As the Egyptian military council asserts control and begins to sketch plans for transition to civilian democracy, what comparisons can we make with similar transitions from authoritarian regimes in Spain, Portugal, Indonesia, Chile, Brazil, Turkey and Greece? Regardless of the roots and specifics of an overthrown authoritarian regime, some characteristics are similar: severe repression or suspension of civil liberties; restriction or [...]

“Suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away.” - President Barack Obama, Cairo University, 2009. “Things are seldom what they seem.” - Buttercup, HMS Pinafore, 1878. Both comments apply to the current situation in Egypt. The anti-Mubarak protesters are clearly motivated by democratic ideals, rejecting the decades of authoritarianism that has made a mockery of self-government and stagnated [...]

Following the Napoleonic Wars, the European powers gathered at the Congress of Vienna (1814-15) and agreed on an informal but substantive collective consultation process that became known as the “Concert of Europe.” The victorious Britain, Austria, Russia, Prussia and post-Napoleonic Bourbon France recognized that unlimited wars among them would destroy the very system in which [...]

The WikiLeaks stakes are arguably great: On one side are the advocates of freedom of information in democratic societies; on the other are those focused on national security. Regardless of the merits and demerits of each side, those who will most regret this massive flood of classified cables are – historians and diplomats! Historians will [...]

Turkey is misunderstood by most people in Europe and the U.S. – not the least because Turks themselves comfortably call their country European, Eurasian, Balkan, Mediterranean and Near Eastern, and this very modern, actively commercial, long-time NATO member is also a leading voice in the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Its population is only 10 [...]

Multiculturalism just doesn’t work in Germany, according to Chancellor Angela Merkel. Speaking to the youth association of her Christian Democrat Union party (CDU), she said that the “multi-kulti” concept that “we are now living side-by-side and are happy about it … this approach has failed, utterly.” Merkel described this as living in “parallel societies” similar [...]

The recent signing of the new Russian-U.S. strategic arms reduction treaty launches a month of intense activity focused on reducing the threats of nuclear conflict and nuclear terrorism and tightening control over nuclear materiel and technologies. Regardless of outcomes, this reflects the new dynamics driving the original nuclear club of the U.S., Russia, Britain, France, [...]

The recent signing of the new Russian-U.S. strategic arms reduction treaty launches a month of intense activity focused on reducing the threats of nuclear conflict and nuclear terrorism and tightening control over nuclear materiel and technologies. Regardless of outcomes, this reflects the new dynamics driving the original nuclear club of the U.S., Russia, Britain, France, [...]

Last month Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton warned that Iran was turning into a “military dictatorship,” as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was steadily assuming more and more power within the country. The image of Iran as a threatening and militarized nation, ruled by an irrational regime and intent on destroying Israel, would [...]

For small European countries such as Greece, being headline news is not a blessing. It usually means that they have suffered a major natural disaster or are wrestling with political, economic or social turmoil. Greece today is front and center in a storm of bad news. Greece’s problem is mainly economic and the statistics are [...]