Outside the Beltway

In retrospect, and in comparison with other recent Presidents, George Herbert Walker Bush’s four years in office were pretty darn good.

Could economic chaos bring Egyptians back out into the streets?

Middle East peace talks are apparently in such bad shape that the U.S. is thinking of releasing Jonathan Pollard as an incentive to Israel.

The Pentagon wants to continue receiving special war funding well into peacetime.

The future may hold a lot of vehement arguing over insignificant bits of territory.

Benjamin Wallace-Wells wonders with some irritation “Why Henry Kissinger Never Goes Away.”

Some thoughts and links about the ongoing turmoil in Venezuela.

Afghanistan’s outgoing President says that his nation doesn’t need American troops to stay after the end of the year.

As everyone anticipated, the Crimean referendum came out in favor of secession from Ukraine and union with Russia. What happens next is another question entirely.

There are lots of different ways of looking at the situation in Ukraine—historical, game theoretical, and interpersonal perspectives.

More on the pending referendum and some thoughts on elections in authoritarian contexts.

Crimea is more divided than Russia would have the world believe. Plus: the Crimean government has no legitimacy at the moment.

Barack Obama is no Jimmy Carter.

My first piece for The Hill, “Crimea is not Armageddon,” posted this morning.

The West owes Ukraine nothing.

Russian militarism in Ukraine has undone any public relations benefits of the Sochi Olympics.

The opening to China was entirely Richard Nixon’s idea. Henry Kissinger opposed it vehemently.

One thing is clear: Maduro lacks Chavez’s political skills.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has been forced out of Kyiv—and possibly out of power entirely.