to work to improve U.S.-Russian relations. The Kremlin says that Putin expressed readiness to establish a “partner-like” dialogue with Trump’s administration…. The…

China, Economics, Economy, Foreign Affairs

The Limits of China Under Communism

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A single paragraph from Jacob Soll puts China in perspective:  There is no historical example of a closed imperial economy facing large capital-driven, open states and sustainably competing over a long term. That is not to say that China isn’t an economic powerhouse and a remarkable site of energy and potential. It is certainly both.…

America, Foreign Affairs, War

McCain on the CIA Torture Report

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Goodness knows libertarians have had countless differences with Sen. John McCain, on domestic and foreign policy.  We could have no disagreement, however, with his condemnation of the CIA’s use of torture for interrogation of America’s enemies.  Our politics – including the acknowledgment of our own ethical failures -should be of the highest standards.  To use…