French president François Hollande is evermore himself and this is bad news for France. In his first year it was the old Socialist pattern of campaigning in left-wing poetry (for example the 75 percent tax on incomes over 1 million... Continue Reading →
If Machiavelli were counseling the Hamas leadership today he would give them hard advice. Be smarter about war, he would say. Know that both victory and defeat are not easy to get right. It’s possible, for example, to win a... Continue Reading →
As ISIS/Islamic State takes over Mosul and other parts of Syria and Iraq it is imposing an ancient religious persecution of minorities: Christians (or any minority) face a brutal choice of conversion to Islam, paying tribute, or death. Almost all... Continue Reading →
It’s a foreign policy witticism to say that whenever a crisis occurs in the world the question for some people is always, what does it mean for Israel? With Syria and now Iraq in flames, Israel’s security is not at... Continue Reading →
In last Sunday’s European parliament elections there were two earthquake results in France. The first is the breakthrough of the far-right nationalist, anti-EU, anti-immigrant National Front party (FN). The second is the overwhelming defeat of the governing Socialist party (PS)... Continue Reading →
The most important fact in the perpetual Israeli-Palestinian “peace process” is that Israel holds almost all the high cards. Fundamentally, the Palestinians want something life-changing that only Israel can give them — a state — whereas Israel can live well-enough... Continue Reading →
An imaginary memo to President Putin from an Old Friend: From: Pavel To: Vladimir Subject: Don’t overplay your hand Your magnificent speech of March 18 announcing Crimea’s annexation hit the right notes: legitimate grievance, the greatness of Russia, personal glory.... Continue Reading →
China is not a central actor in the Ukraine/Crimea crisis. But Russia’s invasion and likely annexation of Crimea highlights Beijing’s dilemma trying to balance between East and West, authoritarianism and democracy, Great Power politics and liberal internationalism. How to understand... Continue Reading →
French President Francois Hollande's amorous adventures in recent weeks have turned him into an international laughing-stock. Some Parisians claim not to care much about it, but longtime observers of French politics and cultural life are not persuaded. Hollande's personal life... Continue Reading →
Tiersky's Viewpoint 