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

Saudi Arabia’s Barbaric Executions

Posted January 5th, 2016 at 12:35 am (UTC-5)
Comments are closed

America’s longstanding alliance with the House of Saud is no reason for the Obama administration to do anything less than clearly condemn this foolhardy and dangerous course with a more robust response than its call Monday for both sides to exercise restraint.

Why the Obama Administration Is Right to Deport Migrants Ordered to Leave

Posted December 29th, 2015 at 1:40 pm (UTC-5)
Comments are closed

To not deport those whom an immigration judge has ruled ineligible to remain in the country is to throw over any notion of enforceable immigration law. And that is an indefensible position.

A Hawkish Hillary Clinton Distances Herself From Obama’s Putin Policy

Posted September 10th, 2015 at 4:21 pm (UTC-5)
Comments are closed

During her speech supporting the Iran nuclear deal, Hillary Clinton included a thinly veiled criticism of President Barack Obama’s Russia policy after Russian leader Vladimir Putin boldly annexed Crimea, and then sent support to Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. Now, Russia says it’s sending military help to Syria to bolster the Assad regime. Clinton said she pressed hard for a tougher line against Putin, and vowed to carry it out if she becomes the next President of the United States.

Give China’s Devaluation a Chance

Posted August 12th, 2015 at 12:05 pm (UTC-5)
Comments are closed

Politicians in the U.S. are sure to call the devaluation a threat to American jobs, and politicians in Japan will bemoan its effects on their deflation fight. But it’s important to keep a sense of perspective.

If Barack Obama Ever Had a Strategy for Syria, it’s Been Turned on its Head

Posted August 11th, 2015 at 12:25 pm (UTC-5)
Comments are closed

Faced with a crisis of such magnitude, the choice for an American president tends to be between a bad option and a worse one. But whatever Obama has chosen to do or not to do, the outcome has been far from convincing: there seems to be no end to this war.

Obama Shifts Policy on US Hostages

Posted June 24th, 2015 at 2:04 pm (UTC-5)
Comments are closed

The gruesome beheadings of Americans in captivity by IS militants last year prompted sharp and very public criticism by their families over the long-standing strict US stance of no concessions to hostage-takers. Today, the White House announced new guidelines, which will allow families to negotiate and privately pay ransom to win their loved one’s freedom without the threat of prosecution.