http://www.realclearworld.com/ en Copyright 2008 Wed, 16 May 2012 15:12:19 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.33 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Wed, 16 May 2012 12:44:29 -0500 Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NYT As secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, I travel often to Washington. Every time I do, I hear voices expressing concern about burden-sharing in the trans-Atlantic alliance. Their message is clear: the Europeans do too little.]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/europe_isnt_free-riding_on_america_136038.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/17/opinion/taking-stock-of-the-atlantic-alliance.html 100136038 PM Update 137998 Wed, 16 May 2012 13:03:06 -0500 Hussein Ibish, NOW Lebanon The new coalition government suddenly formed last week by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the new leader of the Kadima party, Shaul Mofaz, remains something of a mystery. It is essentially a deal between two men, not two parties. Only Netanyahu and Mofaz really know the terms under which they joined forces. It’s easy to see what was in it for both. Mofaz was able to avoid an election that seemed likely to reduce his party to marginal status in the Knesset. Netanyahu got the opportunity to enjoy 16 months of uncontested power before the next legally mandated election.]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/is_israel_united_in_obstructionism_136039.htmlhttp://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=396608 100136039 PM Update 136902 Wed, 16 May 2012 13:50:21 -0500 Meliha Altunisik, Foreign Affairs Last month, Saudi Arabia rolled out the red carpet for Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The visit was yet another example of the degree to which relations between the two countries have improved in recent years. Historically, the two nations have not been friendly, with economic relations only developing in the 1970s. Turkey needed Saudi Arabia's oil. For its part, Saudi Arabia needed Turkey's huge construction sector to build its modern cities. In the 1990s, the arms-length relationship grew more distant. After the Persian Gulf War, Saudi Arabia, along with Egypt and...]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/saudi_arabia__turkey_frenemies_136028.htmlhttp://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/137639/meliha-benli-altunisik/bitter-frenemies 100136028 PM Update 136183 Wed, 16 May 2012 11:09:19 -0500 Chuck Hagel, New Atlanticist A new world order is being built today by seven billion global citizens. America’s responsibilities in this new world and to future generations are as enormous as they are humbling. The challenges and choices before us demand leadership that reaches into the future without stumbling over today. They also require challenging every past frame of reference.]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/can_america_adapt_to_a_changing_world_136031.htmlhttp://www.acus.org/new_atlanticist/challenge-change 100136031 PM Update 137989 Wed, 16 May 2012 13:38:18 -0500 Nikos Chrysoloras, The Guardian The gigantic support programme by the EU and the IMF can only help Greece escape a crash. But the hard landing cannot be avoided. In a sense, Greece now finds itself in "the desert of the real", as its standards of living are adapting to a world without loans, and reflect the actual production of wealth in the country. Staying in the eurozone and pursuing reform is the only chance Greece has. Hopefully, everyone will realise it before descending into chaos.]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/greeces_eurozone_exit_is_suicidal_136037.htmlhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/may/16/greece-must-remain-in-eurozone 100136037 PM Update 137996 Wed, 16 May 2012 11:48:30 -0500 Thomas Walkom, Toronto Star The European crisis seems unprecedented but it is not. This time it centres on the euro, a currency used by 17 European nations. Last time, it centred on gold, an international currency used by even more countries. Oh, and did I mention? The last time this kind of crisis occurred was 1931 — two years into the economic slump we now know as the Great Depression.]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/eurozone_crisis_a_repeat_of_the_1930s_136035.htmlhttp://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1178834--walkom-eurozone-crisis-signals-a-repeat-of-the-1930s 100136035 PM Update 137994 Wed, 16 May 2012 11:44:11 -0500 Matt Gurney, National Post On Tuesday, joint military forces operating under the European flag launched an attack against a Somali pirate base ashore. An attack helicopter, believed to be operating off of a French amphibious assault ship, engaged targets on the ground with its machine gun. Five pirate skiffs — fast boats — were reported destroyed, as was a fuel dump and ammunition storage facility. This marked the first time that the Europeans — operating as the EU Naval Force (NAVFOR) — have taken offensive action against the pirates, and followed the capture of a Greek-flagged...]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/look_at_europe_getting_all_tough_on_pirates_136034.htmlhttp://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/05/16/matt-gurney-europe-takes-a-tiny-gentle-step-in-right-direction-against-pirates/ 100136034 PM Update 137993 Wed, 16 May 2012 13:11:18 -0500 Andrew Exum, World Politics Review Over the past week, we have seen the first real case of sectarian violence spilling over from Syria into neighboring Lebanon. In clashes in and around the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, at least five people have been killed in clashes that are, as I write this, winding down following the deployment of the Lebanese army.]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/the_risks_of_a_syria_spillover_136041.htmlhttp://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/11956/abu-muqawama-locating-the-real-risk-of-syria-spillover-in-lebanon-iraq 100136041 PM Update 138000 Wed, 16 May 2012 10:56:30 -0500 Charles Grant, CER   The election of François Hollande as French president has excited some of those who blame Germany's emphasis on fiscal austerity for many of the eurozone's ills. Hollande has promised to refocus EU policies on growth and employment. Countries such as Greece, Portugal, Spain and Italy - their recessions aggravated by the EU's insistence that they shrink their budget deficits - would welcome a new approach. Even Marios Draghi and Monti, respectively president of the European Central Bank and prime minister of Italy, and both economically conservative, have...]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2012/05/16/how_hollande_should_handle_merkel_100054.htmlhttp://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2012/05/16/how_hollande_should_handle_merkel_100054.html 200136029 PM Update 137959 Wed, 16 May 2012 10:03:01 -0500 Rami Khouri, Daily Star Yesterday marked the 64th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba of May 1948, when Israel was established and Palestinians experienced the combination of exile and occupation that still defines them today. The day was marked as usual by a variety of events around the world, from symbolic demonstrations by Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to protests at Israeli embassies around the world. Such actions do not change the balance of power on the ground. But they do reflect the persistent will of Palestinians everywhere to continue doing the two things that have characterized them...]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/the_palestinian_struggle_persists_136027.htmlhttp://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Columnist/2012/May-16/173517-the-palestinian-struggle-persists.ashx#axzz1usQh0DzY 100136027 PM Update 137984 Wed, 16 May 2012 05:06:38 -0500 Martin Wolf, Financial Times Whatever happens inside the US, its influence will be smaller in the 21st century than it was in the 20th. This is largely because others have learnt so much from it. Even so, the US could retain huge, possibly unrivalled, influence, since its main rivals face even bigger challenges. Yet if the US is to be what it can be, it has to rediscover the pragmatism that long marked its policy making, notably in its responses to the many challenges of the 20th century. No democracy can thrive if its citizens view their own government as their greatest enemy. If Americans choose to make their...]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/americas_destiny_still_in_its_own_hands_136009.htmlhttp://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2012/0516/1224316193552.html 100136009 AM Update 137922 Wed, 16 May 2012 06:36:34 -0500 Clive Crook, Bloomberg The chaos in Greece has resumed and a new election that nobody expects to resolve anything looms. Exasperated European Union officials have begun openly discussing the country's exit from the euro currency system. This is a grave mistake. Greece's exit would be no less catastrophic than when the EU called it unthinkable -- and not just for Greece.]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/if_greece_quits_euro_its_ruin_will_be_pointless_136023.htmlhttp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-15/if-greece-quits-euro-its-ruin-will-be-pointless.html 100136023 AM Update 137945 Wed, 16 May 2012 06:31:20 -0500 Hamish McRae, The Independent Virtue has been duly rewarded. That, at least, would seem to be the immediate conclusion to be drawn from the divergent paths taken by the German economy and that of much of the rest of the eurozone, notably Italy. Germany, which has clamped down on wages, brought in sweeping labour market reforms, cut its budget deficit, and boosted exports, has grown by 0.5 per cent in the first quarter of this year. Italy, which has done none of those things, shrank by 0.8 per cent. France, which under Nicolas Sarkozy had followed a more or less middle course, had a middling experience: a flat...]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/germanys_reward_for_good_behavior_136022.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/hamish-mcrae/hamish-mcrae-germany-reaps-its-reward-for-good-behaviour-7754279.html 100136022 AM Update 137943 Wed, 16 May 2012 05:12:28 -0500 Arthur Herman, National Review Alexis de Tocqueville famously predicted that Russia and the United States would one day dominate the world. He didn’t predict we would become friends doing it. But anyone can see our current policy is only making the world a more dangerous place.]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/romneys_russian_reset_136010.htmlhttp://www.nationalreview.com/articles/300028/romney-s-russian-reset-arthur-herman 100136010 AM Update 137924 Wed, 16 May 2012 09:15:55 -0500 Kennette Benedict, CS Monitor   At first blush, the NATO summit to be held in Chicago this weekend has an ambitious and exhaustive agenda, which includes everything from the effects of government financial crises on defense budgets, to lessons from the successful action in Libya. You name it – exit strategies from Afghanistan, relations with Asia in a global NATO, cyber security – and it’s there. Yet one issue that is fundamental to the future of the alliance is conspicuously missing: the NATO-Russia relationship.   In late March, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen...]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/russia_should_be_invited_to_join_nato_136005.htmlhttp://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2012/0515/Russia-should-be-rewarded-with-NATO-membership 100136005 AM Update 137859 Wed, 16 May 2012 08:19:21 -0500 Ho Kwon Ping, Yale Global Will Asia mimic bankrupt Western ideas, fall victim to hubris - or generate new, sustainable visions?]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2012/05/16/asia_as_global_leader_-_not_so_fast__100053.htmlhttp://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2012/05/16/asia_as_global_leader_-_not_so_fast__100053.html 200136026 AM Update 137948 Wed, 16 May 2012 05:34:03 -0500 Alex Massie, Foreign Policy Polls show Cameron's Conservatives trailing Labour by as many as a dozen points; worse still, just 65 percent of 2010's batch of Conservative voters say they would back Cameron's party if an election were held next month. In such circumstances, a government needs all the support it can muster.]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/will_david_cameron_be_laughed_out_of_office_136012.htmlhttp://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/05/15/mr_omnishambles 100136012 AM Update 137928 Wed, 16 May 2012 05:55:48 -0500 Adar Primor, Haaretz Russia's basic Middle East policies won't change, nor will Israel exchange its alliance with the United States for one with Russia.]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/russia_and_israel_the_unexpected_alliance_136015.htmlhttp://www.haaretz.com/opinion/russia-and-israel-the-unexpected-alliance-1.430733?localLinksEnabled=false 100136015 AM Update 137323 Wed, 16 May 2012 05:20:42 -0500 Aluf Benn, TNR With President Obama running for re-election, the two leaders were probably fated to soon find themselves in a showdown in any case. A reelected Obama will probably return to his pet issue, Palestinian independence, and apply stronger pressure on Netanyahu to curb settlement expansion. But in the absence of assurances from Washington, Netanyahu will be tempted to act upon his "second Holocaust" warnings and attack Iran unilaterally, without American consent. His bolstered domestic political leverage has only made that prospect seem more attractive.]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/israels_moderate_govt_will_have_worse_ties_with_us_136011.htmlhttp://www.tnr.com/article/world/103315/israel-coalition-netanyahu-mofaz-kadim-party 100136011 AM Update 137198 Wed, 16 May 2012 06:43:33 -0500 Peter Goodspeed, Nat'l Post More than 12,000 special forces troops from 19 countries, including many who saw combat last year in Libya, will be swarming all over Jordan for the next two weeks in the largest war games ever held in the Middle East, while their leaders adamantly deny it is a prelude to war in Syria.]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/us_allies_send_war_games_message_to_syria_136025.htmlhttp://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/05/15/goodspeed-analysis-u-s-allies-sending-a-not-so-subtle-message-to-syria-with-jordanian-war-games/ 100136025 AM Update 137947 Wed, 16 May 2012 06:19:35 -0500 Rafia Zakaria, Dawn It is time that the issue of the Nato supply route began to be evaluated not simply in terms of how crucial the supplies are for US forces battling the Taliban in Afghanistan, but the danger it creates for ordinary Pakistanis forced to facilitate its passage through their war-ridden backyards.]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/natos_afghan_supply_route_is_hurting_pakistan_136020.htmlhttp://dawn.com/2012/05/16/a-lesser-people/ 100136020 AM Update 137938 Wed, 16 May 2012 04:54:31 -0500 Seumas Milne, The Guardian Liberia's Charles Taylor has been convicted of war crimes, so why not the western leaders who escalated Libya's killing?]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/nato_should_be_in_the_dock_over_libya_136008.htmlhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/may/15/global-justice-nato-libya 100136008 AM Update 135820 Wed, 16 May 2012 05:41:28 -0500 Samuel Segev, Winnipeg Free Press In the last six months, King Abdullah has been forced to change his government three times, but demonstrations against the monarch continue. Luckily for him, there is no immediate danger of his overthrow.]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/political_climate_in_jordan_boiling_136013.htmlhttp://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/political-climate-in-jordan-boiling-151493205.html# 100136013 AM Update 137930 Wed, 16 May 2012 06:04:18 -0500 Ray Hanania, J'lem Post Are Israelis surprised that as democracy trumps tyranny in Egypt, one of first casualties is Israel peace accord?]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/egypt_democracy_will_undermine_israel_peace_136018.htmlhttp://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Article.aspx?id=270121 100136018 AM Update 137934 Wed, 16 May 2012 06:14:05 -0500 Bruce Kirkby, Globe and Mail I am nearly the same age as Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, and grew up in the same suburb where he now lives. We have, I assume, some interests in common: An affinity for the Maple Leafs? An appreciation for Platinum Blonde? But we clearly diverge on Toronto's plastic-bag fee.]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/16/across_the_planet_the_plastic_bag_abounds_136019.htmlhttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/opinion/across-the-planet-the-plastic-bag-abounds/article2433846/ 100136019 AM Update 137936 Tue, 15 May 2012 06:33:34 -0500 Jeremy Warner, Daily Telegraph European policymakers are about to commit another major blunder in their handling of the eurozone debt crisis, and this time it could well be fatal.]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/15/greece_heads_for_the_exit_135977.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/9265623/Brace-brace.-Dark-times-ahead-as-Greece-heads-for-the-exit.html 100135977 AM Update 137589 Tue, 15 May 2012 04:33:52 -0500 Gideon Rachman, Financial Times President Barack Obama ran as the anti-George Bush candidate. So it is ironic that his signature achievement overseas - the killing of Osama bin Laden - is one Bush would have been proud of.]]>http://www.realclearworld.com/2012/05/15/obamas_foreign_policy_failures_135962.htmlhttp://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=171735 100135962 AM Update 137742