US Opinion and Commentary

“VOA will present the policies of the United States clearly and effectively, and will also present responsible discussion and opinion on these policies.” — VOA Charter

Showing Archived Posts

Trump’s Choice for Israeli Ambassador Is a Danger to American Lives

Posted December 20th, 2016 at 1:52 pm (UTC-5)
Comments are closed

Friedman not only supports additional settlements and seems opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state on the West Bank, but also wants to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv, where it has been for decades, to Jerusalem….[which] the Arab world would take it as a slap in the face.

Why Diplomats Are Agog at Trump’s Ambassador to Israel

Posted December 20th, 2016 at 1:44 pm (UTC-5)
Comments are closed

Forty years ago presidents and prime ministers might have attended one international meeting each year; today they are on a summit treadmill. They phone one another and cultivate personal relationships. Diplomats are often sidelined and left to churn out reports that circulate in a bureaucratic vortex.

When Diplomats Get Punished for Doing Their Jobs

Posted May 18th, 2016 at 10:24 am (UTC-5)
Comments are closed

The threat that government surveillance and national-security investigations pose for private citizens has been hotly debated for the past decade. Less understood is the damage done to government officials themselves when they fall into the dragnet.