Foreign Policy
Elected Leaders Daydream About Being Dictators. They Shouldn't.
"If government is big enough to give you anything, it's big enough to take everything away from you."
Biden Told Congress U.S. Troops Are Fighting in the Middle East. Now He Says They Aren't.
He claims he'll be "the first president to visit the Middle East since 9/11 without U.S. troops engaged in a combat mission there." But that's not true.
Should the U.S. Be Arming Ukraine Against Russia?
Scott Horton vs. Cathy Young in a live debate at PorcFest, in Lancaster, New Hampshire.
Boris Johnson Is Out as Britain's Prime Minister. Who Will Replace Him?
Plus: Why one pitcher wants the MLB to stop COVID testing, how shipping industry protectionism is slowing aid to Ukraine, and more...
FDA Finally Admits It Caused the Baby Formula Shortage
The agency is now taking small steps to allow foreign formula manufacturers to import their goods into the U.S.
Should the U.S. Be Sending Weapons to Ukraine? Scott Horton vs. Cathy Young at the Soho Forum
A live debate at PorcFest, in Lancaster, New Hampshire.
Ukraine Fights On as Western Allies Waver
Ukrainians aren't giving up, but some international supporters are growing pessimistic.
The Army Thinks Printers Cost Over $1 Million
Poor accounting practices mean the Department of Defense can't even tell how much money or equipment it has lost.
America's Involvement in Ukraine Increasingly Looks Like War
Joe Biden announced an additional $800 million in weapons aid for Ukraine following last week's news that CIA personnel are directing intelligence in Kyiv.
Here's What Happened When Other Countries Rolled Back Abortion Rights
El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Poland offer a window into a post-Roe world.
Colombia Could Have Had a Coke-Legalizing, TikTok-Famous President. They Elected a Socialist Instead.
President-elect Gustavo Petro could easily take Colombia in an illiberal direction.
Biden's Middle East Trip Pits Human Rights Against Realpolitik
U.S. officials want to reset relations with Saudi Arabia and Israel amid rising gas prices and new security challenges
The Case for Expanding the Legal Definition of "Refugee"
The narrow definition allows governments to expel numerous migrants fleeing violence, terrorism, forced labor, and other severe oppression.
This Political Dissident Faces Death Threats if He Goes Back to Nicaragua. Why Was His Asylum Claim Denied?
Nicaraguan government operatives threatened Mario Rajib Flores Molina with torture and imprisonment. A new court ruling has revived his pursuit of asylum in the United States.
Elections Are Too Online
We can make our voting systems just a bit dumber and a whole lot safer.
World Food Supplies Are Enough To Feed Everyone
But despotic brutality is once again pushing millions to the brink of starvation.
Sanctions on Syria Aren't Punishing Assad. They're Hurting Syrians.
Piling on sanctions and blocking other countries' reconstruction efforts will only punish the Syrian people.
The U.S. Is Spending $130 Million a Day on Military Aid for Ukraine Without Meaningful Congressional Oversight
Lawmakers are avoiding important debates about America's role in the conflict and the potential for misuse of funds and weapons.
Biden's Summit of the Americas Was Over Before It Started
Biden's decision to exclude nondemocratic countries led to a boycott by allies.
America's Harsh Immigration Restrictions Mean Haitians Drown Trying To Get Here
Their deaths are the tragic, predictable consequence of shutting down safer migration paths.
The Ukraine v. Ukraine, Kiev v. Kyiv, Turkey v. Türkiye, Moscow v. Moskva
English names for foreign places have long differed, in many situations, from the local names. (And that's likely true of most languages.)
U.S. Spent Over $21 Billion on Afghan Police, Got 'Barely Qualified Mall Guards'
New SIGAR findings shine a light on America’s dysfunctional efforts to train the Afghan National Police, which “actually contributed to increasing criminality” in Afghanistan.
Ukraine War Unlikely to End Anytime Soon
Early and unrealistic hopes for a quick victory by Ukraine's forces over invading Russian troops have faded as the reality of an extended conflict sets in.
El Salvador's Latest Gang Crackdown Includes Human Rights Violations
President Nayib Bukele is using brutal tools to solve a problem driven partly by U.S. immigration policy.
New York's Body Armor Ban May Be Stupidest Gun Legislation Yet
Protective devices incapable of offensive use are now unavailable for legal purchase by New Yorkers.
Biden Says the Deficit Is Falling. Actually, It's Rising.
Under Biden, Trump, and Obama, government federal spending almost doubled.
Burn Pit Bill Creates Massive, Debt-Fueled Backdoor Expansion of the V.A. Health Care System
Iraq and Afghanistan veterans wouldn't have to show any link between their service and a long list of medical conditions to obtain government-funded healthcare.
Over 45,000 Americans Have Applied To Sponsor Displaced Ukrainians
In just over a month, the Uniting for Ukraine private sponsorship program has attracted huge support.
Today Marks 80 Years Since Congress Last Bothered To Declare a War
Presidents once treated congressional authorization as a requirement for the U.S. to enter conflicts. What went wrong?
House Resolution Seeks End to U.S. Military Involvement in Yemen
It signals that many in Congress still condemn America's role in the war and actions from the president that lack proper authorization.
James Kirchick: How Homophobia Warped the Cold War
The Secret City author explains how panic about homosexuality led to discrimination, bad policy, and, eventually, freedom.
Destroying Islamic Fundamentalism With Books
Ideas Beyond Borders is bringing ideas about pluralism, civil liberties, and critical thinking to hotbeds of Islamic extremism.
A Plague of Policymakers Returns Hunger to the World
Lockdowns, trade disputes, and warfare make the next meal once again a matter of concern.
A Double Standard Between Ukrainian and Afghan Refugees?
Critics allege, with some justice, that the Biden Administration is treating the former more favorably than the latter. If so, the right solution is to increase openness to Afghans and others fleeing war and repression, not bar more Ukrainians.
Faisal Saeed Al Mutar, Melissa Chen: Bringing Enlightenment Values to the Middle East
The co-founders of Ideas Beyond Borders talk about bringing Steven Pinker and John Stuart Mill to an audience dying for them.
A Classic Biden Gaffe Complicates U.S. Role in Taiwan
Will Xi Jinping just chalk up Biden's latest remarks as an accidental straying from "strategic ambiguity"?
Court Won't Let CDC End Migrant Expulsion Order Just Yet
Plus: Book bans come for Barnes & Noble, a blow to SEC enforcement power, and more...
Strict U.S. Immigration Laws Leave Migrants Dependent on Human Smugglers
Human smugglers at Mexican border won’t be sought after if migrants can come to the U.S. legally.
Blundering Into Escalation in Ukraine?
Plus: A listener asks if it’s possible for bureaucracy ever to be good.
What's Next for Russia's War in Ukraine?
There’s no endpoint in sight to a war that threatens widespread consequences.
Biden Is Right: We Shouldn't Restrict Americans in the Name of Liberating Cuba
A new White House policy faces one of the most malignant foreign policy objections: that it's not a magic wand for regime change.
Bitcoin: A Weapon for Peace in the Israel-Palestine Conflict
Activist Fadi Elsalameen says U.S. aid doesn’t help Palestinians because of corruption. They need monetary freedom.
Don't Oppose Russian Authoritarianism With More Authoritarianism
Supporting Ukraine in its battle against Russia doesn’t justify restrictions on speech and commerce.
America's Trade and Regulatory Policies Have Contributed to the Baby Formula Shortage
Why do we have tariffs on imported formula in the middle of a shortage?
Ukrainians Find Refuge in Previously Unwelcoming Places
Nearly 4 million people fled Ukraine in the first month after the February 24 invasion, and thousands have left each day since.
Military Drafts Loom Over Europe Thanks to Russia
International tensions empower politicians seeking to force the unwilling into government service.
