Unconventional Wisdom - An FP Special Report | Foreign Policy

Unconventional Wisdom - An FP Special Report | Foreign Policy

A special anniversary report challenging the world's most dangerous thinking.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

In Foreign Policy's first issue, published at the height of American exhaustion with the war in Vietnam, founders Samuel P. Huntington and Warren D. Manshel promised to challenge the prevailing orthodoxy in Washington. And with provocative essays from the likes of John Kenneth Galbraith -- who famously coined the term "conventional wisdom" and spent a career fighting against it -- and Richard Holbrooke-- who as a serving Foreign Service officer ripped the State Department as "the machine that fails" -- an insurgency was born. Forty years later, upending assumptions is embedded in FP's DNA. In that spirit, we offer this, our 40th Anniversary package tackling the world's most dangerous conventional wisdoms.

Medvedev: "I told him – Barack go rest! [Barack, otdikhai]”

Moscow Inspired by the US Senate START Ratification

Political repression escalates in Russia

By Pavel Felgenhauer

The Kremlin remained uncertain about whether US President, Barack Obama, would manage to push through the lame-duck Senate session the ratification of the new START III. There was fear in Moscow that if the arms treaty was postponed until the spring of 2011, the new Senate with a reduced Democratic majority may never ratify it. START III allows both the US and Russia to have 700 deployed strategic delivery systems – intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM’s) and long-range strategic bombers. But, Russia today already has only 500 to 550 strategic delivery systems left and in the future may have even less, as its Cold War arsenal has deteriorated while its dilapidated defense industry has failed to produce enough replacements (Vedomosti, December 24). The treaty was seen as vitally important as a means to ensure the US also reduces its nuclear capabilities and a credible balance of deterrence is maintained that must guarantee the West shall not have any chance to sway Russia’s internal politics or its relations with its neighbors.

Russia: Obama Signed Away Missile Defenses

Russia: Obama Signed Away Missile Defenses

Wednesday, 05 Jan 2011 09:04 AM

By William Chedsey

Russia’s legislature says the New START nuclear arms treaty ratified last month by the U.S. Senate restricts the U.S. from building and operating missile defenses against nuclear attacks. President Obama says the opposite: that the treaty “places no limitations on the development or deployment of our missile defense programs.”

US- NATO Missile Deployments directed against Russia: Putin Prepares For War

US- NATO Missile Deployments directed against Russia: Putin Prepares For War

Vladimir Putin is the most popular leader in the world today. His personal approval ratings are in the stratosphere, usually well-above 80 percent. He is admired for his quiet, confident manner and for having restored Russia to its former greatness following the chaotic breakup of the Soviet Union. The Russian people love Putin. Parents name their children after him, vodka and caviar producers use his name to boost sales, and his face appears on the tee-shirts of students and young people. It's unthinkable that he would step down after his term as prime minister is over a year from today. The Russian people want him to stay on and run for a third term as president, and that's probably what he'll do.