Author Archive
Peter Beinart
Ideas
Even a Bolder Biden Will Only Go So Far
The pandemic has expanded his ambitions—just not enough to challenge the Pentagon.
- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic
Ideas
But What About China?
To treat great-power competition as an afterthought is irresponsible, even dangerous. The 2020 presidential candidates did just that.
- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic
Ideas
Bolton Keeps Trying to Goad Iran Into War
For more than a decade, he’s consistently promoted war with Iran. All that has changed are the pretexts he’s offering to justify one.
- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic
Ideas
How Is Iran Worse Than Saudi Arabia?
A rational foreign policy would view Tehran as a normal regional power jockeying with equally sharp-elbowed foes. 2020 Democrats can lead the way.
- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic
Ideas
Why Trump Is Trying to Create a Crisis
The president didn’t declare a state of national emergency on Tuesday night, but he laid the foundation for doing so.
- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic
Ideas
Saudis, Yemen War Leading New Democrats Away From Obama Foreign Policy
They also want to rein in presidential war powers.
- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic
Ideas
What Elizabeth Warren’s Speech Says About The Left’s Foreign-Policy Debate
The senator from Massachusetts will deliver a speech on Thursday that demonstrates her differences with other progressives—particularly with respect to China.
- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic
Ideas
Trump Hobbled Efforts to Counter Violent Extremism
The administration cut programs designed to prevent atrocities like Pittsburgh.
- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic
Ideas
America Needs a Non-Unipolar Foreign Policy
Trump’s election should remind Congress and policymakers that the U.S. cannot do it all.
- Peter Beinart
Ideas
NATO Doesn’t Need 4% Defense Spending
Trump's new call for allies to spend 4 percent of their GDPs on defense makes no sense. Even America shouldn't do that.
- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic
Ideas
How Sanctions Feed Authoritarianism
Past experience shows that economic pressure does change societies—but it mostly facilitates hardliners. Iran’s regime may be next.
- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic
Ideas
A Radical Pick for the National Security Council
John Bolton’s new chief of staff comes from the Center for Security Policy, a group that was largely shunned by conservatives in Washington—but is making a comeback in the Trump era.
- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic
Ideas
'All Is Shambles': The Days After the Iran Deal
Prominent advocates for withdrawal grappled too little with the possibility that the president cannot pull this off.
- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic
Ideas
Iran Hawks Are the New Iraq Hawks
Many of the assumptions that guided America’s march to conflict in 2003 still dominate American foreign policy today.
- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic
Ideas
Is Trump Preparing for War With North Korea?
The omissions in the State of the Union, and the fate of Victor Cha, all point in the same direction.
- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic
Policy
Islamophobia No Longer Needs Terrorism as a Justification
Conservatives are finding new justifications for anti-Muslim sentiments—and embedding them more deeply in America’s political terrain.
- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic
Ideas
South Korea Is Right
Trump has characterized its policy as “appeasement.” But Seoul’s approach is far more sensible than Washington’s.
- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic
Ideas
How Trump Could Get China's Help on North Korea
Beijing is not going to pressure Pyongyang just because he tells them to.
- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic
Policy
Trump Republicans See Putin's Russia As a New Front Line Against Islam
Conservatives are divided on whether Putin’s Russia is a totalitarian enemy or a defender of the Christian West.
- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic
Policy
Mike Pence Embraces Foreign Policy That GOP Voters Left Behind
By sidestepping Trump’s messages on foreign policy and trade in Tuesday’s debate, the vice-presidential nominee ignored the choices GOP voters made in their primaries.
- Peter Beinart, The Atlantic