As the U.S. military prepares to enter a period of reduced budgets, the services have endeavored to explain their strategic value to the nation. The Navy has positioned itself as the defender of the global commons and, more broadly, as a “global force for good”; the Army, as a globally dispersed boots-on-the-ground “force for tomorrow”, […]

It’s often said that Republicans are the Daddy Party in American politics, while the Democrats stand in for Mom. Mom is about putting nice meals on the table, pushing us to do well in school and teaching us to be kind to other kids; Dad worries about the budget, enforces the rules, teaches us to […]

We’re fans of good longform writing here at Via Meadia. We’re also always on the lookout for experiments in how to sustainably fund online journalism. As such we’ve been keeping our eye on an interesting little startup called Matter. Their idea is simple: they publish magazine-length reported pieces and charge readers $0.99 per article. They […]

This week’s big story was at the Vatican. Our take on the Conclave’s canny choice: It appears that, among other qualities, he is a compromise between those still nostalgic for the long Italian stranglehold on the papacy (Pope John Paul II was the first non-Italian Bishop of Rome since 1523) and those who want a […]

Negotiations begin tomorrow for a UN treaty that would track global arms sales and shipments aimed at stopping the flow of weapons into conflict zones. The NRA’s lobbyists have been working overtime recently to oppose domestic gun control legislation, but they are preparing to open up an international front to oppose this treaty. Though the […]

The NYT ran a curious little eulogy for the ethanol industry in yesterday’s paper. Last year’s persistent drought and an overall decline in gas consumption have forced nearly ten percent of the nation’s ethanol plants to close. Here’s the gist of their story: Backed by government subsidies and mandates, hundreds of ethanol plants rose among […]

Thomas Friedman’s column this weekend, on his frustration with the political system for keeping carbon taxes off the table, ends with a nice mention of AI editor Adam Garfinkle’s latest ebook, Broken: American Political Dysfunction And What To Do About It. Why is any kind of meaningful reform difficult, asks Friedman? First, because our democracy today […]

Despite all the big talk in the Kremlin about revived Russian demographics, the reality seems clear: Russia’s Slavic, Orthodox population is shrinking, and its Muslim populations are growing rapidly. This demographic change is unsettling everywhere, nowhere perhaps more so than in and around the Caucasus where historically Islamic ethnic groups from the mountains are gradually […]

Bank runs in Europe? The EU made them a little bit more likely this weekend, and as Cypriots stampede for the shrinking number of ATMs still handing out cash on the island, Italians, Greeks and Spaniards are also beginning to wonder if, with interest rates effectively at zero and confused politicians running Europe’s bank systems, […]

This spring, if everything goes according to plan, Pakistan’s government will reach a remarkable milestone. Led by the Pakistan People’s Party, which is horribly corrupt and deeply unpopular, the government will become the first civilian administration to pass the reins of government to another civilian administration in Pakistan’s history.That is, if the army can be kept in […]