Up And Coming: The New Scramble for Africa

News out of Africa that makes it into the Western press is often not good. Whether it is the interminable resource wars in Central Africa, communal unrest in East Africa, sectarian strife in Western Africa or the economic unrest in Southern Africa, the narrative presented to audiences in the West is that of a continent perpetually […]

Jeffrey Cavanaugh
By Jeffrey Cavanaugh

News out of Africa that makes it into the Western press is often not good. Whether it is the interminable resource wars in Central Africa, communal unrest in East Africa, sectarian strife in Western Africa or the economic unrest in Southern Africa, the narrative presented to audiences in the West is that of a continent perpetually doomed by war,

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From E Pluribus Unum To Gott Mit Uns: Religious Proselytization In The US Armed Forces

Lost amid the wall-to-wall coverage of the shooting horror in Newtown, Conn. last week was a little remarked upon story coming out of the U.S. military academy at West Point that deserves much broader coverage than it initially received. As reported in the Huffington Post in early December, a West Point cadet by the name of […]

Jeffrey Cavanaugh
By Jeffrey Cavanaugh
U.S. Army Spc. Simran Lamba, center, the first enlisted Soldier to be granted a religious accommodation for his Sikh articles of faith since 1984, stands in formation with fellow soldiers before taking the oath of citizenship, prior to his graduation from basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C., Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010. (AP Photo/Brett Flashnick)

Lost amid the wall-to-wall coverage of the shooting horror in Newtown, Conn. last week was a little remarked upon story coming out of the U.S. military academy at West Point that deserves much broader coverage than it initially received. As reported in the Huffington Post in early December, a West Point cadet by the name of Blake Page quit the

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War With Iran? Beware The Ides Of March

Little remarked upon last month except by the anti-war left and the  journalists covering the foreign policy beat for an elite readership, the United States has given notice to the Islamic Republic of Iran that it has by March to begin substantive cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), or else. That else, it would […]

Jeffrey Cavanaugh
By Jeffrey Cavanaugh
iran

Little remarked upon last month except by the anti-war left and the  journalists covering the foreign policy beat for an elite readership, the United States has given notice to the Islamic Republic of Iran that it has by March to begin substantive cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), or else. That else, it would seem, is

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The Changing Tides Of US Politics And Why We May See Clinton In 2016

The recent kerfuffle over the affaire de Benghazi has been widely seen by those on the American left as an attempt by Congressional Republicans to force President Obama’s hand in his choice to replace Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Secretary Clinton, who is widely believed to be leaving at the conclusion of Obama’s first term at […]

Jeffrey Cavanaugh
By Jeffrey Cavanaugh
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton gestures as she gives a speech: "Frontlines and Frontiers: Making Human Rights a Human Reality," Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, at Dublin City University in Dublin, Ireland. (AP Photo/Kevin Lamarque, Pool)

The recent kerfuffle over the affaire de Benghazi has been widely seen by those on the American left as an attempt by Congressional Republicans to force President Obama’s hand in his choice to replace Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Secretary Clinton, who is widely believed to be leaving at the conclusion of Obama’s first term at the end of the

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A Lost Decade And The New Cold War With China

Once again, the American right wing has vomited forth racist accusations that President Obama, who just thumped conservatives in the recent election, doesn’t really have American interests at heart. On Thursday, Texas Republican Louie Gohmert announced on a conservative radio program that Obama orchestrated Gadhafi’s ouster from Libya so “al-Qaida and the Muslim Brotherhood could take […]

Jeffrey Cavanaugh
By Jeffrey Cavanaugh
This undated photo shows a carrier-borne J-15 fighter jet on China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. (Xinhua/Zha Chunming)

Once again, the American right wing has vomited forth racist accusations that President Obama, who just thumped conservatives in the recent election, doesn’t really have American interests at heart. On Thursday, Texas Republican Louie Gohmert announced on a conservative radio program that Obama orchestrated Gadhafi’s ouster from Libya so “al-Qaida

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Talking Politics And Progress At Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Dinner during election season can often be a family affair fraught with tension and heavy silences. Out of nowhere, a comment about a certain candidate or political party can raise unexpected hackles that can derail even the best planned holiday meal. While often uncomfortable, these holiday exchanges represent an American tradition of political discourse […]

Jeffrey Cavanaugh
By Jeffrey Cavanaugh
In this photo taken Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, Anne Brennan, right, of Hingham Mass., speaks as, from left, brother-in-law Steve Marshall, of Hingham, niece Rebecca Malone, and her husband Brian Malone, both of Duxbury, Mass., and nephew Andrew Marshall, of Quincy, Mass., are gathered for dinner in Hingham, Mass., where politics are a frequent, and divisive topic of conversation. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)

Thanksgiving Dinner during election season can often be a family affair fraught with tension and heavy silences. Out of nowhere, a comment about a certain candidate or political party can raise unexpected hackles that can derail even the best planned holiday meal. While often uncomfortable, these holiday exchanges represent an American tradition of

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