Xi Jinping has visited the U.S. six times before. But this week’s tour, which begins Tuesday in Washington the state, then to Washington the capital before ending in New York City, will be his first state visit as China’s leader. Activists will clamor for President Barack Obama to denounce the rise in dissident crackdowns. But Beijing’s market roller coaster ride and Xi’s military aggressiveness in the region may force Obama’s hand.
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Tensions – Some Old, Some New – Won’t Be Ignored When China’s Xi Visits US
Posted September 21st, 2015 at 3:04 pm (UTC-4)
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Iran Thumbs its Nose at the United States
Posted September 15th, 2015 at 9:33 am (UTC-4)
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As President Obama was busy twisting congressional arms to prevent repudiation of the agreement, the Iranian regime has been systematically humiliating him.
Obama, Netanyahu and the Future of the Jewish State
Posted September 14th, 2015 at 9:05 am (UTC-4)
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We are now in the 48th year of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. Hope for a two-state solution dims by the day. Right now, there are influential figures on the center-left, in America and in Europe, and certainly in the developing world, who believe that Israel is becoming an apartheid state
American Workers Face Shifting Labor Market
Posted September 7th, 2015 at 1:14 pm (UTC-4)
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On this Labor Day, there is reason to be hopeful, so say the experts. The economy is recovering from the recession and unemployment is falling. But economists also point out that wages have not returned to pre-recession levels. And the phrase “income inequality” is being invoked by presidential hopefuls and economists alike. One thing is certain, the digital era has helped create a very different working world for the average American.
Iran Deal Features Defense Backstop
Posted September 7th, 2015 at 11:21 am (UTC-4)
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By US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter Today, the Iran deal provides the opportunity to address an even greater nuclear threat. Congress should support it because, once implemented, the deal will remove a critical source of risk and uncertainty in a vitally important but tumultuous region.
There’s More to Obama’s Arctic Trip than Just Hypocrisy
Posted September 4th, 2015 at 12:01 pm (UTC-4)
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…Critics have taken issue with the inherent hypocrisy and “greenwashing” of the entire endeavor. Just weeks earlier, on August 17, he handed Shell Oil the final green-light necessary to tap into Arctic oil. Although such criticism has a point, it misses the force behind the decision to approve Arctic drilling to begin with: the National Petroleum Council (NPC) Obama’s administration oversees.
Obama’s Political Win on the Iran Deal Is a Hollow Victory
Posted September 3rd, 2015 at 10:22 am (UTC-4)
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The president won’t win approval of his odious deal; a majority of Congress remains firmly opposed. He’s simply manipulated the process by demonizing his opponents as warmongers
Ignoring Wrongs in Syria to Battle Islamic State
Posted September 3rd, 2015 at 9:43 am (UTC-4)
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While President Obama has deployed American bombs and US-trained Syrian fighters to target IS fighters, he has taken little action to bring down the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad…. In fact, the Assad regime is now tacitly regarded as a bulwark against the advance of Islamic rebels – even though the atrocities of the […]
With Nuke Deal in Hand, Obama Urged to Reassert US Presence in Mideast
Posted September 2nd, 2015 at 3:12 pm (UTC-4)
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The vote counting on Congressional approval of the nuclear deal with Iran is over. When Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) announced her support for the deal Wednesday, it gave President Obama enough support to ensure the plan could not be stopped by Congress. Six years ago, Obama won the White House by promising to get the United States out of the Middle East. His legacy with the Iran nuclear deal puts the U.S. at the center of what could be a new world order.
Three Things Obama Can Do for the Black Community
Posted September 1st, 2015 at 6:06 pm (UTC-4)
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One thing is sure despite all the challenges from a gridlocked, partisan, and quasi-racist Congress: Obama got things done…. But black and progressive Americans also say that more can be done before Obama leaves office in January 2017.
Are We Doing Enough to Stop ISIS?
Posted September 1st, 2015 at 5:40 pm (UTC-4)
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With reports of female sex-slaves, including a young American hostage, the destruction of ancient ruins and the latest execution posted online, there are worries that the world has come to accept — and expect — the extreme brutality of Islamic State fighters. The current US strategy is quietly being debated once again, with some observers calling for more American engagement.
Obama Finally Gets Serious about Climate Change
Posted September 1st, 2015 at 11:01 am (UTC-4)
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Obama’s Clean Power Plan, which was originally announced last year, will for the first time label carbon dioxide a pollutant and establish national rules for carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants for every state.
Obama Renames North America’s Tallest Peak, Angering Ohioans
Posted August 31st, 2015 at 3:11 pm (UTC-4)
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On the eve of his trip to Alaska for a climate change conference, President Obama renamed Mount McKinley to its indigenous name “Denali.” Named for the 25th U.S. President, William McKinley, Alaskans generally welcomed the long-fought for change to the name of the tallest peak in the U.S. But McKinley’s fellow Republicans sounded a note of fury. Obama will likely get more of that when he begins talking climate change.
10 Years After Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans Is Different, Yet Still the Same
Posted August 28th, 2015 at 3:45 pm (UTC-4)
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President Barack Obama flew to New Orleans to mark a decade of recovery from the near total destruction wrought by Katrina. He praised the resident’s of the so-called “Big Easy” for their resilience under extreme circumstances. But while much of the wreckage has been cleared away and homes rebuilt, much remains left undone.
Joe Biden, The Realist, For President?
While many Democrats might be worried that a Joe Biden candidacy might further divide an already fractious party, one group is certainly hoping that he jumps into the race—foreign-policy realists. If the vice president decides to sit it out, interventionism will retake the White House in 2017.