James M. Lindsay

The Water's Edge

Lindsay analyzes the politics shaping U.S. foreign policy and the sustainability of American power.

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Showing posts for "Multimedia"

The World Next Week: Egyptians Pick a President, NATO Meets in Chicago, and Baghdad Hosts Iran Talks

by James M. Lindsay
Egypt-Election-20120517 A boy selling sweets walks past posters for Egyptian presidential candidate Amr Moussa in Alexandria. (Asmaa Waguih/courtesy Reuters)

The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon and I discussed the presidential election in Egypt; the NATO summit in Chicago; and the P5+1′s talks with Iran in Baghdad.

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The highlights:

The World Next Week: France Votes, Malawi Mourns, and the Chernobyl Anniversary Follow Earth Day

by James M. Lindsay
Hollande-Sarkozy-20120419 Official campaign posters for Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy for the French presidential election are displayed on a wall in Paris. (Philippe Wojazer/courtesy Reuters)

The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon and I discussed the presidential elections in France; Malawian president Bingu wa Mutharika’s funeral; the twenty-sixth anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster; and Earth Day. Read more »

TWE Remembers: General Douglas MacArthur’s Speech to Congress

by James M. Lindsay
A copy of General Douglas MacArthur's speech to a joint session of Congress on April 19, 1951. (Library of Congress) A copy of General Douglas MacArthur's speech to a joint session of Congress on April 19, 1951. (Library of Congress)

Americans love generals. We have elected twelve of them president. But for a president, generals can be an enormous pain—and a political threat. James K. Polk worried (rightly) that Winfield Scott was hankering after his job. Abraham Lincoln couldn’t get George B. McClellan to fight, finally relieved him of command of the Army of the Potomac, and then beat him decisively in the 1864 election. Read more »

Lessons Learned: Bay of Pigs Invasion

by James M. Lindsay

A new installment of “Lessons Learned” is now out. This week I discuss the Bay of Pigs invasion, which began on April 17, 1961. In the video, I look at the mistakes made before and during the invasion and discuss the importance of anticipating failure and planning accordingly. Here’s a question to consider when thinking about these kinds of actions: What steps should presidents take to make sure that they are thinking how their policies might fail rather than simply engaging in wishful thinking about how they will succeed? I encourage you to weigh in with your answer in the comments section below.

I hope you enjoy the video.

Read more »

Friday File: How Will Obama Respond to the North Korea Missile Test?

by James M. Lindsay
North-Korea-Missile-Control-Room-2012-04-13 North Korean scientists work as a screen shows the Unha-3 rocket on a launch pad, at a control center on the outskirts of Pyongyang. (Bobby Yip/courtesy Reuters)

Above the Fold. Despite warnings from President Obama that there would be “consequences,” North Korea went ahead and launched a ballistic missile to honor the 100th birthday of the country’s founder, Kim Il-sung. The test was a dud; the missile broke up a minute into flight and fell harmlessly into the Yellow Sea west of Seoul. The launch violates a series of UN resolutions and means the end of the so-called Leap Day deal in which Washington promised to send food aid to North Korea in exchange for good behavior. Read more »

The World Next Week: North Korea’s Satellite Launch, the Summit of the Americas, and the IMF and World Bank Meetings

by James M. Lindsay
north-korea-satellite-2012-04-12 A North Korean scientist looks at a monitor showing the Unha-3 rocket on a launch pad, at a control centre on the outskirts of Pyongyang. (Bobby Yip/courtesy Reuters)

The World Next Week podcast is up. Bob McMahon and I discussed North Korea’s satellite launch; the Summit of the Americas in Colombia; and the International Monetary Fund’s and World Bank’s spring meetings. Read more »

Lessons Learned: General MacArthur’s Dismissal

by James M. Lindsay

A new installment of “Lessons Learned” is now out. This week I discuss President Harry Truman’s announcement on April 11, 1951, that he had dismissed General Douglas MacArthur as commanding general of U.S. forces in Korea. In the video, I look at the principle of civilian control of the military and discuss when exercising that control is justified. Here’s a question to consider when thinking about wartime decision-making: How much deference should presidents give to the military, and under what conditions should they overrule military advice?  I encourage you to weigh in with your answer in the comments section below. And one quick correction. I mistakenly say in the video that General MacArthur sent a letter critical of the Truman administration’s policy in Korea to the “Republican speaker of the House.” MacArthur actually sent his letter to the House Republican minority leader.

I hope you enjoy the video.

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Friday File: Malian Rebels Proclaim Independent Country of Azawad

by James M. Lindsay
sanogo-tuareg-rebels-2012-04-06 Captain Amadou Sanogo, leader of Mali's military junta, speaks during a news conference. (Luc Gnago/courtesy Reuters)

Above the Fold. Tuareg rebel fighters in northern Mali today declared the independent country of Azawad. The announcement comes on the heels of the rebels’ rapid success in driving government forces out of Northern Mali in the two weeks since Malian soldiers overthrew the country’s democratically elected president, Amadou Touré, a former general who first came to power in a coup two decades ago. (Touré oversaw Mali’s transition to democracy and then stepped down from power, earning him the nickname “the soldier of democracy.” He was elected president in 2002 and again in 2007.) The new ruling junta justified its coup on the grounds that Touré had failed to put down the Tuareg rebellion. Tuaregs, a semi-nomadic people spread across Niger, Mali, Libya, Algeria, and Burkina Faso, make up an estimated 10 percent of Mali’s population. They have been fighting for their independence since even before Mali won its own independence from France in 1960. Read more »

The World Next Week: Will the P5+1 Negotiations Succeed?

by James M. Lindsay
U.S. Secretary of State Clinton listens to EU foreign policy chief Ashton during a NATO foreign ministers meeting. (Francois Lenoir/courtesy Reuters) U.S. Secretary of State Clinton listens to EU foreign policy chief Ashton during a NATO foreign ministers meeting. (Francois Lenoir/courtesy Reuters)

The World Next Week podcast is up. This week, Bob McMahon and I had the week off. Fortunately, Isobel Coleman and Toni Johnson graciously agreed to step in for us to preview next week’s news. They discussed the resumption of Iran and the P5+1′s nuclear talks; the Summit of the Americas in Colombia; the continuing trials of foreign NGO workers in Egypt; and World Health Day. Read more »

Lessons Learned: North Atlantic Treaty Signing

by James M. Lindsay

A new installment of “Lessons Learned” is now out. This week I examine the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, DC, on April 4, 1949. In the video, I look at how American membership in NATO marked a fundamental shift for U.S. foreign policy and discuss how difficult it can be for a country to undertake such a shift. Here’s a question to consider when thinking about these kinds of changes: Does the emergence of China, India, Brazil, and other rising powers require a fundamental rethinking of American foreign policy? I encourage you to weigh in with your answer in the comments section below.

I hope you enjoy the video.

Read more »

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