LONDON — I am sometimes asked what world figure I would most want to interview. For me, the answer is obvious: Kim Jong Un. The general impression around the globe continues to be that the North Korean leader is crazy, provocative and unpredictable, but I think that he might well be strategic, smart and utterly […]
Fareed Zakaria
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Today, government needs to be more than a passive observer
NEW YORK — Seeing the devastating effects of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma and of wildfires out West, one cannot help but think about the crucial role that government plays in our lives. But while we accept, even celebrate, the role of government in the wake of such disasters, we are largely blind to the need […]
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Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Trump signs on to the forever war in Afghanistan
NEW YORK — There is surely no greater sign of the bankruptcy of American foreign policy than its Afghanistan policy. After 15 years of war and the deployment of hundreds of thousands of troops, a new president entered the Oval Office poised to fundamentally change that policy. Within months he presented, with great fanfare, a […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
America's elites respond to Trump with cowardice
WASHINGTON — Much of America has reacted swiftly and strongly to Donald Trump’s grotesque suggestion that there is a moral equivalence between the white supremacists who converged last weekend on Charlottesville, Virginia, and those who protested against them. But the delayed, qualified and mealy mouthed reactions of many in America’s leadership class tell a disturbing […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Democrats will need to work on new immigration policy
NEW YORK — In 1992, the Democratic Party faced a challenge on the issue of abortion. Pennsylvania’s governor, Robert Casey, a Democrat dedicated to the working class, asked to speak at the national convention in New York City. He wanted to propose a pro-life plank for the party platform, mostly as a way of affirming […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
President Trump’s lost opportunity
NEW YORK — There are many ways to evaluate the Trump presidency at the six-month mark. What I am struck by is the path not taken, the lost opportunity. Donald Trump had many flaws, but during the campaign, he tapped into a real set of problems facing America and a deep frustration with the existing […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Trump's attitude toward Putin a puzzle
NEW YORK — The latest revelations about Russia and Donald Trump’s campaign are useful because they might help unravel the mystery that has always been at the center of this story. Why has Trump had such a rosy attitude toward Russia and Vladimir Putin? It is such an unusual position for Trump that it begs […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
On North Korea, hope is not a strategy
NEW YORK — In Washington, there is a conventional wisdom on North Korea that spans both parties and much of elite opinion. It goes roughly like this: North Korea is the world’s most bizarre country, run by a crackpot dictator with a strange haircut. He is unpredictable and irrational and cannot be negotiated with. Eventually […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Democrats need to stress the common elements that bind
NEW YORK — The Democratic Party has reacted to its series of recent election losses by once again concluding that it needs a better economic message. As Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said last Sunday, “Democrats need a strong, bold, sharp-edged and common-sense economic agenda.” The only disagreement within the party is about how sharp-edged […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Middle East policy seems muddled, ineffective
NEW YORK — While we have been focused on the results of special elections, the ups and downs of the Russia investigation, and President Trump’s latest tweets, under the radar, a broad and consequential shift in American foreign policy appears to be underway. Put simply, the United States is stumbling its way into another decade […]