Political Development
A Democratic Reckoning in India
The battle on the streets over the foundations of the state.
The Middle East’s Quiet Liberal Revolution
What people in the region actually believe.
After Xi
The succession question obscuring China’s future—and unsettling its present.
The Egyptian Revolution
For a century and a half the Arab world has been following a negative policy. It has known what it wanted to do away with, but it has not known what it wanted to build. The Western conquest of the Middle East was mental no less than physical. Overwhelmed and unsettled, Eastern minds lost almost all national values, yet could not absorb Western values. Misapplication of Western patterns of government brought a confused mixture of political systems and philosophies. Democracy was only a veil for dictatorship.
The Stagnant Order
The end of rising powers.
Global Leadership: After the Cold War
The United Nations has stepped forward to meet the challenges of a world simultaneously fragmenting and going global. The world body has led the way in defining human rights, assisting states as they grope toward democracy and the market, calling attention to ignored conflicts, and cooperating with nongovernmental organizations. But it cannot fulfill its destiny unless its members provide it with the funds and resources it needs. A strong and independent secretary-general is the key to the U.N.’s future.
Syria’s Imperiled Transition
How shock therapy threatens the post-Assad peace.
Cuba’s Point of No Return
The country is collapsing even as its regime survives.
China’s Purges Are Working as Designed
A unique discipline system has helped the party endure.
The Price of Russian Paranoia
Spy hunting shores up Putin’s power—but paralyzes the state.