The Problem With the Pivot Courtesy: Foreign Affairs
30 November 2012

The Problem With the Pivot

The Obama administration plans to restrain Chinese belligerence by reinforcing U.S. military and diplomatic links to the Asia-Pacific. However, in order to avoid further Chinese resistance to its policies, the U.S. must look for possible avenues of cooperation with the country.

Courtesy: Gigi Ibrahim/WikimediaCommons
27 November 2012

Israel-Hamas: Only an intermission

The series of Israeli offensives against Gaza, which began on November 4, ended when Egypt's new President Mohamed Morsi brokered a ceasefire between Hamas and the Israeli government on November 13. The possibility of this ceasefire holding up, however, seems remote.

obama second term_0 Courtesy: U.S. Navy
10 November 2012

The second term

U.S. President Barack Obama will certainly have the benefit of continuity in his second term, but he has a range of impending crises to address immediately - be it to avert the so-called fiscal cliff before the end of the year when automatic cuts kick in or plan for the military drawdown from Afghanistan.

obama redux Courtesy: Pete Souza/The White House
9 November 2012

Obama Redux: The view from India

Despite U.S. President Barack Obama’s re-election, a number of issues like the U.S.’s national debt, unemployment and the military withdrawal from Afghanistan need to be addressed. With these multiple national and global imperatives crowding his agenda, will Obama have any time for India?

Courtesy: The White House
7 November 2012

Obama 2: Diverse aspirations coalesce

The changing American demography worked in favour of the Democrats, but winning a re-election may be the easy part for U.S. President Barack Obama. He must now craft an agenda adequately bipartisan to pass legislation addressing the country economic issues.

obama win Courtesy: Hiperpato/WikimediaCommons
7 November 2012

Obama’s next four years

Though U.S. President Barack Obama was re-elected by a generous vote, he will continue to face the legislative gridlock of the past two years. How he acts in the coming weeks will tell us whether there is a newly-revitalised President in town, or the same one the world has got to know in the last four years.

obrom nd2 Courtesy: WikimediaCommons
6 November 2012

A choice without a difference

The electoral races in the US reflect the split down the middle in political affiliations of the people. Yet, no major change is expected. This election is about whether the wealthy in the United States can be asked to pay taxes at the same if not slightly higher rates as the middle class.

romney obama neelam Courtesy: Tktru,Calebrw/WikimediaCommons
5 November 2012

U.S. elections: a hand-to-hand fight

The race for the White House between President Barack Obama and Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney is so close, that the outcome could be anyone’s guess. This has resulted in the quality of the candidates' performance in the three Presidential debates being focused on for the first time.

Broken BRICs Courtesy: Foreign Affairs
30 October 2012

Broken BRICs

There’s been much talk about the “the rise of the rest,” with Brazil, Russia, India, and China leading the charge. However, few countries can sustain unusually fast growth for a decade, and even fewer, for more than that. As the boom years begin to end, the international order won’t change as much as expected.