Ideas

Trump's Syria Strategy Actually Makes Sense

And it does not involve a commitment to change the horrible and predictable outcome of the civil war.

Ideas

Rex Tillerson's Syria Policy Is Sensible—But It's Fanciful

The resources the administration is willing to commit are at yawning variance with its ambitious goals.

Ideas

The North Korea Debate Sounds Eerily Familiar

Trump’s national-security officials are making many of the same arguments Bush’s did in 2003.

Threats

When Words Risk Provoking War

Words especially matter between societies that poorly understand each other’s motivations and intentions, as do North Korea and the U.S.

Ideas

The Summer of Misreading Thucydides

There’s a delicious irony in the Trump team’s affection for the historian—who repeatedly shows how populists lead societies to ruin.

Ideas

America's Military: Overcommitted and Underfunded

The administration wants to expand the armed forces’ commitments, even while contracting spending.

Ideas

Why Does Obama Fight Wars He Deems Unwinnable?

The uncertainty he projects about his policies undermine the half-hearted military efforts he undertakes.