The story of the coronavirus is the story of today’s China
Sometimes a top-down, authoritarian system can simply move more quickly in times of crisis. But that doesn’t necessarily equate with making the right decisions.
Mark Porubcansky
Mark Porubcansky has been a foreign correspondent and editor for 30 years, serving until recently as foreign editor of the Los Angeles Times. He now lives in Scandia.
To understand Putin, you have to understand Russia’s slow downward spiral
Russia faces daunting demographic, economic and human rights problems. And while it has interfered in U.S. elections and engaged in adventures in countries like Ukraine and Syria, in more important ways it is pulling in on itself.
Iran is facing serious problems at home. What that means for its conflict with the U.S.
Widespread and increasingly violent protests are becoming a regular feature of life in Iran. And with each round, criticism of the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and the political establishment gets more pointed.
The many reasons a conflict with Iran could spin out of control
The Trump administration is dealing with its first full-on foreign policy crisis — one that is mostly of the president’s own making.
Is Boris Johnson better at Trumpism than Trump?
Johnson is looking like a very clever politician these days.
‘Rocket Man’ redux: Should the world worry that Trump and Kim are calling each other names again?
Kim Jong Un would probably still prefer to see Trump win a second term and continue dealing with a disorganized, distracted and transactional White House.
The British election is starting to look like the U.S. presidential election
Despite the fact that he’s widely reviled in the U.K., Trump can’t seem to help putting himself in the middle of it all.
Why Iran and Iraq are caught in a cycle of protests and crackdowns
Widespread protests against poor living conditions, corruption and inequality have authorities of both countries worried.
One question the impeachment inquiry probably isn’t going to answer: What is it with Trump and Russia, anyway?
Trump has ordered aides not to testify in the impeachment hearings. He’s going to the Supreme Court to avoid turning over his tax records. The question, as it has been for his entire presidency, is what exactly is he hiding — and does it have anything to do with Russia?
NATO may not be ‘brain dead,’ but it’s in desperate need of new thinking
NATO is marking a couple of milestones this year. But for the moment, the alliance is focused on a rhetorical bomb tossed last week by one of Europe’s leading statesmen, French President Emmanuel Macron.
The seeds of current global political chaos were planted a decade ago
Those looking for common threads focus on perennial issues such as inequality, economic distress, corruption and a lack of democracy. But the answer to “Why now?” is most often clear only in retrospect.
After the killing of Baghdadi, what’s America’s role in Syria?
Just days before the raid in which Baghdadi died, Trump announced that the new U.S. mission would be to secure Syria’s oil. He reiterated that on Sunday. In what world does that make sense?
What a resurgence of the Islamic State could mean
Experts say the Islamic State already had been quietly reconstituting itself in Iraq and Syria, even while under intense military pressure, and that Turkey’s invasion is almost certain to give it a big boost.
The cynical rationale behind Trump’s decision to pull out of northern Syria
What might most distinguish Trump’s decision is not the withdrawal itself, but the typically shambolic way the president went about it.
Foreign interference is coming in the 2020 election whether Trump asks for it or not
Foreign powers may already be taking sides.
Impeachment is going to make foreign policy under Trump even dicier
Impeachment may be the main drama of the coming months, but the rest of the world isn’t going to sit and wait.
Why Ukraine is particularly susceptible to corruption — and political pressure
The latest scandal isn’t only about Trump. Ukraine has long been a piggy bank for other well-connected Americans.
The wild card in Israel’s election? Trump
Developments in Washington have put Israel on its back foot, and one in particular calls into question the value of Netanyahu’s tight relationship with President Trump, with whom he’s chosen to be pictured on his campaign billboards.
Big-power competition is playing out in Syria’s Idlib province, and civilians are paying the price
There are few good guys in Syria’s Idlib province, at least not with any real power. For those who do have power, the fate of civilians is just one of many issues.
The U.K. is showing us that even the most venerable democracy is fragile
Bored by the endless drama across the pond? An awful lot of Brits are, too.
