Learning from Gorbachev’s Failures
As we address the climate emergency, what lessons can we extract from Gorbachev’s efforts to transform the Soviet Union?
Brown Bag: From the Bronx to Oxford and Not Quite Back
A book talk with author and the senior member of the Editorial Board of The Nation, Norman Birnbaum about his new book on the history of the Cold War and the role of ideas in politics.
Trump: The Anti-Gorbachev
Like Mikhail Gorbachev, Trump helms a fading empire. But while the former Soviet leader supported democratization in his wake, Trump’s sowing the seeds of autocracy all over the globe.
Cuba: Hope and Change?
Cuba stands at a historic crossroads: playground for the rich or isolated Communist backwater. Can it find a third path?
Why the World Is Becoming the Un-Sweden
Convergence theory predicted that the world would become like Swedish social democracy. Why has the opposite happened?
Arts Event: Before/After
The latest play by IPS’ John Feffer is a multimedia portrait of the transformation of East-Central Europe told by the people who made it happen.
Arts Event: Before/After
The latest play by IPS’ John Feffer is a multimedia portrait of the transformation of East-Central Europe told by the people who made it happen.
Arts Event: Before/After
A new play by IPS’ John Feffer is a multimedia portrait of the transformation of East-Central Europe told by the people who made it happen.
The European Union May Be on the Verge of Collapse
The complex federal project of the EU has proven fragile in the absence of a strong external threat.
What the U.S. Should Learn from Russia’s Collapse
For U.S. communities dependent on the same industries that have brought Russia to its knees, the time to start planning an economic transition is now.
More Lucky than Brilliant
Moscow and Washington almost blew up the world during the Cuban Missile Crisis over a misunderstanding.
Working for Peace and Justice
This excerpt from scholar and activist Lawrence Wittner’s autobiography recounts a visit to the Soviet Union and an unusual historical find.
Review: Soviet Fates and Lost Alternatives
Stephen Cohen explodes the conventional wisdom about Soviet and Russian history in his latest book.
Mother Earth’s Triple Whammy: Are We All North Koreans Now?
Why North Korea was a global crisis canary.
Now Class, Let’s Review Iraq’s Lessons
The tragic Iraq War can serve as a guide to many policies to avoid.