Blog posts from 2010

commentary

Among Potential Deficit Remedies, Don't Rule Out Raising Gas Tax

Dec 25, 2010

Detroit Free Press

A proposed 15-cents-a-gallon gas tax is worth a second look. Among various painful options put forward in the Deficit Reduction Commission's draft report, this tax hike may be well justified, write Martin Wachs.

Cyber Warfare

commentary

Stuxnet Is the World's Problem

Isaac R. Porche III

Dec 9, 2010

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

The highly sophisticated Stuxnet computer worm suspected of sending Iran's nuclear centrifuges into self-destruction mode forces a difficult debate on whether longstanding firewalls in our country's democracy should be breached for the sake of national security, writes Isaac Porche.

Iran

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A WikiLeaks Disconnect

Dalia Dassa Kaye

Dec 6, 2010

Los Angeles Times

Given domestic pressures and intra-Arab rivalries, all Arab states hedge in their policies toward Iran, seeking to rein in Iranian influence but also being mindful of the permanence of Iranian power and the costs of antagonizing it, writes Dalia Dassa Kaye.

Law Enforcement

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Alert Public and Cops Foiled the Most Terrorism Schemes

John S. Hollywood, Kevin J. Strom

Nov 24, 2010

The Charlotte Observer

The recent foiled plot by a naturalized citizen to bomb Washington-area metro stations has national counterterrorism officials warning that the U.S. faces not only risks from abroad, but also homegrown terrorism, write John S. Hollywood and Kevin J. Strom.

Turkey

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The US Midterm Elections and US-Turkish Relations

F. Stephen Larrabee

Nov 23, 2010

Hürriyet Daily News and Economic Review

Some Turkish commentators have written off Obama as a lame duck and advised the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan government to begin reconsidering relations in the post-election period. However, foreign policy played virtually no role in the election, writes F. Stephen Larrabee.

Nuclear Disarmament

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Alternative to Futile Negotiations with N.K.

Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett

Nov 23, 2010

The Korea Herald

Clearly, it's time for a new strategy, one that North Korea has been loathe to discuss: hasten Korean unification under South Korea's leadership, writes Bruce Bennett.

Iran

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Revolutionary Guards Criticize Ahmadinejad

Alireza Nader

Nov 5, 2010

PBS.org and USIP

Ahmadinejad, who has been opposed by the reformists and the pragmatic conservatives, is increasingly viewed as a divisive figure even within the principlist (fundamentalist) camp, writes Alireza Nader.

International Diplomacy

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Find the Right Balance Between Civilian and Military: Don't Just Strip the DoD of Capabilities to Inform, Influence, and Persuade

Christopher Paul

Oct 31, 2010

MountainRunner Institute

All parties would like to see greater U.S. capability to inform, influence, and persuade abroad, with the Department of State as the robust leader of American public diplomacy and the Department of Defense as a valued and supporting partner, writes Christopher Paul.

Counterinsurgency

commentary

Your COIN Is No Good Here

James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins

Oct 26, 2010

Foreign Affairs

One can legitimately argue for reducing the United States' commitment to the Afghan war, but it makes no sense to denigrate the tactics and techniques best designed to counter an insurgency, writes James Dobbins.

Traffic Accidents

commentary

A Risk to Themselves

David S Loughran

Oct 20, 2010

New York Times

Drivers 65 and older are only 16 percent more likely per mile driven to cause a traffic accident than are drivers ages 25–64. And their total contribution to the nation's traffic accidents is surprisingly small, writes David S. Loughran.

Terrorism Threat Assessment

commentary

Our Foes Cannot Destroy This Nation

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

Sep 27, 2010

NationalJournal.com

We have come through wars, depressions, natural and man-made disasters, indeed higher levels of domestic terrorist violence than that we face today, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.

Public Health Preparedness

commentary

Flu and Far Between

Melinda Moore

Sep 21, 2010

Public Service Review: European Union

In a world where viruses travel as fast as jets, it becomesimportant for governments to share timely informationand accelerate the production and delivery of vaccines, writes Melinda Moore.

Africa

commentary

An Old Scourge Needs a Modern Solution

Peter Chalk

Sep 3, 2010

International Herald Tribune

Piracy is a crime at sea, but it starts on land. To thwart the Somali piracy career path, the world community should put funds toward protecting local fishing grounds and building a national coast guard capability in Somalia, writes Peter Chalk.

Nation Building

commentary

A To-Do List for Shoring Up Haiti

James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins, Laurel E. Miller

Aug 23, 2010

Los Angeles Times

It is not enough to raise stronger buildings. What Haiti truly needs is a more resilient and effective government, write James Dobbins and Laurel Miller.

commentary

Physician Compensation, Cost, and Quality

Robert H. Brook

Aug 18, 2010

The Journal of the American Medical Association

Pay for performance, transparency, and other innovative ways of compensating physicians will work only if, at the same time, the system for providing care is changed to one that has clear objectives and provides specific tools to help physicians achieve those objectives, writes Robert H. Brook.

How Big Is the U.S. Market for Cannabis, Cocaine, Heroin, and Meth?

Educators Turn to Colleagues for Help with Struggling Students

Trump's Tariffs Against China Aren't Working. And There's No Quick Resolution in Sight

A Wargame at RAND Puts Teen Girls in Command

Illicit Supply of Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids

The Policy Currents Podcast

Managing Escalation in Crisis and War

Developing Strategies for Summer Learning

Getting to Know Military Caregivers and Their Needs

Helping Coastal Communities Plan for Climate Change

2010

Among Potential Deficit Remedies, Don't Rule Out Raising Gas Tax

Stuxnet Is the World's Problem

A WikiLeaks Disconnect

Alert Public and Cops Foiled the Most Terrorism Schemes

The US Midterm Elections and US-Turkish Relations

Alternative to Futile Negotiations with N.K.

Revolutionary Guards Criticize Ahmadinejad

Find the Right Balance Between Civilian and Military: Don't Just Strip the DoD of Capabilities to Inform, Influence, and Persuade

Your COIN Is No Good Here

A Risk to Themselves

Our Foes Cannot Destroy This Nation

Flu and Far Between

An Old Scourge Needs a Modern Solution

A To-Do List for Shoring Up Haiti

Physician Compensation, Cost, and Quality

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