Two centuries ago, the Austrian statesman Klemens von Metternich astutely observed: "Asia begins at the Landstrasse.” Nations east of this Viennese street, were already exhibiting parochial undercurrents that were contrarian to Western thought.  This fault-line remains with modified contours, exacerbated by the trifecta of EU failures…

Recent 2 years there were some rumors in world media and blogosphere that North Korean leadership had been conducting remarkable economic reforms. However this hardly is true – perhaps we can say only Labour Party elite recognizes crisis of command administrative system and tries to enhance export production as well as ease burden of obligatory…

Monday's agreement, described by a U.N. spokesman as "a first step towards a more durable ceasefire," is the fruit of intensive diplomacy between Washington and Moscow, which back opposing sides in the 5-year-old civil war that has killed more than 250,000 people.  Presidents Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin discussed the accord by phone…

Is there the way out of the current financial crisis? The answer to this question unequivocally depends on the prices of oil, fueled by the ongoing economic sanctions imposed on Russia by the West and worsening geopolitical situation. According to many western and eastern media, the forecasts about the future of the volatile oil prices are clearly…

Amidst the increasing risks of a military confrontation between Russia and the West, politicians would better to take into account the experience of religious leaders like Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill.       By Russia Direct  With a great deal of buzz about a global war, involving Russia and other great powers, the…

             "Unafraid, Bi-partisan, Uphold U.S. and Freedom"

 

The 9/11 catastrophe again became a subject of contention at the South Carolina GOP debate on Saturday. Jeb Bush maintained that his brother George W. Bush kept us safe. Donald Trump argued that he did…

With western media continuing to blame Russia and its allies for the escalation of violence in Syria and elsewhere, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told participants at the Munich Security Conference-- itself a relic of the Cold War designed to promote defense spending-- that  “all sides in Syria are guilty.”
 
Speaking…

The world economy has perceived notable global challenges affecting the long term economic sustainability and stability of financial markets. The emergence of globalization has marked a period of rapid economic integration and interdependence among states, increasing the risks and vulnerabilities to external shocks in the international system. The…

In totalitarian countries . .
The government tortures, kills and suppresses unions and the press.
Whereas in authoritarian countries . .
These functions are left to the private sector.
Jules Feiffer cartoon on statement by former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Jean Kirkpatrick
 
In order to judge whether there has been a “rollback of…

“Unafraid, Bi-partisan Uphold U.S. and Freedom!”
 
On 2-13-16, the  9/11 catastrophe again became a subject of contention at the South Carolina GOP debate.  Jeb maintained his brother kept us safe. Trump argued that “W” did not; the world Trade Center came down on his watch. As our forthcoming study on follies…

''The Arctic seems to be warming'' announced a newspaper headline. ''Reports from fishermen, seal hunters, and explorers...all point to a radical change in climatic conditions, and hitherto unheard-of high temperatures in that part of the earth's surface.'' The story ran in the Monthly Weather Review... in November 1922. Since those days we learnt a…

This blog is exclusively written by The Institute of Post-Communist Studies and Terrorism  CEO, Leni Friedman Valenta, a former Democratic Party official in New Jersey.
 
Listening to Madeleine Albright declare a special hell for women who don’t support other women, I suddenly pictured the pits of hell yawning hungrily for…