January/February 2012

Editor's Introduction
James S. Denton
As the Washington Post’s Chuck Lane explains in this issue of World Affairs, Barack Obama’s comfortable foreign policy approval ratings will likely diminish the standing of foreign policy in the debates that will lead us to our choice in November 2012. To most that will seem ironic, given that in the last election cycle this issue was front and center for candidate McCain, who famously called candidate Obama “dangerous” to the nation’s security in a campaign that was dominated by war, withdrawal from war, “torture,” proliferation, terrorism, the Patriot Act, and related topics bearing on matters beyond our borders. ... Read More

The Myanmar Moment? Why Washington Made Its Move

Peter A. Coclanis
For years, Myanmar has been a favorite bête noire on the world scene, but the West is right to consider whether the ruling military now has the potential to effect serious modernization.

The Golden Age of Natural Gas

Tom Gjelten
The natural gas market has blossomed in recent years, offering some countries the potential for greater energy independence and setting up a new set of global winners and losers.

Man On A Mission: Bill Browder vs. the Kremlin

Michael Weiss
After the Kremlin tortured and murdered one of his lawyers for investigating government corruption, Bill Browder began a global campaign to bring justice to Sergei Magnitsky's killers.

What Now? Saying Good-Bye to the Peace Process Illusion

Michael Zantovsky
After a tumultuous year in Israeli-Palestinian relations, it's time to admit that the "peace process" negotiation model has become a diplomatic delusion.

Afghanistan Now

Sohrab Ahmari
Terry Glavin's new book shows a side of Afghanistan many Westerners have never seen—and makes a strong case for continuing to help the troubled country.

Are the Peasants Revolting? Occupy Wall St’s Foreign Policy

P. J. O'Rourke
Historically, class warfare has made itself both complicated and simplistic. In the words of one DC Occupier, “We’re not anarchists, we’re just using their tent.”

The Occupiers, Seen from Europe

James Kirchick
Two decades after Communism, rallies for free people decrying their free societies look suspiciously retrograde—or worse.

The GOP Candidates and Foreign Policy

Charles Lane
To the extent they focus on foreign affairs at all, the current GOP hopefuls differ greatly from their predecessors.

Arab Spring or Islamist Winter? Three Views

Last year was not the first time Arabs called for change in the face of stubborn autocrats, but it was the first time their calls paid off—at least initially.
The end of authoritarian regimes is a positive development, but disillusionment has grown in the Middle East and the West as theocratic forces threaten to reverse the progress of last year's revolutions.
The number of genuinely liberal democracies to emerge soon in the Arab world is likely to be one or zero.

In the May/June Issue

Bacevich, Diehl, Hayden, Perle, Rieff, Wolfowitz, and others debate the lessons of Iraq. Juan de Onis on Latin America’s divide, Riviera on China’s pollution, and Michael Zantovsky on “Iron Curtain.” Plus Scottish independence, and more...

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