The Anti-US Axis Isn’t Dead, Just Resting Russia, China and North Korea failed to help Iran when it was getting bombed by the US. And yet their four-way coalition lives on and will become more ominous.

Russia, China and North Korea failed to help Iran when it was getting bombed by the US. And yet their four-way coalition lives on and will become more ominous

GIFT LINK

bloom.bg/3J0olF3

@opinion.bloomberg.com

Even Nuclear Experts Are at a Loss Right Now Who would have thought strategists would be almost nostalgic for the Cold War?

In our brave new world, those thinking deeply about preventing nuclear war have no good answers and seem almost nostalgic for the Cold War

GIFT LINK: bloom.bg/4kWNu0B

@opinion.bloomberg.com

A US Defense Strategy Is Coming, Just Not From the President Any American “national defense strategy” is better than none at all. Too bad the one being drafted will seem naïve and won’t be read in the Oval Office.

Any US “national defense strategy” is better than none at all. Too bad the one being drafted will seem naïve and won’t even be read in the Oval Office

GIFT LINK: bit.ly/4lRVa5N

@opinion.bloomberg.com

America’s Peacemaker-in-Chief Doth Protest Too Much Not making much peace abroad isn’t stopping Donald Trump from boasting that he is.

Trump wants to be a 'peacemaker' and bag the Nobel Prize for it. Here's an interim assessment...

GIFT LINK: bloom.bg/40wtLxy

@opinion.bloomberg.com

The State Department Upheaval Makes China Great Again Never before has a country forfeited so much soft power with so little justification amid such intense competition with a rival.

Never before has a country forfeited so much soft power with so little justification amid such intense competition with a rival

GIFT LINK for this column about upheaval in the State Department: bloom.bg/44CdlGp

@opinion.bloomberg.com

Putin Finally Got Under Trump’s Skin With his new stance toward the Kremlin, the US president just demonstrated the positive role that frustration, embarrassment and vanity can play in world affairs.

With his new stance toward the Kremlin, Trump just demonstrated the positive role that personal frustration, embarrassment and vanity can play in world affairs.

NO PAYWALL

@opinion.bloomberg.com

www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...

America Is Losing Its Intelligence When even spy agencies have to put loyalty to the leader above objectivity and truth, the whole nation loses, and becomes less safe.

When even spy agencies have to put loyalty to the leader above objectivity and truth, the whole nation loses, and becomes less safe

GIFT LINK:
bit.ly/3GAkNZq

@opinion.bloomberg.com

The Deep Thinker Rising Through a Shallow Pentagon Elbridge Colby, a strategist in the Pentagon who wants to focus America’s might on China, wields outsized clout in an administration increasingly short on expertise.

Elbridge Colby, a strategist in the Pentagon who wants to focus America’s might on China, wields outsized clout in an administration increasingly short on expertise

GIFT LINK: bit.ly/4kMF7F7

@opinion.bloomberg.com

Did the US Obliterate Iran's Nuclear Program? We Just Don't Know The White House is in full propaganda mode about the intelligence on Midnight Hammer. So are its critics. For now, ignore them all.

The White House is in full propaganda mode about the intelligence on the Iran strike.
So are its critics.
For now, ignore them all.

GIFT LINK: bit.ly/4lrXbVA

@opinion.bloomberg.com

Does It Matter Whether America’s Iran Strike Was Lawful? In the US attack on Iran so far, power has trumped legitimacy. But to resolve the conflict without major war, the president needs both.

In the US attack on Iran so far, power has trumped legitimacy. But to resolve the conflict without major war, the president needs both

GIFT LINK: bit.ly/3G6w7fF

@opinion.bloomberg.com

To a President With a Midnight Hammer, Everything Is a Nail The prowess on display in America’s strike on Iran inspired shock and awe. So did the start of America’s forever wars.

GIFT LINK: The prowess on display in America’s strike on Iran inspired shock and awe. So did the start of America’s forever wars

bit.ly/3SZKQvL

@opinion.bloomberg.com

The MAGA Coalition Won't Survive a Bunker-Buster in Iran As the US president weighs whether to join Israel’s war against Iran, a rift cleaves his own base, not to mention the world.

As Trump weighs whether to join Israel's war against Iran, a rift opens in his own base, not to mention the world.

GIFT LINK: bit.ly/43Q4gJK

@opinion.bloomberg.com

The G-7 Was a Great Idea — Until it Became One Against Six As the club that used to represent “the West” concludes its 50th summit by defining success as avoiding a major blow-up by the American guest, one wonders: What’s the point anymore?

As the G-7 concludes its 50th summit by defining success as avoiding a major blow-up by the American guest, one wonders: What’s the point anymore?

GIFT link: bit.ly/3TfT577

@opinion.bloomberg.com

Bibi’s Iran Attack Could Wreck Trump’s Middle-East Strategy The president had a dream of being a prize-winning peacemaker. Now he may enter the nightmare of America fighting yet another war.

NO PAYWALL: Trump had a dream of being a prize-winning peacemaker.

Now he may enter the nightmare of America fighting yet another war

www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...

@opinion.bloomberg.com

Republicans Are (Almost) Ready for Maximum Pressure on Russia Congressional Republicans who are pro-Ukraine and anti-Russia are mustering more courage to help the president correct course.

Republicans in Congress who are pro-Ukraine and anti-Russia are mustering more courage to help the president correct course

GIFT LINK: bloom.bg/44cwEpo

@opinion.bloomberg.com

The US Is Dooming the UN — Whether It Leaves or Not America doesn’t have to withdraw from the United Nations to deep-six it. It can just keep undermining everything it tries to do, like those Sustainable Development Goals.

Trump doesn’t have to withdraw from the United Nations to deep-six it. He can just keep undermining everything it tries to do, from the big (the SDGs) to the symbolic (a World Horse Day)....

GIFT LINK: bit.ly/4kBZ2an

@opinion.bloomberg.com

Anti-Woke Crusades Only Make Hegseth and Rubio Look Petty Even if you stipulate that DEI went too far, what’s now happening at the departments of Defense and State should worry you.

Even if you stipulate that DEI went too far, what’s now happening at the departments of Defense and State should worry you

Gift link: bloom.bg/4mRMI7t

@opinion.bloomberg.com

Marco Rubio Has Made It to the Top of a Burning World The secretary of state is now also the national security advisor, and even America’s chief archivist. Yet he doesn’t seem to be the top diplomat. What gives?

The secretary of state is now also the national security advisor, and even America’s chief archivist.

And yet Rubio doesn’t seem to be the top diplomat. What gives?

GIFT LINK: bloom.bg/45LBnPY

@opinion.bloomberg.com

A ‘Golden Dome’ Could Make America Less Safe The anti-missile shield that Donald Trump wants to put in the sky could protect North America from attacks. But it could also invite them.

The anti-missile shield that Trump wants to put in the sky could protect North America from attacks. But it could also invite them

It's called the "Security Dilemma" in international relations

GIFT LINK: bit.ly/3HoqklC

@opinion.bloomberg.com

The Problem With US Foreign Policy Is the Overshooting Donald Trump sometimes has the right instincts about America’s role in the world. Too bad that doesn’t translate into good statecraft.

Trump sometimes has the right instincts about America’s role in the world. Too bad that doesn’t translate into good statecraft
GIFT LINK: bloom.bg/4jdEO5g
@opinion.bloomberg.com

What If Iranians, Americans and Arabs Made Uranium Together? Iran has an unconventional idea that could make the region safer and also appeal to Trump’s love for big, bold deals.

Trump loves big, bold deals, and says he'll bring peace to the Middle East.

So this Iranian proposal should appeal to him ...

GIFT LINK: bloom.bg/3GUh7Bw

@opinion.bloomberg.com

Now America’s Relationship With Israel Is Really in Trouble Donald Trump is dissing Benjamin Netanyahu not for the greater cause of Zionism, but for himself.

Biden should have broken with Netanyahu to save Zionism, but didn’t.
Trump is dissing Bibi, but not for the sake of Israel. He’s doing it for himself

GIFT LINK: bloom.bg/3F8A1nC

@opinion.bloomberg.com

India, Pakistan and the World Still Need the American Sheriff When the stakes are nuclear, and even when they’re not, only the US can prevent the absolute worst.

When the stakes are nuclear, and even when they’re not, only the US can prevent the absolute worst

GIFT LINK: bloom.bg/4jHly0Y

@opinion.bloomberg.com

‘Peace Through Strength’ Isn’t Going Well in the Mideast In the Middle East as in the world, President Donald Trump is about to discover that his simple solutions die in complexity.

In Gaza, Iran and the world, Donald Trump is about to discover that his simple solutions die in complexity

GIFT LINK: bit.ly/3Z6afqR

@opinion.bloomberg.com

Exiling Waltz Won’t Fix the Incompetence of US Foreign Policy As Michael Waltz and Marco Rubio shuffle jobs, American foreign policy keeps going fist, flag, fire.

As Michael Waltz and Marco Rubio shuffle jobs, American foreign policy keeps going 👊US 🔥

bit.ly/431uOGl

@opinion.bloomberg.com

Ukraine Is Where Republican Foreign Policy Went to Die If American policy toward Russia, Ukraine or any place looks chaotic, blame intellectual schisms in the GOP second. Blame the party’s cowardice first.

"One of the gravest dangers to America and the whole world is .... the herd mentality and cowardice that prevent a storied American political institution from speaking truth to a wannabe king in its own ranks...."

GIFT LINK: bit.ly/4lTBkHv

@opinion.bloomberg.com

Stop Scaring Future World Leaders Off US Campuses By pulling up the drawbridge around higher education in the US, Donald Trump is sabotaging the transnational networks that have amplified American power.

Trump is scaring away international students who will become world leaders. Dumb in so many ways....

Gift link: bit.ly/3REi6Ib

@opinion.bloomberg.com

In This New World Disorder, You Need Vietnam's Bamboo Diplomacy With the US resembling Russia and China as an imperialist bully, more countries should emulate Vietnam and bend with the geopolitical winds to avoid snapping.

My advice to small and medium countries in the Trump era: Emulate Vietnam and adopt some version of its “bamboo diplomacy.”
NO PAYWALL with this link
@opinion.bloomberg.com
bloom.bg/3GoOkF2

The US Is Leaving the World Behind Faster Than Feared Barely 100 days into Trump’s second term, the US is veering from benevolence to negligence in international affairs. Malevolence is next.

Barely 100 days into Trump’s second term, the US is veering from benevolence to negligence in international affairs. Malevolence could be next.

NO PAYWALL with this link: bloom.bg/42OeMzw

@opinion.bloomberg.com

To understand the backwards nature of Trump’s approach to Greenland, it’s important to know the long-standing alliance between the US and Denmark, says @andreaskluth.bsky.social 📽️