Hot Spots

Iranian dissident Akbar Ganji\'s views on the supreme leader

Views on the future, hot spots, nuclear weapons, climate change

Breaking down positions on Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and defense spending

Global expenditures on defense...issue facing McCain and Obama

General Assembly address, Sept. 23

Current U.S.-Russian relations

To summarize: In the space of the last 30 days, Russia has violated the sovereignty of a democracy; made and then breached a solemn agreement, in a direct affront to the European Union; severely damaged its credibility and global standing; and undermined its own relations with the United States and other countries.

Reinhold Niebuhr, who always warned against Americans’ ambitions and excessive faith in their own power, also believed, with a faith and ambition of his own, that ‘the world problem cannot be solved if America does not accept its full share of responsibility in solving it.’

Condoleezza Rice on Big Power relations; Elizabeth Economy on China, post-Olympics.

“The clock of communism has tolled its final hour. But the concrete structure has not completely collapsed. Instead of being liberated, we may be crushed beneath the rubble.”