You May Want To Ignore Mexico

But If Americans Remain Indifferent, We’ll All Pay the Price

Last Friday morning, the second most powerful man in Mexico’s government, the cabinet member leading the war against the drug cartels, died in a helicopter crash. Mexicans were stunned: Francisco Blake Mora was President Felipe Calderón’s second interior secretary to die in an air crash in three years.

North of the border, Blake’s death did not make the TV networks’ evening newscasts. A stringer for one of them in Mexico told me that unless Calderón is gunned down by the cartels in broad daylight, the network bosses aren’t interested. Saturday’s Los …

Everyone’s Got a Havana

Cuba's Most Famous Dissident Blogger Writes About Life Inside the Sepia Postcard

The cast bronze sculpture rests one of its arms on the rail of the bar. It seems like he’s going to ask for another daiquiri, but in reality his metal …

Mexicans vs. Mexico

Jorge Castañeda Explores Contradictions Between Character and Country

Former Mexican foreign minister Jorge Castañeda loves his home country deeply, but he’s not afraid to poke a bit of fun at it.

Regarding the shutdown of the 405 Freeway scheduled …

Over-Joyed

What Our Osama Glee Says About the Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations

Yes, I’m glad Osama bin Laden has been killed. I admire the detective work and the soldiering that was involved. I agree that it’s a symbolically important blow against al-Qaida. …

“Geronimo KIA”

America Exhales, Finally, Upon Hearing the News

That felt good, didn’t it?

There are plenty of reasons – both analytical and moral – to stifle euphoria at the news of Osama bin Laden’s killing. It is unlikely to …

The Evolution of Power

Many Americans, Joseph Nye says, still think of their country’s role in the world as “the Lone Ranger riding into town and shooting the bad guys.” It’s a notion that …