American emotional conventions have changed, not always for the better.

Von Donnersmarck’s The Lives of Others finally gets under the skin of Stasiland.

Voltaire’s Lettres Philosophiques paved Tocqueville’s way to America.

Japanese public sector training grows up.

Speaking to a Congressional committee is a gold-plated bragging right for anyone who wants his opinion heard or expertise plumbed. While any lucky tourist can get a meet and greet with a member of Congress, only a player gets asked to testify. But why has it looked so difficult lately?Why have so many Administration officials […]

I was on a panel on Sunday with Presidents Putin of Russia and Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The following is the text of my speech:I would like to begin by thanking the organizers of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum for inviting me, and giving me the opportunity to […]

The past few days have borne much sadness for us here at The American Interest. Two of our esteemed authors have passed away: Dame Mary Douglas died in London at age 86 on Wednesday, May 16, and Eugen Weber died in Los Angeles at age 82 on Thursday, May 17. As our readers know, Professor […]

Not that anyone asked me, but I was appalled by Michael Kinsley’s “cover” review (entitled “God, Distrust”) of the new Christopher Hitchens book (God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything) in yesterday’s New York Times Book Review. It’s one thing for the NYT Book Review to be so very brave as to get one […]

From the Los Angeles Times, May 5, 2007: GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, has promised to return to Washington in September to report on the outcome of his surge strategy. I hope he will say that sectarian killings, bombings and U.S. casualties are all down. But even if he does, I […]

There’s an old upbeat country/bluegrass song called “My Walkin’ Shoes Don’t Fit Me Anymore.” Well, that song has new meaning for me this morning, because yesterday I and a few thousand other people completed the Washington, DC 2007 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. That’s 26.3 miles on Saturday, and 13.2 miles Sunday morning. That’s more […]