Here’s something we don’t see every day: the Times‘ op-ed page sticking it to the greens in a devastating piece by columnist Joe Nocera. Here at Via Meadia we’ve flagged the President’s decision to nix the Keystone XL pipeline as one of the most baffling and damaging decisions of his Administration, and now this viewpoint […]

The American diplomatic push in Asia continues as word spreads that the director of the CIA may soon visit Myanmar, the former Chinese ally that has been moving rapidly toward deep cooperation with the Pacific entente. On a recent visit to longtime US ally Thailand, General Petraeus is reported (by the New York Times) to […]

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a dysfunctional monster leeching the life out of the regional economy with bad management, bloated costs, poor decision making and no clear sense of mission said a group of expensive consultants and experts.Everyone surprised by that finding, please raise your hands.New Jersey governor Chris Christie, […]

If you want to keep your country strapped for cash, here’s a simple formula: Debate ad infinitum the possible nationalization of the country’s largest industry.Discord in South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) has the party doing just that, resulting in stagnant government revenue and decreased private investor confidence. The industry at issue is South Africa’s stunningly […]

There’s good reason to question the logic behind the fight against the Taliban, which has the United States playing whack-a-mole—defeating insurgents in one area, only to have them pop up elsewhere. As one lieutenant described a single battle, so too goes the war: The sole escape for the insurgents was to ford the Helmand River and […]

[yframe url=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBfYl6QyPFQ’]In January 2009, a prominent political icon took to CNN to express moral outrage over the actions of a Middle Eastern government attacking civilians. It was a moving performance, filled with pathos and righteous anger: The numbers continuously and consistently increase…it’s not even day by day, it’s hour by hour. 824 people dead. Two […]

Over at The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg says that the “most consequential news from the Middle East today” is Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s promise to keep oil prices under $100 a barrel. Why does this matter? Argues Goldberg: Because it clears the way for an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. I’m not suggesting coordination […]

The Libya conflict — a war of protection, a humanitarian intervention, an intrusion to save civilians’ lives — has created new humanitarian crises of its own, within and beyond Libya’s borders. Over 22,000 people are reported to have fled armed Malian “rebels” who are intent on reinvigorating a fight with the government. Aid groups are […]

Billions of people who don’t know and don’t care that the French are having a presidential election this spring could get the shock of their lives.  A victory for Francois Hollande, challenging Nicolas Sarkozy for the presidency could bring the euro down and plunge the world back into recession.And Hollande is not only ahead; the […]

The jobs of the future are coming faster than we think. In the Harvard Business Review, Anne-Marie Slaughter offers some helpful advice on finding the perfect profession in the new economy. Look at the world around you, she says, and design your own profession that connects the various strands throughout the economy: Look around, find […]