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Man of the World

From the March 2021 Print Edition

John Foster Dulles is a largely forgotten figure. Had he not served as U.S. secretary of state from 1953 to 1959, that largely would be entirely. Whatever interest his life retains stems from his tenure as the nation’s chief diplomat during the tense early years of the Cold War. . . . . Continue Reading »

Mr. and Mrs. Fearmonger

From the June/July 2017 Print Edition

The Cold World They Made:The Strategic Legacy of Roberta and Albert Wohlstetter by ron robin harvard, 365 pages, $35 Today all but forgotten, Roberta and Albert Wohlstetter were once the First Couple of Armageddon. During the Cold War, with World War III seemingly just around the corner, they played . . . . Continue Reading »

Limiting Moralism

From the February 2013 Print Edition

A state is not a church. A state exists not to redeem humankind or to do God’s work but to provide for the security and well-being of the people who reside within its boundaries. This defines the primary, indeed the overriding, moral obligation of those who govern. This dictum applies to those who . . . . Continue Reading »

The Vietnam Wars

From the August/September 2001 Print Edition

Like Israelis and Palestinians eyeing each other suspiciously from adjacent hilltops in the West Bank, Americans who were on opposing sides of the Vietnam War may share the same space, but there should be no confusing cohabitation with reconciliation. Even in the best of times, what passes for . . . . Continue Reading »