Deng Xiaoping’s Gate

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One of the strange realities of modern China is that Mao’s image, which hangs over the main gate into the Forbidden City, is still evident in lots of places. The horrors of the Cultural Revolution are part of Mao’s identity — and yet there is still more reverence of him than I’d expect.

Stop Hyperventilating: Obama Will Not Choose War with Iran

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In September 2007, before the release of the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate on Iran, I wrote an article for Salon titled “Why Bush Won’t Bomb Iran.” At the time, the belief that George Bush and Dick Cheney would take military action against Iran was palpable.

Israel Needs to Step Back & Ponder Danger of Palestinian Deaths Becoming So Easy

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This kind of story needs to be getting less frequent — not more prevalent. Easy killing of unarmed people will undermine Israel, and it must turn this around. Israel sets the temperature in its region. Israel is a superpower — and is over-reacting to rock-throwing Palestinians.