Showing posts for "Federal Spending"
Barack Obama discusses the budget cuts scheduled to take effect next week (Larry Downing/Courtesy Reuters).
The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon and I discussed the sequester, Pope Benedict XVI’s farewell, and the foreign policy-themed films nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture. Read more »
The Copa Libertadores trophy is seen during the draw for the 2013 edition of the competition at the South American Football Confederation headquarters (Jorge Adorno/Courtesy Reuters).
Bob McMahon and I typically use our weekly podcast to discuss major foreign policy issues likely to be in the news in the coming week. In honor of the approaching New Year, we decided to change things up and examine the issues likely to dominate world politics in 2013. We discussed a sluggish global economy; the fiscal crisis in the United States; power struggles in the Middle East; the withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan; sovereignty disputes in east Asia; and the battle over Internet freedom. Paul Stares, director of CFR’s Center for Preventive Action (CPA), joined our conversation to talk about CPA’s newly released Preventive Priorities Survey, which assesses the likelihood and consequences of potential conflicts in 2013. Read more »
(Bernardo Montoya/Courtesy Reuters)
The New York Times published a chart today that succinctly explains why it is so hard to cut the federal government’s spending: the programs that people want to cut don’t cost very much, and the programs that cost a lot people don’t want to cut. Read more »
President Barack Obama waves to the crowd of supporters in Chicago after winning the 2012 U.S. presidential election (Jim Bourg/Courtesy Reuters).
The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon and I discussed what the lame duck Congress will do now that President Barack Obama has won a second term; Greece’s vote on a yet another austerity package; and California’s upcoming auction of carbon pollution allowances. Read more »
President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, former president George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush walk beside the north pool of the World Trade Center Memorial during ceremonies marking the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on September 11, 2011. (Larry Downing/ courtesy Reuters)
The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon and I discussed the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks; the home stretch of the presidential campaign; and what Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will decide at next week’s meeting of the Fed’s policymaking committee. Read more »
Mitt Romney claps as vice president select Paul Ryan (R-WI) gives the thumbs up to supporters during a campaign event in Wisconsin. (Shannon Stapleton/courtesy Reuters)
The weekend’s big news is that Mitt Romney picked Paul Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, to be his running mate. Republicans are ecstatic over the choice. So are Democrats. One of the two is mistaken. Read more »
Darkness sets in over the U.S. Capitol building. (Jonathan Ernst/courtesy Reuters)
The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon and I discussed where things stand in Washington as Congress recesses for the summer; the continued violence in Syria; the 67th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing; and the upcoming Mars landing of NASA’s rover, Curiosity. Read more »
Kofi Annan, the joint special envoy of the UN and the Arab League for Syria, speaks during a press conference in Geneva. (Denis Balibouse/courtesy Reuters)
The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon was out this week, so Stewart Patrick kindly offered to fill in. Stewart and I discussed the world powers crisis meeting on Syria in Geneva; the Mexican presidential election; and the U.S. House and Senate rise for recess. Read more »
A depiction of the British attack on Washington, DC, during the War of 1812. (Library of Congress)
Some dates in American history stand out. Mention April 12, 1861, December 7, 1941, or September 11, 2001 and most people know what historical event you have in mind. Ask what happened on June 18, 1812, however, and the most likely response is a blank stare. But on this date two hundred years ago, the United States, then a weak and fragile country on the fringes of the known world, declared war on Great Britain, then one of the world’s most powerful countries. Read more »
Indian minister of external affairs S.M. Krishna in April. (Mohamed Abd El Ghany/courtesy Reuters)
The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon and I discussed the upcoming U.S.-India strategic dialogue; the U.S. House breaking for its Flag Day recess; and the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) impending sentencing of Congolese rebel leader Thomas Lubanga. Read more »
The Water’s Edge examines the political forces shaping American foreign policy, the sustainability of American power, and the ability of the United States to navigate a rapidly changing world.
The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon and I discussed the expiration of the U.S. debt ceiling suspension,…
You finally land the job you have long coveted. But many of your colleagues dislike you, and the task you…
The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon and I discussed Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s trip to…
The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon and I discussed Barack Obama’s trip to Mexico and Costa Rica,…
Do not threaten what you are not prepared to do. That is a cardinal rule of foreign policy. And it…
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