CUNY Academic Commons

On December 3 rd the future of the United States got a little brighter. The improvement came with Herman Cain’s no más moment regarding the Republican nomination. One distraction down, two more to go- yes, Michele Bachman and Rick Perry Herman Cain proved more than once that he is unprepared to hold a conversation about current events, let alone […]

A prominent theme for the Republican presidential candidates is addressing the role of government. Specifically, most communicate the desire to minimize its role. On the flipside, President Obama is perceived as favoring a protagonist government. But this is not a far left- far right disagreement. It is happening in the center. Unlike the common perception […]

On the November 12 Republican debate Mitt Romney asserted that if “…we re-elect Barack Obama, Iran will have a nuclear weapon. And if you elect Mitt Romney, Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.” Since Romney is a top-tier candidate, it is worthwhile considering seriously the troubling statement quoted above. No one disputes that Iran’s nuclear success […]

Once upon a time there was a US presidential candidate that could not name three out of four heads of state. The significance of this lies in that he was not asked whether he knew who was running the Federated States of Micronesia. He was asked about four states making headlines. This candidate- yes, George W. […]

You really have to wonder why President Clinton is not remembered more fondly by these neo-Republicans. Their incessant whining about the federal debt and deficit is nauseating. Clinton actually tried and succeeded in squaring our national checkbook for the first time since 1957. Watching the debates is depressing precisely because it is obvious that Clinton is […]

Last Wednesday Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sat for an interview with Nicholas Kristof in New York. In that interview the Iranian president affirmed that the United States is not more democratic than Iran. Wait. Before your eyes disappear into your head, let us pay close attention to what this means. It will come in handy in our upcoming […]

President Obama’s promise to veto a Palestinian petition for membership in the United Nations further undermines American credibility in the Middle East. However, Obama today has little room to maneuver. It is regrettable that Mahmoud Abbas will force his potentially strongest ally into a corner. The precarious state of the American economy makes it easier […]