[Andrew Malcolm] How DC political assassins use media to oust Rex Tillerson

Fans of Robert Ludlum’s thrillers easily recognize his protagonists as calm, canny, determined and worldly fellows quietly fighting sinister forces out to get rid of them in stealthy ways.No one characterizes Rex Tillerson as thrilling. But he could otherwise fit that role. President-elect Donald Trump took the advice of Robert Gates and met with Tillerson, a career oil executive who spent years successfully running one of the globe’s larger corporations in Exxon Mobil and driving it through thr

Dec. 7, 2017

[David Rothkopf] Worry less about nuclear war, more about Trump

Nuclear holocaust is the least likely outcome of North Korea’s latest leap forward in offensive capabilities. And if it were it to occur, it would probably be the result of shoot-from-the-lip bluster from US President Donald Trump rather than a calculated US or North Korean strategy. Our biggest worry isn’t the future toll of a dubious war, but the toll bad leadership is already taking on our standing in the world.South Korean President Moon Jae-in indirectly captured this point when, in respons

Dec. 6, 2017

[David Ignatius] What was Trump afraid of in Russia scandal?

It’s a truism of Washington scandals that it’s not the initial actions that lead to legal disaster, but the attempt to cover them up. It’s possible that is the case with Friday’s indictment of former national security adviser Michael Flynn -- and in the broader investigation of the Trump team’s contacts with Russia. But there is much we still do not know.　This sweater has been unraveling from a thin initial thread. When I reported on Jan. 12 the phone calls between Flynn and Russian Ambassador S

Dec. 6, 2017

[Justin Fendos] Understanding US gun culture in modern days

Given the frequent prevalence of horrifying gun incidents in the United States, I am often asked to explain American gun culture. Especially here in East Asia, the idea that people in an advanced country like the US would be willing to live with the daily risk of being shot is hard for many to understand. So let me try to explain.The first thing to understand is the law. In the US, the constitution contains a specific provision called the Second Amendment that refers to the rights of citizens to

Dec. 6, 2017

[Dan K. Thomasson] Is there a way out of North Korea dilemma?

With the current administration, there seems to be a new burning question nearly every week. Some linger and others are beyond answering except when they do so themselves. One of these obviously is how to deal with North Korea’s pursuit of atomic weapons parity with other nuclear powers, with a White House itself seemingly in personnel chaos amid increasing reports of changes in top level staff that deal with such questions.If the reports are correct, the crucial foreign policy team would shift

Dec. 5, 2017

[Joshua Kurlantzick] The Trumping of Cambodian democracy

Over the last year, Cambodia’s ruling party, the Cambodian People’s Party, has dramatically increased its pressure on its political opponents and civil society. Democracy in Cambodia has always been fraught, and elections are not completely free and fair. But the current crackdown is much greater in scope, and far more concerning, in part because it is being enabled by American apathy.Prime Minister Hun Sen, East Asia’s longest-serving nonroyal ruler, has used his power to silence critics and cl

Dec. 5, 2017

[Christopher Balding] Maybe China can’t take over the world

Almost daily, newspapers in the US, Europe and China release eye-catching headlines about China’s technological advances and economic prowess. The accomplishments are real. But they’re not necessarily evidence of Western failure or Chinese invincibility.In touting such achievements, commentators too often overlook the structural factors that have shaped them. Economists now recognize just how much of economic interaction is driven by such forces. For instance, the gravity model in international

Dec. 5, 2017

[Los Angeles Times] Republicans’ big tax win a loss for rest of US

Now that the Senate has joined the House of Representatives in passing versions of a bill to cut taxes -- with the support of virtually all Republicans and no Democrats -- there’s little doubt that the Republican majority will work out a measure they can support in both chambers and send it to President Donald Trump to be signed into law.But the first big win for Republicans in Washington is a loss for the rest of the US. Yes, there may be plenty of Americans who will see their tax bills go down

Dec. 4, 2017

[Los Angeles Times] Rex Tillerson chasing away State Department’s best and brightest

These are difficult times for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Not only must he contend with a new spate of reports that his fickle, mercurial boss in the Oval Office is thinking of dumping him, he is being accused -- credibly -- by former State Department officials and members of the US Congress of gutting the department and demoralizing the diplomatic corps.On Tuesday, Tillerson denied that there had been a “hollowing out” of the agency and accused critics of throwing around “false” numbers a

Dec. 4, 2017

[Christine M. Flowers] An un-Christian thing to do

Back in 1967, my father had a near miss with the Ku Klux Klan. He was luckier than most of the people who lived in Mississippi during that hot summer, especially people of color. But as an Irish Catholic Yankee from Philadelphia who was down south registering black voters and representing indigent clients in jails right out of “In the Heat of the Night,” he wasn’t exactly the type of fellow that made those upstanding Klan members happy. I’m thinking that the Catholic part was especially annoying

Dec. 4, 2017

[Editorial] Brazen pay raise

It was recently revealed that a budget subcommittee of the National Assembly had decided early last month to raise the annual pay of members of the assembly.The current monthly salary of an Assembly member is 11.49 million won ($10,600), including 6.46 million won in “general allowances.” The committee decided to increase the allowance by 6.2 percent to 6.63 million won. If the salary hike passes the plenary session, annual pay of an Assembly member will rise from 137.96 million won to 140 milli

Dec. 4, 2017

[Adam Minter] China transforms trucking business

Travel to the edge of any Chinese city and eventually you’ll find a parking lot full of idling trucks and suffocating diesel emissions. In bigger cities, such as Shanghai, these lots sprawl for tens of acres and can lead to paralyzing traffic jams when they overflow. Even as China embraces ride sharing and delivery drones, and builds vast networks of airports and high-speed rail, it still depends on long-haul trucks to carry 80 percent of its cargo.　It’s a dirty, low-tech and inefficient industr

Dec. 3, 2017