Columnists

“If you want to talk about a nation that could pose an existential threat to the United States, I’d have to point to Russia. And if you look at their behavior, it’s nothing short of alarming.”

Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. Chair U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff

“This is not about Ukraine. Putin wants to restore Russia to its former position as a great power. There is a high probability that he will intervene in the Baltics to test NATO’s Article 5.”

Anders Fogh Rassmussen, former Head of NATO

It is not just defense secretaries and generals employing language that conjure up the ghosts of the past. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton used a “Munich” analogy in reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and a common New York Times description of Russia is “revanchist.” These two terms take the Ukraine crisis back to 1938, when fascist Germany menaced the world.

Yet comparing the civil war in the Ukraine to the Cold War—let alone Europe on the eve of World War II—has little basis in fact. Yes, Russia is certainly aiding insurgents in eastern Ukraine, but there is no evidence that Moscow is threatening the Baltics, or even the rest of Ukraine. Indeed, it is the West that has been steadily marching east over the past decade, recruiting one former Russian ally or republic after another into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Nor did the Russians start this crisis. -more-

For persons with a severe mental illness, it is helpful to recognize symptoms early, and to steer clear of a relapse before it happens, rather than allowing the illness to sneak up on us. If we are undertreated or overstressed, symptoms can occur and judgment can become compromised. This can then lead to becoming "noncompliant" because insight has been obliterated by symptoms. -more-

It’s the responsibility of a presidential frontrunner to set the terms of the debate. On July 13th, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton did this in a New York city speech, describing her plans to address economic inequality and related concerns. -more-

On July 14th, the U.S., China, France, Germany, Great Britain, and Russia reached an agreement with Iran to “to limit Tehran’s nuclear ability in return for lifting international oil and financial sanctions.” In reality, the negotiations were less about curbing nuclear proliferation and more about international trade and U.S. prestige. On balance, this Iran nuclear agreement is realistic, pragmatic and, on balance, good for the U.S. -more-